What A Wonderful World

This quarter has been such a major stress-ball.

Just wanted to get that out of the way first.

If you've seen me around lately, you might have noticed this. The sad part is that it's not even my work-load; ironically this has been my lightest quarter to-date. It hasn't been until a couple of weeks ago that I've been starting to feel the effects of procrastination. Frick.

However I feel that it is these dark moments where the greatest epiphanies and realizations are understood. Yesterday was one of those rare yet cherished days.

Yesterday didn't exactly being as a bundle of joy. I have been so tired these past weeks that my body decided to recover that previous night without any kind of discretion, so I ended up sleeping through my class that morning. Groggily I slowly roll out of bed, almost landing flat on my face during the process, get ready, eat lunch, lay back down in bed for a few moments, and grumpily head over to my midterm in Franz.

The midterm wasn't exactly deciphering the Da Vinci Code, but who likes midterms in general? Heading out I overlooked the direction heading back to the dorms, but then after a few steps I paused. I looked around above me, soaked in the slight breeze blowing north, and decided to take a quick stroll around campus before I headed back. What motivated me to do such a thing remains a mystery to this day, other than the fact that I enjoy walks once in awhile.

So I planted my headphones in my ears, put on some good tunes, and took a brief walk towards north campus, back south, and then down bruin walk before heading back. When I got back to my room I felt like a million bucks, assuming that a million bucks have tangible feelings and emotions.

What all of a sudden shifted my emotions and mindset from a grump, sleep-deprived college student to a newly recovered and renaissance-filled young man was just the divinity of a simple walk. Throughout my short journey I couldn't help but notice the subtle beauty that God has given us. Just looking at the towering trees dancing accordingly to the wind, the playfulness of two excited squirrels scavenging in a trash-can, and the clear blue sky gave me such an inexplicable surge of energy and confidence that I couldn't understand how such a simple ideology completely cleared up any foreign gray clouds in my fragile egg-shell mind. The walk I took that day was just what I needed at that moment; I felt so connected to God's grace and his simple gifts that at one moment I'll admit I got slightly teary-eyed. If someone were to ask then I would have told them that I have allergies. But that's besides the point.

Connected to the music, atmosphere, and environment at that moment, I became so grateful for where I was and for being able to attend a school like UCLA and enjoy the beauty that God has given it. Why I took attending one of the top schools in the nation for granted I do not know why. I am truly blessed to be able to study here, and I am thankful for the privilege that God has given me to grow at a campus like this. Thank you so much God for helping me realize this.

"So I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.'" - Louis Armstrong




I can't believe I go here now. Praise God.

Welcome to the Planet. Welcome to Existance.

As you may now know, I just started this blogging thing just now. I know little to nothing about blogging, but I do know that it pertains to writing, and writing is something I'm not new to. Writing and expression is perhaps one of my greater aspirations, yet it is something that I have not pursued in an extended amount of time due to the hectic and sporadic lifestyle of a typical college student. However I feel that having a blogspot will force myself to at least keep up something that I find comfort in... or perhaps create one more object to procrastinate on. I'm going with the later so far.

So this explains the title; I feel as if having a blog is a renaissance of my writing ambitions. I am being reintroduced to a long-lost personal friend of mine that I have lost contact with.

Although writing is something I find great refuge in, my main hobby currently revolves around music; for those who even slightly know me, you most likely know that I am a musician, and that I am an avid listener, analyzer, and writer of music, and I take my music pretty darn seriously. This being the case, I find it appropriate to discuss my very first blog on this topic.

A question I consistently get pelted with is why am I so obsessed with music. Those who know me especially well understand that music is constantly surrounding my lifestyle, wherever I may travel, whoever I may encounter, at any given time. In fact, I am listening to the Jackson 5 as I meticulously type this, with cheesy and flimsy dancing included. Yes, I understand that this is an ugly sight for most people.

The main answer that I educate people with is the idea that music has no judgment. The music itself simply does not judge or perceive; if you listen to a song on your Ipod, the music isn't going to chastise you with absolutes and degrading expectations. If anything, it's going to make you feel even better for who you are. To me this is simply amazing and comforting to understand. Music is my best friend, and by best friend I mean that entity that allows you to be your absolute self. It is for this reason why music is my escape, especially in times of depression.

Not to mention that music is simply beautiful in such a divine expression. In my opinion, nothing can overcome the feeling that music can enthrall in a being, how the sense of listening can be touched in such an inexplicable manner that the rest of the senses perceive sensation, whether it be vision, taste, touch, or smell. My favorite moment in music is when I sprawl out on my bed, facing the ceiling, with my headphones in, with the music that whisks me away to a different environment. The music genres and labels magically disappear as it spins me around and around until I become completely absent away from reality and into the very realm that I yearn for daily. And by music genres disappearing I mean I can feel this same sensation whether I am listening to hip-hop or thrash metal.

Plus, music is the universal language, both formally (sheet music) and to the general public. I mean, there are songs for everyone and for all emotions and mindsets. If you're a girl, you'll eventually develop a phase where every Taylor Swift song becomes relate-able. And I guess a few guys out there too.

In playing music I attempt to recreate these same scenes and settings that music has given me. It is my goal to share my inner soul to other listeners through my music. Whenever I lock myself in my room and strum my guitar while singing, the whole world stops, everything tangible and imaginable vanishes, and nothing can forestall my return. I am on top of the world and don't plan on returning down any time soon. If I can accomplish this same reaction to the public, then I have done my job.

Not to say that all music has to be socially conscious in order to be effective (this is often the misconception). Sometimes the goal of music is to simply escape the imperfections of this earth and to just dance and relax. We all need a break sometimes.

There are so many explanations and clarifications, as well as examples that I can give, but a)the numbers are so myriad that I cannot recall them all at this very moment b) I don't want my first blog to bore the living heck out of people through my subjective and obscure musical adventures. So I will end with this: I love music.

Wow, I hope this all makes sense. I guess this isn't the most adequate time to be writing a blog. Although I would love to blame the lack of clarity on my combined total of 13 hours of sleep throughout the past 3 days nights, in the end I may just not be the next John Donne. Goodnight world.