I've found the blues and empowerment...thanks Janis!

Jasmine Leyva (760) 780-3134, jleyvabhs@gmail.com

September 15, 2013

Fosdick’s MCOM 139, Janis Joplin Review

Word Count:630

Target Publication: Spartan Daily, Access Magazine

Janis Took a Piece of My Heart

            Shivers race up the spine and out the body from the electrifying voice from a frizzy haired free spirit, Janis Joplin. Brought to life at the San Jose Repertory Theater, an audience that could remember buying her albums when they first came out on vinyl bobbed their silver haired heads as they spent an evening with the bohemian songstress.

 In an intimate setting resembling today’s VH1 Storytellers, Janis, played by Kacee Clanton, bared her soul to the audience about her beginnings in the music industry and the love she had for the stage. The Texas native took the audience on her journey traveling from gig to gig that lead to her to the psychedelic scene in San Francisco during the 1960s.

The stage was set in low lighting with the spotlight on Janis as she let her blues infused soul sing the hits of her influences such as Bessie Smith, Nina Simone  and Big Mama Thornton, as well as her own. The cohesive scenic design by Cliff Simon and lighting design by Matthew Webb embraced Janis Joplin giving her heart and enchanting husky voice to her fans but then returning to a lonesome life off stage.

In the first act Janis gives the audience a lesson in the blues and how to find the inner soul. The audience is given this permission to enter the mind of Janis Joplin and how she came to interpret the blues while explaining those best through songs such as, My Baby, Turtle Blue, and Piece of My Heart. She sang about a lonely life that was partially fulfilled by only being on stage. From the first act encompassing sassy influences that came to inspire the bigger than life Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll the second act followed with the stages of blues that Janis journeyed through.

Accompanying the raspy singer was the musical styling of a band that played with such fervor and energy to make Janis sway and open her arms to their jammed packed sound. During opening night Sept. 5, the band was able to make audience members tap their feet and clap their hands to the beat of the magnetizing guitar solos complementing Janis’ voice.

The music was not the only factor in the audience’s ride through the love starved Rock ‘n’ Roll singer’s intimate confessions on her rise to fame. Costume designer of the production, Susan Branch Towne, made the clothing of the characters to show the care free attitude of Janis as she was dressed in era appropriate flowing clothes that modestly shined as not to distract from the vocals. Of course no Janis Joplin ensemble is not complete without a brightly colored feather boa. The actresses that played the Joplinaires and the Blues Singers that embodied the major idols of Janis were dressed in ballgowns subtly showing their impact on Janis as they sang the songs she would listen to for hours trying mimic their voices. In bell bottoms, vests and long hair the band was best accessorized with their instruments. 

Some audience members looked as if they had never seen a year from the psychedelic times, but writer and director, Randy Johnson has a hit on his hands, bringing free love Rock ‘n’ Roll to modern San Jose. This is not only a show to commemorate Janis Joplin, but an experience to explore the mind of an intellectual without having a questions and answer portion. Janis Joplin may have sung “take another little piece of my heart,” but after leaving this spectacular show the viewer will have left a piece for Janis.

A 1960’s concert will be rocking the San Jose Repertory Theater on until the 29 of September. It is highly recommended to go in era appropriate clothing for the full experience and dance ready shoes.

-End-

For the life of me, why must school start?

And so it has begun: the new school year. This will be my third year to be exact, and what do I have to show for my past two years? I have this blog, a broken heart, and aspirations.

I came to school thinking that this year would be different...I would be the boss. So far what I've come to find is that I still keep to myself, my tolerance for meeting new people is moving at a glacial pace and I have yet to answer the age old question of what am I going to do with myself.

What can one do with themselves? The answer of course being that one can do anything so long as you put your mind to it. Being that my mind is idling by where do I find motivation? It used to be that I had no time to even think of questions such as these, but since I will be done with school soon I need to get my butt in gear.

When people say there should be more hours in the day I envy them. I envy their busy lives that are filled with excitement and adventure; hell, I even envy people who do the same thing every day and still need more hours in the day. This is all I have for now: time, and no clue what to do with it. Well, that's some what a lie. I know what I should be doing with the time I have but lack the motivation of where my starting point should be.

Let's hope that motivation comes my way and may I eagerly accept it.

What I have learned about being a swim instructor and lifeguard for the past 5 years...and what you should learn

This is my fifth summer working as a water safety  instructor and a lifeguard, and in response to patrons and staff tell me what is being done right and wrong I have come up with a things that I have learned and what other should learn.

Here they are in no particular order:

- Your child is not going to be the next eight time Olympic gold medal winner by the end of a two week swim class session. I know parents want their children to be good at something but maybe forcing something upon them is not the best way to go about it. If your child really dreads coming to swim lessons then maybe you should have a serious talk with them that they are just going to learn the basic rules of safety, you'll meet new friends, and it's only for a few minutes. Instead there are parents that say "Go swim or else we are going home," or my personal favorite "Why didn't you go faster?" I'm sure if you threaten your child the situation worsens.

-Lifeguards have reason to be scared when they go to work, especially if it is their first year and first job. I understand that screwing up at your job is a colossal deal, but imagine that times ten for a guard. They are under pressure to make uphold their city's standard and to make sure no one dies on their watch. I've only made two saves in my entire guard work and was I scared the first time? Yes, but after blowing that whistle I knew instinctively what to do to save an active drowning victim. Have faith in your guards and follow the rules so we don't have to yell them at you all the time.

-Some parents need to learn when to stay behind the chain-linked fence. I know parents pay good money to ensure their child learns how to swim and behave in an aquatic facility, so it makes no sense that parents are trying to get the child's attention when the instructor is trying to help each child out. I've seen mothers make arm circles or tell their child to put their head under water when an instructor specifically asks the class to keep their heads above water for the safety of the children and look at what the class is doing not what their mom attempts to show. If you want to show your child how to swim correctly without doggy-paddling  you be my guest and take them out of swim lessons.

- And lastly, this one is for the adults. Every patron, no matter their age, must follow all pool rules. The long list of rules have all been established due to some type of lawsuit. The rules are there for a reason: for the safety of everyone who enters an aquatic facility.

I know it is the end of summer but I figure it may be nice to be pool etiquette savvy.

The perks and cons of being a 20-something year old woman

As I continue to mature in the hustle and bustle of the blossoming twenty first century I have found myself at a stand still which is allowing myself to contemplate the many aspects of life according to a twenty-something year old.

One very important aspect that keeps most twenty-something year olds awake and night or in trance during the die is the age old question: "What am I going to do with my life?" We all have dreams of what we would like to do, some know the reality of what they will be doing, and a handful of us successfully struggle to make our dreams and goals a reality to brag about to our families when we visit for summer barbecues.

 They are many books that are written with the secret to success but can a person truly become successful by flipping through a few pages? Better yet, is there a Cliff Notes for the secrets of success? The main question we all wish we had the answer to is how does one become successful?

I personally believe in making myself successful as I keep on going through the whoa of being a college student that is soon to graduate. Even the smallest successes, like becoming a healthier person by having a great BMI and still lucky enough to enough a burger with everything on it with fries, or just studying my butt off for a measly B.

I've come to accept the small successes that have come my way and keep my head up so that other successes, whether they may be small or grand, grant me the opportunity to call them my successes.

Maybe the secret to success is accepting and keeping yourself open for any success that come you way.. 

For the life of me let's not compare

For the life of me I cannot understand the relationship of other couples, but then again some times I do not even understand my own. Then again, who would understand mine? I live in Southern California, go to school in San Jose, my boyfriend lives in the Central Valley just under two hours away from my school, and I travel back and forth to spend time with him, just as he does the same to see me when possible.

I know I shouldn't compare my relationship to that of others but I'm pretty sure that I am not the only significant other who has thought what my relationship would be like if my significant other did this or that. How wrong can it be to compare what is special between to people to what may be special to others? Well, I found out after some heated words that were exchanged between myself and my significant other that there is a red flag when it comes to comparing relationships.

You should not compare something that is so intimate and personal that two people share to that of others; and here's the reason why: if you truly love the person you are with then others do not matter. When there is that gut feeling of the world revolving and you are  the only two standing on this revolving planet other people do not matter. It does not matter if one couple is always affectionate in public or that other have a designated date night. What does matter is how your own relationship is special to you and your significant other.

I apologize to m boyfriend for comparing some actions of others to our own. I love him just the way he is.

It all began with a dream. No, seriously it did. That first sentence there was not meant for deep metaphorical feeling, but if it helps then so be it.

For the past few days I have been living on the NyQuil, nasal decongestant, and orange juice diet.

Yes, it is that dreaded time when the worst of minor illnesses falls upon the people of my "hood." I suffer from the sinus infection with a small detection of a cold sniffling about. Imagine me going back to school with being all sniffle and without my usual high pitch voice. Utter silence- cherish the moment while it still lasts.

While sedated under cherry flavored cough syrup I began to drift off into sleep as warned prescribed by the makes of Night Time Cough & Cold Relief syrup. This is when the dream took place which then lead to IT, but let's not get ahead of ourselves to find out what IT is just quite yet.

The dream started with a hand. Who's hand? Now, that I am not even five percent sure on since I do not spend my time staring at the physical features of people's hands-that my dear people is too weird. So instead I just stare at their faces instead. This hand hand no distinct features. But may I say that hand had very clean finger nails.

Bribing Toddlers with Gold Fish

For the life of me I will never understand the mind of a toddler. Being an auntie to a 18 month old toddler, Emma and a 2 month old infant, Alex I find it extremely difficult to comprehend what goes on in the brain of the mischievous Emma.

Her reasoning for trading items is what I like to describe as being an extreme haggler or a strong enforcer of "here, you have it because I don't want it anymore." However, her favorite thing at the time is hiding items and watching you find them.

 I try to strategically relieve the TV remote or my phone from her ways of hiding them in a Mickey Mouse push car, a pink wagon which yields large building blocks, or in a pink shopping push car.

Unfortunately I come up short the first time but then bring out my secret weapon, Gold Fish snack crackers. Emma's excitement is soon cut short due to a stumble and a fall but after a brief moment of frustration she runs towards the small amount of smiling fish I served her. While she sits on her pink Hello Kitty couch happily munching on her snack I seize the opportunity to air lift the TV remote out of the rubble of building blocks, counting flashcards, and plastic food items. Victory is mine. Or so I thought.

Little Emma is sitting quite contently as she motions the small orange container of Gold Fish towards me so that I can serve her just a few more with a sippy-cup of water. As I turn my back to two minutes the remote has gone missing and all she has to say is gibberish when I ask where the remote went.

Emma has tricked me into serving her while I enjoy my few seconds of glory is obtaining the TV remote. Did she plan this the whole time while watching the entertaining Dinosaur Train on PBS? Who knows? For the life of me I cannot wrap my mind around hers and her babbling.