Leap...

Happy Leap Year/Day! Happy birthday to my Grandma. I think she is twenty today. lol. I wonder when she celebrates her birthday normally? February or March?

On the "Book I am Reading Now" it says that I am reading Harry Potter but I got an email today from Maria V. Snyder saying that her book, Fire Study, is out now. So I am going to go and see if I can find that trilogy and read those instead. I am only two chapters into Harry Potter and would be more than willing to stop and read about assassins and poison than wizards. lol.

The Music of Silence

I have always been interested in artists' rise to fame and a blind opera singer was more intriguing than the rest. Andrea Bocelli voice is mesmerizing to me. I love the fact that he had a dream and never gave up on it even if at times he felt like there was no way that they would ever take flight.

In the foreword of his autobiography, Andrea Bocelli states the reason that he wanted to note his life. It reads as the following:

I feel slightly embarrassed by the idea of attempting an autobiography at this point in my life, although I spent many pleasurable hours writing in my youth. Then, my writing was almost always confined to school assignments, but occasionally I sent letters to faraway friends, composed poems, or indulged in other similar adolescent endeavors. My intention now, if this can be a sufficient justification for a man of my age who suddenly decides to become a writer, is only that of passing some of my free time recounting the story of a very simple life.

My main worry is not that the reader might yawn over these poor scribbled pages or put the book down and go to sleep. Instead, it is that I seem to be observed by two eyes that read my thought while I write. They are the eyes of an old man with a kind face, a watchful expression, and the barely perceptible smile of one who knows the comedy of life so well that he now feels a sense of boredom and detachment. One cannot read the face of such an old man, whose passions are cancelled forever by the inexorable forces of time, and the tenacious work of thought. And yet that serene face, illuminated still, perhaps, by the fire of ideas, seems to judge me severely. Beneath that gaze, I feel ridiculous, intimidated, incapable of anything, while a moment ago I was presumptuous and deluded, like students who believe themselves to be custodians of absolute truths because of a few philosophical notions they have picked up in lectures. With the passing of time, I seem even to see a sense of irony emerging on the face of the old man. I ask myself then, why is he not indulgent with me, as he seems to be with everyone else? Why does he have to take me so seriously?

The reader, who perhaps has by now identified the inquisitor as myself as an old man, knows that his implacable gaze is always fixed upon me, at every moment of the day, and is at the root of my every act, my every decision.

(Foreword, pages v – vi)

He goes on in the introduction and says:

I am in one of my many cells: three yards square, two small couches, a sink, a small table, a closet against the wall. The small room is illuminated by a window that looks out onto the road. It is two in the afternoon and I have to stay here until the show begins. Soon they will call me for a rehearsal; later, for makeup; in the meantime someone will have brought me a cup of coffee. But for the moment I don’t have anything to do.

I forgot: in the small room there is a computer. I think about how it might be able to help me pass the time. I could write, maybe tell a story: my life, for example. But as soon as it forms, this thought fills me with embarrassment. I haven’t written since I was a boy. Writing seemed a pleasant pastime to me then. Who knows what effect it would have on me today? I warn myself about being distracted from the performance I must give in a few hours. It’s not easy, but one cannot live waiting to walk onstage. I get up and pace up and down the small room, in search of memories, nostalgia, people distant images…

And unexpectedly a young boy in shorts comes to mind with nervous legs, a bit twisted, always covered in bruises and scabs, pitch-black hair, a face with regular features, and a knowing expression, unpleasant according to one’s point of view. I believe I can describe him as a normal young boy, or rather one with a common enough mixture of virtues and defects.

Normal in spite of a physical impairment, on which I must necessarily linger for a moment, if I want to speak of him.

Am I that young boy?

In some ways yes, but in others no, considering that I have changed so much since then. To speak of him as “me” somehow feels false, something I’d be embarrassed to do. I will pretend, therefore, that this book deals with someone else.

I speak as though I am speaking of Amos. Amos is the name I have given him. I have also given him a family name: Bardi.

(Introduction, pages vii – viii)

Those thoughts alone were sufficient enough to capture my attention. But as I went on and read about his extraordinary childhood and rise to stardom I gained a deep respect for Andrea Bocelli and what he had to go through in order to obtain his dreams. While submerging myself into the Tuscany sun that I imagined while reading I felt a calm and peace that I have not felt in a very long time. My dreams are on hold and struggling to be set free and I realized that no matter what I think about myself or what others think about my ideas they deserve to be tested and tried. My self-happiness would be greater, I believe, if I just let myself go.

I really enjoyed this book and am very glad that I own a copy of it. You should read it. If not to learn more about Andrea Bocelli's life, but to "pass the time" as he says.

Tony Dancing Randomness

Ditron ‘Tony’ Dovoloni is the coolest dancer that I’ve ever seen. He has been on Dancing with the Stars for five seasons, so far, and he recently retired from professional competitions. His dance partner, Elena Grinenko, retired with him as well. They still dance together.

Here are some insightful interviews…

video 1

video 2

video 3

And here are some fun videos that I found one day when I was bored and watching YouTube.

Tony Dovolani and Jullianne Hough dancing to Josh Groban singing So She Dances


Ballroom Blitz


Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko -- their last dance on America's Ballroom Challenge


Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko dancing a mambo


Pro dancers dancing an awesome Paso Doble -- Vrotio is singing


Pro dancer dancing the Jive

And don’t forget to watch Dancing with the Stars beginning March 17th. Tony will be dancing with Marissa Jaret Winokur, a Tony Award winning Broadway star. And vote for Tony!

Italia

Italia by Chris Botti and Andrea Bocelli. I love this song. The whole CD is great. This song was written by Chris Botti and David Foster. Chris says that the whole CD evolved around this song. If you ever get a chance to listen to the CD of the same name you should.

Valentine memories

You know, I really don’t like Valentine’s Day. I can only remember one time when it was fun. In elementary school when all the kids got candy and cards. I remember once, in fifth or sixth grade, for Valentine’s I gave people I liked Sweetheart candy. I didn’t expect to get anything in return and was really surprised when two days later one of the boys I had a huge crush on gave me a king-size chocolate bar. That story is really funny though because I was walking home from my math tutor when I had a feeling that I was being followed. The guy had followed me for two blocks waiting for me to turn around. He scared me so bad. lol.

Books for thought

So, due to my lack of money, my David Foster songbook is at a standstill. I want to finish it this year. I got the list put together of all the songs the David composed into an Excel worksheet. That alone took me, what felt like, forever but it was fun to read the song titles as I was working on that pre-project. I started to look on the Internet for sheet music and getting copies of all of the recent music won’t be much of a problem. But I started looking from the beginning way back at the Skylark stuff. It is nowhere on the Internet. I am going to have to sit down and do some serious digging to find the beginning, lesser known songs.

A few days ago I was reading some short stories by different authors that I like. Orson Scott Card short stories were ones that I really enjoyed. I found the original Ender’s Game on the Internet and read that. It was interesting to read it because I have read the longer novel version as well. And now I want to read Ender’s Game. It will have to wait until after I finish Les Misérables. Also, Ender will have to wait until after Andrea Bocelli’s autobiography. Some other books I want to read sometime this year are Poison Study (and related books) by Maria V. Snyder (these wait until March when the third one comes out); Harry Potter (all seven books) by JK Rowling; Release from Nervous Tension by David Harold Fink M.D.; Twilight (and related books) by Stephenie Meyer (which I won’t read until August when the final novel comes out). The only books that are not a reread in that list are Twilight, Les Mis, and Bocelli’s book. (And Fire Study which isn’t out yet. lol.) It should be fun.

Wasted Time

Sometimes I just wish I had a lot of money and time. I would buy myself a really nice digital camera and go travel the world. Photography is such an awesome form of art. I love how one photo can capture a moment in time and tell a story. I was looking yesterday at some panoramic photos and every one that I looked at I loved. The way the photographer used the thirds rule was especially noticed. I should work on my technique so that I can be that good someday. I really like black and white photos. I think I like the contrast of dark and light that some photos have. And they can go with any color.

Introduction

I suppose I should introduce myself. A lot of this I am going to put into my profile but you can have it here too.

I am a student at LDS Business College. I am studying for a major in business skills. I enjoy my classes and should be done in a semester or two. I am not working because I would like to concentrate on my schoolwork.

I am a Josh-aholic. I think that Josh Groban is one of the greatest people on the planet. So when I say Josh I mean Josh Groban. He has inspired me in so many ways and I thank him for being such a great person. And you better not say anything bad about Josh or else the claws might come out. I will defend him. It is in the Grobanite handbook.

I am very random when I'm tired. So if I start to get loopy and not making sense I might be tired. But my friends say that is the funniest time to talk to me because I don’t think I just talk nonsense.

I enjoy any Broadway musicals. I have yet to go to New York City and see one though. I hope someday to get enough money to make a road trip down there and see some. A few of my favorites are: Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Into The Woods, Les Miserables (Original London Cast Recording), Sweeney Todd, Aida, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rent, Oklahoma, Wicked, Chess, Moulin Rouge. (That one is a movie musical but I still love it.)

Singers/Songwriters that I like are: Josh Groban (of course!), Michael Bublé, William Joseph, Andrea Bocelli, The Ten Tenors, Joshua Bell, Chris Botti, Tickle Me Pink, David Foster (who in my opinion is the greatest songwriter, producer, and composer in the world)

Actors/Actresses that I like: Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman

I love to read. Some of my favorite books are: Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Dave At Night by Gail Carson Levine, Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder, the whole Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, Release from Nervous Tension by David Harold Fink.

Movies I enjoy: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Rent, Quest for Camelot, Princess Bride, Bambi, Star Wars

Hobbies/Interests: photography, scrapbooking, nature, reading, singing, observing fashion trends, listening to music ... and hanging out on Friends of Josh Groban. My username is joshlover2themax if you were wondering.

TTFN
=)