Thursday, September 1, 2011

Why don't you..

Why? Why do you never do stuff you want to do? That is my random ramble rant for the day. And when I said "you" I meant me. I have not been very true to the things that I love to do. I have not painted, played any of my instruments, or even talk to people I haven't seen in forever. FAIL. That's pretty much all I can think of to say. This is a short ramble of.. shortness..? For this I will now go add more paint to a painting I've been working on. Maybe? Yes. I will. That is all. :)

-The Clartist

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Cool painting yo..

Here is a painting I made for my friend awhile back. I really like how it turned out and it's the only thing I could think of to post for today. So I'll show the picture and then the painting. Hope you like it. :)

-The Clartist

The picture..



And the painting..

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Blue and The Grey

I'm in the local community college band and I have been since summer '09. The first summer I was there we played a piece called The Blue and The Grey. It has to be one of my all time favorite pieces. Anyways! This fall we are playing it again! So take a listen if you want.

It is actually weird listening to it and playing it now that I'm a second clarinetist. Still cool though. :)

-The Clartist



Monday, August 29, 2011

Quote Ramble Three..

"Make a game of finding something positive in every situation.
Ninety-five percent of your emotions are determined by how you
interpret events to yourself."

I'm not quite sure who said this but it is true. If you think your day was completely stupid just sit down. Breather deeply. And think. Think about your day and I bet you can find something worth smiling about. Something that made your day a little better. Maybe you stepped on a very crunchy leaf! OR while walking the shttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifun made something sparkle.

For me I play the ATTD game.. (Awesome Thing of The Day) This is where I post a status on Facebook or Twitter about one awesome thing that happened in my day. I got the idea not from this quote but from a blogger on YouTube called NerdzRL who got the idea from a guy who wrote a blog about the little awesome things. I believe his name is Neil Pasricha. He has also written two books called "The Book of Awesome" and "The Book of Even More Awesome". I really want to read them eventually.

Anyway! This quote made me think about all of this and I thought I would share it with you. Have a good day! And always keep your chin up. :)

-The Clartist

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Getting back into the swing of things ;)

You know what's a shame? Not writing on this blog. I got busy and just stopped posting.. Every know and again I would think, "I wonder if there are virtual cobwebs on my blog.." Obviously they are invisible! Anyway.. here is my favorite song as of right now. Enjoy!

-The Clartist

"Swingtown" by the Steve Miller Band

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Missing people..

It's so complicated yet so simple. You miss people. You miss people who are reeeaally far away. That's the simple part. You miss people. You can't help missing people. I've moved so many times that it's really hard not to miss people.
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The complicated part is that no matter how much you want to stop missing them you can't. You honestly can't. Yeah you can distract yourself from missing them but your mind slowly wonders back to missing people again..

The annoying part is that you HAVE to miss people. If you think about it you know you care about a person when you can't stop thinking about them and wish they were there right this minute.

I've written several poems about it but if you feel like it you can read this one.

http://poemsthoughtsemotions.blogspot.com/2010/03/while-i-miss-you-allaugust-25-2009.html

This pretty much sums up my ramble about missing people. I know missing people is tough.. especially when most of the people I miss are very far away but I'm glad I miss them because if I didn't how else would I remember them? And then think about all the awesomeness things that I've been through with all my friends.

That's pretty much it.. This post doesn't really prove my insanity.. it kind of proves that I'm slightly normal. :)

- The Clartist

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

One of mine..




I'm not really in a mood for rambling.. so I'm just going to post a picture of one of my favorite artworks that I have made.

This is definitely my favorite if I had to pick. It's funny.. I made this when I was mad at my sister. :)

- The Clartist

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Vaclav Nelhybel..

There are so many musicians who inspire me.. but I think Vaclav Nelhybel has got to be one of the most inspiring composers. At least in my book(but I don't have one.. so in my head?)

Summer '09 was my first practice with the community college band and I was nervous as all get out but I slowly began to like it because you get to hear and play more pieces than if you were in the middle school band.. so I was completely overwhelmed by all the music. It was crazy.

But Fall '09 my band director picked a ton of pieces and he also put out Festivo by Vaclav Nelhybel. And BAM! It hit me.. I wanted to compose.

I think I had tried to compose little pieces before that for the clarinet.. but after awhile and after I heard this I was inspired even more to compose.

If you haven't heard any of his compositions you should.

Here is Festivo. Tell me what you think if you'd like.



- The Clartist

Monday, March 14, 2011

Quote Ramble Two...

"Painting is the most magical of mediums. The transcendence is truly amazing to me every time I go to a museum and I see how somebody figured another way to rub colored dirt on a flat surface and make space where there is no space or make you think of a life experience." -Chuck Close-

It's quite true. Have you ever just been in awe of some of the paintings you see? And there are so many different styles of paintings that can be seen it's just crazy. I don't really have much to say on this quote because it pretty much explains itself. Just thought I'd share it's amazingness. :)

- The Clartist

Pick me up song

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I wasn't feeling well.

This song, "sister, don't cry" by Reina Del Cid, always makes me feel better. Hope you like it. And if you do you should listen to her other songs. She's pretty talented.



- The Clartist

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Clarinet Picture..




This is a picture I took of my clarinet. I love that thing. :) Hope you like the picture.

- The Clartist

Friday, March 11, 2011

Currently ..

Currently.., as in for awhile since I'm lazy, I've been reading a book called The Mastery of Music: Ten Pathways to True Artistry by Barry Green. Just by the title you might assume it's about how to become a better musician, right? And you might be think it's one of those books where this one guy knows everything and this is the only way to do it.. Or you might not. But it is actually quite good.

This book has this certain quality about it that(at least for me) keeps me interested. And honestly not many books can keep me awake. It's worded in away as if you know the artist that are being interviewed. And I guess in a way you do because most of the characteristics of them you can find in any musician or person you know and you are most likely inspired by.

Mr. Green's book is amazingly helpful in showing you new ways to look at music and your memories of past performances. Not in a way that says, "remember that one note you hit wrong? well if you did hit it right you'd be a genius but since you didn't just look how horrible you are" but in a "see that moment? remember it. Learn from it and if you happen to play the piece again don't think about it because you can get it."

Kind of the dorky book for how awesome music is but very well written. He also wrote The Inner Games of Music which is also a very good book that gets you thinkin'.

Well that's all I really have to say. If you haven't read it you should and even though I haven't finished it yet I know I will look forward to seeing what else the book has to tell me. Anyway. That is all. :)

- The Clartist

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Colors..

Colors are just light bouncing off an object into our eyes so that we see it for a color it is.. or something like that. *shrugs* I can never remember..

But I do know that when you add colors together you get different colors that can be really pretty or look like something you'd want to avoid. Red + Yellow = Orange, Yellow + Blue = Green, and Blue + Red = Violet(or purple..) are the basic math problems in color. You hear them a zillion times in art class and if you don't care you never remember them. If you do care it's really neat.

Here I go.. I have to mention sunrises and sunsets if I'm talking about color. As you should know by know I <3 the sky. You can look at the sky, flowers, tree leaves, grass, and whatever else that gives off natural colors undistorted by people. Well.. distorted might not be what people do with color. I mean it more in the they make their own. But natural color, where everyone gets their idea of which colors to make, is even cooler.

If you get what I'm sayin'.. who knows.. but my point to this ramble is when someone tells you in life to stop and smell the roses.. you can smell them but you should look at them. Their colors. Pictures last longer than smells unless it's something really bad like garbage. So take a mental image of the colors you see. And just enjoy them.
Color makes the world go round.. well.. in my world it does. :)

- The Clartist

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Someday..

If you hadn't noticed what my "name" is, it is "clarinet" and "artist" put together. Oh so clever I know :P But I like it!

Anyway.. I think that I am an artist because I can put my thoughts, emotions, and pretty much me into my artwork. I enjoy painting oh so very much. Someday I want everyone to know my paintings. Like all the other amazing and talented artists before me. I don't want to be "famous" in the sense of popularity and stuff( Although that'd be pretty cool). I just want to be know for my abilities of awesomeness. :D

So in the future when the number of my paintings have spread around the world.. I also want to be able to write music like a painting. To make every note add a little color into the listeners head. That way they can see what I'm trying to show them. OR take it in the complete opposite direction I want the picture to be and make their own out of it!

Colors and notes, music and art, are just the same but expressed and seen differently. Some people add music to paintings. Some people have even composed music for paintings. And some people have even painted while listening to music.

They can explain each other and they can change the view into ANYTHING they want!

I want one of my paintings or piece to be like that. If I can do that one way or another.. eventually.. someday.. then that'll be fun. :)

- The Clartist

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Wladyslaw Szpilman..

Have you ever heard of Wladyslaw Szpilman? I can hardly say his name but he was an amazing pianist. Not only did he play the piano well but what he put into the pieces he played were crazy. The emotion he could convey in one piano piece could have your face like this ":O" afterwards.

All artists have their own way of putting there troubles or joys into music. To show others what they feel. And some musicians go to music when they have nothing left.


Szpilman was a Jew, who like many Jews in the 1940s and such got persecuted for their beliefs by the Germans. Szpilman and his family had to suffer through being taken from their homes, watch people being killed just for fun by some of the German soldiers, and even watch friends abandon them for fear of being known that they helped a Jew. But some how even through all his troubles and pains of hunger and death he always found a piano.

He was even saved by a German officer who spared his life after hearing him play on the piano. The German officer even hid him and fed him even though he could have been punished severely for helping.

Wladyslaw Szpilman, after the war had ended, went back to playing on the radio. It is incredible how he survived and still after everything bad could happen to him he still clung to music.

He inspires me. And if you want to know how he survived and what he went through you should really watch The Pianist. A fantastic movie that showed him for what an amazing pianist he is and how he still kept with it. Anyway. That's all I have to say about him and his awesomeness. :)

- The Clartist

Monday, March 7, 2011

Quote Ramble..

"Life is part positive and part negative. Suppose you went to
hear a symphony orchestra and all they played were the little
happy high notes. Would you leave soon? Let me hear the rumble
of the bass, the crash of the cymbals and the minor keys."
-Jim Rohn-

Isn't it the truth? Life being all happy would be awesome.. but if it was, being happy would become the norm and it wouldn't be happy it would start to get really repetitive and annoying even if you did feel great.

Plus isn't there a saying that what doesn't hurt you makes you stronger? Even if the horrible things hurt. And you might wish they weren't there. After awhile you'd look back on that and see how it changed you.

So give me the "rumble of the bass, the crash of the cymbals and the minor keys" because without the horrible things life wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't be anything like anything normal. Life needs roller coasters even if you do get that funny feeling on the down parts. :)

- The Clartist

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Mister Piano Man

There are some songs that just never get old.. and this song always makes me smile. :) So here you go:




- The Clartist

Saturday, March 5, 2011

One of the best sunsets ever..



Last summer my Mom, one of my sisters, and I went on a road trip. It was really fun. During this road trip we sat and watched one of the coolest sunsets ever. The colors were amazing and they shimmered in the lake water. And there was a really neat lookin' lighthouse. I took this picture. Hope you like it.

- The Clartist

Friday, March 4, 2011

The Outsiders...

There are people who read and people who don't read.. and then there are some people who like to read but never have the chance and people who have to read all the time but don't want to. I'm one of those people who likes to read but never has the chance to.. Well it's not that I don't have the chance I'd just rather watch a tv show or something. Unless it is a really good book. *shrugs*

Anyway.. out of all the books you read you can't remember all of them, but there are some books that just stick like glue to you. Usually it's your favorite book or just a book that you remember. Either way my favorite book has to be The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

If you've read The Outsiders then you'll probably know what it's about(yeah that was a pointless sentence..). And if you haven't I won't ruin it for you. But the reason I like it is because of it's wording. It's in first person and this kid named Ponyboy Curtis is talking. And he talks about all of the characters so you feel like you know them.

Most books do that but still. And the way him and his friend's act differently from everyone is probably also why I like it.

This was pretty much a non spoiler ramble.. but if you've ever read it you'd know what I meant. That is all. :)

- The Clartist

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Does it bug you..

..when you watch a commercial and they are cleaning whatever the mess is and they wipe off only half of it?? I dunno why.. but it bugs me. I know they are only showing you how it gets it off but still! Oh well... I could just be crazy and this bugs only me. :)

- The Clartist

Friday, February 18, 2011

Composing..

Hm... composing. It's a weird topic that always blows my mind. How many people do you know that compose music? I don't know that many.. maybe a couple of people who will every so often but not a lot. I myself compose a lot.. I've composed at least 10 pieces.. You might be thinking, "why is she rambling about this?" or "Where is she going with this?" Well if I knew I wouldn't be rambling..

I think where I am trying to go with this is that I personally think composing is hard... and it always amazes me when I go on youtube and find awesome musicians who have put their originals on the internet. Some have only a couple but some have a TON and they keep putting new ones up.

Composing is kind of like DNA if you think about it.. Everyone's DNA is different, right? Not one is the same. Each piece is never exactly the same as any other..(well unless you try to copy but that isn't as fun.) So you have millions of original songs, pieces, or whatever you want to call them and everyone has their own way of expressing themselves in different types of pieces or "strands of DNA".

If you want to compare composing to other things.. it can also be like a painting! When you listen to music it sometimes puts pictures of things in your head.. or it can be more abstract and just put colors or shapes or even make you feel the emotion it is trying to show. Paintings are the same way.. although the way they are most alike is by the placing of the notes and colors. Each note is placed in a way that makes the music what it is and each brush stroke or splatter make up the painting. If a chunk of the notes were placed in a different order than it would sound different, right? And if some of the methods of painting were different or different colors were used it would change the way the painting over all looked, right?

Right.. so composing is like many things. Writing, painting,cooking, programing, and basically any other thing that involves taking little things and making the little things all together something bigger or complex..

Basically I'm just rambling about composing being like other things.. and I'm pretty sure this is true. It seems hard but I guess it isn't that hard. I mean the proses of composing can be a bit confusing if you can't figure out where to go with the next part or something.. but the over all product can be really neat.

I think all of this made sense... it did to me. I could just be insane though.. :)

-The Clartist

Friday, January 14, 2011

The sky...

So imagine the sunset.. with the ground covered in snow.. I was starting to get annoyed at this cold weather with its snow and ice.. but seriously. I went outside and the sky was blue with clouds starting to turn the colors of a sunset. And then not too long after that. Wow. It was the most beautiful color. A red, pink, purple color.. Just wow. That and the crisp winter air. Sheesh... I'm not even exaggerating. I'm failing to describe it because it was so AWESOME that you can't explain it with words.. I tried to take a picture but by the time I got my camera it had faded to a different color.. but wow.

I think that's part of the reason the sky is one of my favorite things.. Just think. The sky can be so amazing you can't even describe the actual beauty in words. Words are limited.. and what words can't say music says right? Well that's what I've heard.. but after that it has to be the sky. Whatever words can't describe.. and music can't say.. the sky shows.

It has to be. Even when the sky is gray.. and a storm is coming it still is fantastic.

I don't know what comes after the sky.. but whatever it is.. well.. I think "wow" is all I'll say when I figure that out!

I could just be insane and this makes no sense at all.. but oh well. :)

- The Clartist

Thursday, January 6, 2011

The little things..

The little things... those things that people over look. The little sounds that they hear all the time in life but don't pay attention to and when they do hear it, it bugs them. Like a clock. If you have one in your room, house, or somewhere you go it is usually just drowned out. But when you do hear it you can't stop thinking about it and it starts to bug you. Kind of like when you think about swallowing or blinking. You can't remember if you swallowed. Or when to blink. And when you forget about it again you don't have to control it. It's weird..
Well when you sit and think about it there are so many little noises that you hear all the time but don't realize it. For me, when I think about them, I start tapping my foot to them and add other noises in my head. And if the noise has a steady tempo going then I can play music in my head to that tempo. Like something I've been practicing.. or randomly made up.
The other day I was humming the same "pitch" the water was making when it's running. It sure made cleaning dishes go faster!
Sometimes if you listen to the little noises you don't even have to make up a song. They magically flow together. Like rain. It's not really something normal people would consider a song but it can be. And when you hear the thunder and the dripping of the rain it sounds.. amazing. At least that's what I think..
The little things.. the little sounds that people neglect are really something incredible. You just have to pay attention and stop and listen for awhile. And if you don't believe me.. well. I guess I'm just insane. :)

-The Clartist