I wrote my second short essay on Rihanna because I found her to be very inspiring. When I found out we had to write a short essay on a women that had made an impact on my life I didn't know who to choose. I finally found Rihanna and read a lot of her background information and found it very interesting how she came from nothing and turned into a superstar. She had a rough life but worked hard and became very successful through the help of Jay Z and many other people. It just goes to show you that if you really want something that you should go out and get it.

I really enjoyed listening to Fiona Applegate because I've never heard of her before. It was great that she helped you figure out your profession Professor Santos. It is also great listening to someone you have never heard before it expands you genre of music. Her music is very inspirational, so I can see why she helped you find your career. Another thing I liked was when everybody shared who they did a report on because it was nice finding out who inspires everybody.

     This week in class we had to write about a female artist that inspired us, influenced us, or saved us. The artist I chose to write about was Carrie Underwood. I watched Carrie Underwood audition for American Idol when I was little and love the fact that I was able to watch her grow as an artist and musician. She is inspiring to me because even though she has become extremely successful and famous she still remains humble. Carrie Underwood has always remained true to herself and has not changed as a result of her wealth, fame, or criticism, which can be very hard to do. 

     When I walked into class on Wednesday I was surprised to see all the desks in a circle formation. It was a little intimidating at first but it actually made it almost more of a relaxed and informal environment. I enjoyed the opportunity to listen to everyones story behind their female artist. I found it interesting to see how music can relate to peoples lives and different songs can mean different things to people depending on what personal experiences are going on in their lives. I loved hearing peoples stories and what artist they chose and why, it was a very interesting class. 

Class Of Sharing

What a great class this past Wednesday, I had a blast.  I thought sitting around listening to everyone share their work brought the class together.  I enjoyed hearing from people who don’t usually speak in class and thought it was a good way to see everyone.  Throughout the brief descriptions of peoples work I had this sense of getting to know the person better because of the stories they held with an artist or how they described what the artist meant to them.  Some of the class had artist I never knew about and others had more mainstream which I knew, but all in all each person had a good reason why they found the women powerful.           

            One of the artist that we got the chance to all listen to was Fiona Apple.  I had not heard of her before and it is always nice to be exposed to different music.  I don’t know exactly what style she is but I enjoyed the different beats and the changing of the vocals from having long winded words to short quick and high pitch.  As we only listened to three songs, each song had so much emotion and time spent putting it together.  I don’t know Professor Santos on a personal level but I can see how anyone could relate to songs that are filled with so much meaning. 

            Even though we could only hear Fiona Apples songs, everyone who shared in the class gave a meaning full description of the impact the artist had on them.  The sharing of all these different artist made me see that everyone might be raised on this and that but some artist really stand out of the bunch.  It was nice to hear the stories.  I enjoyed the assignment and the class that followed it.   

On Wednesday’s class, we all got in a circle and shared with each other what we wrote about on our 2^nd short essay, which was about a female musician. It was really cool listening to everyone’s opinion and how they feel about the female singers they wrote about. The female I chose to write about was Beyoncé. What I mentioned in my essay was that Beyoncé has been a hard worker since she was a young, which is why she is where she is today and so successful. I also mentioned how she is a risk taker. Beyoncé took a risk releasing the formation song when she most likely knew the outcome and how people would react but it did not stop her. All that really mattered to her was that she was being herself and not afraid of where she comes from. She is also very confident, which many people who aren’t confident in themselves can look up to her. Lastly, I mention how Beyoncé has a really positive personality all around. Many people say negative things about her daughter Blue, however Beyoncé has never replied publicly to any of the disrespectful comments. I find Beyoncé inspiring for her hard work, which makes me work hard to reach my goals.

As I've been sick fighting off the Flu, I realize I've missed a pretty awesome class. As I read about how many of you enjoyed opening up about our favorite female musician I thought I'd share mine.

Miranda Lambert is my favorite female country artist. Like many artist her music has had an influence on my life. Her music has a way to relate to the listener as if the song was written about them. One of her songs I relate to is “The House That Built Me”. She sings about all the memories that were made in her house. Many people can relate to this song because many of us grow up in a home, which built us. How a house isn’t just a house; it’s a piece of you. It’s a memory. My house is the same way. 

Also, In 2009 her family founded, MuttNation Foundation.She puts so much work into finding homes for the pets she rescues and ending animal cruelty.  She’s involved with making a difference in the world by giving animals a second chance at love.She’s a woman I hope I can resemble in her abilities to help change the world and help people/animals in the process.
 

Inspirational female singers

Wednesday’s class was very different from what we normally do in class and I really enjoyed it. I liked how we all got into a circle so we could make sure we could see everyone as they talked about their essays. I found it very interesting to hear who everyone had chose as their most inspirational female artist. The female artist that I had chosen was Carrie Underwood. She is one of the most down to earth celebrities, which is something that really draws me to her. I also absolutely adore her voice. It’s so real and so pure that it is almost impossible to listen to her music without getting the chills. She also has such a strong faith and she’s not afraid to sing about that. She could get a lot of criticism for singing so much about her faith but her songs never really shove it in your face so I believe that she expresses her faith beautifully.

            I also really enjoyed learning about Fiona Apple. I have heard of her name multiple times in the past but I had never actually heard any of her songs. I was pleasantly surprised once we listened to three of her songs. Even without listening to the songs yet, her lyrics just on paper were so deep and moving and it only got better once we heard those lyrics in the song. I really enjoyed hearing her music and I will probably start to listen to more of her songs now.

            I really enjoyed listening to everyone’s presentation and learning about their most inspirational female artist. It was so great to hear the reasons why everyone chose who they chose. I feel like it allowed me to learn more about that person by seeing who they chose as their most inspirational female singer.

Kathleen Hanna

            On Wednesday, as a class, we shared what female musician had the most influence on us.  I like that we arranged the desk into a circle because it caused us to take a look at everyone.  I think that sitting in the circle created an environment that made it easier for my classmates and I to share our stories. I found it inspiring to listen to the affects that musicians can had on each individual person’s life, even if I did not know some of the musicians mentioned. There was a variety of genres that these female artists fell into. Music can bring people together, put how you’re feeling into words, and make strong connections.  

          I chose Kathleen Hanna as the female musician that has influenced me the most. Kathleen Hanna was the singer of the Riot Grrrl band Bikini Kill. I believe that she is my spirit animal. Kathleen radiates with confidence and is not afraid to be different. I wish that I had the confidence she has and that I could feel as comfortable in my skin as she does in her own.  In my high school years Kathleen helped me realize that it is okay to be different and that I should embrace it. I wanted to be my own person and not follow the trends the media was promoting. I believe that because of Kathleen it is more acceptable for the woman to be part of the punk scene. At Bikini Kill shows she would talk to the crowd and call all the girls to the front of the stage and send all the boys to the back. She wanted woman to be able to enjoy the music without having to worry about getting hurt. At most shows today the same courtesy is displayed.

       I admire that Kathleen’s career was solemnly based on her own efforts. She wrote and recorded her own music. She would schedule her own shows and hand out records and vines at them.  She did not rely on the media to promote her. Her music was not perfect, and it wasn’t supposed to be; it was raw, noisy, and in your face. Kathleen did not make music to become famous but instead to get out her message to girls all around the world. She has inspired me to become more independent and to not give up on my dreams because if I believe in myself and put the effort in I can achieve them. 

Musical Inspirations

During class on Wednesday, we all sat in a circle and shared our thoughts on our papers. Our papers were about our female musical inspirations. Although we had to write about our inspirations and why we chose who we chose, for some people, it meant a lot more than just that. Everyone shared their thoughts on who they picked and why they picked them. For me personally, I chose Adele. I could give you a thousand reasons why I chose her, but for the sake of this blog, I will keep it short and simple.

                  Adele inspires me because when she was a child, her father had left her and her mother, due to issues with alcohol addiction. As she grew older, she kept in touch with her father but eventually their relationship deteriorated due to his addiction. Adele had never really believed in herself. Her mother took it upon herself to apply to school for her and she got in. As a project, she had written a song and posted it to her “Myspace” page. One thing led to another and before you know it, she was signed to a record company. It all came very natural to her, which is what I love. Her voice, beauty, kindness, and power all come naturally. She doesn’t try very hard for attention like other celebrities and artists do. Another thing I liked about Adele is that when she was pregnant, she decided to take some time off and only focus on her child. This is a big deal for an artist. The way they make their income and support themselves is through their music. Adele took about four years off and still came back just as strong as she was when she started. I enjoyed sharing my thoughts about her and also hearing other peoples point of views.

                  What I enjoyed most about this particular class, was that we all sat in a group and shared thoughts to one another. No one was judgmental and everyone had their own personal thoughts and ideas. I thought this was also a great way to make sure everyone was actively involved and participated. I hope to have more classes like this one.

We Are Extraordinary

During Wednesdays’ class, we all came together in a circle to listen to each others’ stories surrounding why they picked the female artist that they chose to write about. Listening to other peoples’ stories is something I have always valued and enjoyed. I find that when people open up about their experiences, good and bad, it allows room for others to know that they are not the only ones who went through such things. I think it makes for a more accepting atmosphere and can even bring healing to those sharing as well as those listening.

I thoroughly enjoyed taking the time to listen to everyone share a bit about their inspiration. No matter how nervous we all may have been, we each spoke and everyone listened. It was helpful to be able to relate to topics that others shared. Music has and always will be such a huge part of my existence. If I couldn't listen to music on the way to work or school every single day, I’m not sure what I would do. I know that many others feel the same way. For so many of us, music has helped us through some really difficult times, and maybe even some great ones too. It has been the one constant in this ever changing world.

Although my intentions were not to pinpoint a specific person or artist, I am finding it difficult to stay away from doing so. Professor Santos has talked about Fiona Apple, on and off the entire semester. So I knew of her and was aware of how much Professor Santos admired her. Going into class on Wednesday, I was not expecting to discover a new artist and fall in love with her, but that is exactly what ended up happening. Fiona Apple has been through quite a bit throughout her lifetime. Most of which, I can deeply relate to. Her song “Sullen Girl,” although I know that others in the class were not in favor of that song, I found it incredibly beautiful and powerful. Fiona says, when introducing that song during a live performance, “This song is about the tendency of the misunderstood to kind of sink into their own world.” I find this song to be a perfect illustration of such emotions. I can relate to the story behind this song as well, which I believe, allows me to find it that much more beautiful.

Through researching more about Fiona, I have fallen in love with her song Extraordinary Machine. It is a more upbeat song than Sullen Girl and the chorus is quite empowering and never fails to make me smile. I may even know all the words already! No matter how someone treats you, you have the power make the most of the situation, because we are all extraordinary. Some of the lyrics to Fiona’s songs just seem as if she is in my head. I think the depth of her heart and struggles, combined with her honesty and bravery is such a huge part of what makes her so incredible. Her talent sits on an entirely different pedestal. 

Regarding anxiety, as I know a few people in the class have struggled with it, there is a video of Fiona Apple making a funny joke about her anxiety attacks. I think it goes back to what Professor Santos was saying, how, when someone tells their story it allows the listener to no longer feel so alone or even guilty. It makes it okay to experience those emotions. For anyone who would like to view the video, it is titles “Fiona Apple’s Awesome Speech [Funny].” It definitely made me laugh, and I hope it does the same for you too!

In conclusion, I think we all need to take more time to be open with each other. Not only with our story, but with things that have helped us along the way. Music is such a powerful tool and art form that can be used for so much good. All you need to do is press play and share it with those around you. You have the power to make a difference in someone else’s life. Be that person!

Reflection.

On Wednesday, we were able to share the women artist who influenced, or inspires us the most. I really enjoyed listening to everyone's inspirations and hearing the stories behind them. It's amazing how just by listening to song lyrics, we can relate it and take it into our our situations and find comfort in it. As Professor Santos was saying, back when she started listening to Fiona, she could relate her lyrics to her life back them. Now, listening to those same songs, she can relate it to a current situation in her life. Music is universal and I think it really shows during this lesson.  There's something to be said about people who are strong enough to take an experience from their life, either good or bad, and share it with the world. It's so brave. They are fully aware about the critics they will face, but embrace them head on. I personally really liked hearing about Fiona Apple. Her songs were so deep. It's amazing how she turned to writing her own songs after she was raped during her childhood. I like how she has her own sense of style and doesn't do what the media wants her to do. I think thats part of the reason she faced so much criticism. She was different. Her songs were darker, a little more depression than most songs on the radio. But she made everything she own, and I think that's why so many people like her. She's not this cookie cutter musician that everyone expects her to be. She's her own person, and that's what I liked about her.

Blog #7

Kayla Leland 

Professor Santos 

EN-003 

Blog entry #7 

Joni Mitchell 

 

This week in class we talked about Joni Mitchell and her role in female sexuality. One particular reading that we have read was called  Feeling Free and Female Sexuality: The Aesthetics of Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell by Marilyn Adler Papayanis. I found this to be an interesting article because this was the first time I have heard of Joni Mitchell and the first time I got see her viewpoints on  woman. Joni Mitchell's songs discussed sexual freedom which as a result helped open peoples eyes to the new choices that young women can have. In the 1960s people expectations were shaped based off of the media and Joni Mitchell's songs along with other forces helped to transform this viewpoint. 

 

The more I read about Joni Mitchell  the more I found out how her songs had a storytelling component and how she wasn’t afraid to speak out. Joni Mitchell is an "ace storyteller" who started off with traditional folk ballads to a singer-songwriter who wasn’t afraid to be personal and share her voice. I think it's interesting to see how she has evolved and how her music today still continues to be listened to. Joni Mitchell doesn’t feel like a real feminist even though she is one and has become one over the years. Joni Mitchell classifies herself as a female artist which may be seen as a way for her to seem powerful. She embraces her sexuality even though she is seen as having no gender as it almost melts together. Bob Dylan even made a comment about her claiming that "she's not really a woman. Joni's kind of like a man" as the line is blurred between clothes. Joni Mitchell responds by claiming "music has become burlesque over the last few years" and believes she is just expressing her sexuality as she sees it as a bad thing that woman should not be seen as a role model who act a certain way. This may link into the whole idea of what we have previously discussed earlier this semester on whether or not the music industry has a say in how the artist performs. Joni Mitchell knows who she is and takes ownership for her identity. For example in an interview Melancholy Meets the Infinite Sadness she claims that she is a smoker and holds no guilt to it when cigarettes are what ironically stopped her from singing.