Summer 2012: Packed with Great Shows and Adventure!

The Summer of 2012 will be like no other, I believe.  There are so many more reasons than one that prove that the previous statement is true.  There are plenty of different shows that are going on this summer that many are just dying to go to, and I am going to watch history be made in some beautiful venues.


I shall start this out with the beginning of June! On June First, I will be attending a sold out concert all the way out in New Jersey.  This will be my first time seeing the famous English alternative rock gods known as Radiohead.  I will finally get to see the great Thom Yorke in action, and watch the band do what they do best: and that's perform some excellent music.  Seeing Radiohead is definitely something that was on my bucket list, and I'm finally fulfilling that wish along with thousands of people at the Prudential Center in Newmark.  It will most certainly be a night to remember. 

The day after Radiohead, June 2nd, I am venturing out to Philadelphia for every comic book fan's heaven on earth: Comic Con.  Comic Con is a magical and special place for fans of all shapes and sizes, and come from different fandoms such as Supernatural, Doctor Who, Manga, and for my reason of attending, Boondock Saints.  On this day, I will be meeting my two favorite people.  Those two people being Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery: the MacManus brothers from my favorite film Boondock Saints.

The next band, I'm actually going to be seeing two days in a row.  On June 12th and 13th, I will be going to the famous Jones Beach Theater to see Dave Matthews Band (like I said before) twice.  I've seen Dave once before at Citi Field, and it was one of the most relaxing and fun experiences that I have ever had.  Dave Matthews shows are always ones that have a very calming atmosphere to them, and all who attend are very mellow, and are there for the music.  And the fact that I'm going with about ten of my friends both days most definitely livens things up for both days.  A two day Dave Trip: this'll be one for the books.

I will also be mellowing out to the tunes of the fedora wearing acoustic guitar fiend, Jason Mraz.  Mr. Mraz will be performing at Madison Square Garden, and I'm more than ready for this. I'm stoked! Jason Mraz has been one of my favorite artists since I was in eighth grade.  Six years, I have been waiting to see him live, and my chance is arriving in September. Thus, Jason will be my closer for the Summer of 2012.

I'm saying goodbye until September to the buildings of Hofstra, and hello to the venues that I will be going to to see these incredible events.  Summer Vacation, I welcome you with open arms and the widest of smiles!

And the video presented above is in fact Thom Yorke dancing. This is exactly what I looked like when I found out I was going to all of these things, as well. I did in fact go crazy. And let me say this: I would rather have moves like Thom Yorke than Jagger ANY DAY.

Music & TV: Assistants in the Cure of the Common Stomach Bug.

The fact that it is so close to summer vacation and the end of school for three whole months made it even more upsetting that I had to suffer from a stomach bug for about three days.  It did spark some inspiration for my next multimedia project though! Being that this is turning into a music article of sorts, I shall bring all of you the musical cures to the common Stomach Bug!

I'm actually going to start off with something that's not even music related. It's definitely one of the big things that most definitely kept me sane during the whole stomach bug fiasco.  That "big thing" is an awesome mini series called "Band Of Brothers".  This show is a mini series that revolves around the E Company during World War II, and it's definitely one of my favorite shows. It came out in 2001, and out of it came some bright shining stars that are well known today: Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, James MacEvoy, Damian Lewis and plenty more.  The show really captures the essence of what World War II was to the people in it, and the characters that each man portrays is an actual person who lived it, and can confirm that this was real, and this is what they witnessed.  "Band Of Brothers" was a show that helped keep the time on passing by, because when you're sick in bed, you don't feel like time is moving so quickly.  But "Band of Brothers" was a huge help, and if you haven't watched it, you should.

Now for the musical cures! Music is definitely something that makes me feel better: whether it's something emotional that occurred, or something physical.


I'll start off with the musical talents of John Mayer.  He's one of my favorite artists of all time, and any of his acoustic things can definitely put me to sleep if I wanted to sleep. That's why he's great to listen to when you're sick.  His acoustic music is so calming, and his voice is so relaxing to listen to.  I honestly just put his whole album Contiuum on one day, and just listened to the whole thing through at least three times.

Next one is the obvious (being that it's one of my favorite bands): Radiohead.  The thing with Radiohead is that you have to simply pick the right songs for it. There are some mellow songs in their musical library that will definitely make you feel as right as rain! There's songs like No Surprises, 15 Steps, Lotus Flower, Talk Show Host, and so much more.  They are definitely something that'll keep you sane and happy through all the stomach troubles.

Colbie Caillat is one of my favorite musicians, because she's really like a female version of Jack Johnson.  Her voice is quiet and soothing. Most of her songs are lovely and acoustic.  Her first album 'Coco' was played on repeat, along with some hits off her newest album.  She's relaxing and she just kept me comfortable as I laid in bed, trying long and hard to get through this awful stomach bug.  She helped me maintain my sanity as I took awful medications to better myself.

To listen to other artists that helped me cope with the sickness, listen to the playlist that I installed in this post for you guys to hear! 

Hofstra Chorale and Chamber Concert Review.

As a member of the Hofstra University Chorale, I know how much work and dedication goes into each performance that is done at the end of every semester in the beautiful Garden City Cathedral.  Last Friday, the 27th of April, we had our Spring Semester concert, and I must say that it was my favorite one yet.

The seats were packed, and the sound that resonated through the cathedral was just as beautiful as the first time I heard us sing inside it.  The sound that comes out of us, the way it sounds to the audience is such a wonderful thing.  The fact that together, we can sound so beautiful and be able to communicate to the crowd with our music is something very special, and it's a great gift to have.

"Our goal is to express ourselves musically as a group," says Dr. David Fryling, conductor of the Hofstra University Chorale. "To express, is actually a one person term.  Our goal really is to..communicate. We want to communicate with people through the music that we have to share."

Preparation for this magical night began day one of the Spring Semester.  Tons of students auditioned: some made it, and others We were given our six pieces, and we began learning them right away.  We worked each song to the bone two days a week, an hour and a half a day for two months.  Each song we learned throughout the semester had a different meaning to it, and a very special quality about it.

"Afternoon on A Hill" is a piece by the young Colin Britt, that have the lyrics of a poem written by Edna St. Vincent Millay.  It's a beautiful piece with such a calm and loving sound to it.  The poem is about the beauty that is around us, and how we should never take that for granted, and that we should just enjoy the days that we do have.  The music behind the poem most certainly does help convey this message.  It's all so wonderful, and relaxing. It was definitely one of favorites of our songs for the evening.

Other songs we did were:

1. "Daemon Irrepit Callidus" by Casals.
2. "The Pasture".
3. "Nigra Sum".
4. "Sounding Sea".
5. (My Favorite) "Sweetheart of The Sun".
6. "Pseudo Yoik".

The Chamber Ensemble, which consists of about 40 of the 80 singers up on the stage also sang some songs. I'm not apart of that group, but everything that they sang was absolutely wonderful.  The whole night was great, one of my favorite performances that we've done so far.

Slideshow!