The Soundtrack of My Life

If there was a soundtrack to my life, selecting only a few of the major impacts on my life, I think it would go something like this...

1) BIRTH- the Lion King 'The Circle of Life' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX07j9SDFcc
I picked this song because when I was born Disney movies where in full force. Not only is Lion King my favorite Disney movie, I remember going to see it twice when I was little...plus me being born is LITERALLY apart of the Circle of Life.

2) 1st DAY OF SCHOOL - The Jackson 5 'ABC' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOXG8wtxx_w
On the first day of school my mom took a picture of me sitting at my 1st desk, and the tradition carried on in some way or fashion. I figured this song was appropriate because I was learning my ABC's.

3) HIGH SCHOOL- N'SYNC 'Bye Bye Bye'   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-KmOd3i7s&ob=av2e
This song was huge when I was exiting Elementary School and beginning to enter Junior High/ High School.

4) GRANDPA'S DEATH- Tyrone Well's 'Time of Our Lives' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxQv0UHwt18
When my Grandfather passed away I was extremely sad, it was hard for me to focus at school and I was distant from my friends. I love him and will forever miss him.

5) FIRST LOVE- Brittany Spears 'You Drive Me Crazy' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4VK9_CfOLQ
Brittany Spears was THE pop singer that ever girl listened to, and along with her song my "first love" drove me crazy.

6) COLLEGE- Childish Gambino 'Do Ya Like' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx_vEkVn5Ic
I chose this song because I started liking this artists when I was got into college, he also has references to movies and cultural norms that I like or agree with.

7) NOW- Etta James 'At Last' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1uunRdQ61M
I picked this song to be my current soundtrack song because I am finally where I want to be in every respect of my life. I have the most incredible man in my life, I'm getting the education I need to peruse my dream, and I am loving every minute of every day.

Recapping the Power of Rock n' Roll (ASU-Epilogue)

When we first started reading about what Rock n' Roll was to parents, their children, and how it helped generated the definition of what a teenager was, we learned about how it was being received as a new genre. This chapter, however, dives into how much of an impact Rock n' Roll became after establishing it's place in American culture.

Whether the parents of the 1950's liked it or not Rock n' Roll was here to stay. But not just to stay, to rally the troops, or protestors rather, to ignite the soul, and experiment in every way possible. Once it was apparent that Rock n' Roll had major influences on the teenage society, smart marketers began catering to them through music. Such marketers would be Presidential candidates. Politicians began to realize that if they wanted to obtain the votes of America's youth, that they needed to do so in a way that they could relate to. President Reagan went as far as to include Bruce Springsteen in one of his speeches.

The power that Rock n' Roll had, and still has, is the ability to "[create] an internal dialogue that [helps] us discover who we are" as Eric Alterman puts it (ASU, 191).

Scholarly Journal Summary

There are many influential people in the Rock n’ Roll industry, one of the most influential, to many musicians, is Phil Spector. In his Scholarly Journal Article, All Music Guide, Richie Unterberger looks into the life and works of Phil Spector.

Richie Unterberger explores how Spector’s interest in music first cam into play, and how long he’d been interested in the music business stating that he became involved “at the age of 13 when his family moved to Los Angeles” (13). What Richie found was that not only was Spector interested in producing and writing music, he actually sang in a trio, The Teddy Bears, giving him a key insight to the industry on multiple levels of personal experience. 

Phil Spector was a real go-getter, “personally taking charge of all aspects of his records” (Unterberger, 13). As we discussed in class, Spector worked with groups like the Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers, as well as Ike and Tina Turner. Unterberger expressed great respect for Spector and his musical intelligence. The man was truly gifted in recognizing when a song would work or at figuring out how to make an adjustment to make it work.

Unterberger’s recap of the Spector’s life and his impact in music is both educational and interesting. It goes to show that if you have a true love for what you are doing and an open mind to changes in that particular field, you will go far. 

Opinionator #2

Surgery itself is a terrifying ordeal, and if it could potential alter the coarse of your carrier it can be even more terrifying to consider. Country singer Keith Urban is facing this very fear has he was scheduled to have throat surgery later this month, after a polyp was found in his vocal chords.

While any throat surgery is scary for a professional singer, Urban’s publicist says the procedure is minor. He is still expected to perform at the Country Music Awards on November 9, 2011, but the rest of his performances will be rescheduled for next year.

What I like about the coverage of Keith Urban’s surgery is that it’s not being blown out of portion. A Polyp is not cancerous so there’s no need to be alarmed as to his current condition, the only concerns should come after the surgery and his recovery period. 

"FreeStyle"

So instead of trying to figure out my 5 favorite songs for each genre or which are my favorite songs, I decided to just list the first 5 songs that pop into my head because that means I like them or they've impacted me in some way.

1) Float On by Iron Horse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVg1u6KqqqE
This band re-made this song, originally by Modest Mouse. I recently just added it to my iTunes. It's really cool to listen to what they did with the song and it just kinda makes you smile when you listen to it cause Bluegrass just does that to you haha.

2) Forget You by Cee Lo Green http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MRC8wNSpq4
The original version isn't as censored, but for the sake of the public I decided to go with the "cleaner" version of the song. But regardless it's a great song.

3) Rolling in The Deep by Adele http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw&ob=av2e
My fiancé will tell you I love this song, and pretty much anyone who knows me has probably heard me sing it at least once.

4) Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnBau6fL8S8
There is this adorable video that goes with this song so I'm going to post that instead of the song. It's a great example of how impactful music can be :)

5) Fences by Phoenix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fTBaGn0-7I
I actually haven't heard this song in a while but I really like it and it's recently been popping into my head again.

Opinionator #1

The newest addition to the Apple family is the iCloud.
This application is a really cool new device. Essentially it syncs all your Apple devices so that you no longer have to deal with the time consuming process of transferring everything you download onto each individual device.

If you download a movie onto your iTunes on your Apple computer, it syncs that movie onto your iTouch, iPod, iPad, or whatever else you have/ want it to be on. This is super cool because I have had numerous occasions where I've downloaded my new favorite song into my iTunes and then I forget to put it on my iPod before I head to the gym so I can't listen to it!! But with the iCloud that's no longer an issue.

I will admit I haven't actually heard about the iCloud on the News, TV, or radio, but because I own a Mac computer I received an e-mail with a free download for the iCloud on my computer! So now I'm reaping the benefits of the iCloud and I am loving it!!

Happy Songs (Music List #4)

Andy Grammer- "Keep Your Head Up" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmrOB_q3tjo&ob=av2e
 I think it qualifies as a happy song cause it's got a positive message to it, no matter what hard times you're going through you "gotta keep your head up". When I was going through a hard time I listened to this song and it made me cry but when it was over I felt significantly better!

Lady GaGa- "Born This Way"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1FrqwZyKw&ob=av2e
This song is all about loving who you are cause that's how God made you that way. Self empowerment and realizing that who you are is wonderful is ALWAYS a happy feeling and this song conveys that message.

Bruno Mars- "The Lazy Song" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLexgOxsZu0
This song makes you smile once you hear the first line. It's so funny and totally what I feel like doing during the week, just turning off my phone and doing NOTHING!

From the Lion King Soundtrack- "Hakuna Matata" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejEVczA8PLU
This song goes back to when I was little! It's all about being happy and care free, the lyrics and musical accompaniment definitely illustrate that.

Tyrone Wells- "Happy as the Sun" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKo3fyopB6M
The title itself implies it's a happy song, and it really is. Listening to it makes me feel good and the lyrics make you think about that very special person in your life and how having that feeling is far better than anything else.

Bad To The Bone Presentation Songs

Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbO2_077ixs

Rezso Seress's Hungarian Suicide Song (Gloomy Sunday) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEbXnWbwjLQ -song comes with a warning!!!

Black Eyed Peas' "Where Is The Love?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc&ob=av2n

5 Songs About Sex & Drugs

1) Rehab by Amy Winehouse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUmZp8pR1uc&ob=av2e
I really like this song, not necessarily because of the lyrics but the sound of her voice and the beat is really cool to me.

2) Like a Virgin by Madonna http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgkOCJ9PGkk&ob=av2e
I actually remember really liking this song when I was in like 2nd grade and my mom didn't like me singing it because of the lyrics but I was young and had no idea what she was singing about I just knew I liked it.

3) Me So Horny by 2 Live Crew http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6VTj7LhCtE
I find this song more comical than "good." If I was making a playlist this one would be left out.

4) Rockstar by Nickelback http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmeUuoxyt_E
I really like this song cause it's funny and I like the actual song. Some of the lyrics I wouldn't agree with and suggest some really bad behavior but it didn't make me want to go out and do those things cause I know I don't like them.

5) Birthday Sex by Jeremih http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYMxOzxKYYo
I don't like this song. I think it's pretty annoying and on my birthday I want more than just sex THANK YOU. Treat me to something nice cause it's my birthday!!!

Parents Music Tastes Over Time

Mom: Her music taste has a few varieties throughout the years, typically following the change in popular music genres of her time. 

During her elementary school years her "go to song" was Heartbeat, It's a Lovebeat by the DeFranco Family http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpO7TW0NwqE

When she was in her pre-teen years her favorite song was ABC by the Jackson 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOXG8wtxx_w

As she moved into her high school/ teen years her favorite artist became Pat Benatar and more specifically her song Heartbreaker http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy-QmgdUVTI

She expressed that in her college years she was experimenting with her music tastes a little more with techno and reagae, but her favorite song was I Melt With You by Modern English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVO0awGew5M

And finally in her most current music tastes she's determined her favorite song to be Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJmKkU5POA&ob=av2e

Dad: It was fairly easy for my Dad to determine his favorite songs throughout the years. 

His first favorite song was Sugar Sugar by The Archies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JywK_5bT8z0

In high school he was really into ACDC. He really likes all of their songs but from personal observation I would say Shoot to Thrill is one of his top favorites of theirs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw7w2b_FTC8

In college he became a Romantics fan and his favorite song quickly became What I Like About You. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvHKjDKY_O8

Now he's really gotten into the popular songs that I like to listen to! As of right now Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO is his favorite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8&ob=av3e

From what I noticed I have followed my parents footsteps. As I was changing my music tastes changed and it's the same with them now. And I have to say that both of their favorite songs as of right now definitely define who they are. I love them both and I love all the songs they've liked. 

Music Memories

All my life music has had a profound affect on me.

According to my parents, when I was a baby and I wouldn't go to sleep, they would put on James Brown and dance with me. They thought it was funny cause he wasn't necessarily the soothing type singer, but I must have liked him then just as much as I do now because it still makes me FEEL GOOD!

As with any other person my musical taste has changed and will forever continue to change. I was in love with N'SYNC when I was in elementary school, I went through a Metal phase in Junior High, and then a R&B phase in High School.

Now I pretty much just like to listen to what makes me feel good, something I can connect to. The genre isn't important to me, or the singer/ band. If I like it I like to listen to it.

Top 5 Songs I'm NOT a Fan of

So I've shared my taste in music, and my top 5 songs for the time being. Here's my top 5 LEAST favorite songs.

1) The Friday Song, by Rebecca Black http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUntx0pe_qI
I can genuinely say I hate this song. The music video is bad, her voice is EXTREMELY annoying, and the song gets stuck in your head once you hear it so it ruins your entire day.

2) What's My Name, by Rihanna
This song just annoys me. I do like a few of Rihanna's songs but this one makes me change the radio station every time.

3) Blah Blah Blah, by Ke$ha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3taEuL4EHAg&ob=av2e
UGH. The title of this song explains how I feel about this song perfectly.

4) Sweet Escape, by Gwen Stefani
I just find the Whoooo Hooo, Wheeee Ooooo's very annoying and repetitive in this song, another station changer.

5) Barbie Girl, by Aqua http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A&ob=av2e
This song is just plan annoying and frankly disturbing.

Music List #1 (Top 5 Songs...at least right now)

I like a wide spread of music types and my favorite songs are ALWAYS changing, but as of right now these are my Top 5

Fly Me to The Moon- Frank Sinatra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaLLxPtmyPI&feature=related 

-I like this song because it has sentimental value to me. This is the song my Dad taught me how to dance to.

Part Rock Anthem- LMFAO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8&ob=av2e

-I have a love-hate relationship with this song actually and thats because I really like dancing to it but I can NOT get it out of my head once I've heard it. 

Count on Me- Bruno Mars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKGA9RAmi4c

-This song is very special to me. Very few songs are out there about friendship, they're all about love or hate or somewhere in between. When I saw Bruno in concert I was crying my eyes out during this song because I was watching him sing it with me best friend right there with me.

Strip Me- Natasha Bedingfield http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnhDIGTldho&ob=av2e

-I really feel empowered when I listen to this song, I also really like to listen to it when I need a pick me up.

Lay Me Down- The Dirty Heads http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGYxiIspEBc

-This song is really cool, I like that there's an actual story in the lyrics and the sound is very summertime fun to me. It's a blend of Sublime and the Beastie Boys...AWESOME

My Kinda Music

My name is Megan Rodriguez, and I am a Broadcast Journalism Major at San Jose State University

I dread the question "what's your favorite type of music"? 

My reason being that it's never the same for me. My answer tends to be "well it depends on what I'm doing or how I'm feeling".

It would be impossible for me to tell you what I like to listen to for EVERY emotion or activity I have experienced, so I'll narrow it down to the top 4 for each.

HAPPY: I tend to gravitate toward Funk, and Rock n' Roll (ex. James Brown, or Elvis Presley)

 SAD: Some times it’s good to cry. Alternative Rock, Soft Rock, or Acoustic music allows me to do that. (ex. Keep Your Head Up- by Andy Grammer)

MAD: I like to listen to music that will allow me to be angry and then feel better about it after. So Metal, Dance-Pop, or Pop-Rock do the trick. (ex. Strip Me- by Natasha Bedingfield)

LOVE: There are a few specific songs I listen to and they fall into the Folk-Pop, and Jazz genres. (ex. Use Somebody -Tyrone Wells edition)

CLEANING: Pop, Country, Soul-I can sing and dance while cleaning so it’s more like a hobby than a chore. (ex. Amy Winehouse)

DRIVING: R&B, Rap, Reggae, Hip Hop- these songs make the drive an enjoyable experience. (ex. Beyonce)

Doing HOMEWORK: Rock n’ Roll, and Acoustic Rock because the tempo keeps me at a consistent rate of progress. (ex. The Rolling Stones)

EXERCISING: Dance-Pop, and Mix’s to keep me motivated and moving. (ex. Lady GaGa)

Music is Magic