Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Spring 2012 - Ups and downs. Oh, and updates.
HI EVERYONE!
Been getting asked how I am a lot these days, I apologize for not posting lately. I'm sorry if I worried you.
I know I should write everyone back personally, but it seems a bit overwhelming of a task at the moment, and there is a lot to say, so please accept this cop-out blog ^^;;
BLASTED HARP
I'm very sorry about how long it is taking me to get some new music uploaded :(
I have both my mics and equipment set up in a painstakingly specific formation for recording a harp part and I don't dare move anything until the part is fully recorded. Once it is done I can do some spontaneous recording again.
For the record, this new harp that I have gotten has been extremely difficult to record and work with. It behaves nothing like my original harp - it's louder and the sound carries a lot more, and I guess it is more like a concert harp than the little harp I used to play. Just getting the mics set up to record it without it sounding very boomy and unpleasant took a whole month. That's right, an entire month devoted to nothing but knob turning and mic placement, and I'm still making little adjustments.
I read up extensively on recording harps, learning a few new things but none of them really applicable because, sadly, concert harps - or harps with that level of resonance, like mine - need to be recorded in acoustically luscious rooms in order to bring out their sound, with mics spaced several meters away from the instrument. Just like recording a pianist on a grand piano, the room itself is as important as the instrument - the sound bouncing off the walls creates the 'sound', the desirable one we like to hear. I have a closet for a studio, and while that works SO WELL for things like vocals, flutes, guitars, it does not work with this big resonant harp. Put the harp inside that dead room, and the parts of the harp's sound that would normally dissipate don't have anywhere to go and become much louder and overpowering than they should, especially the midrange. My mics cannot be spaced more than a meter away from the harp, actually less necause of the small space, so they're getting the full brunt. It's hard to explain.
To make the situation work, I ended up stuffing the entire inside of the harp with foam to muffle the resonance, and then I had to experiment with mic positioning to get a desirable sound - not boomy or overwhelming, but clear - and also minimize white noise (these mics pick up the air conditioning systems of all the other apartments around mine, so I can all too easily get heavy white noise even though my own AC is turned off) There's little need to say how utterly frustrating its been to have spent so much precious recording time on this simple-but-not-at-all-simple issue. I will also need to re-create the set-up every time I need to use the harp, which is going to be pretty often as it is my go-to instrument for the most part.
I took the time though because I've made a name for myself by creating music with a high degree of production quality, and I'm not about to let that slip now, no matter how much time it takes. All I have to do is picture you guys listening to the final track and I know that I owe you guys my very best.
END OF HARP COMMENTARY. (commendations if you read this far)
BEGINNING OTHER TOPICS:
I've been working only on album songs again. I have a serious drive to work on them, and am trying to take advantage of it. Hopefully I'll have another CD ready by the end of this year. It's definitely possible, I just need to will it through. At the moment I'm recording my original, 'The Dragon's Lullaby', which is what this current harp part is for. It's actually one of my oldest compositions, but I can't say I've ever come up with a better melody. I have the same sort of special fondness for it as one would have towards an eldest son or daughter. It'll definitely be the album song I pick to upload in full to youtube. (as with "No One But You") and I have really fun ideas for the music video. Will let you all know lots more about the album songs in the coming months, I'm very excited about this collection.
ABOUT THE TRIP TO JAPAN:
For those of you who have been asking about my trip to record in Japan and whether I've gone yet, the answer is that, unfortunately, I never heard anything else after that first (extremely wonderful and exciting) bit of communication. Spring has, of course, come and gone. It's possible I have been overlooked or passed by (the composer doesn't always have his first choice of vocalist, especially if the company is pushing for someone with more visibility), or perhaps the entire project is extremely delayed, or a number of vocalists were being contacted just in case - I just don't know, and it really wouldn't be polite to ask. And who knows, I may still be called out. I'm just letting those know who are curious about the whole thing that I haven't heard anything further on the matter, and that nothing was really set in stone to begin with.
That email felt about the same as a it would to have a phoenix touch down in front of me while I'm out shopping for mundane things like toothpaste and toilet paper. I can't say I particularly deserved it, nor why it happened, and I'd be silly to expect it to happen a second time. But it was wonderful. And I will always have it to turn over and over in my memory late at night when I can't sleep. At least I went ahead and got my passport - so I'll be ready if I do ever need to travel overseas.
LITTLE ASSHOLE:
The other big opportunity I thought I'd received with a major game company here in the USA (I told a few of you about it I think) sadly turned out to be nothing more than a badly timed practical joke. It served more to simply disappoint me than depress me, as it was a game I would have been over the moon to provide a song for and I'm well used to trolls at this point. Coupled with the slight humiliation of having written to the actual composer's email address and asking about it, (he probably thought 'who's this crazy chick?') the whole thing was very upsetting and embarrassing. I've done my best to stop thinking about it, although the disappointment and embarrassment of it still nags. Still hoping for some sort of break in the near future. Some big game to swoop me up and offer me one song to sing. Do I deserve it? Hell, I don't know. But it would sure help.
MY MOM:
In other news, my mother has been very ill. I see her struggle in great pain every day with the smallest tasks like putting on shoes or watering her plants. And still she works so hard - has worked so hard all her life. It makes me feel angry with myself that I chose an unstable career like this, instead of trudging my way through something like medical school. If things had been different, if I had been different, I would be able to make her more comfortable now by forcing her to retire and being able to shovel out the money for any and all health care/procedures would make her comfortable and able to move without pain. I'd be able to fund any crazy idea she thought up and wanted to pursue. While some months (especially last year) my CD brought in enough for me to truly feel I'd contributed, other months, (especially this year) made it very difficult on my conscience.
MY ADVENTURES WITH ILLEGAL UPLOADING/DOWNLOADING:
-just getting this off my chest and then we need not speak any more about it-
Orders for my album abruptly came to a halt a few months back, and for a while I was only able to sell one or two precious CDs a month. I was upset by this but waited it out to see if things would pick up again after a while. They didn't. I was very humiliated to not be able to have contributed much of anything during those months financially, and I'd have more than my conscience to worry about if my mother wasn't the understanding parent that she is. I couldn't talk to anyone about it without feeling - knowing - that there would be little sympathy for the financial issues of an able-bodied adult who doesn't have a 'real job'! After a spell where I didn't sell a single album for a whole month, I decided to take the dreaded 'tour of google' and see if my album was uploaded anywhere for free download. Unfortunately it was. I found it up in three places. Last year I would have turned a blind eye on these uploads, as I was selling enough then to feel it was okay if there was a little of this going on. But when orders stopped entirely, and the ratio of monthly downloaded albums to sold ones bordered on 100/0 I really didn't have a choice. I tried to write these places and get these uploads removed. I couldn't get them removed from two of the places as they were (and are) less than savory and wouldn't reply to my emails unless I had a lawyer (fat chance in hell of being able to afford one of those) but I was able to remove it from 4shared. The 4shared team was very nice and seemed genuinely concerned with protecting small artists like me. After that, I started receiving some regular orders again, blessedly, and as always, am extremely thankful for them and thankful to those that ordered them. Even though there are places where they can still get it free. I can't stress this enough! I am thankful to you.
I know the majority of anyone reading this blog would never think of downloading an album of mine illegally, or already own the CD, and that this is being presented to the wrong set of people entirely. I would post this somewhere more appropriate, but unfortunately I don't know where an appropriate place for a message like this could be put. I've tried talking about it on facebook a few times, here and there, on different occasions, and while most reply posts were very kind, a few hurt my feelings terribly, or left me very confused, guilty and conflicted with myself and my choice of life, and a few definitely inadvertently kicked up debates that I was not in any way intellectually equipped to hold my own in. I felt soiled and guilty for ever bringing up my need to survive on my CD sales and the way something seemingly simple like an illegal upload hurts me. Even with my direct personal experience with this stuff , defending my points proved impossible...I buckled under the scrutiny of extremely smart people and their cool logic. heh. Maybe my choice of career in itself isn't very logical in the long run. But I will do it - try to do it - try to make it - until it becomes absolutely irresponsible for me to do so. Just a little farther...
I guess I just want to present this message - to the one single person that this might apply to that is reading - Even if you are having financial problems and can't afford the album - but want it still - please, please, come talk to me, we can work something out. I don't bite, I'm nice! If you like my music, then I love you! Just be sure to get my album from me, the artist, and not a third party. They don't deserve your time, but I on the other hand, would love to talk to one of my listeners.
IN CONCLUSION, I EAT PANNA COTTA:
I hope all of you reading this will forgive me for writing this long blog. I kept a whole lot of little random things bottled up not feeling any of this was even bad enough or big enough in the grand scheme of things to post up publicly or lay on anyone else, and really ashamed of how much it was bothering me. (Especially since just about everyone I know has a harder and more stressful life than I do; deals with tougher subjects and situations daily.) Still, I've heard it's unhealthy to keep too quiet about things, and while it was difficult to find the courage to talk to a few of you, I've found it's far easier to talk to all of you.
Anyways, thank you for reading, as always! I'm going to go finish up in the kitchen (been making panna cotta lately to lift everyone's spirits, I think I'm addicted. Tonight is Honey-Vanilla with a Chocolate-Rum-Cinnamon layer on top)
Much love,
~Kate/Erutan/katethegreat19
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
MY YOUTUBE ACCOUNT IS RESTORED
....thanks to a few incredible people from OverClockedRemix that on their own went out of their way to get my channel restored.
I don't know how they did it, but I owe them the world for saving...well, my livelihood basically, my career, my connection to my listeners, and the hard work I've put in for 5 years.
I was fully prepared to start my new account this afternoon and begin the long process of contacting around 40,000 people through email, however I logged onto facebook to find all these messages that said 'It's back Kate!' I wasn't prepared for that... Larry Oji (Liontamer) at OCR told me he'd try to get the account back...but I never expected him to actually be able to do it! Thanks to him, and the lovely Susie Sahim (PaperDemon) and an awesome dude on Twitter, Trey McGowan, I have my channel again. You guys are obviously wizards...or something.
Please give them your love on OCRemix if you happen to stop by there to listen to the awesome remixes @.@ Dunno how I am going to repay this kindness, but damn if I'm not going to be their personal musical slave from here on out ha ha!
The twitter is still at large and hacked, but it seems a small hurdle now compared to this ^w^;
Going to try and get some rest now...no sleep all last night.
Thanks to everyone who was so supportive during the time the channel was deleted...I already knew there were some sweet people out there, but it's awesome to be reminded again.
Humbly yours,
~Kate
I don't know how they did it, but I owe them the world for saving...well, my livelihood basically, my career, my connection to my listeners, and the hard work I've put in for 5 years.
I was fully prepared to start my new account this afternoon and begin the long process of contacting around 40,000 people through email, however I logged onto facebook to find all these messages that said 'It's back Kate!' I wasn't prepared for that... Larry Oji (Liontamer) at OCR told me he'd try to get the account back...but I never expected him to actually be able to do it! Thanks to him, and the lovely Susie Sahim (PaperDemon) and an awesome dude on Twitter, Trey McGowan, I have my channel again. You guys are obviously wizards...or something.
Please give them your love on OCRemix if you happen to stop by there to listen to the awesome remixes @.@ Dunno how I am going to repay this kindness, but damn if I'm not going to be their personal musical slave from here on out ha ha!
The twitter is still at large and hacked, but it seems a small hurdle now compared to this ^w^;
Going to try and get some rest now...no sleep all last night.
Thanks to everyone who was so supportive during the time the channel was deleted...I already knew there were some sweet people out there, but it's awesome to be reminded again.
Humbly yours,
~Kate
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Hacked Youtube and Twitter Accounts!
Hi everyone,
If you follow me and my music on youtube, please read:
Tonight my youtube account was hacked, and deleted along with 5 years of covers, comments, messages, not to mention the way I made my living. My twitter was also hacked and is currently spitting out spam links in Russian. Needless to say, please don't click on those links, they are probably viruses.
I'm going to try and get both accounts back, but if I can't I will be starting new accounts. If you don't follow me on facebook, just keep watching here or on my official Erutan website (www.erutanmusic.com) for updates about all this.
Thank you so much, and please don't forget about me...
~Kate
If you follow me and my music on youtube, please read:
Tonight my youtube account was hacked, and deleted along with 5 years of covers, comments, messages, not to mention the way I made my living. My twitter was also hacked and is currently spitting out spam links in Russian. Needless to say, please don't click on those links, they are probably viruses.
I'm going to try and get both accounts back, but if I can't I will be starting new accounts. If you don't follow me on facebook, just keep watching here or on my official Erutan website (www.erutanmusic.com) for updates about all this.
Thank you so much, and please don't forget about me...
~Kate
Friday, December 30, 2011
Goodbye 2011!!!
Wow...not a single blog written for a complete year!!! That is just sad, ha ha! I guess when it comes right down to it, I have trouble actually executing the action of writing... ^^; But the allure of blogging is undeniable and one of my big resolutions for 2012 is to write as many as I can!
2011 has been a big rollercoaster of a year.
The shipping part of my CD's release has definitely made me a more patient person, not to mention it's helped me grow an impressive writing callous! I've learned the ins and outs of running a small online store. I've grown very fond of the people working at my local post office and know them all by name. My handwriting changed from chicken scratch to something actually presentable. I learned more geography this year than I ever learned in the entirety of my school years...Carmen Sandiego would have a hard time hiding from me now.
However other than practical knowledge, the release - and its relative success - finally cemented the fact that this is truly what I'm meant to do, what is needed of me in this life, and that I need to invest more time, more effort, and more of myself than ever before if I want it to be a true working self-produced career. I wrote more songs this year than I did in the last 5 put together. Some are going to be on the next CD, and I'm so excited to set them loose in the world.
My family has had quite a few rough spots this year, which has made it almost impossible for me to work as much as I would have liked on my recordings, and I had to postpone many of the online projects I was doing for fun in order to fit in my new responsibilities and things I needed to do to keep us afloat financially. This has not been fun or easy for Stella Voci and Winged Muse Studios members, who have been left with few if any projects to work on. Unfortunately we have lost a few of our ranks due to personal reasons and/or out of complete disgust for my long waits between projects >w< I know you miss me.
I did a few paid music jobs to try and make a little extra...one of which was a commission to write an original song for the video game "Dragon Nest SEA" which finally fulfilled my dream of composing a song for a real game. Once the Shanda Games company finally decides to put "Song of the Goddess - The Eternal Path" back in the game, I will eat the other half of my happy-cake.
In other news, I got engaged, to my lovely boyfriend of 4 years, Kevin. The prospect of a wedding scares us to death, and the COST of a wedding even more so. We plan to elope sometime next year. If we have a musical child in the next 10 years, I will be thrilled. Although I will probably be blessed with a sports prodigy.
Many of my fans have become close friends this year, and some close friends have become, well, VERY close friends. I have rescued and I have been rescued. I have laughed and squeed and huggled. I have cried and cringed and just plain lost it. I have mended some wounds and severed some ties. Found my long suppressed temper and honed it well. I'd say it's been an educational year in the social arena....the internet is a long and dramatic textbook of human psychology....with both sweetened and poisoned pages. Totally worth every lick though!
I'll end things with a quick list, and a few resolutions:
10 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF AND THE WORLD THIS YEAR.
1) I am a Hello Kitty fan
2) An African Grey parrot can shoot crap about 5 feet.
3) A good Sharpie will last an entire year.
4) A good Sharpie is worth its weight in gold.
5) Former Morning Musume member Ai Takahashi makes my heart flutter.
6) Have a great idea that will make Youtube better? Uh Oh. Youtube has already disabled it.
7) I cannot eat at two houses on Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas. Engaged life sucks. Sincerely, YOUR STOMACH.
8) One word. Netflix.
9) Learned (and accepted) that the artists of this world are made up of differing and individual ratios of talent, willpower, and hard work....
10) ...and that every year I grow more humble as I watch the brilliant talents of others bloom and blossom before me.
10 RESOLUTIONS FOR 2012
1) I have spent a good portion of my life suppressing my love for the color, pink. No longer.
2) Release Album #2
3) Elope.
4) Do my best...the best I can...at the right time.
5) Learn a new instrument
6) Fly (I'm not specifying how)
7) Improve my confidence...kill my stage fright
8) Hit a B5
9) Write the 'Ballad' .... the one I'll never top.
10) Survive the 2012 apocolypse...providing there is one :)
Love you all and hope your new year is filled with all sorts of new adventures, loves, and successes. Thank you for continuing to listen to my music even through dry spells and rough months. Never can quite relate how much it means to me that there is a group of awesome supportive people out there that want me to continue doing what I love most. What I wouldn't give to sit down with everyone and share some Pocky~ @.@
MUCH LOVE!!!
~Kate / Erutan / katethegreat19 <3
2011 has been a big rollercoaster of a year.
The shipping part of my CD's release has definitely made me a more patient person, not to mention it's helped me grow an impressive writing callous! I've learned the ins and outs of running a small online store. I've grown very fond of the people working at my local post office and know them all by name. My handwriting changed from chicken scratch to something actually presentable. I learned more geography this year than I ever learned in the entirety of my school years...Carmen Sandiego would have a hard time hiding from me now.
However other than practical knowledge, the release - and its relative success - finally cemented the fact that this is truly what I'm meant to do, what is needed of me in this life, and that I need to invest more time, more effort, and more of myself than ever before if I want it to be a true working self-produced career. I wrote more songs this year than I did in the last 5 put together. Some are going to be on the next CD, and I'm so excited to set them loose in the world.
My family has had quite a few rough spots this year, which has made it almost impossible for me to work as much as I would have liked on my recordings, and I had to postpone many of the online projects I was doing for fun in order to fit in my new responsibilities and things I needed to do to keep us afloat financially. This has not been fun or easy for Stella Voci and Winged Muse Studios members, who have been left with few if any projects to work on. Unfortunately we have lost a few of our ranks due to personal reasons and/or out of complete disgust for my long waits between projects >w< I know you miss me.
I did a few paid music jobs to try and make a little extra...one of which was a commission to write an original song for the video game "Dragon Nest SEA" which finally fulfilled my dream of composing a song for a real game. Once the Shanda Games company finally decides to put "Song of the Goddess - The Eternal Path" back in the game, I will eat the other half of my happy-cake.
In other news, I got engaged, to my lovely boyfriend of 4 years, Kevin. The prospect of a wedding scares us to death, and the COST of a wedding even more so. We plan to elope sometime next year. If we have a musical child in the next 10 years, I will be thrilled. Although I will probably be blessed with a sports prodigy.
Many of my fans have become close friends this year, and some close friends have become, well, VERY close friends. I have rescued and I have been rescued. I have laughed and squeed and huggled. I have cried and cringed and just plain lost it. I have mended some wounds and severed some ties. Found my long suppressed temper and honed it well. I'd say it's been an educational year in the social arena....the internet is a long and dramatic textbook of human psychology....with both sweetened and poisoned pages. Totally worth every lick though!
I'll end things with a quick list, and a few resolutions:
10 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF AND THE WORLD THIS YEAR.
1) I am a Hello Kitty fan
2) An African Grey parrot can shoot crap about 5 feet.
3) A good Sharpie will last an entire year.
4) A good Sharpie is worth its weight in gold.
5) Former Morning Musume member Ai Takahashi makes my heart flutter.
6) Have a great idea that will make Youtube better? Uh Oh. Youtube has already disabled it.
7) I cannot eat at two houses on Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas. Engaged life sucks. Sincerely, YOUR STOMACH.
8) One word. Netflix.
9) Learned (and accepted) that the artists of this world are made up of differing and individual ratios of talent, willpower, and hard work....
10) ...and that every year I grow more humble as I watch the brilliant talents of others bloom and blossom before me.
10 RESOLUTIONS FOR 2012
1) I have spent a good portion of my life suppressing my love for the color, pink. No longer.
2) Release Album #2
3) Elope.
4) Do my best...the best I can...at the right time.
5) Learn a new instrument
6) Fly (I'm not specifying how)
7) Improve my confidence...kill my stage fright
8) Hit a B5
9) Write the 'Ballad' .... the one I'll never top.
10) Survive the 2012 apocolypse...providing there is one :)
Love you all and hope your new year is filled with all sorts of new adventures, loves, and successes. Thank you for continuing to listen to my music even through dry spells and rough months. Never can quite relate how much it means to me that there is a group of awesome supportive people out there that want me to continue doing what I love most. What I wouldn't give to sit down with everyone and share some Pocky~ @.@
MUCH LOVE!!!
~Kate / Erutan / katethegreat19 <3
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Aftermath..... *dust settles*
I didn't know quite what to expect when I pressed "upload" on the video titled "Erutan - Raindancer ~ CD now available". All the little things that went through my head....Would people like the previews? Would they laugh at my choice of a stage name? Would I get enough of a return to make up for what I spent making this CD? Repair and replace my broken equipment?
Over the last few weeks there has been both negative and positive in relatively equal balance, and it definitely has been a learning experience.
One of the things I appreciated most was that no one blinked twice at my stage name, Erutan, and that was what I was worried about the most!
I've loved all the messages I've recieved this week about first impressions of the CD. It's a little strange though... I got so used to them being "mine alone" that it's almost bittersweet to think that they're out in the world now....going places I will never travel, within the minds (and iPods!) of others. Out of my reach. Bittersweet or not, I adore receiving messages about people's thoughts on the songs! Especially in depth ones!
One of the biggest downfalls to this last year is that I was working so hard on recording...that I didn't get in the simple maintenance practice of my instruments and voice. Recording isn't practice, and if you're doing only that, your skills begin to slip. That is certainly the case with me at the moment. Everything feels rusty, especially my violin playing. Plus I haven't had time in two years to just sit down and compose. I haven' t written anything new in a long time because I haven't had the time to do so. Now, with the CD being done, everyone seems to be calling in favors...but I just want to take a break from the hubbub, practice, get my skills back up to par, do a lot of reading, and write some new songs.
I've actually already written most of the songs for the next album. Most of them are more than 5 years old just like Raindancer's songs. I also want to write and add in some completely new ones as well. One of the songs I'm most wanting to share is the song I wrote when the Twin Towers were hit in 2001. It's one of my favorites, but it was too dark to put on Raindancer.
I also have many covers planned for next year, plus another few Stella Voci projects, but these things will have to be worked around the practicing and recording for the next album. Let's hope I can get a nice number of covers up even so!
Ahhh....I'm sure I'll have a lot more interesting things to say closer to New Years! ^w^;
So Happy Holidays everyone!!! Thanks again to everyone who got my album, take care of my babies, and forgive me for any shipping issues that resulted from my n00bish-ness.
Luv you <3
~Kate
Over the last few weeks there has been both negative and positive in relatively equal balance, and it definitely has been a learning experience.
One of the things I appreciated most was that no one blinked twice at my stage name, Erutan, and that was what I was worried about the most!
I've loved all the messages I've recieved this week about first impressions of the CD. It's a little strange though... I got so used to them being "mine alone" that it's almost bittersweet to think that they're out in the world now....going places I will never travel, within the minds (and iPods!) of others. Out of my reach. Bittersweet or not, I adore receiving messages about people's thoughts on the songs! Especially in depth ones!
One of the biggest downfalls to this last year is that I was working so hard on recording...that I didn't get in the simple maintenance practice of my instruments and voice. Recording isn't practice, and if you're doing only that, your skills begin to slip. That is certainly the case with me at the moment. Everything feels rusty, especially my violin playing. Plus I haven't had time in two years to just sit down and compose. I haven' t written anything new in a long time because I haven't had the time to do so. Now, with the CD being done, everyone seems to be calling in favors...but I just want to take a break from the hubbub, practice, get my skills back up to par, do a lot of reading, and write some new songs.
I've actually already written most of the songs for the next album. Most of them are more than 5 years old just like Raindancer's songs. I also want to write and add in some completely new ones as well. One of the songs I'm most wanting to share is the song I wrote when the Twin Towers were hit in 2001. It's one of my favorites, but it was too dark to put on Raindancer.
I also have many covers planned for next year, plus another few Stella Voci projects, but these things will have to be worked around the practicing and recording for the next album. Let's hope I can get a nice number of covers up even so!
Ahhh....I'm sure I'll have a lot more interesting things to say closer to New Years! ^w^;
So Happy Holidays everyone!!! Thanks again to everyone who got my album, take care of my babies, and forgive me for any shipping issues that resulted from my n00bish-ness.
Luv you <3
~Kate
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Taste testing Sakuma Drops!
So, I recently ordered some of Japan's fabled Sakma Drop candies to try! There weren't a whole lot of "reviews" on these candies online so I thought I'd do a little taste test blog :D For those who dont know Sakuma Drops have been made in Japan for over 100 years, starting with fruit flavors (as seen on Grave of the Fireflies) and branching out to many different sweet and savory flavors. They are supposed to accurately replicate the flavor of various foods from different regions of Japan.
Starts off very sweet with a slight coconut flavor, starts to really taste like sweet milk after a few minutes. Definitely a strict candy though!
Starts off sweet like a candy with salty soy sauce hints. Deepens into a delicious sweet/salty taste with smoky overtones. I never really taste anything resembling curry, but it's a nice taste.
Tastes only slightly sweet at first, then immediately gets smoky flavored. I taste kombu (japanese seaweed) after a minute and the drop gets sweeter. Another minute brings salt into it. A very understated taste, pleasant but not something I'll get again ^w^;
Tastes immediately of bananas and chocolate, very accurate! After a few minutes starts to taste slightly like salted nuts. Quite delicious!
I ordered four flavors: Moe Sweet Milk (from Akihabara), Yaki Curry (from Mojiko), Choco Banana Crepe (Harajuku), and Takoyaki (Osaka).
I'll start with the Moe Sweet Milk:
I'll start with the Moe Sweet Milk:
Starts off very sweet with a slight coconut flavor, starts to really taste like sweet milk after a few minutes. Definitely a strict candy though!Next the Yaki-Curry:
Starts off sweet like a candy with salty soy sauce hints. Deepens into a delicious sweet/salty taste with smoky overtones. I never really taste anything resembling curry, but it's a nice taste.Next the Takoyaki:
Tastes only slightly sweet at first, then immediately gets smoky flavored. I taste kombu (japanese seaweed) after a minute and the drop gets sweeter. Another minute brings salt into it. A very understated taste, pleasant but not something I'll get again ^w^;Next the Choco Banana Crepe:
Tastes immediately of bananas and chocolate, very accurate! After a few minutes starts to taste slightly like salted nuts. Quite delicious!Overall the candies are smooth, subtle, and tasty, and I can tell the ingredients are good ^^ I'll be ordering new flavors at some point in the near future!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
New Stella Voci Members, Copyright Success, etc
Hi guys!! It's been a while!!
Sorry for not updating in forever, I do appreciate those of you who read my blog! *hugs u*
Well, the Stella Voci auditions are over with, and as I kinda was afraid of, there were quite a few feelings hurt from the results....I wish I knew how I could have done this differently so that no one would have gotten hurt because of it...>_> I wish I could have impressed on them that this wasn't really a singing competition per se...more of a search for certain voice types. With no way to explain what I was looking for, I couldn't specify this in the audition in advance...I probably will never judge anything again as I'm too involved with my large circle on youtube to risk the precious friendships I've worked so hard to build.
The one really good thing that came out of it was knowledge of many amazing singers I'd never even known about. Many of which are of record-deal talent! Some of the best singers were not accepted into Stella Voci because of their star quality, their voices beautifully demanding the listeners attention instead of blending with others. Only time will tell if I've made the right choices, but I think the sound of the next project will be beautiful, balanced, and ethereal...even more so than Stella's first song (if that's possible xD) Which is great since we're going to be singing something from the Lord of the Rings!
In other news, my tough talking boyfriend has coerced the copyright office into giving us info on all my songs! We should be getting the paperwork and registrations starting in January! This means album release is a DEFINITE for late spring! A YEAR later than I wanted, but there wasn't much I could do about it was there? >w< Oh well, at least things are finally moving for me!
Thankyou all for patiently staying with me during all this, I know it was getting annoying hearing about the numerous delays and excuses for them...and believe me no one was more annoyed than I was! Anyways DIGITAL CUPCAKES FOR ALL! Drink something alcoholic in celebration okies? I know I will!! >w<
~Kate <3
Sorry for not updating in forever, I do appreciate those of you who read my blog! *hugs u*
Well, the Stella Voci auditions are over with, and as I kinda was afraid of, there were quite a few feelings hurt from the results....I wish I knew how I could have done this differently so that no one would have gotten hurt because of it...>_> I wish I could have impressed on them that this wasn't really a singing competition per se...more of a search for certain voice types. With no way to explain what I was looking for, I couldn't specify this in the audition in advance...I probably will never judge anything again as I'm too involved with my large circle on youtube to risk the precious friendships I've worked so hard to build.
The one really good thing that came out of it was knowledge of many amazing singers I'd never even known about. Many of which are of record-deal talent! Some of the best singers were not accepted into Stella Voci because of their star quality, their voices beautifully demanding the listeners attention instead of blending with others. Only time will tell if I've made the right choices, but I think the sound of the next project will be beautiful, balanced, and ethereal...even more so than Stella's first song (if that's possible xD) Which is great since we're going to be singing something from the Lord of the Rings!
In other news, my tough talking boyfriend has coerced the copyright office into giving us info on all my songs! We should be getting the paperwork and registrations starting in January! This means album release is a DEFINITE for late spring! A YEAR later than I wanted, but there wasn't much I could do about it was there? >w< Oh well, at least things are finally moving for me!
Thankyou all for patiently staying with me during all this, I know it was getting annoying hearing about the numerous delays and excuses for them...and believe me no one was more annoyed than I was! Anyways DIGITAL CUPCAKES FOR ALL! Drink something alcoholic in celebration okies? I know I will!! >w<
~Kate <3
Friday, July 3, 2009
oh GAWD more updates TwT
Hey guys, I've got quite a bit to say since last time ^w^;;;
First off, I'm sure a bunch of you remember my angry little blog concerning one ocremix-judge's off-the-record harsh critique of my Aerith's Theme. Well all the support you guys gave at the time made me really happy and at peace with it....however my submission of Rose of May hadn't gone though yet at the time...
After almost half a year, I was very surprised to notice it had not only gotten passed but received rave reviews from the judges in general xD Read here: xD
http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01859/
The techinical problems that the track had were fixed by my friend who is very knowledgable with sound production, so she brought the levels up and did a few other things ^_^ Thanks!
So...I guess I am an ocremixer officially now. ^w^;;; I knew I had sworn off from ever dealing with the site, but...I guess now I will submit the rest xD eh heh...
Okay update two, and this is quite a blow for me >_>
My songs are still not showing up the copyright records. They say that my songs are protected from the day they arrive...but when I called and asked, they could only find 4 songs on the internal database...FOUR out of THIRTEEN. These are songs I sent almost a year ago! They did however cash the checks...the robbers! They say that the wait is 18 months now for a copyright sent by mail >_>
The problem is...If I released the album...and some company decided to steal the songs, all they'd have to do is file electronically and they'd have legal copyrights before me...TwT
So I must at least have all my songs showing in the database before the release...and that might not be till next year guys >_> Plus the CD replication companies won't print the CD unless the songs are showing in the public records and I have the written registration letter for each song from the Goverment to show them....I AM THOROUGHLY PISSED ABOUT THIS! I totally sent the songs in enough time....TwT Right now I am afraid people are going to be really disgusted with me and this whole project....so...I'm going to go ahead and finish...and then I'm getting right back to my video game covers again which brings me to my next update:
Tifa's Theme lyrics are all done! Lol actually they've been done for two months xD I know it's been a big request and I'm very happy I'll be able to put it out soon! I'm having JoyStickies (grand prize winner of my AMV contest) make the video, and it will be put out as a celebration cover for when I hit 10,000 subs! xD which won't be long at the rate things are going O.O...
I had a strange problem though! I had finished the lyrics mostly two months ago, and had just brought them back up to finish...I did so...and then I wanted to check online at the other Tifa's Theme fan-lyrics online to double check that there were no similarities. Imagine my horror when I found a lyric that had been posted just days ago that started with the SAME first line >w<>_> this was 100 percent coincidence TwT But I was sooo relieved when she was really nice about it..she even had requested I sing the theme just a few weeks ago as a lyrical collab with her (I had forgotten about this TwT) and when I said I already had written lyrics and suggested that she write her own and sing them, she really did so and did a great job!
We just happened to have a similar good idea for that first verse xD
But wow, I never had that happen before...in JoyStickies' words...it made me headdesk >w<
I will post a link to her lyrics with the cover I put out so you can enjoy her lovely lyrics as well ^_^
Hmm that might be all I have for now ^w^;;;
thanks for reading as usual!
~Kate <33
First off, I'm sure a bunch of you remember my angry little blog concerning one ocremix-judge's off-the-record harsh critique of my Aerith's Theme. Well all the support you guys gave at the time made me really happy and at peace with it....however my submission of Rose of May hadn't gone though yet at the time...
After almost half a year, I was very surprised to notice it had not only gotten passed but received rave reviews from the judges in general xD Read here: xD
http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01859/
The techinical problems that the track had were fixed by my friend who is very knowledgable with sound production, so she brought the levels up and did a few other things ^_^ Thanks!
So...I guess I am an ocremixer officially now. ^w^;;; I knew I had sworn off from ever dealing with the site, but...I guess now I will submit the rest xD eh heh...
Okay update two, and this is quite a blow for me >_>
My songs are still not showing up the copyright records. They say that my songs are protected from the day they arrive...but when I called and asked, they could only find 4 songs on the internal database...FOUR out of THIRTEEN. These are songs I sent almost a year ago! They did however cash the checks...the robbers! They say that the wait is 18 months now for a copyright sent by mail >_>
The problem is...If I released the album...and some company decided to steal the songs, all they'd have to do is file electronically and they'd have legal copyrights before me...TwT
So I must at least have all my songs showing in the database before the release...and that might not be till next year guys >_> Plus the CD replication companies won't print the CD unless the songs are showing in the public records and I have the written registration letter for each song from the Goverment to show them....I AM THOROUGHLY PISSED ABOUT THIS! I totally sent the songs in enough time....TwT Right now I am afraid people are going to be really disgusted with me and this whole project....so...I'm going to go ahead and finish...and then I'm getting right back to my video game covers again which brings me to my next update:
Tifa's Theme lyrics are all done! Lol actually they've been done for two months xD I know it's been a big request and I'm very happy I'll be able to put it out soon! I'm having JoyStickies (grand prize winner of my AMV contest) make the video, and it will be put out as a celebration cover for when I hit 10,000 subs! xD which won't be long at the rate things are going O.O...
I had a strange problem though! I had finished the lyrics mostly two months ago, and had just brought them back up to finish...I did so...and then I wanted to check online at the other Tifa's Theme fan-lyrics online to double check that there were no similarities. Imagine my horror when I found a lyric that had been posted just days ago that started with the SAME first line >w<>_> this was 100 percent coincidence TwT But I was sooo relieved when she was really nice about it..she even had requested I sing the theme just a few weeks ago as a lyrical collab with her (I had forgotten about this TwT) and when I said I already had written lyrics and suggested that she write her own and sing them, she really did so and did a great job!
We just happened to have a similar good idea for that first verse xD
But wow, I never had that happen before...in JoyStickies' words...it made me headdesk >w<
I will post a link to her lyrics with the cover I put out so you can enjoy her lovely lyrics as well ^_^
Hmm that might be all I have for now ^w^;;;
thanks for reading as usual!
~Kate <33
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
My cd will be done next month!
Wow, guys...
I'm really almost there xD I'm thinking if I keep all the deadlines that I'll be done recording the songs around the 23rd or the following week on the 30th (if I add a 13th song to the group)
After that will be the whirlwind of mastering, CD replication services, and hasty website building.
Dunno how long that will take, but I'm going to make sure it doesn't take too long! O.o After all, the hard part will be over ^0^
Mastering means I take my tracks to a pro sound engineer and have him make everything the same volume and create the 'master' which is the CD that all the replications will be made from.
The replication service will make the discs, print all the booklets and covers, and wrap everything in shiny celophane xD
I'm worried that too many people won't want the physical album in favor of downloads, but I'm putting a lot of love into the booklet's art so I hope some of you will try to get the actual thing ^0^;; pleeease?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A FEW THINGS~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) there will be 13 songs on the album.
2) I will be releasing my performer/stage name along with the CD ^_^
I won't be using my real name or katethegreat19.
3) I have no plans currently to sell the album on itunes, because along with CD baby (the company that gets me on itunes) they will take 60 percent of my earnings. O.o So I'll be selling it on my website so that I can keep more of my income >_>
4) The album only will contain songs I've written and composed the melody for, so no covers and nothing you've ever heard before ^_^ (er...except for the cover of Scarborough Fair, but that's the only one and that's hundreds of years old so it's public domain ^_^ lol)
5) After it's release I will go back to doing the game and anime covers again ^0^
I miss them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*hugs* and I hope to have something to show you guys really soon!!
~Kate <3
I'm really almost there xD I'm thinking if I keep all the deadlines that I'll be done recording the songs around the 23rd or the following week on the 30th (if I add a 13th song to the group)
After that will be the whirlwind of mastering, CD replication services, and hasty website building.
Dunno how long that will take, but I'm going to make sure it doesn't take too long! O.o After all, the hard part will be over ^0^
Mastering means I take my tracks to a pro sound engineer and have him make everything the same volume and create the 'master' which is the CD that all the replications will be made from.
The replication service will make the discs, print all the booklets and covers, and wrap everything in shiny celophane xD
I'm worried that too many people won't want the physical album in favor of downloads, but I'm putting a lot of love into the booklet's art so I hope some of you will try to get the actual thing ^0^;; pleeease?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A FEW THINGS~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) there will be 13 songs on the album.
2) I will be releasing my performer/stage name along with the CD ^_^
I won't be using my real name or katethegreat19.
3) I have no plans currently to sell the album on itunes, because along with CD baby (the company that gets me on itunes) they will take 60 percent of my earnings. O.o So I'll be selling it on my website so that I can keep more of my income >_>
4) The album only will contain songs I've written and composed the melody for, so no covers and nothing you've ever heard before ^_^ (er...except for the cover of Scarborough Fair, but that's the only one and that's hundreds of years old so it's public domain ^_^ lol)
5) After it's release I will go back to doing the game and anime covers again ^0^
I miss them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*hugs* and I hope to have something to show you guys really soon!!
~Kate <3
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
OH NO!!! >w<
OMG >w<
Well, this was a real upsetting surprise....
I have heard from several sources that youtube is now removing cover songs from it's site!!! Many have already been taken down (even with disclaimers)....and...well....as making cover songs is my main 'job' on youtube, this worries me quite bit! O.O If they thought I was a big enough offender, I could even have my account deleted! And there's no appeal system as there is no way to actually contact youtube.
But even the removal of one video/cover is terrible...I don't get subscribers everyday just from random searches, I get them because my videos are spread out on thousands of accounts as favorites, featured videos, etc. and that's why people see them...so if I lose a video, it's like losing a very long branch that took a very long time to grow....T-T
I'm stumped...I thought that making covers was perfectly legal as long as I was making no money that that it was all my own performances...but maybe that's breaking a law that I didn't know about. I can see the record company's point of view in this...they lose money if someone makes a cover song that gets more attention than their actual product. It's a valid worry of the record company, and a valid worry of the whole music biz, as their stock has already dropped considerably in the last 10 years due to readily available CD burners, and nowadays mp3 'sharing' ^w^ As I'm about to (try to) start a career as a recording artist, these very things will soon become valid worries of my own.
But....I believe going after people that make non-profit covers....is attacking the wrong people. However, since this may affect me pretty soon, I have to prepare!
I'll be making a full list of my contacts this week, leaving out no one, and if something bad does happen, I'll be contacting everyone on that list from a new account! T-T
Just a heads up from me...just in case!
*hugs tightly anyone that reads this*
~katethegreat19 ^w^
Well, this was a real upsetting surprise....
I have heard from several sources that youtube is now removing cover songs from it's site!!! Many have already been taken down (even with disclaimers)....and...well....as making cover songs is my main 'job' on youtube, this worries me quite bit! O.O If they thought I was a big enough offender, I could even have my account deleted! And there's no appeal system as there is no way to actually contact youtube.
But even the removal of one video/cover is terrible...I don't get subscribers everyday just from random searches, I get them because my videos are spread out on thousands of accounts as favorites, featured videos, etc. and that's why people see them...so if I lose a video, it's like losing a very long branch that took a very long time to grow....T-T
I'm stumped...I thought that making covers was perfectly legal as long as I was making no money that that it was all my own performances...but maybe that's breaking a law that I didn't know about. I can see the record company's point of view in this...they lose money if someone makes a cover song that gets more attention than their actual product. It's a valid worry of the record company, and a valid worry of the whole music biz, as their stock has already dropped considerably in the last 10 years due to readily available CD burners, and nowadays mp3 'sharing' ^w^ As I'm about to (try to) start a career as a recording artist, these very things will soon become valid worries of my own.
But....I believe going after people that make non-profit covers....is attacking the wrong people. However, since this may affect me pretty soon, I have to prepare!
I'll be making a full list of my contacts this week, leaving out no one, and if something bad does happen, I'll be contacting everyone on that list from a new account! T-T
Just a heads up from me...just in case!
*hugs tightly anyone that reads this*
~katethegreat19 ^w^
Monday, February 2, 2009
foam enables sooner album release!!! O.o plus other stuff ^_^
LOL it's true!!
Now that the room is soundproof, I can now record during the day and the night. Currently I am recording up to 6 hours a day! ^0^ Two album songs are now nearing completion after only a week. It's truly amazing!!! I feel very free. When I am done with the album and back to covers for a while, imagine how many I'll be releasing? ^0^ I'm very excited!!
The only problem with the new studio is that the air gets gross and stuffy very fast >w<
I have to walk out of there every 30 minutes or I'd suffocate for sure...or suffer brain damage at least! ^w^
I've been looking harshly at the songs on this album. I wrote all of them almost 2-4 years ago. I've written many songs and sets of lyrics since then, and my lyric writing has definitely improved. I'm worried that since many people are used to my youtube work, they won't like the lyrics of these older original songs. They were written by a younger me that hadn't really mastered her craft yet. The melodies however are some of my best work. I'm really excited to release them for no other reason than that.
Also, I want to release a Celtic/Renaissance album later this year as well. I spent much of my teenage years playing in a professional Celtic/Renaissance band, and I have a deep love of the
music!!!! ^0^ So that should be amazingly fun to do!
Okies...nothing too deep to say in this blog, just some updates!!! ^_^
talk to you all soon!!
~katethegreat19 ^0^
Now that the room is soundproof, I can now record during the day and the night. Currently I am recording up to 6 hours a day! ^0^ Two album songs are now nearing completion after only a week. It's truly amazing!!! I feel very free. When I am done with the album and back to covers for a while, imagine how many I'll be releasing? ^0^ I'm very excited!!
The only problem with the new studio is that the air gets gross and stuffy very fast >w<
I have to walk out of there every 30 minutes or I'd suffocate for sure...or suffer brain damage at least! ^w^
I've been looking harshly at the songs on this album. I wrote all of them almost 2-4 years ago. I've written many songs and sets of lyrics since then, and my lyric writing has definitely improved. I'm worried that since many people are used to my youtube work, they won't like the lyrics of these older original songs. They were written by a younger me that hadn't really mastered her craft yet. The melodies however are some of my best work. I'm really excited to release them for no other reason than that.
Also, I want to release a Celtic/Renaissance album later this year as well. I spent much of my teenage years playing in a professional Celtic/Renaissance band, and I have a deep love of the
music!!!! ^0^ So that should be amazingly fun to do!
Okies...nothing too deep to say in this blog, just some updates!!! ^_^
talk to you all soon!!
~katethegreat19 ^0^
Friday, January 2, 2009
Analysis of my lyrics for Aerith's Theme (and my views on the shipping wars)
Wow....Of all my covers, Aerith's Theme has been the most hotly discussed on youtube. Not because of the arrangement or the singing, but because of the lyrics, specifically the "pairing" in the lyrics of Cloud and Aerith. First I'll give an analysis of my lyrics for the song, and then some thoughts and reflections I have about the 'shipping wars' that have found their way to my little account ^w^;
~Aerith's Theme~ original english lyrics copyrighted 2008 by Kate Covington~
Far below the city's glow
Lie the flowers blooming in the shadows
They comfort me, saving me
From all I see
~okay, here of course I'm talking about where Aerith is in the beginning of FFVII. In the slums, tending to her flowers. The flowers are something colorful and beautiful, and unexpected sight in such an otherwise dreary and poverty-stricken place. When Aerith (or anyone) gazes upon the flowers, it becomes easier to deal with the sorrow everyday life must bring in the undercity of Midgar. I also wanted to hint that Aerith is like the flowers, and that her beautiful spirit probably brings joy to the people around her.
Then you came with eyes of pain
Haunting blue and gentle
Like a spring rain
Silently beckoning
For a love to cease your inner tears
~Here I introduce Cloud. For many, the conflict in the lyrics begins here, as I am talking about Cloud, not Zack. In a nutshell, I put Cloud in these lyrics because he really did come into the story at this point, and I am attempting to follow the events of the original FFVII in the story of these lyrics. When Cloud enters the scene, Aerith is basically swept away from her life in Midgar, and leaves with the party never to return. I always felt like Aerith, compassionate as she was, must have sensed the sorrow and turmoil within Cloud. And whether or not she had romantic feelings for him ever, I believe she cared for him, as she cared for everyone in the party.
I belong here with you
Though the earth cries inside me
I will fly
High into the storm
Far from the light
I will be strong
~ She wants to remain with everyone, but because she loves them so much, she bravely enters the City of Ancients alone to summon Holy. I reference her awakening Cetra powers here. The faint but persistent voice of the planet that led her onward.
Because they need you
Because I love you
You close your eyes now
I will be gone
But my love for you will go on
~inspired by the dream Cloud had of Aerith in the game. She comes to him in a dream and tries to explain to him what she must do and why. I feel like this verse sums up what she said to Cloud in that dream.
Darkest skies,
hollow eyes
But the stars burn brighter Than you realize
It may be
destiny
That sheds our tears
~This is after Aerith's death. If her spirit could find words I feel this is what she'd say. Even in the midst of darkness and sorrow there is light. Even though Aerith is no longer alive, she succeeded in summoning Holy so there is still hope! And all was fate, destiny, meant to be.
You must leave me behind
Though the night howls inside you
You must fly
High into the storm
Far from the light
You must be strong
~When Cloud lowered Aerith's body into the water, it is with heavy hearts that the party strode foward to face their own destiny. I think everyone felt Aerith's supportive presence even from the lifestream.
Because they need you
Because I love you
You close your eyes now
And I will be gone
But my love for you will go on
~ After Cloud uses Omnislash (^0^) to defeat Sephiroth (and it's unclear whether Cloud is defeating the Jenova legacy within himself, or actually confronting Sephiroth in the lifestream somehow) Aerith appears before Cloud to lead him out of whatever dark place he's in. In that last look they shared what thoughts must Aerith have shared? I leave the song with it's last chorus.
~The Shipping War Attacks On My Lyrics~
Well, although many would disagree with me, I have not actively tried to portray a CloudxAerith romance in these lyrics. I tried to keep Aerith just as she appeared to me when I first played FFVII. Pure....and a bit ambiguous. She gives away nothing in these lyrics. And yet she gives away everything. She was a loving person, which is why the lyrics focus on love; the driving force behind many of her actions. But not particularly a romantic love or for any one person in particular. A love for everyone. For Cloud, for Tifa, for Marlene, for everyone.
The video I made for the song shows only Cloud and Aerith. This confuses people unfortunately. I didn't mean it to show a romance. I meant it to show the powerful effect that Aerith had on Cloud (which reflects the effect she had on everyone). So while the song is from Aerith's point of view, the video is from Clouds point of view. ^_^
link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-as6Kbcj4c&feature=channel_page
~katethegreat19 ^0^
~Aerith's Theme~ original english lyrics copyrighted 2008 by Kate Covington~
Far below the city's glow
Lie the flowers blooming in the shadows
They comfort me, saving me
From all I see
~okay, here of course I'm talking about where Aerith is in the beginning of FFVII. In the slums, tending to her flowers. The flowers are something colorful and beautiful, and unexpected sight in such an otherwise dreary and poverty-stricken place. When Aerith (or anyone) gazes upon the flowers, it becomes easier to deal with the sorrow everyday life must bring in the undercity of Midgar. I also wanted to hint that Aerith is like the flowers, and that her beautiful spirit probably brings joy to the people around her.
Then you came with eyes of pain
Haunting blue and gentle
Like a spring rain
Silently beckoning
For a love to cease your inner tears
~Here I introduce Cloud. For many, the conflict in the lyrics begins here, as I am talking about Cloud, not Zack. In a nutshell, I put Cloud in these lyrics because he really did come into the story at this point, and I am attempting to follow the events of the original FFVII in the story of these lyrics. When Cloud enters the scene, Aerith is basically swept away from her life in Midgar, and leaves with the party never to return. I always felt like Aerith, compassionate as she was, must have sensed the sorrow and turmoil within Cloud. And whether or not she had romantic feelings for him ever, I believe she cared for him, as she cared for everyone in the party.
I belong here with you
Though the earth cries inside me
I will fly
High into the storm
Far from the light
I will be strong
~ She wants to remain with everyone, but because she loves them so much, she bravely enters the City of Ancients alone to summon Holy. I reference her awakening Cetra powers here. The faint but persistent voice of the planet that led her onward.
Because they need you
Because I love you
You close your eyes now
I will be gone
But my love for you will go on
~inspired by the dream Cloud had of Aerith in the game. She comes to him in a dream and tries to explain to him what she must do and why. I feel like this verse sums up what she said to Cloud in that dream.
Darkest skies,
hollow eyes
But the stars burn brighter Than you realize
It may be
destiny
That sheds our tears
~This is after Aerith's death. If her spirit could find words I feel this is what she'd say. Even in the midst of darkness and sorrow there is light. Even though Aerith is no longer alive, she succeeded in summoning Holy so there is still hope! And all was fate, destiny, meant to be.
You must leave me behind
Though the night howls inside you
You must fly
High into the storm
Far from the light
You must be strong
~When Cloud lowered Aerith's body into the water, it is with heavy hearts that the party strode foward to face their own destiny. I think everyone felt Aerith's supportive presence even from the lifestream.
Because they need you
Because I love you
You close your eyes now
And I will be gone
But my love for you will go on
~ After Cloud uses Omnislash (^0^) to defeat Sephiroth (and it's unclear whether Cloud is defeating the Jenova legacy within himself, or actually confronting Sephiroth in the lifestream somehow) Aerith appears before Cloud to lead him out of whatever dark place he's in. In that last look they shared what thoughts must Aerith have shared? I leave the song with it's last chorus.
~The Shipping War Attacks On My Lyrics~
Well, although many would disagree with me, I have not actively tried to portray a CloudxAerith romance in these lyrics. I tried to keep Aerith just as she appeared to me when I first played FFVII. Pure....and a bit ambiguous. She gives away nothing in these lyrics. And yet she gives away everything. She was a loving person, which is why the lyrics focus on love; the driving force behind many of her actions. But not particularly a romantic love or for any one person in particular. A love for everyone. For Cloud, for Tifa, for Marlene, for everyone.
The video I made for the song shows only Cloud and Aerith. This confuses people unfortunately. I didn't mean it to show a romance. I meant it to show the powerful effect that Aerith had on Cloud (which reflects the effect she had on everyone). So while the song is from Aerith's point of view, the video is from Clouds point of view. ^_^
link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-as6Kbcj4c&feature=channel_page
~katethegreat19 ^0^
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Top Ten Most Beautiful Things I've Seen on Youtube
I've been wanting to do a video like this for ages, but a blog is way better for this sort of thing! ^0^ These Ten Videos have all made extreme impressions on me for reasons sometimes even I can't explain! They're just simply beautiful! (and btw these are not in order...I can't put things this gorgeous in any sort of order ^w^)
I hope you'll like them too! ^0^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) Ballad of the Windfish Cover ~ uploaded by ZPDKPGirl
~point of beauty - absolutely ethereal singing along with one gorgeous melody O.O
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2) In My Arms ~ uploaded by YunieTidus20
~point of beauty - The amazing AMV I watched that originally made me want to join youtube.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3) Fields of Hope ~ uploaded by tinkerchel
~point of beauty - tinkerchel, just another youtube idol? NOT SO! Easily the most beautiful song on youtube sung by perhaps the most beautiful girl on youtube! ^0^
(note, she has made a music video of herself to go with the song, which does not show her singing, but she HAS actually sung this as well as many other songs)
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4) Lineage II Music Video - Kokia "Harmony" ~ uploaded by darkloony
~point of beauty - where do I start? ^0^ Stunning song, Stunning AMV
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5) Skimming Stones ~
~point of beauty - This IS the most beautiful song I have ever heard. The official music video to this makes me cry whenever i see it. Might take two watchings to understand everything.
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6) Toki No Hourousha (with lyrics) ~ uploaded by AlthenaofDarkness
~point of beauty - Outstanding slideshow to the vocal version of FF6's Terra's theme (can a slideshow be outstanding you ask?! OMG YES!!!!)
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7) Emily Jane White - Two shots to the head (Cover)
~uploaded by a littledreamer
~point of beauty - I'll surely lose some subscribers over this amazing little singer, who's honest and 'darkly innocent' way of singing has a way of getting deep inside your soul. A beautiful cover!
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8) Great Warrior - Final Fantasy VII ~ fan vocal version (Red XIII's theme, Cosmo Canyon) ~ uploaded by HollowRiku
~ point of beauty - The ONLY lyricised version of RedXIII's Theme in exsistence. Beautifully executed with haunting vocals and lyrics by the piano-man himself, HollowRiku!!
*bows to HollowRiku*
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9) Dark Waltz ~ uploaded by ToruFinalFantasy
~point of beauty - hands down the best AMV I have ever seen...and all her vids are of similar beauty! A recent winner in my AMV contest ^0^
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10) Hijo de la Luna - Final Fantasy X-2 - VII ~ uploaded by JulietLenne
~ point of beauty - beautiful sad song with an extremely well done AMV showing the story with scenes from Final Fantasy! VERY WELL DONE!! xD
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~katethegreat19 ^0^
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
An analysis of my lyrics for ~Rose of May~
*note* A lot of people have asked me to explain the lyrics of this song and others ^w^ I'd love to do this in the info boxes of my song's postings on youtube, but there is very little room >w<; so I'm posting a detailed analysis of the lyrics here! I hope you enjoy it!
(link to the song on youtube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNHtbw4Kyf0
Rose of May~
vs 1)
Her heart underneath
cries quietly
This part of me
I choose not to see
*this is pretty self explanatory, stating the basic fact that Beatrix lives within a shell of herself, not showing her true feelings, pushing them away from herself even, in order to be a better knight.
vs 2)
what lives must I take
for fealty's sake?
How much blood must stain
this warrior's blade?
*she wonders how far her queen will go before her wishes are satisfied, she wants to trust her queen, she wants to believe that her actions and orders will only bring about good, but she begins to doubt....
~Chorus 1)
War leaves its trail in moonlight so pale
*Here I've used a basic and ancient metaphor for femininity. (the moon) I'm trying to convey that war leaves its mark not only on the land and on its people, but also on the knight herself, slowly taking away her innocence and youth as she witnesses and takes part in warfare.
It's shadows they flow, in rivers in rivers
* the resulting blood flows in rivers, it's resulting pain, heartache, and loss flow also
So put on my mask, I'll go where they ask
*She puts on her 'mask' which she hides her true feelings (she might have been trained to think of them as weakness) and goes where her duty to her queen dictates.
So I might once again see the roses of May
*She wants to believe these duties will bring about a time of peace for her kingdom, and maybe that peace will forgive her actions and make everything she did okay. I use roses of may as a metaphor for innocence, peace, and happiness.
Staining my hands and stinging my eyes, the blood on my hands won't wash away, wash away
*No matter how she frames her mind, she feels great guilt and remorse, when she realizes that she has participated in such a great misdeed. I imagine she felt this way especially after the Burmecia and Cleyra massacres which prompts her to apologize to Freya later in the game.
No where to run from what I have done, I'm no longer, no longer a Rose of May
* She realizes that she has not acted in the greater good. Her honor as a knight is forfeit, and she feels her innocence and youth are truly gone.
~Chorus 2)
fate holds the blade before you, mirrored in maiden's eyes
far from myself I fly into the perilous skies
*fealty dictates that her will is not her own. It is easy to say her actions are in the hands of fate.
all of this mirrored in the 'eyes' of Beatrix's inner self, which I imagine stays soft and empathic like it was before she became a soldier. Also trying to convey a picture of Beatrix's first years as a soldier.
and they said follow the blade before before you
fear fall and courage rise
leave all your tears behind you
far from where innocence lies
*here trying to convey a picture of Beatrix's first years as a soldier, and the hardening of spirit that her mentors tried to implement on her. I imagine she did not harden her spirit, but she did develop her 'mask'
vs 3)
Cage of the kings
No need for wings
so turn them to stone
from roses to bone
*cage of the kings, here meaning fealty. This verse has kind of a resigned quality. Maybe these realizations turned her into the fearsome character that we meet in the game for the first time.
Basically, since she has no freedom of emotion or will as a knight, she says, I'll kill that part of myself, I'll turn that part of myself to stone since it is not needed, it is only a hindrance.
vs 4)
When you look at me
What do you see?
this costume I weave
disfiguring me.
*and it is an effective 'costume'. We are convinced the Beatrix is evil for most of the beginning of the game.
~Chorus 2)
Storm clouds are creeping closer
Danger is drawing near
why am I not protecting all I hold dear?
This part highlights that very important part of the game where Beatrix turns her back to her Queen and starts protecting Princess Garnet instead. At the height of losing everything, Beatrix lets her true self direct her actions. Princess Garnet is now the "Alexandria" she needs to protect. She is redeemed by this!
and you said 'break free from all that holds you
kings hand and maiden's tear
run now into my arms
together we'll conquer our fears'
*It is not clear whether the phrase between the apostrophes is Steiner's words or Beatrix's inner self. I'd like you to make up your own mind. It could be either ^_^
Vs 5)
Led here by fate
no longer afraid
so here now I lay
my roses of May
*at the end of the game. I believe Beatrix has found her honor, and come to peace with her inner self, restoring Alexandria and playing her part in the peace of the world. She accepts the blood that stains her hands will never go away, she lays her lost innocence to rest, and she begins her knighthood again, with more experienced eyes, the mask removed....
~katethegreat19 ^0^
(link to the song on youtube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNHtbw4Kyf0
Rose of May~
vs 1)
Her heart underneath
cries quietly
This part of me
I choose not to see
*this is pretty self explanatory, stating the basic fact that Beatrix lives within a shell of herself, not showing her true feelings, pushing them away from herself even, in order to be a better knight.
vs 2)
what lives must I take
for fealty's sake?
How much blood must stain
this warrior's blade?
*she wonders how far her queen will go before her wishes are satisfied, she wants to trust her queen, she wants to believe that her actions and orders will only bring about good, but she begins to doubt....
~Chorus 1)
War leaves its trail in moonlight so pale
*Here I've used a basic and ancient metaphor for femininity. (the moon) I'm trying to convey that war leaves its mark not only on the land and on its people, but also on the knight herself, slowly taking away her innocence and youth as she witnesses and takes part in warfare.
It's shadows they flow, in rivers in rivers
* the resulting blood flows in rivers, it's resulting pain, heartache, and loss flow also
So put on my mask, I'll go where they ask
*She puts on her 'mask' which she hides her true feelings (she might have been trained to think of them as weakness) and goes where her duty to her queen dictates.
So I might once again see the roses of May
*She wants to believe these duties will bring about a time of peace for her kingdom, and maybe that peace will forgive her actions and make everything she did okay. I use roses of may as a metaphor for innocence, peace, and happiness.
Staining my hands and stinging my eyes, the blood on my hands won't wash away, wash away
*No matter how she frames her mind, she feels great guilt and remorse, when she realizes that she has participated in such a great misdeed. I imagine she felt this way especially after the Burmecia and Cleyra massacres which prompts her to apologize to Freya later in the game.
No where to run from what I have done, I'm no longer, no longer a Rose of May
* She realizes that she has not acted in the greater good. Her honor as a knight is forfeit, and she feels her innocence and youth are truly gone.
~Chorus 2)
fate holds the blade before you, mirrored in maiden's eyes
far from myself I fly into the perilous skies
*fealty dictates that her will is not her own. It is easy to say her actions are in the hands of fate.
all of this mirrored in the 'eyes' of Beatrix's inner self, which I imagine stays soft and empathic like it was before she became a soldier. Also trying to convey a picture of Beatrix's first years as a soldier.
and they said follow the blade before before you
fear fall and courage rise
leave all your tears behind you
far from where innocence lies
*here trying to convey a picture of Beatrix's first years as a soldier, and the hardening of spirit that her mentors tried to implement on her. I imagine she did not harden her spirit, but she did develop her 'mask'
vs 3)
Cage of the kings
No need for wings
so turn them to stone
from roses to bone
*cage of the kings, here meaning fealty. This verse has kind of a resigned quality. Maybe these realizations turned her into the fearsome character that we meet in the game for the first time.
Basically, since she has no freedom of emotion or will as a knight, she says, I'll kill that part of myself, I'll turn that part of myself to stone since it is not needed, it is only a hindrance.
vs 4)
When you look at me
What do you see?
this costume I weave
disfiguring me.
*and it is an effective 'costume'. We are convinced the Beatrix is evil for most of the beginning of the game.
~Chorus 2)
Storm clouds are creeping closer
Danger is drawing near
why am I not protecting all I hold dear?
This part highlights that very important part of the game where Beatrix turns her back to her Queen and starts protecting Princess Garnet instead. At the height of losing everything, Beatrix lets her true self direct her actions. Princess Garnet is now the "Alexandria" she needs to protect. She is redeemed by this!
and you said 'break free from all that holds you
kings hand and maiden's tear
run now into my arms
together we'll conquer our fears'
*It is not clear whether the phrase between the apostrophes is Steiner's words or Beatrix's inner self. I'd like you to make up your own mind. It could be either ^_^
Vs 5)
Led here by fate
no longer afraid
so here now I lay
my roses of May
*at the end of the game. I believe Beatrix has found her honor, and come to peace with her inner self, restoring Alexandria and playing her part in the peace of the world. She accepts the blood that stains her hands will never go away, she lays her lost innocence to rest, and she begins her knighthood again, with more experienced eyes, the mask removed....
~katethegreat19 ^0^
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