Random Thoughts I Think About

So within the past month since my last blog, I have been trying to find something I could deem worthy to post up for all to see. I realised the last few days, that I am always thinking about something; sometimes it is more than one thing and half the time it is a song I have heard or not yet written. I don't know if this is just a woman thing or if it includes all human beings. Here are somethings I have thought about the last month that hopefully anyone one who reads this has more to add and will act on it.

Caution signs: They are put up to keep pedestrians from slipping and suing, but that is not their only purpose. These signs are also put up to say, "Don't step here because it just got cleaned and the person who cleaned it doesn't want you dragging your muddy feet all over, making the mop job pointless."

Pedestrians: Two things here: If America changes the law so that pedestrians do not have the right of way, would we have less deaths and accidents? (Egypt has no pedestrian laws, and they also have few pedestrian deaths.) When learning to drive, it should include training on How To Drive Near BYU Campus. Maybe college campuses state wide, but my thought is that driving near BYU campus scares the crap out of me because pedestrians assume the right of way and that all cars will stop for them. That thinking works...with perfect drivers; it is just another accident waiting to happen.

Courtesy at low paying jobs: I don't know whether it is a sort of pride or caste system, but if you say you work at McDonalds versus working at a 9-5 office job, people will look at you differently. Is it human nature to stereotype or categorise someone? I think so. I try not to, but sometimes I find myself jumping to conclusions on who that person is and their potential.

Aging Backwards: What if everyone in the world had a 'Curious Case' like Benjamin Button and we all were born old only to die as infants. How different would this world be? Well for one, the coffins would be a lot smaller. At the same time, it may not be that different because generally people are taken care of when they are young and when they grow old it seems to be the same; unfortunately that includes changing diapers.

Transportation: I truly believe that we should have transporter devices like off of Star Trek that teleport us to places we need/want to be. It would solve a lot of problems like car/bus/plane emissions, decrease our dependency on oil to almost null, traveling time would be cut to a fraction of the time, punctuality would be easier to achieve, pedestrian would not even be a word and accidents would stop. One pressing problem I do see happening is a huge chunk of people in the world would lose their jobs. Transportation is a large part of everyday lives and to many people, it is their way of earning a living. Also, car people would hate me because driving would be a lost art, maybe it would be considered exotic. Just a few wrinkles to iron out really that's all...

Pitch in the Key of Dog: How much different would music, movies, everyday sounds be if we had the hearing of a dog? This thought alone could take days to discuss.

Moon: How different would our world/Earth be if our moon was a mile closer? 1 mile farther? Non existent?

These are a few things that I have thought about, some deeper than others. I enjoy thinking about things and unfortunately my sleep habits are affected by this. I have had a few moments in my life where I was thinking absolutely nothing, and it scared me. It was a weird feeling having nothing in my head and I hope that it does not happen too often. Anyway...
Until next month's blog, I bid adieu

Do Musicians choose their instruments or do the instruments choose the musician?

For my first official blog, I will discuss something that I am well familiar with: Marching band.
Indeed I have been in marching band and am proud to say so. There has been something that I have noticed throughout the years of being in band however, and that is every marching section has a certain personality to go along with it. This phenomenon is not just in my marching band, but marching bands all around. For those of you in a marching band, you will understand of which I speak; however, those who are not so familiar, I will point out the personalities for you. You can think of people you know who play these instruments and see if they fit these categories.

Flutes/Piccolos- Typically girls who have drama and/or get stressed easily who are usually smart and care what others think.
Clarinets- No extremists here, clarinet players are usually more reserved than the other woodwinds. Generally pretty smart, more laid back than the flutes but also can get stressed easily
Alto Saxophones- The highest percentage of good looking guys who a more charming and flirtatious compared to other wind instruments. Also typically intelligent.
All the woodwinds are usually a little more high maintenance and technical than brass. They all care more about what people think than the brass also, but don't you think it's interesting that their parts are also high maintenance and call for the most technique and dexterity between blowing, articulating, and fingering?

Don't be offended woodwinds, as a brass player, I know more about brass than I do you guys.

Trumpets- 'Who ever plays louder is better'... not true by the way, but that seems to be what they think. Usually competitive and ostentatious. If there are girls in it, they HAVE to prove themselves one of the guys and as good if not better. Confidence is their strength, their weakness is over-confidence.
French horns/Mellophones- Now these musicians are more reserved (a brass version of the clarinet.) Ambitious and seem to get along with anyone from any section, but prefer ultimately to be with their section. Also competitive in a different fashion than the trumpets. It is a passive competition that isn't spoken, but proven when the results of 'who is first chair' is placed on the table.
Trombones- 'who ever plays louder and bad is better'... When I mean bad, i mean the tone is gone and all you hear is a gross blaze that makes statues cringe. Between these guys (typically male) and the tubas, they have the ultimate marching band pride. Quite talkative and friendly and for those of you who have read the color personality books, the full spectrum of Yellow.
Tuba- 'Life is a party' I have yet to meet a boring tuba player. Like the trombones, they are talkative and friendly and the epitome of Yellow. Sometimes they love talking so much they are annoying, not gonna to lie. Usually tubas are the last type of person you would expect to hurt a fly. That rhymed- unintentional.

Drumline or Battery- Is the name 'battery' derived from the energizer bunny? If it is, it would work because the energizer bunny wears sunglasses to show how cool he is, and that is generally the appearance of drumline. The ladies on drumline are one of the guys and pretty chill. There are, however, subdivisions of personalities within the drumline of which I will hit on from what I have observed.
Snare- 'Shirts optional' ... these musicians are a combination of instruments. With the looks of a saxophone, mouth of a trombone, and confidence of a trumpet these guys enjoy being in the spotlight. They are also extremely flirtatious. They learn the drum lick and then proceed to play it as fast as possible. When it comes time to play with the marching band, they have a rushing problem. Why keep life as it is when you can take the faster road?
Tenor- Probably the most complex of the drumline, these musicians can play anywhere from two to six different drums in sequence. You can attach anything you want like cymbals or cowbell. Like walking percussion ensembles, they are excellent at multi-tasking. Probably the most surprising and quirky that I have met, they are not afraid to do hard things. However, these musicians are doomed to have back problems.
Bass- Also doomed for back problems, these are the most chill people I have met. Life happens, may as well enjoy it. They take their drumming seriously, but not serious enough to have drama over. The basses have to all work together to get the best sound too. The entire section depends on everyone playing their part right, so they are definitely team players. If I wasn't a brass, I would definitely have fun playing a bass.

The Pit- this includes timpani, guitars or electric basses if the song calls for it, mallet instruments like xylophone and marimba and anything else that the tenors couldn't carry. These guys practice and practice their parts till it's memorised as much as possible, and then that is it. They probably get the full effect of marching band the least, but I couldn't fully say. I don't know much about them because they were always distant. They must have the most boring time though because they are not out marching, but at the same time, they don't have to sweat as bad as everyone else.

The Colorguard- Dancers both in action and personality. These ladies (sometimes guys) have a bit of a gossiping problem. They are very aware of appearances and when ever they get together to practice and march it is like one big sleepover. They also tend to have the most radiant smiles. If marching band was a high school, colorgaurd would be the popular-flirty-boy-crazy girls and the drumline would be the popular-attractive-flirty-ladies-men who go after them.

Now these are all generalizations and throughout my years of marching band, I have met exceptions to the rule, but these are definitely the general personalities of band members whom I have observed. So here I pose the question:

Do the musicians choose the instrument or do the instruments choose the musician?

Now this is for marching band. Symphonic Band, Full Orchestra and Jazz Bands complicate and change things, but the underlying personality is still there. Why are there personalities that fit with the instrument? Is it a happy coincidence that an outgoing girl who cares about what others think picks a flute when she could have choosen to play a tenor? I think not. It's kind of like the chicken and the egg thing, which comes first?

Post any of your thoughts and ideas on the subject. I find this all very interesting

A new beginning

You know, I had never before considered the value of blogging. I thought of it as people just writting out their woes or conspiracy theories and posting it for everyone who actually cared to see. Then I had a very abrubt awakening as my friends who do blog showed me a world of decent opinions and stories. Thus, as of that point in my life, I had decided to try my hand at blogging. It looks fun and I get to write whatever the heck I feel like writting. So while I grab some clam chowder, courtesy of Progresso, and sit down on my uncomfortable white leather couch, I begin my days as a new blogger.