Journey Through Musical Explorations!

I love music so much because of the power it holds to help you escape reality, even if it is only for a little while. A brief relief of stress and a release of endorphins can improve anyone's day. By balancing music with visual effects, entertainment can be brought to an even higher level.  I'm sure all of us have a favorite TV show from childhood, that as soon as you heard the theme song, you were instantly filled with excitement and joy! It is the same thing for some musical numbers in our favorite kid's movies. Growing up in my family home, every person, child, or adult knew every lyric to any song within a Disney movie! So it's no surprise that I have a special place in my heart for movies that have a high musical presence.  In 2018, I found myself traveling to the lower 48 and had one of the worst travel trips in my life. Murphy's law was heavily at work during this trip, anything that could go wrong did go wrong. After a miserable week, I was finally headed ho

A common question that anyone is asked in life is what kind of music do you enjoy listening to?  I have always considered myself open to any type of music genre. I can always find something I enjoy about every type of music I have listened to. I have an optimistic outlook on everything in life and try to find the best in every experience and situation. However, when I was first introduced to the music genre called, a cappella when I was younger, I struggled to find the bright side of it. I have never really found a barbershop quartet appealing to listen to. Simply put, this genre was just not my cup of tea.  That feeling changed when my husband showed me the group Pentatonix, for the first time. I loved their rendition of any song they covered, their playful demeanor, along with their fun word puns, what is not to love? This particular music group has not only transformed this genre but has brought it to a level higher than ever before in history.   (Original Group members, left to rig

When I was only about 5 or 6 years old, my dad had bought me a movie to watch, and little did he know, that this kind gesture would shape most of my passions and interest for the rest of my life.  The movie was titled, 'Kiki's Delivery Service'. A Hayao Mizayaki film. It is a simple but lovely story about a young witch named Kiki and her talking pet cat Jiji. At only the age of 13, they leave her childhood home to find her true talent as an aspiring witch in the real world.  I love this movie for many different reasons such as the artwork, the story, the empowering message to young ladies, like myself, and the light-hearted, playful music that is throughout the entirety of the movie gives an amazing feel. Kiki's Delivery Service is one of many movies directed by Hayao Miyazaki with the help of composer Joe Hisaishi. This list includes My Neighbor, Totoro, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, and many more! (I highly recommend watching any of these titles!) Ov