Falling Slowly

I love discovering songs that I could put on repeat again and again, and again. It's the words, the way the guitar's being played, the way the song's are arranged that totally moves me, unbelievably so.

Right now that song is Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard.

I'm also downloading the movies Great Expectations and Once.

I really like Ethan Hawke but I think it's more his character that he played in Before Sunset and Reality Bites that I like more. But he really fits those roles! Witty and smart. Not so much of an outgoing fellow, but talkative to just his friends. A dry sense of humor. A non-comformist.

Once

Finally downloaded the song Falling Slowly from the movie soundtrack, Once. I heard that song randomly one December night on TV and told myself that I'll download it. But I forgot all about it since then... Good thing I saw it written on my notepad...

I'll Be Waiting

Lenny Kravitz

He broke your heart
He took your soul
You hurt inside
'Cause there's a hole

You need some time
To be alone
Then you will find
What you've always known

I'm the one who really loves you baby
I've been knocking at your door

As long as I'm living
I'll be waiting
As long as I'm breathing
I'll be there
Whenever you call me
I'll be waiting
Whenever you need me
I'll be there

I've seen you cry
Into the night
I feel your pain
Can I make it right
I realize there's no end in sight
Yet still I wait
For you to see the light

I'm the one who really loves you baby
I can't take it anymore

As long as I'm living
I'll be waiting
As long as I'm breathing
I'll be there
Whenever you call me
I'll be waiting
Whenever you need me
I'll be there

You are the only one
I've ever known
That makes me feel this way
Girl you are my own
I want to be with you
Until we're old
You've got the love you need right in front of you
Please come home

As long as I'm living
I'll be waiting
As long as I'm breathing
I'll be there
Whenever you call me
I'll be waiting
Whenever you need me
I'll be there...

Mai Hoshimura

New Japanese singer that I like. Mai Hoshimura. I heard her in the single Regret which is one of the ending soundtrack for D. Gray-Man. She also sang Sakura Biyori for Bleach's ending soundtrack. I'm actually tempted to play Regret for the mini-concert if I can find a guitar tab online. I've tried searching for it but haven't found any.

Mini-Concert

There's going to be a mini-concert performed by students at my music school some time in November and as a student (probably one of the oldest), my teacher is telling (more like forcing) me to perform as well. So now I have to pick a song that I would like to perform. It'll be two songs total. One classical and another a pop song. My teacher will select the classical piece for me while I pick the pop song. I'm not really sure yet which one so I'm just listening to my ipod to hear if any particular song jumps out at me. So far, I'm thinking of choosing this song call Galapogos by Smashing Pumpkins. I really love the guitar in it. Here's the lyrics:

Ain't it funny how we pretend we're still a child
Softly stolen under our blanket skies
And rescue me from me, and all that I believe
I won't deny the pain
I won't deny the change
And should I fall from grace here with you
Will you leave me too?

Carve out your heart for keeps in an old oak tree
And hold me for goodbyes-and whispered lullabies
And tell me I am still
The man I'm supposed to be
I won't deny the pain
I won't deny the change
And should I fall from grace here with you
Will you leave me too?

Too late to turn to turn back now, I'm running out of sound
And I'm changing, changing
And if we died right now, this fool you loved somehow
Is here with you
I won't deny the pain
I won't deny the change
And should I fall from grace here with you
Would you leave me too?

Queen's Tribute

Last night's musical, We Will Rock You, was pretty awesome. I've got to admit though that it was the first time I've watched a musical. It was really my lost that I didn't get a chance to watch all those broadway shows while I was in New York and Australia because there were quite a number that I wanted to catch, like Miss Saigon, Wicked and Phantom of the Opera. I think what really made me enjoy last night's show even more was definitely due to the fact that all the songs were from Queen and all my favorite classics like Bohemian Rhapsody, Under Pressure and We are the Champions were performed. Although I don't have anything to compare the musical to, it was definitely an enjoyable and exciting experience to be able to watch the actors and actresses on stage. It was so much more personalized than watching a movie.

It was also interesting to see Mig in real life, who acted as Galileo Figerro on stage. He was a contestant on Rock Star INXS while I was in Australia (it's a reality show where the band INXS was looking for a new lead singer). He wasn't my favorite contestant or anything (I think he got third place) but it's just cool to see him.

On the other hand, I think that the crowd's reception was a tad dull and the theater seemed half empty. It was on a Wednesday night though so that may have been a reason. Still, I think that if it was in Australia or England the crowd would have been much more boisterous. Tickets I thought were a wee bit expensive. Toey and I were debating whether to actually get the 4000 or 3000 baht tickets or not, so it was awesome when Malisa asked yesterday whether I wanted to watch it for free (her cousin works for the company that brings these shows to Thailand).

We Will Rock You

Tonight I will be watching the We Will Rock You musical at Esplanade. Can't wait! Thanks Malisa for the free ticket! Will let you guys know how it is later.

TENMON - Gates of Heaven

Here's a Japanese musical composer you guys should check out. He's known as TENMON (which translates to Gates of Heaven in Japanese). His music is very melodramatic, sentimental, and consists of just instrumental tracks. It's actually quite depressing listening to his music, but there are certain tracks that really lifts you up as well. As most of his music were composed for games, or for anime, the ones I had a chance of listening to are from:

5 Centimeters Per Second
Ef - A Tale of Memories
The Place Promised in our Early Days

As most of the anime were directed by Makoto Shinkai who deals a lot with themes about loneliness and longing, the music really fits the mood. It's just really beautiful. If words and art could express these feelings, his music definitely makes you hopeful in a very bittersweet kind of way.

S.E.X.Y

Last night I went to Overtone at RCA to watch a few bands play. All the bands that performed consisted of young band members (ages around 18-21) that were extremely talanted. It's a showcase called S.E.X.Y (South East Extraordinary Youths) organized monthly by Phil's company that gives young musical artists the opportunity to play live at good venues. I think it's really great. Although the music is a bit rough at times, you can tell that these guys have been playing for years and really dig what they do. There's one guy, Jesd, who can play the keyboard, guitar, and double bass really well. Very impressive. The next show will be held on the 23rd. Anybody interested can check out the event's website here. It's held on a Wednesday so the venue never gets really crowded and parking can be found very easily at RCA.

Everything Else Is Secondary

Yesterday night I went to Sweet Home Music, a music school at Fortune, and talked to a receptionist about taking guitar lessons. It'll cost 6600 baht for 12 hours (so roughly 3 months). Plus I'll have to pay 300 baht for the new student fee and 350 baht for the textbook. It gets cheaper if I can find other friends to take the lesson with me, but as of now, I'll be taking private lessons.

These days I've been incredibly motivated to pick up new hobbies that I've always wanted to try but never got around to do in the past because I kept procrastinating or have no money. Anyway, guitar was something I always wanted to learn. I've tried teaching myself at Penn State and remembered a few chords but I still have problems strumming and with rythem in general. I also haven't practiced so all I remember now is the C chord.

Liz also e-mailed me a commencement address by Steve Jobs at a university. I thought that what he said fits how I feel perfectly right now. Here's a few excerpts of what he said:

"You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle."

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."