APATHY

I don’t care about nothing
Nothing is what I care about
If I care about something I’ll end up with nothing
So I’ll look away and pretend not to hear
I’m protesting protests.

I hear we might be going to war
I hear the country’s going up in flames
I hear the anchors on the nightly news
And turn the channel back to MTV 2.
I’m protesting protests.

Emails from friends in my in-box
Angered by the madness at hand
I turn the other cheek to their desperate pleas
Punk rock mentality suits me fine
I’m protesting protests.

Not supposed to care, to be aware
Of the things going on in the world
Joe Millionaire and Idol closer to my heart than
Homeland security and fighter planes
I’m protesting protests

Leader dreams up words, talks of duct tape
And expects his subjects to respect him still
Not about to let my husband and brothers
Go off to fight for a man I didn’t even vote for.
I’m protesting protests.

How can my voice ever matter
How does my opinion even count
When the man in charge won’t hear all our cries
So I’ll sit and care about nothing.
I’m protesting protests.

Today it seemed this war came close
To affecting my personal space
Old high school friends leaving babies behind
To go fight across the planet in a strange new land
I’m protesting protests.

If no none stands up, no one speaks
No one makes their voice be heard
Ignorant bliss will be overcome
With consequences to great to comprehend
I protest: start protesting.

HEY EVERYONE~~~
Just wanted to let you all know that the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theater is performing "The Rocky Horror Show" from Feb 20-23 at 8:00 pm and Feb. 27-March 1 at 8:00 pm, with 2 midnight performances each Friday night (which is technically Saturday morning). There is a rush at the door for NDSU students *with student ID, which means that if you come within 10 minutes before the show's start, you can get cheap tickets (they're regularly $15, you can get them at rush for $5). This show is hysterical and a really great rock musical, perfect for all you "Poetry of Rockers", except that perhaps the depth of the lyrics leaves something to be desired (i.e. rhyming "can it" with "panic" and other greats...). Anyway, it's a fun show, come see it if you have the chance. I'm playing Janet: I'll be the one in my underwear....yikes. Hope to see you there!!

CLASS on 2/11/03
I found Dr. Saltings' visits to class to be very intriguing! He seems to know a WHOLE lot about the world of music -- not only its history, but the structure of the musical elements as well as the lyrics. We discussed the fusion of African and European influences into rock music and what each of those elements were (heavy rhythms, syncopation, modality, monophony, melodic leaps, etc.)

Dr. Salting was witty and funny, so the classes were a lot of fun! He played an amazing gospel / doo-wop song (I forget the title) that, surprisingly DID hold some of the same "rock" elements as Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (just like he said!) We discussed several artists from the "Golden Age" of Rock; Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, etc. and how, with the plane crash that killed Holly, The Big Bopper, & Richie Valenz, the music really DID die that day (the fall of the rock era)...

I've been trying to come up with some brilliant idea for our peer teaching assignment, but so far I'm coming up empty. I may have to go back and delve into my old portfolio from my days as a music education student!! :) I wouldn't even mind sharing some of the tools I find useful in writing my own rock lyrics (I have written over 15 songs that are ready to be recorded, as soon as I can come up with the cash to rent a studio for a demo tape!). Actually, finding a topic shouldn't be too difficult to do, just finding the time to cram it into my schedule that could pose a problem. Group work is usually pretty difficult for me, as I have a job, school, theater rehearsals, wedding planning, and a fiance' (yes, he takes work too!) to keep up with--setting up meetings with other students could be a real issue. I would feel really bad if I couldn't put in my all toward a group, but I much prefer working alone, as I am most productive that way, and I can work into the wee hours of the morning if I need to!

We were at rehearsal for "Rocky Horror" last night when I realized this: music is such an interpretation of the person singing it, that any particular song could be analyzed in literally hundreds of ways. Last night's example was this: as a vocal warmup, each member of the cast had to sing one chorus of "the Time Warp". EVERY cast member sang it in a completley different way: the words were the same each time, but the meaning and emotion changed entirely! This is one of the things I both love and hate most about music. If you're the songwriter, this phenomenon could make your attempts at producing a certain emotion entirely futile. On the other hand, it makes me realize that the way a person can interpret a lyric is wholly personal and can speak to everyone across any demographic. Such is the beauty of the human mind and music!!!!
TTFN, Shanna