Smashing Songs of SMASH

I'm so grateful for beautiful songs to sing, for the tolerance that comes from my husband, my son and my neighbours .. for I will sing till I have no more voice left in me.

Here's my iPod playlist set on repeat. It's SMASH Season 1 showtime!!


"BEAUTIFUL"
Episode 1 Pilot

Christina Aguilera has done good. But it was Katharine McPhee who brought this song to my home (well, to my TV screen to be exact). I really love the way she sang it on the audition scene, and when she raised her left hand to the air through the bridge .. it was so cool.

Clip: Official Music Video by Christina Aguilera, Katharine McPhee's studio version with lyrics on screen.


"LET ME BE YOUR STAR"
Episode 1 Pilot

It's a duel between a pop singer and a broadway performer. What else could one expect, except for one hell of a masterpiece? How could you choose between Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty? Karen Cartwright or Ivy Lynn to be Marilyn Monroe? This original song lived up to the hype and ended the pilot episode in a bang.

Clips: Studio version, Karaoke version, Megan Hilty Live at New Year's Eve with Carson Daly.

"BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN"
Episode 7 The Workshop

It's light, it's bubbly. It's fun. I always love the music video of Colbie Caillat singing this song. I am just in love with McPhee's crystal-clear voice.

Clips: Official Music Video by Colbie Caillat, Katharine McPhee's studio version.




"RUN"
Episode 12 Publicity

Her voice was heavily-mixed, but I still got the chill listening to it. Because Karen Cartwright was not an understudy, she was a STAR!

Clips: Official Music Video by Snow Patrol, Official Music Video by Leona Lewis, Katharine McPhee's studio version, Karaoke version.

"A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS"
Episode 12 Publicity

Look! It's Bollywood! It's Arabian-wannabe! I didn't know Dev could sing that good (before I learned Raza Jaffrey is indeed a musical theater perfomer) and Katharine McPhee could dance really good. The all-star dream sequence is exuberant and funny. The WOW factor shot to the roof. And the song .. o the song .. I need to know how McPhee and Jaffrey could sing the lyrics without running out of breath. And that Jaffrey's impossible musicality towards the ending. Again, W-O-W!!

Clips: Studio version, Karaoke version, Karaoke version with background vocals.

"SECOND HAND WHITE BABY GRAND"
Episode 12 Publicity

It had been mostly Karen, until Ivy stepped in with this piece - the song that turned an antagonist into a protagonist, and changed my whole different opinion on the character. Everything was exceptional. From the moving music that served nothing but to bring out the best of its vocalist, the meaningful lyrics, the touching inserts, the camera angles .. to Ivy's girly hairstyle, the color of her outfit against her fair skin .. and her graceful poise. Megan Hilty is a great singer, she sang her heart out. The rough edges of her stage voice were replaced by a quiet emotion that put a lump in my throat. She built it into the most beautiful, the most soulful performance ever on this season. I was completely mesmerized, never wanted to take my eyes off her.

Quoting Derek Wills: Thank you, Miss Lynn. That was glorious.

Clips: Studio version, Karaoke version.

"DON'T FORGET ME"
Episode 15 Bombshell

And we're back to Katharine McPhee. The weight of the finale was placed on her shoulders. She was effortless. Her voice was so clear, as crisp as it might shatter into thousand pieces of glasses in any second. I hate the dress and the wig, I particularly like the shadows of Marilyn projected to the background, and the lighting that surrounded her and fell onto her figure was stunning. It was a breathtaking performance. Love this song very, very much. I will not forget.

Clips: Studio version, Karaoke version.

A Firefighters Pledge

~ A Firefighters Pledge ~

I promise concern for others.
A willingness to help all those in need.
I promise courage - courage to face and conquer my fears.
Courage to share and endure the ordeal of those who need me.
I promise strength - strength of heart to bear whatever burdens might be placed upon me.
Strength of body to deliver to safety all those placed within my care.
I promise the wisdom to lead, the compassion to comfort,
and the love to serve unselfishly whenever I am called.

Declaration of Independence

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

"We, the kids of the World's cities, countries and continents proclaim our independence from adults.

We hereby hold the following truths to be obvious, that all kids are created equal, and that we are endowed with certain irrevocable rights to be, know, care and play in the pursuit of the happiness of the world.

We therefore make known our joining together as one force, as one spirit and with one vision in the development of a better world where education and experimentation will lay the foundation for our readiness to inherit the world.

Unified in our purpose we thereby declare ourselves now and forever independent."

Get Ready for a Better World!

~ Mathieu, Sasa, Natya, Caca, Elettra, Belva and Olivia ~

Beauty

I'll Love It for a Thousand Years More

For quite a while, it seemed that almost every day, every time, every radio channels in town played this one song. I didn't catch the artist's name back then, but the lyrics and the melody was so catchy, it's unforgettable.

I have loved you for a thousand years.
I'll love you for a thousand more.

When you hear a song playing over and over again, you will kinda not be able to resist. Then either you would get bored of it, or you would love it so much.

So here's what I did.

Browsing the title, knowing the artist, getting the lyrics, surfing on the limitless depth of internet sea to get everything it could offer.

The official music video has instantly hooked me and I decided to love "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri.

Christina Perri - A Thousand Years (Official Music Video)
© 2011 WMG - Directed by: Jay Martin - Song written by: Christina Perri & David Hodges

Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour has come to this

One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

What's not to love?

Christina looks innocent with her face lit by a candle in her hands. Walking gracefully among 6,500 candles. Stunningly beautiful against the sunset. The video has The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 trailer inserts, that justify the movie as a very romantic drama (liquid-gold eyes aside, there is no sign of vampires and werewolves in this music video. At all). That's how I understand the lyrics as the feeling of a bride walking down the aisle, towards the man she loves. It makes a perfect modern wedding song with its waltz-y rhythm.

It would make a great alternate score for the wedding scene of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen as well. (Click here for the original score when Bella walked down the aisle).

I love the melody so much, I tracked down the music sheet, even though I don't have a piano at home. Then I downloaded a piano apps for my iPad, determined to learn it and play the tunes. On my iPad! (you go ahead and try, it will test your patience with the size of the bars, the size of your fingers, and the limited octaves available on the screen. Kinda fun though). I may better watch the piano playing by itself on YouTube.

When I dig into YouTube, I stumbled upon so many cover versions. And these videos stand out:

"A Thousand Years"
Covered by Jake Coco and Alex G

I like Alex G. She has this sweetness in her vocal tone, and Jake Coco is as good. A duet in a lighter mood makes this cover very interesting.

"A Thousand Years"
Covered by Kurt Hugo Schneider, Aimée Proal and Lindsey Stirling

Excellent lighting. Gorgeous violin section played by Lindsey Stirling.



I have also found many instrumental versions, but the mother of all is this:

Christina Perri - A Thousand years (Piano/Cello Cover) - ThePianoGuys
Arrangement produced by Jon Schmidt
Arrangement written by Al van der Beek, Jon Schmidt & Steven Sharp Nelson

Performed by Jon Schmidt: piano

Steven Sharp Nelson: acoustic cello & cello-percussion
Music recorded, mixed & mastered by Al van der Beek at TPG Studio
Video produced by Paul Anderson & Tel Stewart

This is a very soothing video, for the already soothing tunes of "A Thousand Years". Watching it, I can almost feel the breeze on the leaves, the passion and the joy that clearly seen on the pianist and the cellist's face. The arrangement is so rich, coming from only two musical instruments (yeah, and the cello works overtime, it is played in three different ways by Steven). The bridge part, which I love the most in the song, is played two times, in two versions that makes me wanna kiss Jon's fingers. I quote from someone: "Listen to this piece with eyes closed, you can feel yourself floating in the air". Exactly.

I loaded "A Thousand Years", both Christina Perri's and The Piano Guys' into my iPod, set it on repeat. Listening closely to the simplicity of Christina's singing, to the ethereal beauty of Jon and Steven's music.

I can be happy all day long listening to this. I just can't stop singing it ever since.

Notes on Mat:
Because I play and sing this all the time (whenever, wherever .. in the car, in the shower, on the bus, on the bed), one day just happened when Mat suddenly sang along with me with almost clean lyrics. I had never taught him the tunes and the lyrics before, nor does he understand what's the meaning of the song. He learned it by listening to me singing and from my iPod, over and over. Then I kept on singing with him, until he got it better. I put him on my voice recorder, and he sang along the karaoke version of "A Thousand Years". (That. And "Jar of Hearts", another Christina Perri's song).

Yeah. I will love it for a thousand years more.

Beautiful Things

Eulogy

Windows

Imperfection #2

Imperfection #1

Hope