My Faith & Music

I have been brought up in a Christian home. My parents are both Christians and they raised me in the church. Up until Grade 9 I never really owned my faith. But I am only here today because of the grace of God. Jesus is my passion and I love to sing and praise Him with all my heart. There are so many worship songs that have helped me through a lot and have a lot of meaning for me. Some songs I sing when I really don’t know what else to say to God. Worship music has been a huge part of my life and I especially love when we have a live band or even just a friend with an acoustic guitar, sitting around and singing together. It’s really powerful and emotional and God really moves.

I know from second hand and firsthand experience how much of an influence and impact music can have on a person. When my dad was diagnosed with GBS and had to spend weeks in the hospital, all he did was listen to worship music. It’s what got him through. All he did was just listen and pray to God and he truly believed that everything was going to be okay. God knows what we all are going through and He gives us what we need at just the right times. Sometimes, when I am feeling really depressed or down about something, or even when I am really angry, if I put on music that brings honour and glory to God- it truly refocuses my attention and makes me realize that God is so much bigger than what I am going through.

My Dad & I :)

I know that music means something to everyone. We each have a song, artist or genre of music that has impacted us in one way or another. I encourage you to step out and try listening to other styles of music for a change sometime, you might be surprised! 

Jessica 

Dedication Of Devotional Tamil Songs

Music will never die, it will always remain.

I love music; my personal choice of music would be Tamil. Why, because I’m Sri Lankan and have had a passion for it since I was a little girl. Going to the temples really inspired me to sing even more, the passion and devotion of the very talented classical singers was priceless to see. I started taking vocal classes and eventually began to sing at a temple called “Kali Hindu Temple.”  When singing Tamil devotional songs they make me feel like I’m more interconnected with my culture and when I was singing one day, I realized that singing was my inner talent. 

What made this journey excel even more spiritually was my grandmother, who always sang Tamil songs during prayer. She taught me that by singing devotional songs it brings you closer to god. Which was true, I felt more relived and satisfied with myself. I felt like I was communicating with god. Eventually this journey had a major breakdown which shattered me emotionally and mentally, when my grandmother passed away.  I thought this delightful journey was coming to an end. However, I did not let this break me; in fact it made me even stronger.

I decided to accomplish more and make the best out of this tragedy. In doing so, I started a choir from 2010-2014 which is still running today. Music opens the eyes and doors for many individuals, it is up to you to take advantage of that opportunity and expand on it. Once you start there is no going back! 

Nisha 

Theatrics in Music

There will always be the classic saying, “it’s all about the music”, but I feel people should think twice about this statement. If it’s just about the music, then why play live and tour? Or have music videos? Or any of that stuff that clearly has such a high visual component? I feel that as soon as you do something with your music other than sound, you have a duty to prove why it is necessary. If you make a music video, you have to prove to everyone why it’s necessary to have a video and show what it adds to the music.

For these reasons, I will always respect bands like Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, and David Bowie, for there’s no one side about it. It’s not just about the music, but it’s also not just about the show. Alice Cooper described the stage show of a band as the icing on the cake. Some bands are so based on visuals that they forget about the music. As he puts it, “you have all this icing but no cake; you’ve gotta have the cake.” The music shouldn’t suffer because the effort went all into the stage performance, and vice versa. 

I am very much against the grunge movement of jeans and t-shirt on stage because then there’s nothing too special about you being on stage other than the fact that you wrote the music. You have to set yourself apart and prove why you’re the one on stage over everyone else.

Steven

He's a Pirate

The song "He's a Pirate" is an instrumental song from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. I started to listen to this music not because I saw the movie. I actually met it when I was in high school, I was a violin student and we were going to perform this song during a music night. I was impressed right after we started grouping single players together. Then I went to Youtube to hear the original song. The song title really fits with what the movie is about, as “He is a Pirate” refers to Jack Sparrow in the movie. While listening to the song, I can feel how ships are fighting over seas and I feel I am one of the crew. Another reason I love this song is because there is a pirate character in game League of Legends (LOL). I used to loop this song while I was playing as that character in the game. The song gave me a great feeling and helps me win during fights in the game. I know many LOL gamers who do the same thing as me. 

Get impressed by the great orchestra show and Click here to listen to the song for yourself!

Jack

Instrumental Music

I have a passion for music and movies. I love watching movies with my family, especially on our "family movie nights" which is every Friday that we are all around. What I love most about movies, and what really moves me while I watch a movie, is the musical score. I believe that the soundtrack to a movie really makes or breaks the movie. My soul yearns for music and every time I listen to a musical score from a movie or listen to a full orchestra playing a piece, I just feel so overwhelmed with joy. Some of my favourite musical scores are Hans Zimmer's Inception and Steven Jablonsky's Transformers. There are so many other movies whose soundtracks I adore as well, such as Lord of the Rings, The Wolverine, The Dark Knight and Avengers. 

I also really love Lindsey Stirling who plays the violin and The Piano Guys who do piano and cello renditions of popular songs and classical music, both who I found through YouTube. My dear friend also plays the piano and she sometimes sends me recordings of her playing my favourite songs. I listen to them all the time. All of these songs give me goosebumps. 

I guess what I love the most is real, genuine, instrumental music. Music played by artists who love what they do and put their who soul into it. My dream would be to hear an orchestra play live in a concert theater one day. 

Here are a couple songs you can listen to;

Lindsey Stirling's "Lord of the Rings Melody"

Hans Zimmer's "Time" from the Inception soundtrack 

The Piano Guys' "Beethoven's 5 Secrets" One Republic cello/orchestral cover

Jessica 

Bed Peace

The name of this song is “Bed Peace” it is by Jhene Aiko, a very talented singer. I believe that the lyrics in this song are precisely based on the state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, in other words having inner peace. In the first verse of the song, she is trying to explain that, we wake up, go to work, try to look good for other people, act like we care about things we don’t and she feels that it is a waste of her time. What she is trying to say is that, we worry too much about what other people think of us, about their opinions, judgments, and criticisms and that these things shouldn't matter. She also says that if she had it her way, she’d get out of bed mid-day, and do whatever she wants to. In the second verse of the song, she says that she’s been working hard and he has been too, and every day’s a different game that you just can’t win, and she wants to ease his mind and make him feel alright. In this verse what she is trying to explain is that, we have so many worries, we worry about money yet we know that money is only a tool and that money and wealth is temporary. Happiness, security, and joy are inner states, they are free and money cannot buy them. In the third verse Childish Gambino the other singer in this song, says that the best remedy for the pain and the stress is when he is curled up with his head on her chest and if the world doesn’t change then we’ll never get dressed. I believe that what he is trying to explicate is that stress eats away our happiness and joy, but when he is with her, this stress is nowhere to be found. I believe that the importance of inner peace is hidden deeply within the lyrics of this song. Our mental and physical states are severely affected by constant thoughts of negativity, worry, stress, fear etc. We need to synchronize our mind and body to attain the best outcomes for ourselves, like finding inner peace.

Jhene Aiko

Bed Peace

[Verse 1: Jhene Aiko]

Wake up, wake up

Gotta get this paper, get this cake up

Gotta do my hair, gotta put on makeup

Gotta act like I care about this fake stuff

Straight up what a waste of my day

If I had it my way I'd roll out of bed

Say bout 2: 30 mid day

Hit the blunt then, hit you up to come over to my place

You show up right away

We make love then and then we ****

And then you'd give me my space

Hey

[Hook: Jhene Aiko]

What I am trying to say is

The love is ours to make so we should make it

Everything else can wait

The time is ours to take so we should take it

[Verse 2: Jhene Aiko]

Wake up, wake up, bake up

Gotta heat the paper

Let's get faded

Gotta call your job tell em' you won't make it

Ain't nobody here baby let's get wasted

We should just get naked

Cause I be working hard and I know you be on that same ****

Every other day's a different game that you just can't win

I just want to ease your mind and make you feel all right

So go head tell your baby mama you gon be with me tonight

Right

[Hook: Jhene Aiko]

What I am trying to say is

The love is ours to make so we should make it

Everything else can wait

The time is ours to take so we should take it

[Verse 3: Childish Gambino]

It's not love, but it's pretty close

Hot fudge and a little smoke

I didn't mean it means nothing to you

Hands locked on my black couch with nothing to do

Can't stop on cloud 20

Married to the drugs, but the feels keeps coming

Finally stop crying, but your nose is still running

Wipe it on my shirt, haha I need sleep

You tell me that you wanna do it big

I love when you say "guess what?" (What? What?)

Giving me stories of another nigga kid

And I wonder why I'm all messed up (up up up up)

Cause we gotta be responsible sometimes

Being a class act never mind my alumni

I don't wanna be a round a baby so dumb high

I don't see the beauty of a momma on insides

Curled up with my head on your chest

It's the best remedy for the pain and the stress

If the world doesn't change then we'll never get dressed

It will be like this to the kiss of the death

Of my soul, bowl of the blue dream, no

Not a good team, once sold two half's

No joke, who laughs?

Just us (Just us, just us)

[Verse 4: Jhene Aiko]

Okay, got this OJ and Jose

Mixed it up with that Rose

We gon' do this our own way

Alright, okay,

What is it that you're smoking?

Piece it up with this peace and love

And this peace and love like the old days

[Hook: Jhene Aiko]

What I am trying to say is

The love is ours to make so we should make it

Everything else can wait

The time is ours to take so we should take it

[Outro: Jhene Aiko]

We should stay right here

We should lay right here

Cause everything is okay right here

You should stay right here

We should lay right here

Cause everything is okay right here

Melanie

My Heart Will Go On

"My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, is my favourite song of all time because the lyrics capture my heart. The meaning behind the song is empowered with passion and gives you the ability to feel and understand what true love is. Whether your loved one is no longer with you, he will always remain in your heart, and your love for him will go on. This song to me is about everylasting love, love that goes on, and lives on. I absolutely LOVE the theme, both musically and lyrically. This is an incredibly positive and healthy song about MOVING ON in life, despite someone you love going away. You can still love and honour the person, but you don't have to be stuck in the past. You don't have to grieve forever. You honour the person who went away by having a fantastic life, building on what you got from that person, and on what you continue to get from the memory of that person. 

In the first verse of the song, she's saying "every night in my dreams I see you, I feel you that is how I know you go on." By this line she means that her true love for him hasn't died and she can feel his love still within her, by knowing that both of them are at peace. Another touching and sentimental ling that brought me to tears was "Love can touch us one time and last for a lifetime and never let go till we're gone; Love was when I loved you one true time I hold to in my life we'll always go on." Celine Dion sings it like she's so calm and soft in the first 5 minutes and the rest powers with excellent emotions, which truly shows her strength in her voice. You can see it and hear it by the way she sings, she is truly pouring her hear into this song. 

You can listen to the song here.

Nisha

My Philosophy on Music Production

           Generally, my band and I have come to an agreement on the thought process for how music should be made. First, there was a lot of overconfidence and under confidence.  The drummer wanted each person to have a solo on each song, while the rhythm guitarist thought a power chord here and there was good enough. As a compromise, we decided that making music is about the final product alone.

It doesn’t matter if each member gets equal parts, because it is much better to have no guitar on a song that does not require it, rather than sacrificing the possible perfection of the song to make sure everyone gets a turn. Also, no one should be afraid to add sounds that aren’t from their native instrument. If you play drums but think of a piano piece, go for it. And by sounds, I mean all sounds. That could be a noise that you want to play in the background, a clicking you want repeated or just a microwave going off. The point is to do whatever it takes to make the song absolutely perfect as intended, and the creativity of the tone should not be limited by the instruments.  

In the end, it’s about creating a final product that completely captures the intended message and meaning, regardless of the amount of instruments used. 

Steven

You Raise Me Up

           The song "You Raise Me Up" was released by Josh Groban on March 26, 2002. Even though 12 years have been passed, this song is still one of my favorites. I feel at peace and calm when the violin is playing at the begining. A piano begins to play and the Josh starts singing the song that brings hope and releases pain. From the lyrics, I actually feel I am raised up by someone, able to stand on mountains and walk on stormy seas. Feeling the harmony during the middle part of the song, I can imagine I am passing through a dark street, but there is a light right in front of me. The lyrics beautifully show how “I” was waited in the silence, until you come, and raised me up, to more than I can be. The words are simple, but it’s full of meaning and faith. 

Here you can listen to the song and watch the music video. Enjoy. 

Jack