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the-stars-in-between · 19 days ago

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AO3 Wrapped 2024 [Writer's Edition]

As I only started writing in 2023 and haven't been able to write since October because of my exams, it's not as much as I would have liked but here is my AO3 Wrapped 2024 ! Based on this post if you want to do it too.

Sorry if this is long, I loved doing this and looking back on my year of writing.

How many words have you written this year?

I published 445,335 words this year on AO3, so I probably wrote more but I have no idea how to count them. But I'm cheating a little since all my One Piece stories are in French and English.

How many works did you publish this year?

I've published 35 works in English, 61 if we count the French translations.

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

At The Dawn Of Time, a story where Portgas D. Ace travels back in time for a day after Marineford to meet his mother Portgas D. Rouge while she is still pregnant with him in Baterilla. His arrival has no impact whatsoever on the timeline, all events remain the same after his visit but it has such a big impact on Ace, on how he sees himself, how he sees his parents and the world. It's the moment where he learns to love and forgive himself with a little help from his mom and it means so much to me, especially at the time I wrote it.

I love this story for all it represents and I also think it's really well written. Kudos to me.

What work of yours has the most hits?

It's Children of the Sea, my story about Rouge adopting Shanks and Buggy after Roger's death, with 24,428 hits ! But considering that it's also my longest ongoing project, that was expected.

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

Between the Waves and the Stars, a story for Nami's birthday (One Piece) about the first few weeks of the crew with just her, Luffy and Zoro. I love this story but I honestly didn't expect so many people to agree with me and take the time to write so many lovely and kind comments.

(The title may also be the inspiration for my username. I love astral imagery, sue me.)

Favorite title you used

I hate having to come up with titles for my stories, it either comes to me directly because I pull it directly from a song or I stare at my story for hours trying to come up with a title. That said, I think one I'm very prouf of is Gold On The Fingers, Gold In The Heart because the title plays on Roger's name and the attraction Rouge already feels for him without admitting it to herself.

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

These are not stories that I have already published but I have a whole series of stories inspired by Livingston's music and lyrics.

Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

The focus of my stories is rarely romantic and I focus more on platonic and familial relationships, especially and equally Ace & Sabo & Luffy from One Piece and Dean & Sam from Supernatural. However, the romantic pairing I've written the most about has to be Rouge/Roger from One Piece.

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

If we talk about romantic pairing, Rouge/Roger (One Piece). There is not enough content on them and if I have to do it myself, I will.

What work was the quickest to write?

Ghosts of the Past (And Those of the Present), I have a series where I write stories for One Piece characters' birthdays (which I've totally neglected since September, sorry) and I had forgotten about Perona's birthday until the last minute but in a few hours, I wrote almost 3000 words in one go. I've been trying to chase that high ever since.

What work took you the longest to write?

It's obviously Children of the Sea, for once because it's my longest work but also because I have a lot of things to tell and I want to do it in the most perfect way possible. The first chapters were super easy but I'm at an impasse in my story where I would already like to be at the next arc of the plot. BUT it's the first thing I'm going to get back to when my finals are over.

How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

So many, honestly I'm drowning. I'd say I have over twenty and sometimes I wish my brain would just shut up.

But I'm also eager to start writing them properly. One mistake I won't make next year though is to start posting without a head start no matter how much I want to.

What’s your longest work of the year?

Once again, Children of the Sea (the French version anyway) with 59,166 if my calculations are correct. And I'm only at the beginning of the second part of the first book. At this rate, I'm going to get my master's degree before I finish this story I think, but it's so worth it.

What’s your shortest work of the year?

Blood On The Car Seats with 905 words, a story about Bobby's last moments with Dean and Sam in Supernatural.

Before starting Whumptober I rarely if ever wrote stories under 2,000 words but with the time constraint I had to learn to say less sometimes which was both very painful and educational.

What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

Without surprises, Children of the Sea. This work is my child and my sister has instructions on what to do if I die before I finish writing it.

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

Canon Compliant, which is a bit boring so I'll go with my second most used which is Found Family and totally represents my writing.

Your favorite character to write this year?

PORTGAS D. ROUGE! I love her dearly, she's my wife and my everything. And then I remember that we see her a grand total of once in the manga, which makes me sad. Oda, give me more content on Rouge and my life is yours.

But more seriously, since we have so little content, she has, even more than the other characters of One Piece, became my character and she more than anyone else has made me want to write an original book one day.

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Luffy. I love him, he's one of my favorite characters in One Piece but he's so hard to write. He's so complex and well written with so much natural in the manga that I'm always afraid of not doing him justice and making him a two-dimensional character. And don't even get me started on when I have to write from his point of view, a real nightmare. But I love him, he's so interesting.

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

I don't know yet, I have a lot of ideas.

A lot of them are about Dean/Castiel (Supernatural) or Nami/Vivi (One Piece) if we're talking about romantic relationships. But if we're talking about platonic relationships, all the dynamics I'm going to be able to explore in Children of the Sea when I finally get all the characters to meet.

All the relationships, whether seen romantically or platonically, in the Straw Hat crew are also fascinating to me. I have a collection of one-shots about them in progress, I might have to pick it up again.

Which work of yours have you reread the most?

I have no idea, I must have reread all my stories once or twice to see if I could expand on this particular idea. The last one I reread though was Day Trip with Grandpa, the story about Garp's birthday (One Piece) because I got a comment on it today.

How many kudos in total did you get this year?

4,130 kudos, which is huge! Thank you so much to everyone who has ever left a kudo on one of my stories, I love you, I cherish you and I hope your pillow is always cold on both sides.

Which work has the most comments?

It's Children of the Sea again but that doesn't surprise me since most of my other stories are one-shots.

Did you do any collaborative works this year? Did you write any gifts this year? Did you receive any gifts this year?

No, maybe something for next year!

What’s your most common category?

Gen, and by a long way! Not surprising.

What do you listen to while writing?

I listen to absolutely anything and everything, probably more music with a dramatic vibe or a theme that is related to the story. I made a playlist a while ago for Children of the Sea, but I need to update it.

Favorite work you wrote this year?

Argh, I honestly like all of my stories, or almost, but I'm going to say At The Dawn of Time or Children of the Sea. I've talked about them enough already so I won't do it again but they really hold a special place for me. Coincidentally or not, both have Rouge as a central character.

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

[Not pictured, me freezing for ten minutes because I don't know which line is my favorite.]

Chapter 14, Children of the Sea

Excerpt from the correspondence between Portgas D. Rouge & Gol D. Roger, 17 years ago RETURNED TO SENDER My love, It has been seven years since your death today and even more since the last time I saw you, touched you and kissed you. I learned that the cells of the body renew themselves, and that every seven years, each cell of our bodies is different. Which means that from now on, no part of my body has been in contact with you. Only my soul and my heart. And the trace you left there can never be erased. I will forever carry you in my heart and in each of my actions. You will always be a part of me.

I don't know if this is my absolute favorite, but this letter and this whole chapter are very close to my heart.

Biggest surprise while writing this year?

I can write! All the stuff I was hesitant to write, fight scenes, romantic moments with tension. It may not be my strong point (yet) but I can do it! I can basically write anything I want.

#ao3 wrapped #fanfic writing #no one asked for this but i don't care #thank you for this year #Spotify

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void-galaxy-shenanigans · 5 months ago

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Who are your favorite artists or what songs do you listen to most? (new songs that have stood out to you recently count too)

This varies widely headmate to headmate, but I’ll start with a band we all agree on & some songs that everyone sings along to, & then the favourites/replay songs of the current fronting crew (the people currently front or co-conscious). We can obviously add on more people later if anyone’s curious 🤷‍♂️

~Nico

~~~~

Favourite Band We All Agree On: Citizen Soldier

(some songs we listen to, not specifying who likes which songs)

Songs We All Sing Along To: This Is Me (Greatest Showman¹), Radioactive (Imagine Dragons), & What About Us (P!nk, but we’ll also listen to a cover by Jeb Havens sometimes)

(¹ we haven’t even seen the movie or musical or any rendition, just know some of the songs 🤷‍♂️)

Songs We Tend To Play On Loop (regardless of who’s front): My Days (Joy Woods), Go Find Less (Riley Roth), Home (Phillip Phillips), Grow As We Go (Ben Platt), This Is How I Learn To Say No (Emeline), I Am (Emhahee)

(including a couple of these:)

Current Fronting Crew: Jack (he/him), Serenity (she/they), Nico (he/they)

(Ward & Zen are in the background, but they “don’t have strong preferences” for our music (they’re gatekeepers). This includes some vulnerable comfort songs, but I won’t point out which ones - if you know, you know 🤷‍♂️.)

Nico’s Music Taste: Truck Candy (Abi), Shallow (cover by Kevin Karla y La Banda), Burden (Citizen Soldier), Dear God (originally by Hunter Hayes, but he has a Nightcore ~Serenity), Off (Jake Scott), Your Daughter (Dina Rebekah), Smoke It (Haley Mae Campbell)

Serenity’s Music Taste: NVM (Faith Marie), The Table (Valeree), My Boyfriend’s Back (Paris Bennett), Nothing Is Required (Mia Stegner), W.I.T.C.H. (Devon Cole (all-time favourite, can summon her to front))

Jack’s Music Taste: Love Who You Want To (Jordan Suaste), Last Man Standing (Livingston), For Your Entertainment (Adam Lambert), Him (Sam Smith), Scream (Usher), Montero (Call Me By Your Name) (Lil Nas X), Closer (The Chainsmokers & Halsey)

~~~~

Obviously this is non-exhaustive, we tried to limit it a bit 😅. But we love to share music tastes so if y’all want more feel free to ask 💜

~Nico

#~Nico #~Serenity #~Jack #did system #music #music taste #favourites #favorites #favorite songs #favourite songs

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tomboygays · 3 years ago

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quick question are you a Taylor Swift fan? and who are your favourite artists over all?

Yeah I sure am!!! I literally love every one of her songs. You need to calm down, ME, blank space, Cornelia Street, Getaway car, Wildest Dreams, the man, Enchanted, and Red are my favorites!

I love Taylor Swift and One Direction songs, and Harry Styles too. Shawn Mendes and Maroon5 songs are great. I'm a huge fan of Green Day and several other bands, like Kodaline, Nickelback, and The Script.

Love other bands like All Time Low and Simple plan too. Their songs are bop.

Recently getting obsessed with Yungblud songs and Sueco songs.

Also as a Korean, love all of AKMU songs

Im a fucking simp for cavetown songs 🏳️‍⚧️

and Livingston songs! If you dont know u better go search him on yt!

Also im a fan of NoahFinnce, love and adore every one of his songs and covers.

+Got to know AJR and Twenty One Pilots last summer and they were my huge obsession for months!

Failed to control my adhd again, what a long ass answer. I apologize.

#ask

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bookwyrminspiration · 3 years ago

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I would like to answer your question from earlier by saying the taylor swift asks have been from the same person. That person is also the one who sent in all the Dex toenail asks.

i applaud this person, toenails and taylor swift are a fun combination! not the combination I would necessarily expect, but intriguing nonetheless! then again i'm over here combining rambling analysis with the history of medicine and the twilight saga?? for some reason?

is there anything about taylor swift in particular that draws your interest? like maybe her style of lyrics or the instruments she favors in the background or something? or is it just vibes? one of the artists I personally listen to the most is Livingston, because I like the way his voice sounds in all his songs, just the rough edge. and for Mothica, it's a lot of the background sounds meshing together that compliment her voice that make me listen on repeat.

tho really my favorite is slowed and reverbed songs, even better when they're 8d or 16d audio. and that's just for the vibes! idk where I'm going with this but I'm essentially curious what your taste in music is and if there's a reason for it!

back to the toenail thing--that was one of the series of asks I got that always made me laugh, because I just never expected the next one! it caught me off guard (in a good way) each time a new one popped into my ask box and the lore surrounding dex and his toenails got more and more complex. so thank you for that! I always enjoyed those ones <33

#taylor and toenails both start with t #don't know why I feel the need to point that out when it's obvious #but i felt the need to point that out #do you happen to like tea by any chance...#personally think tea just tastes weird but my parter likes it #for some reason...#in my mind you have become the t or tea nonsie temporarily #though you are of course welcome to pick your own sign off thing if that is something you would like #not trying to name you or anything !!#i'll just probably mentally make that connection for now to help keep track of you if you pop up again!#random #quil's queries #nonsie #dex's toenail duck jar

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damnnjoon · 5 years ago

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100 reasons to love Jeno

he’s allergic to cats but his family has 3 (bongsik, seol, lal) and he loves them dearly

he’s obsessed with cars like the little nerd he is

hates math dearly

he did enjoy both history and the sciences, though

even then, his favorite subject was phys ed, as expected

he can lie face down flat on the ground and raise himself up with bending his arms that is INSANE

can also get up onto just one foot without touching the ground

he cleans meticulously when he’s drunk

he also tries to get the other members to sleep early or sleep when they don’t want to,,, he essentially becomes dream parental figure no. 1

jenshow!!!! mc of the year!!!! king of mc-ing!!!!!!!

he’s grown up well throughout the years (from smrookies to chewing gum to now (boom)) but his smile has stayed exactly the same since when he was that kid from that commercial

speaking of: the milk commercial he was in

his and doyoung’s couple costume for 2018 halloween it was just so Valid

also him and renjun couples smurf costume it really went down in history i feel

i legally can’t go further without mentioning that one JSMR ep where he had the bathbombs and he saw the train bathbomb and went “choo choo!” that was so Good

he named his airpods “Jeno’s showerhead” boy WHAT

his trademark confusion noise (”huH?”)

the mole near his right eye…

...and the one on his left cheek

the fact that he’s awkward at aegyo in front of cameras but, according to jaemin, he has the most aegyo out of any of the dream members

he slaps his toner on so hard that it wakes renjun up every morning

can and will eat most things with mayo (ex. celery)

all of his contact names for the dreamies are puns based off of their names

current official hardest puncher of the dreamies

jaemin got champagne for his birthday and jeno finessed it within like… a minute

the sound he makes when he’s trying to hold his laughter in is EXQUISITE

that’s another thing: he laughs soooo easily it’s so good

his dancing is so mf powerful i feel like not enough people appreciate how talented jeno is at dancing

exact same height, shoe size, and joining day as jaemin, his ‘destined best friend’

lets his members play games in his room into the morning even though he has work at the show

calls himself “no jam” (not funny) even though he’s a whole circus

his automatic wince that he holds for a few seconds when anything is too loud during JSMR

high pitched noise of annoyance

exceedingly gentle and has a self-proclaimed weakness for cute things

cries when he’s angry

has gotten more and more confident as the eras pass by i am LIVING for it

says that he hopes to have another comeback with the original dream members someday (after they’ve all graduated… because SM is a Fuck and won’t make ot7 dream a fixed unit)

plays the guitar

composes songs! he’s so talented and musically inclined i am so proud of him

him, hyuck, jaemin, and jisung were forced to drop out of school to pursue being idols BUT before that he majored/focused in practical dance at SOPA (where his seatmate was jaemin!)

known for being bad at taking selfies (even though anything and everything with him is iconic, immediately,)

when filming for “go” hyuck fake kissed him and jeno started chasing him and that actually made it into the mv which is so funny

can eat half an apple in 2-3 bites

tied in arm wrestling with jaemin, who’s his lifting partner

has never gotten blackout drunk even though renhyuck allegedly have

really likes playing mobile games!!

likes puppies and old dogs just the same he’s so good with animals

he can play the violin!

he’s the baby of his family and that really shows sometimes

his handwriting is very aesthetically pleasing in both english and korean

he still has “the tastebuds of a child” and eats like garbage but works out super hard to maintain his body (i hope he’s being healthy!!!!)

his assigned character trait (ex. renjun’s is “pureness/innocence” because SM can’t their artists seem more than 1 dimensional, apparently) is “boring” and he just runs with it and it gets funnier and funnier whenever he or the others call him boring because they all know he’s a whole clown

listens to music loudly

his rapping improves with every song he’s really finding his flow!! it’s especially obvious in the we boom album in 119 and stronger imo

has a terrible sense of direction

he’s been wearing a lot of sleeveless tees onstage and offstage recently and you can tell he’s been working out which is rad because he’s mentioned how much he enjoys exercising so it’s good that he’s been doing what he loves!!

had a cameo on the drama a-teen... king of being an all around performer!!

resembles a samoyed (self-proclaimed) because of his eye-smile

loves cherry blossoms

he’s watched a lot of disney films but his favorite is the original Lion King

resembles (and loves!) donghae of suju

constantly compliments his members and has a tendency to compliment them even right after he clowns them

loves dark chocolate and can eat a lot of it

he really likes the sound of pencils against paper

his duality is insane he’ll go ham onstage and then be quieter and all smiles backstage like... true prince

his facial expressions are PEAK he is so expressive especially when he squawks at stuff

he genuinely liked studying (more or less) when he was a student and would like to go to university

has always wanted to and still wants to major in architecture!

that time he lit a candle and then accidentally blew it out directly after

when he shhhhed a lemon on JSMR

would love to go to Europe someday

his specialty is acting and I really hope to see actor!jeno some time in the future if he’s up for it

the way he says “oh my gosh!”

his soft vibrato when he sings where you can tell he’s not quite sure of his vocal capability (even though he should be because he’s iconic) but he still likes to sing

i know i’ve mentioned it but his dancing is so smooth and stylistic and powerful and tbh i feel it in my chest

boom shooting when he neglected to remind jaemin that he had his phone and pretended to take jaemin’s calls

that time renjun said live that jeno games til 4 am and jeno was like “don’t say that!!my mom might be watching”

boy can EAT

says he hates skinship but seems to enjoy initiating it

wears his watch everywhere because he’s the king of fashionable functionality

this (shoutout @iriiidescence )

i hate to focus on his physical attributes because I feel like he gets boxed in as just “pretty” way too often, but, with that being said, his hands are gorgeous and you can tell how much he respects the world around him by how gently and daintily he holds things

read and enjoyed Jonathan Livingston Seagull

is incredibly artistic but never talks about it

his eyes and gaze are visibly and obviously different on and off stage

he gets so flustered talking about his own duality it is the cutest thing

early days esp during mfal his smile was like :3 and it isn’t as pronounced nowadays but sometimes it’s still like that and that is very good

when dream got reflectors for their selfmade movie shoot thing (was it for the boy videos or something similar? I can’t remember) and he put it behind mark and was like “halo!” and hyuck almost beat his ass then and there

jaemin said “we’ve known each other for 7 years” and jeno was like “let’s stop meeting”

that nct life moment when him and jisung were “sparring” and jeno won but when he went to shake jisung’s hand he straight up pulled jisung’s mitten off but kept on shaking the empty mitten anyways to save face

the smrookies age vid where jaemin asks “am i cute?” in Thai and jeno straight up says “no”

ran DIRECTLY into a green screen during go mv filming and had the misfortune of it getting caught on camera

when jaemin said “i love you” and jeno (he was over the phone) panicked and stuttered out “no thanks”

when he sticks his tongue out in pics he is the CUTEST mofo

when he centered in black on black

when he was dressed up all hardcore in all black with a fake gun and still managed to look soft because of how his eyes shone with all the stars in the night sky

he always looks at his members like they each hung the moon

is always honest (even when it comes to shading SM 👌)

is always striving to become a better version of himself no matter what he is doing

spreads love in any way he knows how, whether it be verbally or through his actions or through the way his gaze lingers when reading comments or how focused he is on specific dance moves or how attentive he is to his friends... jeno always does what he can to brighten the world of those he loves and those who love him and he deserves the sun moon and stars because of this

#jeno #lee jeno #jeno lee #nct #nct dream #i love him #samoyed

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pinkislouder · 5 years ago

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The vaccines, car seat headrest and marina and the diamonds please 🙏🙏🙏🙏

the vaccines- favorite song by an indie artist?

I mean, technically The Maine are an independent band, so let’s go with them and I can’t choose a favourite song but the one I listened to last was Some Days. Which is a pretty good song.

car seat headrest- favorite relatively unknown artist?

Hmmm. Livingston. They’re very good!

marina and the diamonds- an album that shaped your personality?

I don’t know about shaping my personality but I just remember so vividly listening to Still Not Getting Any by Simple Plan, all day, and it really made me love music I think.

#thank you for theeeeeeeeeeese #<3 #wereamanbandnw

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oberlinconservatory · 6 years ago

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In the Practice Room with the 2019 Rubin Scholars

For each of the past 14 years, Oberlin Conservatory has welcomed the legendary American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne for a weeklong residency. And after each of the past six, Horne has awarded $10,000 to outstanding students that she coached during her campus visit. Both the scholarship and the Horne residency are made possible by the singer’s close friend and philanthropist Stephen Rubin, president and publisher of Henry Holt & Co. This spring, Horne named soprano Whitney Campbell ’19 and tenor Shawn Roth ’20 the new awardees, each receiving $5,000 in funding for auditions, travel, and the living expenses that accompany the life of a young artist. While singing for THE Marilyn Horne was a bit nerve-racking for both Whitney and Shawn, they both admit that having fun has backed all their hard work at Oberlin.

When were you first inspired by the human singing voice?

Whitney: As a child, I would go around the house singing at all hours of the day. The first time I was inspired by the operatic voice, was when I heard Renée Fleming live in recital when I was 13 years old. Her ability to touch the soul with her voice alone inspired me to pursue this career!

Shawn: Among a few moments that stick out in particular would be the first time I heard a recording of Pavarotti singing “La donna è mobile.” There was just something so other-worldly about it—it sounded too perfect to be of this earth. I thought, “Whoa, opera’s the coolest thing there is,” because nothing remotely came close to listening to it.

What are some of your greatest musical influences?

Whitney: Since first hearing Renée Fleming in that recital, I have always gone back to her as a source of inspiration. I consider her my biggest role model. Her innate musicality and ability to express with her voice is something I aspire to achieve. I have read her book, The Inner Voice, at least three times. Angela Meade, Marilyn Horne, Montserrat Caballé, Eileen Farrell, Mirella Freni, and so many more, also influence my work. In addition to those singing role models, it was my longtime choir director Barbara Walker who introduced me to music and really inspired me to pursue this career. She heard me singing at the pool when I was five years old and recruited me on the spot to join the Livingston Parish Children’s Choir in Denham Springs, LA, where I sang from kindergarten through seventh grade. She is still a major musical influence and mentor to me today. Without her, I probably would not have gotten into music at all.

Shawn: Every day I find another reason to sing, whether it’s because I’ve discovered a new aria or new singer, perhaps I found out something new when I practiced that day, or maybe someone said something I’d like to prove wrong! As far as musical influences go, I’ve had a few constants—one would be Pavarotti. I always go back to him, even if I haven’t listened to him in months. Another would be classical radio programming. I grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with Pittsburgh’s classical radio station WQED. One night, when I was a kid, I was messing with my radio before bed and came across this absolutely, shockingly mesmerizing sound. It was a beautiful symphony—I unfortunately don’t remember what the piece was, but I remember the host saying it was by an African-American composer. Probably William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, now that I think of it. But from then on I would listen to the classical station anytime I could, and I credit that with giving me my love for classical music in particular. When I come home I turn the dial as soon as I’m in range!

Shawn performs opposite soprano Alexis Reed ’20 in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up in the January 2019 Winter Term Opera. What have been some of your greatest experiences in Oberlin? Any most valuable takeaways?

Whitney: Having the opportunity to work with Marilyn Horne is definitely at the top of my list! It was an absolutely incredible experience that I am beyond grateful for. During my four years at Oberlin, I was fortunate enough to be cast in all four of the operas conducted by Christopher Larkin. After being in the chorus for the first two, I got to work more closely with him on solo roles in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. It was such a privilege to work with maestro Larkin during my time here. He was so inspiring with his encouraging words and musical ideas, while simultaneously teaching us how to work with a full orchestra. It’s incredible that Oberlin provided us—as such young singers—with fully staged, costumed, and orchestrally supported opportunities to grow as artists on stage.

Shawn: Getting accepted to Oberlin in the first place was such a thrill, since I really only began studying voice seriously during my senior year of high school. I’ve been incredibly fortunate for what Oberlin’s given to me. I’ve had the chance to work with an amazing teacher, Salvatore Champagne, throughout my time here. As an underclassman I got to listen to incredibly talented colleagues like Olivia Boen ’17 and Cory McGee ’18 before they took off. I’ve been in master classes with world-renowned artists such as Marilyn Horne, George Shirley, Gerald Martin Moore, and Brian Zeger. I’ve worked on operas with two of the best living composers, Du Yun and Missy Mazzoli. And I’ve been invited to sing with the Cleveland Orchestra as a soloist, twice, because they reached out to Oberlin specifically for singers. How can I possibly pick a favorite out of any of those?! And I still have one more year left, which is hands-down the craziest part. Can’t wait to see what happens next year!

Whitney Campbell in Oberlin Opera Theater’s spring 2019 production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. Singing on the Marilyn Horne master classes is one of the most exciting honors for Oberlin singers. What was that first experience of working with the great American mezzo like for you? Whitney: As I was sitting in the audience, waiting for my turn to sing the “Czardas” from Die Fledermaus for Marilyn Horne, I was the most nervous I’ve ever felt for a performance. However, after getting through the first sing-through, she was so kind—I just knew she was rooting for all of us to succeed! She had such great, really helpful advice for me about pacing the piece. It ended up being one of my favorite performances at Oberlin. To top it all off, I got to have an hour-long lesson with her the next day! I never would’ve thought I would have the chance to casually sing through my repertoire for Ms. Horne. It was a life-changing experience, and I still can’t believe it happened. One of the coolest things she said to me was that I reminded her of herself at a young age, which was the best compliment I could ever wish to receive. I’m still reeling from it! I really hope I can continue to work with her in the years to come! Shawn: Oh god, I’ve never been more nervous than when I was waiting backstage to go on stage for Ms. Horne. As the most established living American mezzo, she’s one of the most intimidating people to sing for on the planet...at first. Once I got out there and she started asking me about my pieces, she made me feel right at home. (I think both of us being from western Pennsylvania probably helped, too!) She’ll ask you to do things no one else will, and as a result, can improve your performance in ways no one else can. Working with her in a private lesson was just as exciting—at the time, I was singing baritone, and had Billy Budd’s aria in my package. To help me out, she told me how the first baritone to sing that role sang it, who just happened to be a friend of hers. That’s the beauty of Ms. Horne’s experience—she’ll tell you things that came right from the mouths of Britten or Stravinsky themselves.

Shawn in Oberlin Opera Theater’s fall 2018 production of Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti with castmate and mezzo-soprano Gabriela Linares ’21. What did your path to music and Oberlin look like?

Whitney: Following my years of experience singing in the Livingston Parish Children’s Choir, I decided to audition for the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, right in my hometown. After being admitted at the high school level, I skipped 8th grade and went straight into high school. I studied classical voice with Phyllis Treigle, expanded my art song repertory, participated in a number of opera scenes, and performed in two full operas. It was in those pivotal years that I discovered that opera was all I wanted to do. Throughout high school, I did summer opera intensives at Louisiana State University and the Brevard Music Center. It was during my junior year that my mom convinced me to go to Oberlin’s Vocal Academy for High School Students, and I fell in love with this school! I could just feel that Oberlin would help me grow into a more well-rounded artist. And, the conservatory immediately became my number-one pick for undergrad. Now, as I approach graduation, I realize how lucky I was to receive such a thorough music education from such a respected institution. I am so grateful to everyone that made my experience here such an exciting one! Shawn: So, although music was a constant in my life since day one, I had a lot of insecurity and anxiety about what to study in college. Where I’m from, the only real “path” for musically-inclined kids was to go to one of three or four state schools, get a degree in music education, and try your luck at applying for teaching jobs in the area. Three of my high school music teachers sat me down with my parents one day to try to scare me out of a performance-based career, because it was just such an “outlandish” idea. Of course, I chose Oberlin anyway. I think it’s worked out pretty well so far. So my advice for anyone who needs to hear it is this: Do what you want to be doing with your time. It’s not anyone else’s, and it’s the only thing you can’t get back once it’s gone. Now for a more uplifting story! The exact moment that I knew I wanted to sing for a living came while I was singing with a regional choir in my junior year of high school, led by an incredibly talented conductor, Chris Jackson. We were preparing Mozart’s Regina Coeli, which features a solo quartet out in front of the choir. Wanting that solo so badly and hoping to stand out, I called upon my official sponsor for this interview, Luciano Pavarotti, and just tried to sound like him as much as possible. It worked, and I got the solo! Singing out there in front of everyone activated the strongest emotional response to music I’ve ever had, and I knew then that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I still get that feeling when I perform, and it’s one of the strongest highs you can feel. I actually ended up running into Chris last summer, when we were both singing at the Yale School of Music’s Norfolk Festival. During a break in rehearsal, I re-introduced myself and thanked him for letting me discover my passion—then we went right back to singing, this time as colleagues. All the more proof that the classical music world is the smallest there is!

“Do what you want to be doing with your time. It’s not anyone else’s, and it’s the only thing you can’t get back once it’s gone.”

Whitney, Shawn, and fellow voice majors with guest master clinician and acclaimed vocal coach Gerald Martin Moore. Do you have any advice for our incoming freshman singers?

Shawn: Have fun, and listen to each other. A large portion of your education comes from classes and lessons, but perhaps the most valuable things you’ll learn will come from your friends and colleagues. Be easy to work with—it will pay dividends in the long run. Even that still boils down to just being receptive to the people around you. Your entire time as an undergrad is an audition for all your peers, because they’ll be the ones who will get you jobs later on. And people who are easy to work with will be easy to employ. So show up with your music memorized, do the things the conductors ask you to do, and have fun with it, because that’s why we all do it at the end of the day. Also, learn German. The Germans already know English.

Whitney: Absolutely don’t forget to learn from your peers! Be supportive of each other—don’t tear each other down! Be a good colleague. Be respectful. Be prepared. Always be on time. It will only help you in the long run to have a reputation of being respectful and dependable. And, lastly, remember why you came to Oberlin. You came here to do what you love: sing opera. You are here to do it for you, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says. Have fun with it!

#opera #singing #classical voice #classical music #music #Marilyn Horne #Whitney Campbell #Shawn Roth #soprano #tenor #bass #mezzo-soprano #music school #Oberlin #Oberlin Conservatory #summer program #Louisiana #New Orleans #pennsylvania

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femmfaetale · 6 years ago

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answer the 20 questions below and then tag 20 bloggers that you want to get to know better

@oxnerds tagged me and then i didn’t respond for several days lmao

nicknames: milli, mills, millson, millo now too apparently

height: 5′3

orientation: uhhh bi all over the damn shop

nationality: English/Australian

favorite fruit: Watermelon

favorite scent: Rain on hot pavement

favorite flower: Sunflowers

favorite color: Pink and yellow and green i can’t just pick sorry

favorite animal: Cats

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: coffee and tea i can’t? pick?

average hours of sleep: 5

cats or dogs: cats but i love a good doggo

favorite fictional character: Gordo Livingstone

number of blankets you sleep with: just 1 sheet atm lmao

dream trip: Japan

blog created: 2017 like... august?

random fact: my cat is a cacti murderer

rules: only using song titles from one artist/band, cleverly answer the questions and tag 10 people

artist: fall out boy

what’s your gender? champion

how are you feeling? golden

if you could go anywhere? church

favourite mode of transportation? jet pack blues

your best friend? uma therman

favorite time of the day? saturday

if your life was a tv show? dead on arrival

relationship status? a little less sixteen candles, a little more “touch me”

fuck the rules do this if u wanna?

#about me #tag meme

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toogoodmusic · 3 years ago

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“Hole In My Heart (with Livingston)” by Louis The Child

Chicago electronic duo Louis The Child share their latest release “Hole In My Heart” – a collaboration between them and viral 19-year old singer Livingston.

Soulful and heartbreaking the single is as catchy as it is cathartic as Livingston deals with the loss of a love. “I’ve got a hole in my heart / and I don’t know how to fix it / Every night we’re apart / Pulls out one more of my stitches” he calls out hopelessly atop of the chorus.

Louis The Child says about the track, “This song was one of our favorites to play every night on tour and we’re so happy with how Livingston sounds on it. He’s got one of those voices that just captivates you. He’s a really special human and we’re so happy to finally share this song with you.”

The single appears ahead of the duo’s Euphoria EP due out October 15th and is the follow up to the producer’s single with Hollywood Records artist Bea Miller, “hate u cuz i don’t.”

Fill that void in your soul with Louis The Child and Livingston’s “Hole In My Heart.”

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popofventi · 4 years ago

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December Song 13: "Big Bunny" by Alaska Reid

"Big Bunny" by Alaska Reid

I’ll be honest. I didn’t know if I loved “Big Bunny” by Alaska Reid when a Ventipop reader/listener suggested I give it a listen. I played it the first time and placed it where I put all my undecided songs…into my ingeniously titled “Hmmmmm….” folder. Then, about two days later whilst making a peanut butter and banana sandwich in my kitchen, I sang under my breath, “Oh Big Bunny…it hurts so make it funny”. Out of nowhere. After one listen. So, with a mouthful of Jif and Chiquita, I gave it another listen and low and behold it’s on the playlist and stuck on repeat in my head.

Ms. Reid recently released Big Bunny the album. Check it out. It’ll stick like peanut butter in your brain.

No Longer Restricted, Misunderstood…

Alaska Reid comes by way of Park County, Montana an enclave for writers, artists and ranchers of the American West. She went to a one-room schoolhouse, attended voice lessons from the only music teacher in town, singing in musty brown shag carpet basement, bars and in the dirt rink for the Livingston Round Up Rodeo.

Reid began spending more and more time in Los Angeles come late-teens. From 14-18 she began gigging around LA. Eventually during her time in LA after becoming fatigued by the way she was seen as a young girl singer-songwriter, Alaska began to lean into her obsession with loud guitars and fuzz (thanks to her favorite band Dinosaur Jr.). She formed a band, cold messaged John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Kurt Vile etc…) on Facebook and ended up releasing an album produced by him, entitled ‘Crush’. Reid and her band borrowed her parent’s minivan and toured around the West while playing the usual LA haunts trying to be grunge. She soon thereafter disbanded her project, feeling restricted and misunderstood as she wrote all the material herself and felt that people were not focusing on her lyrics.

Reid's latest release “Boys From Town” exists as a clear amalgamation of her upbringing, from Montana to Los Angeles, tying notes of country and Americana with lightened pop and poignant lyricism. This song arrives ahead of her debut EP, "Big Bunny" set to come out later this year via Terrible Records.

Ventipop December 2020 Playlist

#Find New Music #Music Recommendations #New Indie Music #Alaska Reid

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papermoonloveslucy · 7 years ago

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LUCY THE STAR-GAZER! ~ Part Two

On “Here’s Lucy,” more than any other series, Lucille Ball used her vast network of Hollywood celebrities as guest stars! Here are some of the famous and near-famous who braved Lucy’s comedy Olympics!

LUCY FACES THE MUSIC: THE MUSICIANS

LAWRENCE WELK

Welk was a musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the television program “The Lawrence Welk Show” from 1951 to 1982 on ABC. Like Lucy, one of his favorite words was “Wonderful!” Welk was to music, what Lucy was to comedy - classically old school in a changing world. He was one of the most mentioned celebrities on “The Lucy Show” and played himself on “Here’s Lucy.”

RUDY VALLEE

Vallee started his career as a saxophone player and singer and became a popular bandleader, hosting a hit radio program in the 1930s. He played himself on the very first episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1957. Here he plays himself, dealing with the changing music scene head-on!

PATTY ANDREWS

Patty and her sisters, Maxene and LaVerne, were one of the most successful women’s singing groups, with 19 gold records and sales of nearly 100 million copies. With Patty on her own here, Lucy and Kim pose as her sisters to perform some of their greatest hits!

DINAH SHORE

Dinah Shore was a singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the Big Band era. She played herself here, one of Lucy Carter’s favorite singers.

PHIL HARRIS

Phil Harris was a bandleader who became a comic radio star as a Jack Benny sidekick in the 1930s. He played a songwriter named Phil Stanley on “The Lucy Show.” He was sometimes the butt of jokes on the series for his reputation for drinking. Here he plays himself and sings his signature song “That’s What I Like About the South.”

‘TENNESSEE’ ERNIE FORD

Ford was the first and only celebrity to make three guest star appearances (playing a variation on himself) on “I Love Lucy.” A popular country singer of the 1950s, this was his first credited ‘acting’ job, before his big hit with the song “Sixteen Tons” in 1955. He then appeared (also as a variation on himself) on “The Lucy Show.” This is his fifth and final appearance on a Lucille Ball sitcom, playing a singer named Ernie Epperson.

LIBERACE

Dubbed “Mr. Showmanship,” he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordings, television, motion pictures, and endorsements. At the height of his fame, from the 1950s to the 1970s, Liberace was the highest-paid entertainer in the world, with established residencies in Las Vegas, and an international touring schedule. Prior to this episode playing himself (of course), his only appearance with Lucille Ball was the musical film ‘Best Foot Forward’ (1943).

SAMMY DAVIS JR.

Davis was a singer, dancer, actor and comedian noted for his impressions of actors, musicians and other celebrities. His comic talents were a good match for Lucille Ball. He later matched wits with Archie Bunker on “All in the Family.” Playing himself here, he sings “And When I Die.”

WAYNE NEWTON

One of Lucille Ball’s favorite singers, Newton makes his second appearance as himself on “Here’s Lucy,” having also played himself on “The Lucy Show.” He is one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas, known by the nicknames the ‘Midnight Idol,’ ‘Mr. Las Vegas’ and ‘Mr. Entertainment.’ Here he performs “I’ve Got the World on a String” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.”

STEVE LAWRENCE & EYDIE GORME

Steve and Eydie were one of the most popular singing married couples in show-business, headliners in Las Vegas and around the world. Eydie had a hit with “If He Walked Into My Life” from the musical “Mame,” which Lucy then sang in the film version.

ANN-MARGRET

Ann-Margret is one of Hollywood’s most enduring sex symbols, singers, and actors. Craig and Ann-Margret perform the song “Country Music” by Steve March, the son of Mel Torme and adopted son of Arnaz family friend, Hal March.

FRANKIE AVALON

A recording star and musician, Avalon’s movie career took off when paired with Annette Funicello in “Beach Party” (1963) and its string of sequels. He played Teen Angel in “Grease” (1978) and considers “Beauty School Dropout” to be his most popular song. He previously played Tommy Cheever on “The Lucy Show” in 1967 but here plays himself. He memorably impersonates Sonny Bono opposite Lucie Arnaz as Cher.

PETULA CLARK

Clark is a British-born singer and actor who became well-known for her pop hits “Downtown”, “I Know a Place”, “A Sign of the Times”, “Color My World”, “This Is My Song” and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway”. She was dubbed ‘the First Lady of the British Invasion’. Playing herself (and pregnant) she appears here with her real-life husband Claude Wolff.

JOHN DAVIDSON

Davidson is a singer / actor who appeared on Broadway and television, and made the transition to game show host with “The Hollywood Squares.” Davidson plays music professor John Kleindorf here, and sings “Happy Together” and “I Believe In Music.”

BUDDY RICH

Rich first appeared with Lucille Ball as a member of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in “DuBarry Was a Lady” (1943). Widely considered one of the most influential drummers of all time and known for his virtuoso technique, power, and speed, Rich was billed as ‘the world’s greatest drummer’ during his career. Naturally, here he is teamed with Desi Arnaz Jr., a drummer like his father.

DONNY OSMOND

Donny began his career singing with his brothers, The Osmonds. Osmond became a teen idol in the early 1970s as a solo singer, while continuing to sing with his older brothers. Here, as himself, he sings “Too Young” (to Eve Plumb!) and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” with Lucie Arnaz.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB: NIGHTCLUB PERFORMER SUPERSTARS!

TOTIE FIELDS

Fields was a nightclub comedienne whose first big break came on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” After that, she appeared on many TV talk and variety shows. This appearance (as Mrs. Poopsie Butkus, the milkman’s wife) was just one of handful of 'acting’ jobs. Fields also sang her signature tune, “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You” as part of the episode.

JOAN RIVERS

The legendary performer was a stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and television host. Rivers gained prominence in 1965 as a guest host on “The Tonight Show,” interviewing Lucille Ball three times. Here she plays jury member Joan Reynolds.

JIM BAILEY

Bailey was spotted by Lucille Ball and had this episode written for him. He became one of the world’s most famous female impersonators, transforming himself into such stars as Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Peggy Lee, and Phyllis Diller, who he impersonates here, although he also appears out of drag, singing “Fever” with Lucie Arnaz.

FOSTER BROOKS

Brooks’ drunk act went over well with crowds at Las Vegas nightclubs and on television. He was a frequent guest on talk and variety shows and several Dean Martin celebrity roasts. Here he plays an alcoholic mystery novelist, David Benton Miller, that Lucy helps finish writing his latest book.

RICH LITTLE

Is a Canadian nightclub comic who became famous for his vast repertoire of impressions. His screen career began in 1964 and he appeared on virtually every TV talk and variety show over the next thirty years. He was known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices.” Here he does John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Jack Benny on the episode.

MY NEXT GUESTS: TV HOSTS!

JOHNNY CARSON

Carson was a talk show host and comedian, best known for his 30 years as host of “The Tonight Show” for which he received six Emmy Awards. Carson and Lucille Ball appeared together many times on TV specials and award shows. Carson played himself on “Lucy Moves to NBC” in 1980.

ED McMAHON

McMahon was a comedian, actor, singer, game show host, and announcer. He is most famous for his thirty year run as Johnny Carson’s sidekick, announcer, and second banana on “The Tonight Show.” In his first appearance on “Here’s Lucy” he played himself with Johnny Carson. In his second he played a bank loan officer named Ed McMillan. In 1977 he acted with Lucille Ball on “Lucy Calls the President” where he became the only other actor besides Desi Arnaz to play Lucy’s husband on television!

ART LINKLETTER

Linkletter was the host of “House Party” (aka “The Linkletter Show”) which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and “People Are Funny,” on NBC radio and TV for 19 years. He was mentioned on “The Lucy Show” and where he also played himself in 1966.

ALAN FUNT

Funt is best known as the producer, director, and host of the hidden camera show “Candid Camera.” He produced “Candid Microphone” on radio before moving the format to television in 1948. Here he not only plays himself, he also plays a con-man pretending to be Funt. It was a stretch for him, as he was not an actor.

STAGE TO SCREEN: BROADWAY BRILLIANCE!

HELEN HAYES

Hayes was known as ‘The First Lady of the American Theatre’. She won a 1932 Oscar for “The Sin of Madelon Claudet.” On Broadway, she won Tony Awards in 1947, 1958, and a special Tony in 1980. She has had two Broadway Theatres named after her. Hayes threw herself into television and screen work after being diagnosed as allergic to stage dust! Lucille Ball was in awe of Hayes, who played an Irish widow named Kathleen Brady.

ROBERT ALDA

Alda originated the role of Sky Masterson in Broadway’s “Guys and Dolls,” winning the 1951 Tony Award. He was seen in a variety of character roles (usually eligible bachelors) on both “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”

HOWARD KEEL

Keel was discovered by Oscar Hammerstein II during auditions for John Raitt’s replacement in Broadway’s “Carousel” in 1946. After that, he also went on to play Curly in “Oklahoma!” Here he plays big game hunter Stanley Livingston, on the trail of the wild Gorboona, in what is widely considered the worst episode of the series! What’s worse, it is a non-musical episode!

JACK GILFORD

Gilford began his career in the Amateur Nights of the 1930s moving on to nightclubs doing satire and pantomime. He was nominated for Tony Awards for Best Supporting Actor in the musicals “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (1962) and “Cabaret” (1966). Here he plays a driving instructor with Craig behind the wheel and Lucy as back seat driver!

SPORTS & POLITICS: PLAYERS IN THE LIMELIGHT!

O.J. SIMPSON

An alumni of the University of Southern California and winner of the Heisman Trophy, he is is former NFL running back for the Buffalo Bills (1969-77) and the San Francisco 49'ers (1977-78). Once a popular figure with the public, he is most well known today for his trial and acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

JOE NAMATH

Joe Namath was a record-setting and award-winning professional football player. His career on the gridiron began in 1965 with the Jets and ended 1977 with the Rams. Nicknamed ‘Broadway Joe’, he also was an actor doing stage, screen, and television commercials.

JACK LaLANNE

LaLanne was a nationally known exercise guru who owned a chain of health clubs and hosted a long-running television show from 1952 to 1983.

SAM YORTY

Yorty was the mayor of Los Angeles from 1961 to 1973. During his tenure he earned numerous nicknames from both admirers and detractors, such as Travelin’ Sam, Airplane Sam, Shoot-From-the-Lip Sam, the Maverick Mayor, Mad Sam Yorty, Scrappy Sam, Suitcase Sam, Saigon Sam, and the Reform Republican. In 1997, a survey of urban historians and political scientists rated Yorty the third worst big-city mayor in the USA since 1960.

BEST FOR LAST: THE QUEEN OF COMEDY!

LUCILLE BALL

Ball plays herself in this episode where she meets the mother of a look-alike contestant, Lucy Carter. Ball was the star of three hit television shows and numerous Hollywood films.

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amaradangeli · 7 years ago

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Identity ask 11, 12, 13, 16

Collecting all my answers here. :)

identity ask………oh shit

if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

have you ever found a writer who thinks just like you? if so, who?

list your fandoms and one character from each that you identify with. The only fandom I’m really active in right now is Stargate SG-1. And probably, I identify most with Jack O’Neill (for a variety of reasons).

do you like your name? is there another name you think would fit you better?

do you think of yourself as a human being or a human doing? do you identify yourself by the things you do? I guess as a human being. I don’t feel like a doer. I do, however, sort of define myself by the things I do… especially writing.

are you religious/spiritual?

do you care about your ethnicity?

what musical artists have you most felt connected to over your lifetime?

are you an artist?

do you have a creed?

describe your ideal day. I think it would be a day where I could legitimately do nothing and not feel bad about it; when I could sit and read or write and not know that there were other things that were being neglected in order to feed my need.

dog person or cat person? Dog person. I’ve always had dogs and I adore the relationship.

inside or outdoors? Inside, usually. It’s easier to write inside. But when the weather is nice, I’d just as soon sit on my back porch and write, too.

are you a musician?

five most influential books over your lifetime. The Myth of You and Me, Johnathan Livingston Seagull, Tuesdays with Morrie, The Color of Water, Running with Scissors

if you’d grown up in a different environment, do you think you’d have turned out the same? No. I think we’re very much products of our environment. That doesn’t necessarily mean someone from a bad environment will be bad, though, because I think it’s just as likely that the situation teaches someone how to be something other than what they’re shown. Because for just as much as we’re products of our environment, we’re all made up of singular stuff.

would you say your tumblr is a fair representation of the “real you”? On some days, yes. :) I think I felt freer to express myself, the actual me, for a while.

what’s your patronus?

which Harry Potter house would you be in? or are you a muggle?

would you rather be in Middle Earth, Narnia, Hogwarts, or somewhere else?

do you love easily? No. Once upon a time, yes. But not anymore. Life has taught me lessons.

list the top five things you spend the most time doing, in order.

how often would you want to see your family every year?

have you ever felt like you had a “mind-meld” with someone?

could you live as a hermit?

how would you describe your gender/sexuality? Cis gendered female who is almost entirely straight. This isn’t a terribly thinky answer, I know, but I’ve never really angsted about my sexual orientation. The few times I’ve found a woman sexually desirable, it’s been fine with me. My brain stops short of taking it further - in fantasy or actuality - because at the end of the day it just isn’t where my sexual interest lies. I’ve always enjoyed, and mostly experienced, sex with men. So I think I have to go with “almost entirely straight”.

do you feel like your outside appearance is a fair representation of the “real you”?

on a scale from 1 to 10, how hard is it for someone to get under your skin?

three songs that you connect with right now. Operator (Jim Croce), The Dangling Conversation (Simon & Garfunkel), Fly Away (John Denver)

pick one of your favorite quotes. “I want to be a comfort to my friends in tragedy and I want to be able to celebrate with them in triumph. And for all the times in between, I just want to be able to look them in the eye.”

#meme #amara answers #femsff

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hillbillyhippiemusicreview · 5 years ago

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POST #11 - Festival of the Red 2019

Y’all, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, about 50 miles east of the Horse Capital of the Word, is what I often refer to as “my favorite place on earth.” The Red River Gorge National Geological Area. The Red River Gorge is known for many things worldwide. Native American Artifacts, Petroglyphs, and Moonshiners made this place a hotbed among researches in years passed. The Red, as it is referred to by many who call it home or frequent the area, is also a Mecca for outdoor activities. Activities such as Rock Climbing, Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Kayaking and now Music Festivals make the Red an outdoorsman’s (and outdoorswoman’s) destination.

Yeah, y’all heard me. Soon enough the Red will be known for what I believe is one of the best music festivals in Kentucky. And y’all, with the musical talent in Kentucky, that’s saying something. This year Chase and Miranda Fallen put on the 2nd Annual Festival of the Red! The festival was a stacked 3 day event with good country music and some rock that snuck their way to be headliners. And before I catch any grief, if y’all don’t think Justin Wells and the band are a rock band, just ask him.

While Festival of the Red was primarily Kentucky artists (and rightfully so, I mean Kentucky is known for horses, bourbon, basketball and music, if you disagree you’re wrong), the Fallen’s were able to sneak some talent in from all over the country. Our good friends from the Midwest, Chris Stewart and Chad Vaughn were there, along with a our favorite Alabama boy Ritch Henderson. It’s always good to see these fellas along with General Jim and his better half Victoria from The Honky-Tonk Hotel. If y’all aren’t familiar with them, check em out and give em a follow. They do some amazing things to help the small time artists that are trying to make it in this crazy business.

The lineup in no particular order was as follows: Ed Hughes, Spooky Fox, The Handshake Deals, Waylon Nelson, Jinx Machine, Aaron Boyd, Jeremey Short, TA Clay and the Soulminers, Donovan Howard, Ritch Henderson (with special guest MarDe Brooks), Jen Richardson, Luna & The Mountain Jets, Chris & Jen Shouse, Chad Vaughn, Chris Stewart (aka King of Algeria), Charles Wesley Godwin, Eric Bolander & These Assholes, Laid Back Country Picker, Josh Nolan, Sean Whiting and the Handsome Bastards, Chelsea Nolan, Justin Wells, Don Rogers, The Local Honeys, Ethan Wayne, Tyler Smith, Seth Ferguson, and finally John Clay. Y’all, if you don’t think that is an absolutely incredible lineup then your moonshine is gonna make you go blind, your beer is hot, and your bourbon ain’t from Kentucky.

While we got there to setup camp on Thursday (in what felt like the Sahara), the music didn’t start until Friday. At 2pm on Friday Mr. Ed Hughes broke the stage in and kicked things off. This was a simple set with Ed playing and singing while sitting on a stool. Honestly, because it was the first set on a Friday, the crowd was a little scarce , but it was pretty cool just to see him give it his all anyways. Y’all, Ed is one hell of a guitar picker and is pure country when he sings.

After Ed, a new act that I hadn’t seen before graced the tie dye stage with his presence. Spooky Fox came out and just filled the holler with energy. He had one of the best stage presence acts I have ever seen. Jumpin up and down, head bangin, jumpin off the the stage and shreddin guitar. He was one of my wife’s favorite acts of the night. Not to mention he is a great and personable guy. Y’all check out ol Spooky Fox on which ever fancy device you listen to your music these days. He is an electrifying entertainer and will not disappoint in a live performance!

After Spooky Fox, The Handshake Deals took the stage. Y’all, honestly I’m not sure there is an instrument that these fellas (and lady) can’t play. Acoustic and electric guitar, drums, stand up bass, mandolin, accordion, vocals. Y’all they switched every song and absolutely killed it. If you have a stand up bass and play real countryish music I’m an instant fan. I think they have an album coming out soon and I can’t wait to review it!

When The Handshake Deals finished their set, another Eastern Kentuckian Waylon Nelson took the stage. First off, I only got to talk to ol Waylon for a few minutes, but I’m pretty sure that is his real name. Waylon Nelson. Hot damn, it just sounds cool. I mean Willie, Waylon and Jesse Colter were all pretty tight together, so having your name as Waylon Nelson, you were born to play country music. So Waylon, if you are out there, start marketing yourself more, work at it a little more and play some country music. I’m pretty sure that’s what you were born to do. But, back to the review...Waylon’s type of music is really chill. As soon as he started singing, I looked over at my wife and said “now this is some whisky drinkin music.” It’s tranquil and relaxing with great lyrics. When y’all get a chance, check out his music page and give “Colorado High” a listen! I also wouldn’t do this bit justice if i didn’t mention who he had on stage with him. The lovely Kris Preston played with Waylon and y’all she is talented. She can sing and play multiple instruments, including the mandolin and the banjo. Yes, the freaking banjo. If you can do that on stage, you are talented and can put on a good show. I always say that you never see super young people play the banjo, because it takes a lifetime to master. Kris however, is young and killed it. She’s definitely a great musician!

After Waylon, a lineup change gave the Alabama boy Ritch Henderson a chance to play 2 sets. Y’all, I saw Ritch at Tumbleweed, I’ve got his EP and I’ve gotten to know the guy well. He served our country in the Marines and he is a heck of a guy. When it comes to his singing and songwriting, he is next to none. If y’all dig a down home fella that has a passion for music and is giving it literally everything he has, then listen to Ritch Henderson. “The Story So Far,” “We All Fall Sometimes,” and “Lonesome, All I’ll Ever Be” are masterpieces that can stand up to the likes of Jason Isbell, Arlo McKinley and so on.

Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, my night ended there. I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to see the other sets, especially Aaron Boyd and Jeremy Short, but hey in the words of the late great John R. Cash, “I guess things just happen that way.”

Saturday came early with a 9am set from Livingston Kentucky’s Donovan Howard. Y’all, as unfortunate as it is, someone has to start the day off and Donovan pulled that straw. There were “maybe” 20 people out there watching, which is a shame, because Donovan is stone cold country. The guy was reppin’ a “Death Before Pop Country” shirt and playing a vintage guitar. It was acoustic set with just him singing and it was a great way to start the morning. The fella has a traditional sound and will throw a little new age flare in there every once in awhile. Donovan writes about things he knows and he does it well.

When the big hand struck 10am, Ritch Henderson got another chance to grace us with his presence. Unfortunately Ritch’s voice wasn’t allowing him to sing a lot. I blamed it on the eastern Kentucky allergies. Ritch however, told us that the real reason is because he played back to back shows and sang for an ungodly amount of time in 3 different venues over just a few days. So, Ritch sang one song before giving the Stage to MarDe Brooks. MarDe is another Bama boy who I had recently met and y’all he’s talented. MarDe is one of those fellas that helps to “make country music sad again” and he likes to write songs about whisky. Sad country music and whisky, the fella has my vote. MarDe Brooks 2020. Y’all, MarDe also covered “Hurricane” (no not the Luke Combs one...) and freaking knocked it over the hills. I’ve been debating recently if I liked The Band of Heathens’ version or Shane Smith and the Saints’ version better. I was having trouble deciding and then this guy threw his hat into the ring and I’m at a stalemate. MarDe, if you are reading this, RECORD HURRICANE AND RELEASE IT!

When Ritch and MarDe finished up their set, Ed Hughes took the stage again, but this time he was accompanied by Jen Richardson. I’ve already talked to y’all about Ed, but y’all Jen can sing! She’s extremely talented and her voice is like that of yesteryear women singers. She can stand with Trisha and the best of em! A cool little moment was when Jen and Ed had some “special guests” on the stage to sing Ed’s son’s favorite tune. Y’all can catch a glimpse of that below:

After Ed and Jen were finished filling the holler with good country music, another great Kentucky band took the stage. Luna & the Mountain Jets laid out a great set full of mountain music. I tell y’all, Dave and Teresa Prince put together one heck of a band and can jam out like no other. Y’all just ask ol Timmy Tyler Childers and Kid Rock if you don’t believe me. And if y’all don’t know what I’m talking about somewhere on the internet is a video of Tyler, Teresa, Dave and some other great musicians singing with a smiling Kid Rock runnin around filming it. Without me getting too long winded, I’ll just tell y’all to check them out when you get the chance, you can thank me later!

After Luna & The Mountain Jets, the heat got to me and I had to take a little break in the AC. So, I’ll talk about the sets I caught and then I’ve got a special surprise for y’all. With that being said, the next 2 sets I did see were Chad Vaughn and Chris Stewart. For those of y’all that aren’t familiar with these two, they are from the Midwest. If I remember correctly, both from KC, just from different states...Yeah KC works that way. It’s weird. Actually I think there are 2 Kansas City’s, but whatever, we are hear to talk about music, not geography. Anyways, despite attending 2 years of Tumbleweed right in their backyard, this was the first time I was able to catch a live set of either. Chad went on first and y’all I was impressed. Chad isn’t a hard core honky-tonk type musician. In the words of the lady standing by me, Chad is a technical singer. He hits all of those notes perfectly and knocks it out of the park every time. He is also a great song writer! You combine a mellow and technical voice with a great song writing ability and you’ve got one heck of an artist right there. But y’all Chad doesn’t stop there. He is also one heck of a picker. I’ve only been playing guitar for a few months and I’ve been bad at practicing. But seeing Chad Vaughn, Ed Hughes, Josh Nolan, Dave Prince, Donovan Howard and Jermey Short out there, y’all i was inspired again! Y’all look this fella up on the YouTube and follow his music page.

Chris took the stage right after Chad and y’all, Chris is another fella making country music sad again. Now, I know I say that a lot, but its true. I’d be willin to bet that this guy can play more sad songs than David Allan Coe. While Chris doesn’t move around and put on a show, he doesn’t need to. His voice and song writing fills the presence of the stage. He draws you in to listen to his songs and to feel the emotion! It’s also worth mentioning that he has what may be the best beard in the business. And apparently there are rumors of him becoming a leader in Algeria or something? Y’all check him out before he head overseas, or wherever the heck Algeria is!

The next set that I caught was Laid Back Country Picker. If y’all ain’t sure who ol Laid Back is, then crawl out from under your rock and give him a google. Laid Back is actually Dave Prince as the frontman, with Teresa Prince, as Honey. Y’all this set was awesome! Laid Back just about couldn’t keep Honey contained as she was so excited to perform at Festival of the Red. Laid Back may also be one of the best guitar players I have ever seen and can put on quite the show. His crowd engagement, stage presence, antics, song writing and vocals are Kentucky gold. If you’re from Eastern Kentucky like myself, Magoffin County Cadillac is sure to make you chuckle and remind you of times when you would drop from 70 to 55 in about 0.3 seconds. Y’all just do me a favor and check our ol Laid Back Country Picker. You might even be able to catch him on the party line now and then.

After Laid Back, the next set that I watched was Josh Nolan. But, as I hinted at previously, I’ve got a surprise for ya on this one. I collaborated with a “contributing writer”, yeah that sounds fancy. Anyways, her coverage of Josh was top notch, so I’ll just post her notes on him in just a minute.

I capped my “official” night off with Chelsea Nolan followed by Justin Wells. Chelsea took the stage about dark and led us down a rockin’ path to end the night. Chelsea played some off of her album and some new ones. With live versions of “Rock Bottom,” “Bootlegger,” and “Yard Sale Yolanda,” Chelsea kept us entertained! When she writes songs, she tells stories from experiences. Just like any great song writer, especially from Kentucky, that is what makes her special. When you have Chelsea’s powerful and energetic voice on stage with Josh Nolan, John Clay, AND Jeremey Short, you know you’re in for a treat. Her set was nothing short of flawless. From her down home humble attitude, her story telling, vocals, instruments, y’all it was a good time. If I had to guess, it was also special for Chelsea to play in front of a hometown crowd and get a response like that. Her and the band gave it their all, and you could tell!

My “official” night ended with the headliner; another Kentucky product in Justin Wells. While up until now, Festival of the Red was stone cold country, somehow when Justin and the fellas took the stage, a rock band was suddenly headlining a country music festival in the middle of the Eastern Kentucky Mountains! After coming off of a hiatus to rest up his vocal chords from a scary situation, Justin ended the night with a bang! Along with some hits off of his previous album, Justin played a couple of new ones in “Ruby” and “Temporary Blues” This fella is another song writer that writes about experiences and what he knows. Justin’s lyrics tell a story and put you in the right in the middle of a scene. Justin’s passion shows through in his lyrics and in his performance. If y’all don’t believe me, just take a look at thie picture below. If that ain’t a passionate performance then I don’t know what is. Especially for a guy that recently had his vocal chords on the verge of hemorrhaging! I can’t stress enough how much y’all need to catch Justin. I mean heck, I’ve seen him 3 times this year. I also cannot wait for his new record “The United State” to come out. All I know is what Justin told the crowd. It will come out when it comes out.

Y’all unfortunately I had “responsibilities” back in the city and didn’t catch any other sets. It was nothing against any artist, because everyone there was extremely talented! However, I do have a write up from our new contributing writer, Amy Fletcher! Amy knows her way around the music scene and I am honored to have her write with me. And, shameless plug, her daughter Hannah Fletcher is also an artist so y’all be sure to look her up! Anyways, I’ll quit ramblin’ and let y’all hear what Amy had to say about a few of the sets that I didn’t catch:

Charles Wesley Godwin. This guy put on an amazing set. His music is a wonderful representation of Appalachia. His voice resonates a beautiful vibrato with lyrics so simple and well put together. His song "Coal Country" strikes a sympathetic nerve with his description of the struggle of the fading world of the coal miner.

There aren't enough adjectives to describe Josh Nolan. His newly released Album, "Kind Heart To Follow" is one that cannot be missed. Not only is Josh a lyrical genius, he is an arrangement genius. He was joined onstage by a band who worked together like a well-oiled machine. His song, "East Kentucky Skyline" allows an opportunity for listeners to put themselves in a relatable situation of the colors peeking over the trees during the sunset. One can tell that Josh disappears in his mind during his performance, giving so much emotion it's as if one can reach out and feel it. This album is a must on the playlist.

Sean Whiting.....there are no words. Joined on stage by Laid Back Country Picker, Sean put on a performance that cannot he forgotten. His talent of raw southern rock-and-roll put him in a special class. His lead guitarist (I can't remember his name) made his guitar speak. For 20 years old that person was something special. Sean celebrated his birthday Saturday but the audience were the ones who walked away with the prize. His performance was one to stick with you.

The only show I caught Sunday was John Clay. John and his guitar is all that was needed. His audience consisted of about 6 people as his set was the last of the day. The rain had set in and drove many home earlier in the day. John has an uncanny ability to tell a story through his music and put the audience in the specific location. He finished out Festival of the Red and those who rode out the weather were given the treat of witnessing his performance.

Earlier, I kept saying my “official set” and other mysterious things. That was because I stuck around until a little after 2am on Saturday Night/Sunday Morning for a Song Swap around the campfire. Ritch Henderson, Chad Vaughn, Chris Stewart, Jermey Short, Sean Whiting, Josh Nolan, MarDe Brooks, and Hannah Fletcher stood around a campfire with 25 or so people and just played guitar, sang and just had a good ol time. There were a ton of originals mixed in along with Outfit, Can’t Ya See, In Color, Mama Tried, Queen of My Double Wide Trailer, Seven Spanish Angels, Ring of Fire, and a slew of other great tunes. Ya’ll it was a crazy surreal time as it was my first campfire song swap surrounded by that kind of talent. There was even a freaking tetradactyl screeching occasionally! Yeah, you read that right. Weird things happen in the mountains at night. If you don’t believe me ask Amy and Hannah. They will back me up on that!

Alright y’all, that’s my write up on Festival of the Red. Make sure to check out the photo album on the facebook page! Share and give us a like so others can discover the greatness that is Festival of the Red and these artists that deserve WAY more recognition than they get!

A special thanks to Chase and Miranda Fallen for putting on a great festival and letting me cover it. To Amy for teaming up with me and writing part of this! And to my wife, Lauren, for taking notes, editing this post, and enduring the heat with me! Until next time...

-Cheers, N.

*This is an independent review. The Hillbilly Hippie Music Review was not compensated for this review.

*The opinions expressed are solely that of the author(s).

*The artwork shown is not ours, nor do we claim it in any way. Rights belong to Festival of te Red.

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