Hey guysssss, sorry to disappoint but I won’t be posting a video with me singing for awhile (if at all) since I’ve only done covers. Maybe I’ll put one in the last post of the year just for fun, but we’ll see.
Also! Random update to share with you guys (if you’re following the Randell Music page, you might know what I’m going to say), Randell and Valentina both read my blog and were flattered by the compliments that they received from you guys so know they’ve collaborated and did a song together! I don’t know when he’ll post it for everyone else to see, but I’ve heard it, and I must say, it’s pretty amazing. So..that’s that.
Back on topic. I had a lot of trouble coming up with something to write about this week and I really don’t know why. I found so many poems that I might have wanted to try, and then there were the songs that I wanted to look at but nothing seemed to fit. So I kind of just did my other blog and sat around until something came up. I went to YouTube in the hopes of finding something, I just stared at my poetry wall and hoped something would pop out at me, but nothing happened. I originally wanted to use a poem that my other friend wrote, and put it with a song that was by a famous artist (switching it up, I know), but he didn’t want it published, unfortunately for me so I had to start from scratch. I don’t know why I felt the need to tell you guys that, but anyway, it doesn’t matter now, because I have found something I want to use! I was actually on Tumblr (such a bad habit), and I found a few poems that looked odd. They were typed from a typewriter but some were on receipts, some were on napkins, etc., and I loved them. They were so short but so, dare I say it, cute. So I read one of them and it clicked with the song I just so happened to be listening to and I knew I wanted it.
This week I will be looking at an untitled poem by Tyler Knott Gregson from his “Typewriter Series” and “Cups” by Anna Kendrick, which was a song in Pitch Perfect.
Here’s the song:
(also, if you’re interested, here’s an interview with David Letterman and she does this live!)
Since these poems are usually typed up on random pieces of paper with a typewriter, it felt wrong of me to type it out, so here’s the poem in picture form:
I know, I know. This week is a really short poem, but it’s different from anything else I’ve looked at on here. Not all poems have to be large in length to have a meaning or to portray images in your mind. The difference with this poem is that it might not have the same effect on everyone; not everyone will picture the same thing. The poem itself has such a quirky and hopeful tone. The poet portrays a quirky tone with words such as “strangest person,” “oddities,” and “spongy filter,” and portrays a hopeful tone with words such as “these fingers crossed” and “you will find them/ irresistible.” These two things also describe the personality of the speaker of the poem as well. The structure also says a lot about this person. There is no rhyme structure, actually, there’s not really a structure to it at all, which strays from the “ideal poem.” This poem makes you really think about yourself in a new light, to me anyway. The speaker addresses “you,” but I don’t think he/she is necessarily addressing the reader. They may be talking about their present love or someone they wish would notice them. Not only does this person recognize their flaws, but they accept them and just hope that someone will appreciate them as well.
I felt that the song “Cups” related so well because the song itself was short and sweet. That’s a weird reason to think a song fits a poem, right? But I think that the length has to matter some when looking at a poem and a song together. Anna Kendrick did this song with just her hands and a cup. Hard to believe but it’s true. The rhythmic pounding combined with her voice just sounds so lovely. I know, I’m so articulate today. The fact that she’s only using a cup and clapping her hands doesn’t allow for a distraction. It’s straight to the point. In most songs, and the majority of the songs I’ve looked at, there are multiple instruments that may lend to a tone, but it may distract from the feeling of the vocalist. Anna Kendrick has a very nice voice and I think that she could even be the speaker of this poem. She moves her voice in a way that each time she sings a repeated line, it’s emphasized differently every time. The consistency of the cups in this song is actually quite a contrast to the feel of the poem, since the speaker claims to lack consistency, but the sound of her voice brings back that inconsistency and emphasizes that hopeful tone that resonates throughout both the song and the poem. The cups accent the quirkiness of the speaker since not many people can do this (I wish I could), so consider this an oddity. When I hear this song and read this poem, I see different instances in which I’m with my boyfriend laughing. I know I make mistakes, but so does everyone; what really matters is that I’ve accepted them and kind of just grow from there. I don’t see just one thing. It’s more of a montage of different things and it’s different every time. I’ll close my eyes one moment and see myself falling onstage. I’ll close my eyes again and see him falling off his chair at the movies. Everyone has their own thing, but it’s important that you accept it. What do you see when you read this and hear this song?
So that was actually really hard to write. I haven’t actually seen the movie, but I listened to the soundtrack (I was doubtful about the movie) and I absolutely LOVED this song. I listen to it nonstop. It’s quite sad, actually. My goal is to learn this at one point. If I do, I’ll be sure to share it, but don’t expect it anytime soon. As I said, I read this poem on Tumblr and it just made me feel so many different things so I had to post it. I know that this week’s poem was a but shorter, but it was definitely a challenge and a risk I definitely needed to take. Thanks for reading, guys!