Communicating without words

My mom and I have always had a very close relationship. I’ve always felt I can talk to her about anything.  When I was younger if I was doing something bad my mom wouldn’t have to yell at me or even say anything to me for that matter, she would just give me this look like I gave you life I can take it too. As I got older and matured we could always tell what the other was thinking in certain situations. If we are in public and something happened that we wanted to talk about but couldn’t at that time we just look at each other and know we are thinking the same thing.

                My dad has always been a part of my life. My mom and dad have been married for 38 years and have always lived together. Even though my dad was there as much as my mom was, my dad and I aren’t as close. My dad always felt like as long as he was the provider and made sure we had everything we needed that was good enough. Don’t get me wrong I love my dad; he was always there for me when I needed anything. He was always at my dance competitions, or school functions. Even now I could call him and tell him I needed something and he would be there at the drop of a hat.  We just never bonded as much as my mom and I. We don’t have that close relationship where we can look at each other and know what the other is thinking without saying anything at all. I wish we had that kind of relationship, but I don’t blame him for anything. He did everything in his power to make sure I had a happy healthy childhood and live, and I do.

                I have had the same four best friends since elementary school. We have grown up together and over the years formed very tight bonds. We can all communicate in different ways without using words. We have silly inside jokes where all we have to do it is make a certain gesture and we know what they’re doing and exactly what it means. We also have the “look” we give each other. Kind of the same thing my mom and I do but with my friends the meanings and expressions are so different.

                These are just some of the personal ways I communicate with the people in my life without using words. I think there are all kinds of ways that people communicate without actually speaking like, for instants, sex. Sex is definitely a way of showing a loved one love and passion without actually speaking. Body language is also a huge way of communicating. People communicate everyday with complete strangers using body language.  The way you portray yourself with your body language can have a huge impact on someone. You can make someone think you are interested in them, or you can make someone think you are interested in them at all. I think there are all different ways people around the world communicate without words, you just have to open up and watch and learn.    

]

My Taste of Music

I tend to get bored rather easily so I have a wide spectrum of music in my musical library. It varies from: pop, hip-hop, R&B, rock, kid’s music, country, classic rock, musical theater, and reggae. This goes to show that I am open to pretty much anything and will give an artist or song I have never heard before a chance before I decide if I like it or not. My job also opens me to a different kind of music I wouldn’t personally listen to. I have to find music appropriate for kids that I actually enjoy enough to create a dance to, and that the kids will enjoy as well.

Over the years my taste and opinion in music has changed.  When I was younger, around the Jr. High age, I only listened to what was “in” at the time. Looking back I can remember liking the music but I’m not sure if I only liked it because I thought it was cool and that’s what I was supposed to do, or if I truly enjoyed it.  As I got older and gained some life experience I really started to appreciate the meaning of the songs and was able to somehow make a personal connection to what the artists were saying. Around the end of high school is when I started to open myself up to different genres of music. I was meeting new people who weren’t like me, that had a different taste and style of music that wasn’t typical for the people I had always surrounded myself with. These new friends and their music really helped me learn a lot, not only about myself, but about different cultures, likes, dislikes, and different lifestyles. I became not so narrow minded.

Now I listen to everything. I still have all of my music from all of my different stages in life. Music is like my own personal time machine. Whenever I hear a song it takes me back to a certain time in my life. It’s like I can close my eyes and remember every detail of that time, who I was with, how I felt, where I was, even the mentality of my age at the time.  Sometimes when all of the responsibilities of being an adult and mom, with a full time job and school become a little too overwhelming I can put on my headphones, take a me moment, and travel back to a time when life was much simpler. I also use music as therapy. When I’m feeling sad I can listen to something that I know is going to put me into a better mood, like Jack Johnson.  Then I feel the need to travel to Hawaii. Hmm I wish.:)

I don’t think I have a certain pattern in my musical style. During my personal time I listen to whatever type of style I am in the mood for.  If I’m in the mood for something sweet and romantic I’ll usually put on country. If I’m in the mood to just relax I’ll put on reggae. When I’m working and choreographing dances I’ll usually put on musical theater or pop. It all just depends on my mood so my patterns vary.

Blog entry 1 - Music

Music has always been a big part of my life. I have been constantly around music since I was a baby. My mom owns a dance studio, and I was always with her, in fact when my parents brought me home from the hospital I went to the dance studio before I made it home. I began learning to dance as soon as I could walk. Obviously music is a big part of dance, but it is more than just hearing a song, learning the chorography, and performing. You have to listen to very beat and rhythm and move to it. Dance has made me appreciate music in a way that I don’t think I would if I was not a dancer.

To me music is a way to express myself. I’m not always good with talking about how I feel about something and I’m definitely not good with writing about it. When you hear a certain song that nails exactly how you’re feeling, but you can’t put it into your own words it’s like a therapy session. My personal way to use music to express how I feel about something or what the song means to me is to dance it out. You tell stories through music and dance.

Over the last four years music has played an even greater role in my life than it has before. After I graduated from high school I started teaching dance at my families dance studio. I had to start thinking about my students and choosing the right songs for them. I had to figure out how I could make all of these different age groups and personalities come together and appreciate the music, really feel what the song was about, and tell the story through their dance. This isn’t the easiest task when you are working with pre-teens and teenagers that seem more interested in dancing to the latest pop song rather than a song with actual meaning. It all came together and it showed me how much music can be a universal language.

  In my community, different groups and organizations put together events that showcase all kinds of local talent that involve music. Whether it be local bands, dance teams, singers, or instrument players. These events bring the people of all ages, gender, race, and beliefs of my small and conservative community together. The music brings all of these different walks of life together where they can all agree and enjoy the same thing in the same place. That doesn’t happen very often.

Music is and will continue to be a great influence on the world. It has been around for thousands of years. Music appeals to everyone. When was the last time you heard someone say “I hate all music?”  My guess is that you have not. Music can inspire people to do many things whether it is how to dress, or wear your hair and make-up, to inspiring someone to compose great works of art, for example Beethoven’s nine symphonies. It is one of the only things that are shared in every culture all around this world.

I expect the theme of music to alter my understanding and appreciation of music by giving me a greater incite to whatever message the artist is trying to get across, and help me understand people in a different way.