Bright-Eyed

I knew this question would come at some point, and I still have no clue what to say:

“Describe your dream career. Where would you like to be—geographically, economically, socially, etc.? And what would you like to be doing there? And who would you like to be doing it with? And Why? Then talk about the advantages such a life might offer. And then talk about the problems you might encounter living such a life (this is perhaps where the “personal finance” concepts might come into play). Once you’ve described your dream future, tell us a little bit about what you’re doing right now to set you on that path, and then tell us some of the things that perhaps you should look to start doing in the near future.”

...Okay, I still don't know what to say. Here, enjoy this video while I think!




This is something I know I don’t  want to occur in my future (though I do love Lord of the Rings).

Back to serious topics!

What I want to be; what do I want to be? That is a very good question that I am not too certain that I can answer properly. My ultimate goal is to be a Music Therapist. With my license (MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified)), I’d be making roughly $40,000 a year, so I can’t complain too much. I can’t quite answer the “where” bit, seeing that work can be found in various locations; if I had the choice, though, I would like to be in Ireland/Scotland or somewhere in Europe working in hospitals to assist in surgery and such. Being in an area that is not too much in the middle of nowhere would give me the opportunity to fulfill several minor dreams that I have. The first is to stay in a small town (what can I say, I like the “cozy” feel you get from a smaller community) in a beautiful area, as a type of artistic inspiration. The second is to be out of my normal boundaries and to explore the world a bit. Being in Europe will also give me the opportunity to study different methods of Music Therapy and to better educate myself in my career choice.

Then, there are issues.

1.     Hospitals are still, albeit excruciatingly slowly, getting into the swing of music therapy as a legitimate type of therapy, rather than a source of “entertainment”. Finding an accepting hospital would be the first issue.

2.     Having the money to get to Europe will be another kicker. It’s not cheap to live there.

3.     Death. Yeah, that would definitely add a bit of a problem to my future, should it occur. Let’s try to avoid that, though.

On to brighter subjects, however. How I’m getting there:

1.     I’m in College as an intended MT major. This is certainly a good first start to my plan.  

2.     Getting my Board Certification (the BC in MT-BC). This would allow me to legally practice. Another good part of the plan.

What should I be doing to get there?

1.     The most important thing: studying.

2.     The second-most important thing: saving money.

The end.

A Push in the Right Direction

My apologies go out for not posting for our last topic. I'm here with a comeback, though, with this week's request:

"...For your next blog, we want to you to share some of the music that makes your life better. You can tell us about individual songs or entire genres of music. Don’t just list three songs and leave, though--tell us why that particular music helps you regain your equilibrium..."

Three songs and why, hmm? This one is a tough one. Why? The saying goes that the eye is the window to the soul. I believe not only that to be true, but also that music itself is also a window to one's inner being. The meaning and definition to each person for each song is different, and a certain perspective on certain lyrics, or instrumentation, can mean the whole world to someone. However, I know that those with me will not judge as I let you in on just a little of whom “Alex” truly is, through music.

1.      Lullaby for a Stormy Night by Vienna Teng. It wasn’t until recently (about three months) did I hear this song. And by the end of the piece, I was almost in tears. Why? It touched me, in a sense, and not a lot of music does that. Though it does relate to me personally, it can be related to college easily: the storm is all the stress and work constantly bugging each and every one of us. But, in the midst of it all, we realize that it is just a storm, and it will go by. And for each and every one of us, there is a person we can go to who will have their arms open to help us.

Enough of my rambling, enjoy the video (there isn’t an official video for it, so            I chose one of the better lyric videos).

2.      Walking On Air by Kerli. This song presents a very simple, yet powerful meaning to me: don’t judge a book by its cover. Elaborated in the context of the lyrics: you see this little creepy girl, and you already think negatively about it. However, you later learn that she has an amazing talent for singing. Elaborated, Alex-style: be open-minded, and stop judging. Simple, right? In her biography, Kerli states that this song was written with thoughts of her previous life of suicide and abuse. Yet you see this amazing, creative, and talented artist who writes such a beautiful song.

Here you go.

3.       Maid with the Flaxen Hair by Richard Stoltzman. Have you ever just found a piece of music that you absolutely have no idea how to explain? Or how to bring out the words to even remotely describe the emotions a piece can bring out of you? This is a song that does that for me. When I’m angry, depressed, anxious, stressed, you name it, I bust out this song wherever I’m at (it’s on my phone) and play it over... and over… and over again, until my negative thoughts and feelings end with the fading of the last note.

Allow me to share with you the number one piece that keeps me 100%

motivated, each and every day.