music is... {guest post by Jocee}

the emotions that cannot be expressed through words

a desire that is too sacred to be uttered

a heart's song...it can be joyous

a whole new world with caverns that have yet to be explored
my is more than my life. music is me. 

Just a single note can instigate a feeling within you and it can change your point of view on something. It can turn the tables. It can put you in someone's shoes that you may not have wanted to be in, but it did anyway.
I think it's very interesting how people may say that music is their life, and they may have a band or they may play an instrument, and when you take time out of your day to listen to them, they start playing and all you hear is noise. Pure noise. It may be the style of music that they're playing, or it may be the talent of the performer themselves.
Sometimes the style of music you listen to changes the most in your teen years. You may be a ballerina lover, who listens to the soundtrack of Swan Lake daily, and then you may suddenly switch to heavy metal. Whoa. What happened there?
And then music styles can change drastically in the parenting years. They may listen to the latest hits to impress their teens, or they may listen to the oldies. You know, the 1990's, early 2000's  ;)
For me, I'm a consistent lover of soundtrack {major John Williams fan over here, oh yeah!!} and a genre that can only be explained if you listened to it. It's the Jocee genre ;) But mostly, the music I listen to depends on my mood.
Happy ~ "Something in the Water" Brooke Fraser
Sad ~ "Someone Like You" Adele
Angry ~ "Imperial March" Star Wars - John Williams
Conflicted ~ "Near to You" A Fine Frenzy
Anything Else ~ "Rolling In the Deep" Adele
To me, these artists are sincere in their music. I mean, when they start playing, it doesn't sound like my sister's rendition of the "Hallelujah Chant". {which you probably don't wanna hear, by the way, no offense to my sister who's probably going to kill me later since she knows how to read now} It sounds like real music. Sometimes the artist reaches into the book called my soul and turns a page, and quotes me. It's amazing. 
When someone says music is their life, sometimes I think of an all boy band who practices in their dad's garage. The typical D+ average grades and trying to get a "gig" wherever they can. Maybe I'm stereotyping but sometimes you're going to have to specify was music is to you. 
Whether music is within you, or music is your food & drink, or if music is you.
It matters. Because it defines you.
Jocee: dark amber brown eyes, brown hair, dreams with emerald green eyes, sees life the color vintage, cupcake enthusiast, lover of British accents, left-handed, traditional coca-cola bottle lover, lavender vanilla bubble baths, sea shell collector, avid believer in Narnia, Wonderland and Middle Earth, dictionary reader, quill and ink writer, profound quote creator, despiser of capital letters, your personal imagination station, inspired by rainy days, aspiring photographer, bubble blower.

Hello Home (an update of the past two weeks)

Phew! It has been a long time since I have been home and posted, and it does feel really good to be back, even if it is only for a day :)

Before I start rambling on and on (ready yourself now for a good long ramble) can I just say that all of you who did this round of guest posting did an awesome job? Seriously, I just read all of your posts and they were fantastic, thanks so much, I hope everyone enjoyed them as much as I did! Also, I see that while I was gone, blogger decided to totally mess things up and change everything around. Sorry blogger, but I'm not a fan. Not yet anyway.

BUT ANYWAY.....on to my ramble.
On July 9th (wow that was a long time ago) I arrived at band camp around 9 in the morning. I headed off to auditions immediately, while my dad found my room and brought all my stuff up for me. I was prepared for my auditions, so I was pretty confident. I nailed my jazz audition, and I though my concert band one was a bit shaky, but in the end it didn't matter. After I went back to my dorm room to find this huge beautiful suite waiting for me. It was AMAZING. We had two bedrooms for the five of us, a living room with a couch, chairs and a giant picture window, four desks, a nice bathroom, and kitchen area. So awesome. My roommates were also totally awesome and we had many adventures such as dance parties in the elevator, spicy nacho popcorn, and flooding our suite. (best adventure EVER.) Also, there were great things that happened as a whole camp such as the creation of the ten caBANDments. Epic, epic, epic.

And the music, the MUSIC. Incredible. After lunch on the first day chairs for concert band and jazz band had been posted and to my great delight I found that I was the lead trumpet in the jazz ensemble and principle trumpet in the concert band! (for those of you who don't know, both of these mean first chair- lead is used in jazz and principle in concert band, wind ensemble and orchestra settings) Being first in both meant that I was trumpet section leader, and it landed me a spot in the student solo recital.

It was a really really amazing week, I played so so so much, and so high, and the concert last Sunday was near perfect. Just so much fun! I can't WAIT for next year!

My week at Pilgrim Lodge was great too, and now I'm home for the day. Around 3 I'm going to leave and go see the new Harry Potter movie which I am wicked excited for and also packing because tomorrow I leave for a mission trip with my church which should be great too. Phew! It sure is a busy summer!

Marching Band (A guest post by Lily)

You are sitting in the stands listening to the music play from the pep band. It starts to get your attention but then something happens when you watch the football team leave the field for half-time. There is a band gathering on the field, ready to pump up the stands. When they start to play it immediately grabs your attention. There is a show happening right before your eyes and you sit there awestruck at the Marching Band. Marching Band has a special place in my life because it really describes my personality.

In Marching Band you can be loud. Or mellow. Or quiet. It can describe your personality depending on how you react to the music. Are you always spirited and joyful? Or maybe you are romantic and passionate? The music plays the way you hear it as. 

But the music is how it describes us. The music can be soft and peaceful, like a quiet person. It can be energetic and fast, like an outgoing person. Or the music can even be dark and mysterious, like a villain. The music can be set to different perspectives. What is your perspective of Marching Band music? 

Marching Band is a way you can show your spirit, your pride, and your life. But everything is perfected. The way you look, sound, hold your instrument, and the way you walk is all perfected. It is perfected with practice. You know that saying, Practice makes Perfect? Well its the truth. If you practice you will learn. Will you show your pride for your school? 

 My name is Lily and I'm from Lily Petals Photography. I am a writer in the making. I am currently writing drama, comedy, and science fiction novels. I play clarinet in the Marching Band at my school. I am a Christian ready to server my Lord and Savior in any way. Thanks for listening! Come and see me at my blog!