Final Questions

1. Describe the importance of blogging to modern day journalism.
Blogging in modern day journalism has become a major assest. Everyone realizes that newspapers are shutting down or letting people go because they aren't popular like they once were. I believe that if you are good a blogging then you can do anything in journalism because I think blogging will be the next big thing.

2. If you are going to continue to blog, why? or why not?
I use blogging as a filter for things I can't say to certain people. I blogged before this class so this was nothing new to me. I can't say that I'll continue to blog on music, but I know I will still continue. I love writing. It has always been a passion for me.

3. If you were going to keep blogging, how will you change your blog in the future?
I will change my blog in multiple ways I'm sure. I know that I will grow up more, whereas I will change more. I have considered doing a blog for my final year in college. Just a way for me to remember everything and always have something to look back on and also vent out frustration as well as happiness.

New chapter for America?

‎10 years ago we heard the horrible news of September 11th. Today America wakes up to wonderful news of a terrorist's death. Unfortunately we know this isn't over but a new chapter is beginning. Americans have been waiting for this day for the last 10 years. Last night when President Obama was speaking there were thousands of American's outside of the White House celebrating. There was celebration all over the United States. From people who lost loved ones in 9/11 to those that simply just love their country and were in some way affected by the attacks of the tragedy. All we know to ask now is what's next? Will Bin Laden's followers retaliate or will this be the end? We know that it isn't the end. The world is full of evil every way we turn. We can only hope that we don't let our guard down and we continue to stay alert and except the worst to happen. Thank you to the troops that were brave enough to go in to get Bin Laden. They will always be known for that noble act. I'm quite the realist so I'm going to expect the worst. I'm bracing myself for what's next. But God help us so that nothing comes next. 

Question for class.

Will you actually continue to blog after this class is over?

Calf Fry 2011

Twenty years ago Tumbleweed had their very first Calf Fry, it was such a huge success that it soon became a three-day event. This year it starts Thursday, April 28th and goes till Saturday. A few musical artists you can expect to find are Eli Young Band, Randy Rogers Band, Turnpike Trubadours, and many others. I've never actually been, but always wanted to go for the music. I'm not big on calf fries. I may actually make it this year, but not until Saturday. Which sucks for me because my favorite band is Eli Young Band. Maybe next time they come to town I'll actually make it to a show. 


If you want more information about Calf Fry you can check it out at http://calffry.com/

MUSICAL DIVAS

I have a new respect for band managers, publishers, tour managers, booking agents, promoters, producers, lawyers, accountants, journalists, photographers, merchandisers, etc. Basically anyone that ever has to deal with a musical artist. I had never noticed how disrespectful people can be until I began my internship with the Brawlers. I know you're probably thinking, aren't the Brawlers football? Yes they are, but we have to have a half time performer of some sort. It has just been easiest to get singers. Well we live and we learn right? We picked a lot of local artists that don't really have their foot in or do and just want the extra publicity. That's great, we will do each other a favor, we win and they win. Right? Wrong. I personally didn't expect any of these people to be the divas that they are, they sure showed me. Numerous times I get told "I need something to drink." Not asked. It's like hey I think I'm awesome so you should wait on me. So they first time is acceptable I'll get you one. But after you're done I feel like you're just as capable as anyone to go get you one. Just saying. And the second thing is they're never on time. We have other things to do then wait around for you to show up for your sound check. So please I actually encourage you to walk out on the field while the team is warming up and if you get hit by a football....OOOPS! And bands are the absolute worst because they all need about 1,000 things EACH or forgot their extra mic, equip, etc.....well dang, can't help ya out there. 


Excuse my little rant. Have a good weekend. 

BRICKTOWN BRAWLERS STUDENT NIGHT

This Saturday, April 23rd OKC's own Indoor Football League, the Bricktown Brawlers, will be facing Sioux Falls Storm. Kick off is at 7pm. The theme for this game is student night. The first 100 students that bring their school I.D’s will receive free admission into Saturday’s game, after that it is only $5 dollars with your student I.D. We will be giving away FREE koozies at the door. Special half time appearance by Reality and the New Era. Check him out before the game at www.reality.bandcamp.com or on youtube/reality and the new era. You won’t want to miss this performance!


Now that I got my interning duty out of the way I must add that my goal for this game is to get as many people out as possible, why? Because I feel as though the people Thai and myself work for have little faith in our planning abilities. They feel as though children will not be entertained by rapper, Reality, but they didn't tell us this until we were already a week away from the game, which leaves zero time to change anything. So if anyone has any ideas of what we could add to the halftime show, let me know. Because apparently I don't understand the mind of small children. I was more concerned about the high school/college age range I thought we were targeting for this game. 

Some Remember While Others Try to Forget

April 19th, 1995 at 9:02am was a day that would affect the state of Oklahoma as well as the United States. Many lost family members and friends, I'm one of the many. My cousin was employed at the Murrah Building and I knew it would change our families lives. I was only 5 years old, but I remember being in school when it happened. No one wanted to tell us what was going on, but I could tell from the fear in my teacher's eyes. After my mom picked me up at noon she told me what had happened. It wasn't until later that day that we discovered what happened to my cousin. We went to his dad's house and sat with them for hours in shock. Today will forever be a day that will bring back the memory of this loss. I respect the other families that actually lost mothers, fathers, and children, their strength is phenomenal.

SAS @ UCO

Does anyone one know what SAS is? Most people I talk to about SAS have no idea what it is. SAS stands for Students for an Accessible Society, it is an organization here on campus. The main purpose of SAS is to bring awareness to others about how disabilities effect students in school as well as in life. Many people don't understand how hard it is to be a college student that is deaf, blind, have learning disabilities, handicaps, etc. On Monday I will be giving some what of an acceptance speech to take on Presidency of SAS for the Fall 2011-Spring 2012 year. You couldn't tell by simply speaking to me that I have A.D.D and 3 learning disabilities. That is because I don't allow my disabilities to affect my life. I didn't always have such confidence in myself until my sophomore year at UCO. I realized how cruel people could be when I heard someone talking behind me in my physical science class about the "retards" in the class. They were referring to myself and about four others that also had disabilities. From that day on I have made it my goal to bring awareness about disabilities, because though some disabilities are visible, most are not. This brings the statement don't judge a book by its cover. Everyone has a story, everyone has faced a battle, so think twice before you speak. You could truly offend someone. There are so many things I want to do for SAS my last year in college and I believe it will change the lives of many. Or at least that is what I hope to see happen.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
It is very difficult for me to embrace this statement that I am constantly hearing. For the last month, my mom has been telling me to slow down. She isn't talking about the speed I drive my car, but the speed of my life. I am guilty of taking on more then I can handle because at the time I feel like it won't be a big deal. Examples of this would be my internship with the Bricktown Brawlers and my volunteer work at my church. I have been stressed for a number of reasons mostly because I discovered I can't graduate until Spring 2012 due to one course. I don't remember which professor advised me last semester, but they failed to mention I couldn't take PR Methods, PR Case Studies, and PR Campaigns all together. I recently found out that I have to take Methods and Case Studies first. Therefore, I will be taking one course my last semester of college. Oh joy. I think this is just an example that we shouldn't be forced to see advisors before enrolling.

As far as everything else that is stressing me out, as an intern for the Brawlers we are having Student Night, April 23 and Thai and myself are in charge of planning this game. I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off to find a halftime show and get the small things planned out by next week. It has been extremely difficult to get people because everyone wants to give you the go around and let you know last minute. I guess this will be a learning experience. I'm glad I'm taking Event Planning as an intersession course because I need some guidance.

And lastly I have been working on the brochure for our non- profit we met in Wales, which will be sent out to them on Sunday to see if it is what they are looking for. It is hard to work with a company that is in another country especially when there is a six hour difference. This is my rant of the day.

Brianna Gaither

Brianna Gaither performed a halftime show this previous Sunday, April 3rd at the Bricktown Brawlers vs. Colorado Ice game. She is a phenomenal artist straight out of Edmond. She has been writing songs as long as she could remember. Gaither's performance was in order to boost non profit Give a Goat. She was loved by the crowd and of course I became a fan. Taken from her Facebook fan page Gaither stated her bands goals and interests, "Presenting truth in a way that is utterly transparent, creating art that is authentic in every sense of the word, and making music that emulates the affect of uninhibited, unconditional love." They were very sweet kids to talk to and I enjoyed meeting them. I wish them the best of luck. If you're interested you can check her out at briannagaither.com


Grayson Boyer is a 7 year old, Charlotte Church, if anyone knows who Charlotte Church is. You would look at her and expect her to have a child's voice. As soon as she opens her mouth and starts to belt it out you're in awe. She sang the national anthem for the Brawlers game on Sunday. I was absolutely amazed at how well she could sing and to not be nervous in front of so many people at her age. I wouldn't of been able to do that at age 7. I was totally impressed. She took the crowd by storm and got more applause then any singer we have had this season. I can safely say we will be asking her to come back! 


The next couple of shows I will be attending is the band For Today at the Conservatory, a band I've never heard of, but I'm sure it will be great. The other show is  Ink Life Tour Tattoo and Music Festival at the Cox Convention Center.  This three-day mega-event features world-renowned and local tattoo artists including Amy Nicoletto from the hit TV series LA Ink competing for the Best of Show award and an exclusive feature in Tattoo magazine. Besides over 150 of the worlds best tattoo artists, the event in Oklahoma City also includes a Battle of the Bands competition with a $2,000.00 cash prize. Live performances by Siva Addiction, Rob Zombies' band ’Scum Of The Earth” and the best local bands Oklahoma City has to offer. Tickets are $20 dollars for admission. I'm very excited for the battle of the bands competition, it is going to be intense. 

The Social Network

The Social Network is a movie about Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerberg. It basically confirmed everything we already knew about Facebook and it's creation. Facebook was launched in 2004 from Zuckerberg's Harvard dorm. The process to create such a social network involved a lot of drama and constant law suits. But, more importantly so began the addiction. The addiction to Facebook that started in one school and eventually spread to take over the world. It is true that Facebook has become an addiction to college students, I myself have lost the battle of homework vs. Facebook. It is the greatest entertainment source for procrastination. This movie has led me to think what's next? Facebook can only last for so long. Who will create our next big thing?

Day 8: Home isn't Where My Heart Is

Sadly we are back home, state side. I keep clicking my heels together hoping that when I open my eyes I will be back in Wales. I didn't think I'd miss Wales as much as I do. I think for the most part being home means back to school, back to work, back to my internship, and basically back to no free time. Wales was a dream come true. I needed this time away to in a way find myself and grow up. I definitely did a lot of that while I was there. I've learned that I don't have to talk to my mom 5 times a day, but my puppy has also taught me that I'm never allowed to leave her again. I'm good on flying for awhile at least long distances. I probably could handle a 2 hour flight, just no more 7 hour flights for awhile. I took sleeping pills before the flight so I slept for a good portion of it, but I didn't have luck sitting next to any friendly people. I at least had Lauren behind me to semi keep me company. We made it to DC and had a two hour layover, which seemed like forever. Everyone was quiet. I'm pretty sure by this point we had bonded enough. We finally boarded our plane only to be evacuated because the plane filled with smoke. Remember how I mentioned I was a worrier? Well I immediately started having an anxiety attack and was refusing to board that plane. After another hour and a half maintenance finally fixed the problem and we were able to re-board and head to OKC. We landed in OKC about 10:15pm, only an hour and a half late. It was nice to sleep in my own bed, but I can't help but dream and wish I were still in Wales. It is my ideal atmosphere to live in, if only it were a little warmer. This was a trip of a lifetime and I know I will never forget it. I'm so glad that I have pictures to remember everything. This trip has helped me realize that if I'm ever offered an opportunity to travel I should take it. Cultures are so different from us and it is good to experience them from time to time. We sometimes get stuck in our own world and never really embrace anything that happens in our lives. Take chances. Take risks. It's worth it in the end.

Day 7: LONDON!

I woke up earlier then anyone I think. I just couldn't stand the excitement of what London had to offer. I got ready and even made it downstairs for some very delicious pancakes. We longed for pancakes when we were in Wales, but the hotel didn't serve pancakes. We loaded up into two taxis and headed towards the subway station. The only other time I had been on a subway was when I traveled to Washington DC, surprisingly enough London's subway was a lot cleaner then I expected. Although I do watch too much crime tv and I kept expecting something bad to happen. I'm too much of a worrier. We made it to London in one piece and from there our group went seperate ways. Our options were take the Big Bus Tour or go shopping. I knew this would probably be the only time I'd ever be in London so I wanted to see everything. Taylor, Nicole, Mark Scott, Nelson, and myself all purchased tickets for the Big Bus Tour. I do not regret my decision at all. I couldn't describe the beauty we saw. It was the greatest experience of my life. We got to see everything, including Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abby, Tower Bridge, and the ORIGINAL Hard Rock Cafe. I wish we would of had more time in London because I know there was a lot that we weren't able to experience. I couldn't pick out one thing that I loved the most. I learned so much about London and I love all of it. We were even able to see a few protests while we were there. It was great seeing all the other tourists. We sat next to a couple from Texas, I didn't feel so out of place. We finished our bus tour and met the rest of the group and headed down to Hard Rock to have our last meal in another country. I must say I had the best Chicken Mac and Cheese of my life. I devoured it, I really don't think I took a breath. London is just as beautiful at night. I truly wish we had more time to spend here, there was so much more I would of loved to do. Unfortunately tomorrow we head back to the States. I'm not looking forward to the long plane ride home, but I know my puppy is missing me.

Day 6: New Hatred for Buses

The day we went to London, wasn't very eventful. We spent most of Friday morning packing and killing time. We had to check out of our rooms by 10:30am and the bus didn't pick us up until 3pm to take us to London. Emily and I woke up early and ventured down to the Uni so I could get a Swansea U hoodie. It didn't take much time at all because we finally got the hang of the public transits, of course on the last day. We then went down to Mumbles to get a few souvenirs and try to meet up with the rest of the group. After doing some shopping we went down to Verdi's Cafe to have lunch, but we had missed our group by probably 30 minutes or so. Because when we finished eating they were walking back from the pier. We had to try Verdi's ice cream to determine if Joe's was better or not. I preferred Joe's only because Verdi's added whip cream to theirs. I should mention whip cream in Europe tastes like sour cream. There is nothing sweet about their whip cream. I was very disappointed. By the time we walked back to the hotel it was almost time to get on the bus. We gathered our luggage and loaded the bus. The majority of us slept and it was probably for the best. European drivers are about as distracted as we are when driving. And our driver said he would drive straight through that he didn't like to stop. That was a lie to say the least we stopped at least twice before we finally made it to London. We arrived at the hotel, got to our rooms and then met down stairs to decide on dinner. Once again, we all ended up at McDonald's across the street from the hotel. Americans and our fast food. Which as a side note I would like to add that the population of obese people in Wales, was very small. I saw maybe 5 overweight people the entire week. I will miss that.

Day 5: The Last Full Day in Wales

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! But not in Wales. We soon discovered that St. Patty's Day isn't a very popular holiday in Wales. It deeply saddened me. Again team SYSHP got to sleep in and not rush to be anywhere. We took our time to get ready and then we all loaded the bus and ventured down to the City Centre where we shot b-roll for our client's video. Eliot, our Swansea U student ambassador, met us there to have lunch and chat with us one last time before we had to leave. After lunch Eliot led us back to our client's headquarters and saved us from having to pay a taxi again. We shot our last interviews of these two girls that have been out of SYSHP for quite some time, but love to come back to visit. SYSHP has helped them get their own loft and they are both in college now working towards degrees. They said if it wasn't for SYSHP they wouldn't of made it where they are today. Meeting with all of these kids was such a rewarding experience. I am so blessed to have met these kids and hear their stories. The stories were heartbreaking, but so touching. We walked back to City Centre and did some window shopping. I find it very difficult to pay 90 pounds for a pair of heels. It was tempting, but I just couldn't do it. We grabbed a cab and headed back to the hotel to meet with the rest of our class. We then all ventured down to Mumbles for some Joe's famous ice cream. Blue bell has nothing on them. Tomorrow morning we leave for London and though I'm excited, I'm going to miss Wales. This has been the best experience of my life. 

Day 4: The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round and Round.

Today we saw more then we had planned. Dare I say this was our most miserable day here in the UK, but it didn't start that way. The day started out great. We took a cab from the hotel to our organization's headquarters so there was no way we would get lost. We got to meet more of the kids in SYSHP and were able to see the hostel that they stay in. The broadcast students shot the interviews and Nicole and I took a couple of girls aside to do our own interviews. It was phenomenal experience. These girls have been through so much to be so young. It was heart warming. I just wanted to help them. Afterwards we went to the City Centre to eat lunch. A few of us went to McDonalds. Yes we traveled to the UK so we could eat McDonalds. The surprise was I actually liked their McDonalds, it tasted healthier. I didn't feel as though I was dying with every bite. I still refuse to eat McDonalds in the States though. I got to see my first castle, Swansea Castle, unfortunately it was under construction so we weren't able to go inside. It was still beautiful. I love the buildings here because they are actually old and people actually took time to build it and make it beautiful. It was time to head to our meeting at the Uni so we walked back through the mall to catch our bus. We jumped on the bus we were told we needed to be on and got ready for a ride we would never forget. It took us through places we had never seen before, but we just assumed its a different bus then we are use to so maybe it goes backwards. We kept waiting for the bus to get closer to something we would recognize. So turns out we were told the wrong bus and we actually were an hour and a half from being dropped off  at the University. Did I mention we had already been on the bus for an hour? It is so difficult to get the hang of public transits in the UK. We ended up being on the bus for 2 and a half hours with a screaming child. It was a blast. We ended up missing our meeting so we got on a bus again, to go to our hotel. Frustrated and starving, Taylor, Hunter, and myself walked down to the White Rose to get dinner. And we watched our first English soccer game on tv. Despite the long, undesired field trip, we benefited a lot from the time spent with our clients.

Day 3: Walking, walking, and more walking.

My group got the privilege of relaxing all morning as we are waiting for 2pm to arrive. Taylor, Nicole, Mark, and myself headed into Mumbles to do some exploring and shopping. They have a store called Fat Face which is basically the same thing as the Buckle. Same prices and same clothing. We went back to meet the guys at the hotel so we could get on the bus to meet our clients. We got off the bus on Bryn by the rugby field. We walked about 2 miles to Bryn Rd looking for Bryn House. Turns out Bryn House isn't on Bryn Rd. or anywhere near Bryn Rd. We ended up calling the office and some SYSHP workers came to our rescue. We were 30 minutes late to meet the kids at their cooking class, but we eventually made it. The kids were cooking sausage and gravy (oil, flour, onions, and mushrooms.) They take a cooking class every week. The kids were all shy at first, but they started to open up. We had a lot of fun getting to know the kids and video tape them cooking it up in the kitchen. We then headed back to the University to meet students that are coming to UCO this summer. We have become pro at missing the bus by about 30 seconds every time. We decided it was quicker to walk then wait 10 minutes for the next bus. I'm definitely losing weight by all the walking we have done so far. We finally made it back to the University where we were late to meet with the Swansea U students. I ended up skipping dinner because I was so tired and felt under the weather. I ended up falling asleep by 7pm and sleeping for 14 hours.

Matt cooking it up.

Give Way aka Yield

Police car. 

Castle.

Day 2: Fanny Pack Tourists

We began today on a bus and thanks to Dr. Nelson we got our weekly exercise in finding our way around the University. After giving ourselves our own tour of the campus we found where we were supposed to be. We were given the grand (sort of) tour of Swansea University and after many weeks of Facebook messages we finally met the infamous Eliot Miller. Eliot previously came to UCO as an exchange student a year ago so we turned the tables and came to his stomping grounds. We then went to meet our tour guide of the day, Pat, who took us all over Gower. Our first stop was Gower Beach, which was my favorite part because I have never been to the ocean before. Pat told us many stories about the homes that looked over the ocean, one of which is on the market for 4 million US dollars. We then got back on the small winding roads to venture to our next stop which to me seemed to be a random sheep farm. It had a name, but I don't remember it. Pat explained why some sheep had blue dots on their backs. There are two colors on the sheep one which represents the farmer and the other, either blue or purple represents a sheep that has been "tapped" or is pregnant. We then went to Worm's Head and Three Cliffs Bay. Aside from the freezing cold temperature at this site I enjoyed learning about when the pirates were around. The pirates found Worm's Head and thought it resembled a sea monster, so they claimed it as their territory. We got back on our tour bus and headed to Swansea University where we got to meet our clients that we would be working with during the week. My group worked with a nonprofit called Swansea Young Single Homeless Project or as they call themselves S.Y.S.H.P which took me all week to learn how to pronounce. The other group worked with a Uni project called Discovery. After brainstorming with our clients we headed back to the hotel. A few of us went to an italian restaurant on the pier called Castellamare. Me and Taylor got pizza, which turned out to be quite greasy, but still very delicious. And for dessert we had gelato ice cream, very cold, but much better then the ice cream we have at home. Sorry Braum's, you've got nothing on the ice cream here. Tomorrow we will meet with our clients and begin shooting video.

First time to the ocean

Gower Bay

Tapped sheep

Worm's Head

Day 1: Hellacious Flights

I could barely contain my excitement this morning as I finish packing and getting ready. Last minute of course. We arrived at the airport at 9:45am to check in our luggage and go through security. I am always that person that gets stopped when going through security. It doesn't matter how much I prepare myself so that I don't get stopped, I still get stopped. Going through security they swab the handle of my carry on, I'm assuming to see if there is any bomb residue because I look like that kind of person. We boarded our first plane that would take us from OKC to Washington DC. Hello amateur pilot! This was probably my roughest flight as we were preparing to land in Washington DC we suddenly dropped God knows how many feet, which left everyone's stomach somewhere in mid air. Not to mention we were on a little CRJ-700, I'm terrified of small planes. After a very rough landing we make our way to our next gate, losing some students at various airport restaurants. As we board our next plane I was surprised at how spacious it was compared to the little 700. I had never been on such a big plane, let alone a plane that had tv's in every seat. Before we took off the guy next to me switch with a girl from India. She seemed nice and said she would sleep the whole way there, so I thought to myself "awesome I won't have to talk to anyone on the way there." About 3 hours into our 6 hour flight we hit turbulence over the Atlantic. Okay I've seen every movie that involves a plane crashing so I was already terrified. The girl next to me jumps up in her seat and starts telling me we are all going to die. "If we weren't going to die the pilot wouldn't of made the flight attendants sit down and buckle up." Need less to say my anxiety level at this point was through the roof. She finally calmed down enough to attempt to sleep and I put in my headphones and proceeded to watch Tangled to calm myself. Before I knew it the flight attendants were serving breakfast and we were an hour away from London's airport. We landed in London around 6am, collected our luggage, and went to find our bus. Our bus driver was something else, 30 minutes into our drive to Wales he stops to get himself some breakfast. We all got off the bus and ventured through the rest stop. We got back on and 3 hours later we arrived at our hotel in Swansea Wales. A few went to explore the town, but as for me I chose to sleep the day away after the drama I had on the flight. We woke up and had dinner at the hotel. My options were lamb, chicken, or roast beef. You can never go wrong with chicken, it wasn't half bad. Tomorrow we get to be real tourists and see what Wales has to offer. 

Norton House

Norton House; where we stayed.

Spring Break isn't long enough.

I realize that this is meant to be a blog about music in the OKC area, but it is relatively hard to just discuss the shows I attend. Especially since I just got back from being out of the country. However, bare with me because I will begin to blog about shows again, but first I want to share my experience of my first time leaving the country. I was a part of the Wales/London group that crossed the Atlantic for Spring Break 2011. It was such an amazing experience. So stay tuned as I will blog about my days in a foreign to me country.

A week before Wales, what could go wrong?

EVERYTHING would be a proper answer to that question. I'm not going to rant, just simply explain my week and the fact that I am so behind in preparing myself to leave the country for spring break. I think it is the lack of proper organization at the Brawlers first home game that threw me off because I am a major perfectionist. But for fun we will just leave that story for another time.

Monday morning I woke up with a sore throat and sinus headache, I just assumed it was allergies and it would go away...it didn't. So Tuesday I woke up feeling worse, but knowing that I had so much that needed to be done by Saturday I didn't have time to lay in bed so I went to a TMJ appointment in Norman, came back and started buying stuff for Wales. At lunch after so many people jynxed me about losing my TMJ splint in Wales, I ended up throwing it away..this device costs about 500 dollars to replace so I'm not very happy. All of that stress brought on a stomach ulcer and a fever of 100.1. I ended up at the doctor diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, stomach virus, and sinus infection. What else could go wrong right?

Today I wake up with 3 days left until I board a plane to venture off with Dr. Nelson and the rest of the crew, not very much was accomplished yesterday needless to say. I'm attempting to pack, do laundry, and finish homework before it's too late. I know this is quite the complaining post, but I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm just sharing so for future reference to anyone else about to travel...don't wait till the last minute. Start getting stuff early for your trip incase you do end up getting sick, like I have. I just hope that it will be gone by Saturday. Crossing my fingers. I get to go back to Norman tomorrow to have a TMJ splint made so I can leave without worrying about back tracking on my progress of the last 4 months.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe spring break. :)

E-mit is fantastic.

I know my title is a bit bias due to the fact that I have been friends with the keyboard player of Emit for the last 5 years or so. Last night after a long day of interning I ventured over to Norman to see Emit perform and also Jesse Alan Horn. I've never heard of Jesse, but I was very intrigued by his style of music. His lyrics were phenomenal, some serious and a couple that were meant to be funny. His drummer Julien can be described in one word....amazing. He is definitely one of the best drummers I have heard. 


Emit has been jamming out for the last 6 years. Brian Collins, the lead singer and bass player, has fantastic hair. It can be described best by saying it is simply identical to Carrot Tops fro times two. It is huge. His cousin, Caleb Collins, is the guitarist, phenomenal musicianship. Austin Brimacombe is the bands driven drummer who also has an incredible style that he brings to the band. And last, but not least pardon me while I brag on my friend, Mr. Benjamin Killebrew who has the most incredible keyboarding skills I have ever seen and I've seen a lot in my time of when I played piano and went to contests. Lets put it this way...this is a rock/indie band and he has velcro on the bottom of his keyboard. It was quite the show. Unfortunately there were too many complaints about the lights because they had some awesome lights that would probably cause everyone in the place to have a seizure just by being in the room. 


I didn't want my blog about them to be completely my opinion so I turned to another lover of music to get her opinion. When I asked her what Emit's style reminded her of:
"They have an excellent sound. Very Kings of Leon/30 Seconds to Mars sounding, perhaps even Copeland-ish."


I definitely agree with her, I also thought their sound was very similar to the band Muse. Either way they are phenomenal and I am unsure why they haven't been signed. When I asked band member, Benjamin Killebrew, he stated that they aren't right now and not really sure why, but maybe in a few years they will be. 


So keep an eye out for any upcoming shows if this sounds like a group you might find interesting. They will be playing March 26th at the ACM Performance Lab downtown OKC at 8pm. To learn more about them and experience some of their music check out their website.


emitrock.com

My First Press Conference

Have you ever walked from the Cox Convention Center to the Bricktown Hooters in heels? Well it isn't a very fun experience, especially when it is hot outside and you're in all black. After this journey to Hooters where the plan was to have a Press Conference...it didn't happen. The media wasn't informed in enough time so therefore the players, coaches, dancers, and staff showed up basically for some free wings and went back to work.

So far my week as an intern for the Brawlers has been fun, but very stressful. I have been learning a lot and get to write game notes for our upcoming game on Sunday. Tonight we have a party for our season ticket holders where fans will be able to meet the players, dancers, and staff and enjoy amazing mexican food from Abuelo's. I love feeling included in this company, I'm more then just an intern. :)

Emit

"They hit the streets playing at the hottest and most visible venues at an early age, and now with years of stage presence have given rise to a rock act any audience gravitates towards. Their tight knit synchronization is evinced by their combined efforts in playing and writing their music. Emit has proven to be progressively maturing all along their six year history. Each of the musicians have studied and prepared by being musically trained at the most respectable colleges around today."

The above is taken from the band Emit's website emitrock.com. This is what I have to look forward to on Thursday night as I venture to Norman to watch Emit perform. Notes and pictures are to be expected. Not only is Emit performing, Jesse Alan Horn will also be there. It should be a very exciting night.

UCO Prop 1

So here is a surprise, UCO would like to charge an additional $10.75 per credit hour to our Student Activity Fees. That is fine if you are an athlete or a part of Greek, for the rest of us that are in school to learn and get a degree, less for the social aspect that comes along with college...this is a terrible idea. UCOSA have many files discussing the proposition..there is a file titled "Why the SAF Increase Legislation is Not Amendable." It argues that the proposition can change where particular funds can be distributed, but it also states where the funding will go during this fiscal year.

"My point is, though UCOSA can change in the future how the SAF funds are distributed, it should only be done if there is great need, it should only be done very cautiously and after much research, and, preferably, with the advice and consent of all parties involved (students, Student Affairs, and Athletics)."

From high school to college it never changes, athletics are always the most important. Being a band nerd for 9 years it has always been a pet peeve of mine when all of our funding revolves around athletics. I understand that they are trying to better the college experience with this prop, but many of the students at UCO don't have time to attend the concerts and other events, they shouldn't have to pay more on top of what they already have to pay to get an education.

"For Athletics, better facilities and more scholarships will attract more athletes. The SAF will get more money when we recruit more students to come to UCO whether they are athletes or not. These student athletes will be paying the SAF, so everyone from student organizations to athletics will have more funding. However, having more student athletes mean that Athletics will have to carry health insurance on them. This is a mandatory cost required by the NCAA."

Charge the athletes, charge the sororities and frats, charge those that have come to college for the social experience. Leave the rest of us alone, we are poor enough.

An Hour with Dr. Hickman...or not.

We were supposed to have Dr. Hickman as a guest speaker today, but I think he forgot. So no insight from Hickman. But we were supposed to blog about what he says, which isn't possible..however, this is better then nothing.

Time to go enjoy the rest of my day off.
Later Days.

We Spent the Hour with Hochenauer

Guest speaker #2 is Dr. Kurt Hochenauer, creator of the award winning blog, Okie Funk. Dr. H was full of insightful tips on how we could better our blogs and possibly make a profession out of it. It is so wonderful to hear from all these speakers because they always give us hope to find a job despite the down warding spiral news outlets are headed for. Okie Funk was created to be a "liberal voice for Oklahoma" and it has been exactly that. He became successful quick, but of course with success comes jealousy from others. Dr. Hochenauer received lots of criticism for his writing and threats. Threats to lose his job, physical threats to his person, and harassing phone calls, but he has learned to ignore those. Everyone will always have a different opinion, some speak up...loudly..and others just keep it to themselves. I think that people should express themselves, but sometimes it just gets taken too far. We also got off subject and learned that Dr. H is against allowing guns on campus. Also he thinks Brad Henry would make a great University President...Don't we all. :) Here are some of the questions we asked with the insightful words of Dr. H, they aren't his exact words so don't quote me..he spoke faster then I could type.

Do you see blogging to continue in popularity?
-I think the mainstream media has absorbed blogging, some sort of website action if you will is going to happen with newspaper. I would learn how to use photography, Photoshop, blogging, and different platforms so you are always ready. Blogging will be around, maybe not certain topics.

How can my opinion get me a job?
-There are jobs doing editorials, but those may be diminishing. Just keep doing it and if you're good at it you'll be successful at it. There will be jobs for tech savvy people.

Does writing blogs help you form your opinion?
-Trying to get this voice out there. Beyond the personal side of me writing everyday, but I do write to see how I feel about a particular ting. It does help me figure out how I feel about it. And it keeps my mind going.

2ndSt Band

From Guns and Roses to U2, you name it I'm sure they will sing it. This local cover band loves to sing the classics. One female and three males and they can bring quite the crowd. Whether you're drunk, sober, or in between they will still sound amazing. 2ndSt's set list includes many classics as well as music you hear on the radio today. I personally love the classics so it was a lot of fun to listen to them rock out and join in singing the songs I know. They definitely know how to keep with what their fans want to hear. You can find them on Facebook and even youtube. I attempted to find some more background information on them and couldn't find very much of anything. Their website seems to be still under construction. But if you're really interested they will be at Dan McGuinness in Edmond in April. So you should definitely check them out. 


So what's next? I will be venturing down to ACM@UCO in Bricktown to watch the Heartless Bastards perform. They aren't a local band, but they aren't famous either, they are from Austin, TX. Here is a quote from their website.."The Decemberists’ guitarist Chris Funk said, "It's been a few years since I've had a voice on repeat in my mind. This voice seems to arrive in my ears while sound checking, often before the shows on a pre-show play list and after shows too -- the songs are just perfect and the band has found their spots behind this incredible woman. A unique and enduring artist arrived into our world once again.""
Sounds like someone worth paying twelve dollars to see. 

Guest Speaker

Yvette Walker came and spoke to our blogging class and like many others I'm sure she gave them hope for a Journalism career or really any Mass Comm. career because frankly news is news and it is beginning to be mostly internet. So why couldn't blogging become a reliable source for news? I think it can. I can't say that I'd find a career in blogging, but I would definitely read a blog that I thought had reliable information. I agree with her when she stated "Journalism is ego- free". I loved this quote because it is so true. If you have a huge ego who is going to want to listen to you? Not many people.

As for the Huffington Post being bought by AOL. I'm having mixed feelings. It could be a good thing or a bad thing, I can only hope that the Huffington Post doesn't change because of AOL buying them. This is just another case of the internet taking over the world.

Due to Snowpocalypse

Thank you Jack Frost. I have loved the last few days off from school, but your wintery wonderland was supposed to disappear before the weekend festivities. I was supposed to blog about where my blog was headed next, well Mr. Frost cancelled my upcoming show for this weekend so instead of letting the snow days go to waste I looked to friends to introduce me to bands I hadn't heard of. And to my surprise I found a few good ones, in my opinion. Of course I may be biased as my favorite genre is sort of an experimental/emo/rock.

Straight out of Glenpool, OK I found a band called Progress in Color. To my surprise they have quite the fan base, with 702 "likes", I guess I was expecting less. Once I heard their music...big surprise I became number 703. They have their own unique sound and I believe that is what will carry them to the top. Their song Never Deserved It is phenomenal and really hits close to home, I can really relate to their lyrics.
"Back then if we were losing hope, it comes, it goes."
Keep an eye out, they've been recording and just signed with Epic Records. You can find them on the ever so popular Facebook, or kick it old school and check them out on Myspace.

Bakerella

For blogging class we are required to begin following a professional blog of our choice. Despite my blog being about live music, I chose a blog of my second love. Being the dessert loving gal I am, I chose a blog called Bakerella. Her blog is phenomenal, she doesn't just bake, she turns it into an art. We follow as she shows the steps of how to create tasty treats. She also includes pictures and info about her special appearances in book stores as well as her appearance on Martha and other shows.

Bakerella

Is Silence Safer Then Speech?

Daniel Cavanagh, like everyone else in the United States has the right to a little thing called Freedom of Speech. So what is the problem? He is simply blogging the truth and his feelings towards his community. He didn't blog that he hates his community, so why are they trying to get rid of him. I would of done the same about the vandalism. It is sad to think a 12 year old would even think of chucking objects at someones personal property. As far as Ms. Sior-Cullen, why does her 12 year old son have a Facebook? I remember when Facebook didn't have children on it, the same with Myspace. Parents are so concerned about child predators, what they don't realize is when they allow their children on social media sites is welcoming every child molester to their front door.


And so it begins, the slowly but surely process of eliminating the newspaper. We knew this day would come, but we didn't realize just how quickly it would happen. We watch our local newspapers struggle to find news worthy stories to include because no one wants to read about todays news tomorrow. Everyone gets online or tunes in to their local television channels because it's the easiest way to find out news fast. The Tribune can't be completely at fault for the dwindling newspaper, it is technologies fault. However, technology is some what of an inanimate object and people feel the need to find a human force to point the finger to. Congratulations Tribune, you're it.

Dr. Clark Shares Some Links

The New York Times introduces us to four new Social Media websites that are a little more private then Facebook in the sense that we as users hold more control. Instagram and Path are a photo and video sharing media, whereas Ping is a music sharing media, and there is also Diaspora. Diaspora is similar to Facebook, however it doesn't allow your personal information, in a sense, walk away from your social media page. I find Diaspora and Ping to be the most interesting. I think they are both fantastic ideas. The way technology is taking over the world, it is crazy to think how simple it is for someone to get ahold of your personal information.

I love the descriptions given about Eng's surroundings and how he is just welcomed with open arms. Generally you don't see this because celebrities are normally thrown into such a negative light. Eng is an example that nice guys can finish first. I salute him for his blogging skills and his knowledge of knowing what is a legit story and when to write it.

What a heart wrenching article by Andre, but such a vivid use of description. "Jeb and I headed off the trail through a dense stand of evergreens. At our feet was a bed of brown pine needles, some dead branches and exposed tree roots." It is almost like I am there and I can imagine pine needles under my feet and the crunching and cracking of branches below my shoes. When he talks of his parents arguments I can almost hear them arguing. Phenomenal writing!

A New Blogging Experience

I am a former blogger of the Xanga day and age. I'm probably one of the few that still have their Xanga account. I have learned a lot in the few days we have been in this class, like the ability to add gadgets such as music and photos. I'm sure I will learn many more things about Blogger and I can't wait to see what else we can do.

Music is What Feelings Sound Like

I am starting this blog in attempt to find the right words to share the feeling I get when I’m at a concert, or simply listening to music in my car. I will be attending live concerts weekly of local bands, even some familiar artists and I will write a blog post for every show. 

Music has been a huge part of my life since I was a child. I was in band in school and also took private piano lessons. Music is my escape. When I’m having a bad day I know that I can turn to music to cheer me up. I hope to grow an audience of fellow music lovers from metal heads to country fans. No matter where you come from you can always meet someone that loves music, whether it’s the same genre as you or not, it is a way to bond.