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Sunday, July 26, 2009

I like music less than makeup.

Sebastian once started a conversation, "I know you don't like music, but...." It made me laugh, because 1) there's no one in this world, save Bella Swan, who doesn't like music, 2) I've led musicals, played instruments, harmonize to absolutely everything, and am fairly proficient at sight-reading, and 3) I have thousands of songs in my iTunes. These things in mind, I shouted defensively, "I like music!" He smiled and said, "You appreciate cleverness, but you don't like music."

I kept that conversation in the back of my mind, not thinking of it again until tonight. I was at a reunion party for the cast of my senior musical, Into the Woods, at a table with my director, two marching band members, and my high school class's revered baritone. A song came on the stereo, and they began discussing it at length. "God, listen to this riff," said the singer, Jake, who began air-guitaring vigorously. I chuckled at my out-of-placeness. "Yeeeah. That's one great riff," I said. "And check out those... those licks." Jake cracked up and tried to halfheartedly explain the terminology. I nodded out of politeness, but I was thinking back to a lunch I once had with The Moaning Myrtles and The Whomping Willows. Across the table, Lauren, Nina and Matt got into a complicated discussion about basslines. I listened intently because the three of them are astoundingly talented people, but the entire topic went over my head. I tried hard to recall the last bassline I'd even noticed, let alone studied and remembered. Back at the cast party, the three situations floated around in my brain, converging together for the first time. Maybe I don't like music!

Hahaha. I'm kidding, guys; I realize full well that you can like music without being a musician. (And for the record, Sebastian, who is just shy of scientific tone-deafness, was only kidding.) I'm telling you all this because for a month, I've wanted to make one video idea into a reality, but it requires a lot of GarageBanding. I've synthesized music on the program quite a great deal, as you'll notice if you watch my channel, but the song I'm trying to parody is so hard to recreate. I keep opening GarageBand, moving tracks, tapping my foot, typing in trumpets and listening to drum tracks, and it's really a lost cause. I guess my point is... I came to terms with my lack of musical giftedness after my two-month passionate attempt at the acoustic guitar, and it's never been an issue for me. But when it gets in the way of my videos, I get frustrated. You can make as many quirky vlogs as you want, and they'll never get replayed as often as this or this. Sebastian, I suppose, was totally right this time: I appreciate cleverness, and I do not like creative speedbumps!

In completely unrelated news, today I came across the perfume I wore in ninth grade. Having since subscribed to the Perfume? Eh, whatever way of life popular with the older-than-ninth-grade crowd, I surprised myself by rolling a bit on my wrists and neck. Well. You know how they say the sense of smell triggers memory? It was like spritzing myself with Eau de Seventeen Magazine. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the need to plug in a curling iron, and found myself blending eyeshadows (What?! I don't even know what that means!) and putting bronzer on my neck. It felt so natural at the time, and it wasn't until I got out the door that it hit me. The tiniest hint of Sarah Jessica Parker's "Lovely," and I was instantly one of the six hawtt freshman grrlz in the cafeteria, flirting with upperclassmen and adjusting my layered lacy tanktops so everyone could see the Abercrombie emblem on my nonexistent thigh. (I didn't become the social outcast you know and love until my sophomore year!) I looked a lot more put-together than I ever have since my myspace days, but when I caught my own eye in my rearview mirror, I literally laughed out loud. While I still struggle deep down with doubts about my own femininity, I'm a lot happier now than I was back then. So goodbye, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hollister's "Malaia" (I kid you not!) and Sally Hansen hairspray. For now, I plan to smell like my grown-up self: Mexican food, pickup truck exhaust, seclusion, and happy individuality.

So I sit here this evening, eyelashes curled, GarageBand minimized, and a c'est-la-vie grin on my face. Life is a funny thing, and lately, I'm a big fan.

Sexy: Disneykid1. After searching for a video of his to link above, I've now rewatched nearly every single one. He's one of my favorite youtubers of all time, and if you don't already subscribe to him, you're going to seriously, seriously want to.
Unsexy: Accidental cult kidnappings that result in your living with biological parents you've never met. I... I'm watching the Lifetime version of one of my childhood favorite chapter books, The Face on the Milk Carton. Don't judge me.

Chipotle burritos this year: 24
S'mores this summer: 6
Subscribers: 18,576

Bye, guys! Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow. <3

35 comments:

Leah said...

You're the coolest, Hoover. But I'm disappointed that you didn't link the We Just Touched Awkwardly song.

Scott said...

I agree with Leah, I sing We Just Touched Awkwardly every single time I'm on the bus or in an elevator now.

I did a semester long student exchange to France when I was in grade 11, and I had this angry/manly scent to juxtapose my then-crazed skinny jeans. I smelt it the other day, and it was like a time machine- so weird.

Anonymous said...

OH GOD, the Face on the Milk Carton...I remember that from my elementary school days. Talk about triggered memories! Wow! Those were the days when little girls wore neon leggings and too-big sweatshirts...and so did our moms, I guess...I remember my mother having those stirrup legging things? When I was 5/6 (the era from which I remember the milk carton book) I switched to an all-dresses phase that dominated my early childhood.

Wow - thanks for the reminiscence. ;) I was never a perfume girl, though...I remember the layered lacy tank tops, though. Le sigh.

Anonymous said...

A lullaby for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6htOpzeoAp0.

Eddy said...

I was Hankrolled! You win, I lose.

Maya said...

Like that one time...
when I reached over you...
and you tried to ignore when I
grazed your left boooob...

Lauren said...

Does this mean you won’t be joining me in breaking in my new eye shadow palette?!!? What am I supposed to do with 88 colors?!!? Jess is already in.

toastburntbread said...

i remember reading those books!!!
I got up till the fourth one and then became extremely bored by the series. The first one was neat though.

had to join in with the singing said...

we just touched, TOUCHED awkwardly! ♪

Unknown said...

Haha, I was actually watching that movie too. It's definitley interesting.

Anonymous said...

I never would have pegged you for one of the betches. Care to elaborate?

Anonymous said...

You're so awesome.
The...sad(?) fact is that I just finished 9th grade...and the way you just described yourself then is basically what I have been this past year.
Except underneath the perfume and straightened hair, I am still insanely nerdy.
Right now, I think I have a good balance. But I dont doubt that I will be exactly like how you are now when I am a bit older. 'Cept probably less awesome.
-alex

Sarah McLeroy said...

Holy...I just started rereading The Face on the Milk Carton today. I saw them at the library and couldn't resist That is just weird.
Also...not as good as I remembered.

Marlena said...

I really, really like you. Thought I'd mention that.

Elizabeth said...

I.... really, really LOVED The Face on the Milk Carton. And I read them all, and I was in high school. I'm feeling sort of immature right now....

And yeah, you got me with the Hankroll. I'm pretty sure "gullible" is written on the ceiling over my bed, too.

A.J. James said...

I think one of the hardest things I realized recently was that I liked lyrics not music... it sounds weird, but it is very accurate.

joy isobel said...

When I read this title I almost died. I should know never to judge ANYTHING by a title, but still, don't scare me like that! Anyways, thinking about my Freshman year makes me want to cringe repeatedly. I wore nothing but Abercrombie from grades 7-9. Why don't we just not think about that?

Face on the Milk Carton is the best! I think I read that in early middle schoolish? Anyways, I remember it being awesome. Not sure if I'd agree with my former self, but it's nice to keep that thought preserved. However, Lifetime movies are pretty much the spawn of Satan, so I'm not sure if I can forgive you for that one ;)

Elle said...

Oh my gosh! The Face on the Milk Carton! I apologize for my excessive use of exclamation points, but those books (it was a series, wasn't it?) were the BEST. Good childhood memories ;)

There's a movie? Oh jeez, I'm definitely going to go Google that shit, ASAP.

Caroline said...

I used Lilu from Pac Sun in 8th grade and now it reminds me of wearing excessive amounts of black and pink and wishing I could get a sk8r boi lol.

Natalie said...

My mom uses that Hollister perfume.

*cough*

No really, she does.

Brad said...

Hehe, sounds like Sebastian has your #. The start of something special? You have a good friend if nothing else.

Lifetime movies frighten me. Do women really think like that? I'm afraid. :P

Callidora said...

I love The Face on the Milk Carton books and reread them every couple of years to try and fool myself into believing that I am still a kid.

Elizabeth... said...

I cannot believe you just Hank rolled me.
I love how smells can take you back, that and certain items of clothing.
I got rid of the top I had my first kiss in the other day. I mean, I hadn't worn said top in aaaaaages and the kiss was 3 years ago but seriously, it was a strange experience.

Joseph B said...

I CAN'T BELIEVE I MADE THE SEXY LIST.
This is the first time I have been called sexy in my life.
In other news, I have been stumbling through GarageBand lately, myself, attempting to make some tracks for a video. And I wore my old Burberry cologne the other day and had a similar experience (sans the eyeshadow. Maybe). We're totes on the same wavelength, Hayley G.

amy said...

aghghgh "Lovely" is totes my 15 yr old scent!

Pip said...

OMG I love that Lifetime movie!

...and now I'm so embarrased for having admitted to that that I'm going to go hide in a hole.

Anonymous said...

I don't get why bella swan doesn't like music...? i'm not defending the books or anything i just don't understand the joke. could someone help me out here?

Sarah Mowrey said...

Great... Now I can't stop listening to Mrs. Nerimon.

I remember face on the milk carton... So terrifically wondertastic ... Mmm

seurat2 said...

I haven't sommented on your blogs lately, so let me rush in here and say they are still awesome, and keep 'em coming. As for not putting up a video yet as popular as Mrs. Nerimon I wouldn't feel at all bad about that. That was something special, even by Kristina's standards. Glad you are loving your life these days, it made me smile to hear that.

VicMorrowsGhost said...

"Mexican food, pickup truck exhaust, seclusion, and happy individuality"

I... I'm so turned on right now.

Freya said...

I thought you were going to Link Accio Deathly Hallows. But now I wana go watch We just Touched Awkwardly.

Hayley you are just too cool.

Nicholas said...

Oh please. You are in choirs and musicals. Therefore, you're a musician. You're just using your voice as an instrument :)

Keira said...

correction: Bella is a fictional character, thus she's not in this world D:

Anonymous said...

your sexy is wonderfully sexy.

Kaitlyn w/ a K said...

I actually did a presentation on scientific tone-deafness about 2 years ago. It's called amusia!