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I hope everyone had a fantastic week that was full of fun and not too much homework! This week's post is all about some music that has recently been released by an up-and-coming Australian pop star that is releasing some extraordinary content as of late! Before I tell you his name, I would like to take a quick second to explain (in my opinion) what makes a really great song. I like to cover this in three main points: The message behind the song, the passion behind the song and the purpose behind the song. When I listen to music, I can't listen to a song that lacks a meaning. That's it. I will not even give a song any thought if it has no meaning. However, if the song actually has a back-bone to it, with a definitive purpose it will definitely grab my attention. That is exactly what Troye Sivan has done to me with his most recent songs, "Wild", "Fools" and "Talk Me Down". Created for the purpose of his first studio album called Blue Neighborhood, these songs center around a rather heavy topic these days, gender and sexual equality. I feel like I can talk about this because even though I personally identify as heterosexual because all of my life I have seen people as simply people. No matter what you are, black, white, asian, Hispanic, etc I see you as simply a person. No greater than one person, no less than another. I feel the same way about people that identify differently, whether that be homosexual, bisexual, transgender, etc. Maybe I feel this way because of my up-bringing (I was always taught to accept everyone as they were) but I heard a song called "Same Love" about 3 years ago that really laid it out for me. People are people, love is love, so why should we be divided just because of preference! In Troye's three songs, you are taken on a journey from the viewpoint of two children, one in a family that is accepting of his sexuality, and the other who is brought up by an alcoholic and homophobic father. After facing many tragedies, the two boys are eventually re-united at one of there father's funerals, and they embrace just before the boy who lost his father commits suicide. All in all, this seems very tragic. You are probably thinking, "Wow this is a pretty depressing post, don't want to be reading this anymore!" But I beg you to stay and read to the end, as there is a deeper meaning to this song. I have found that meaning , actually, to be hope. Even though the one boy pushed the other away, for a long time it seems, there was a moment of reconciliation at the father's funeral, where the two embrace right before the tragic act. Through all that time of desperation and evident suffering, the one boy remained hopeful despite it all. To be honest, this had more of an impact on me than I thought it would. Although I can not directly relate to having the same experience, I can definitely relate to not being able to be with someone! It hurts and that hurt sometimes stays for a very long time. However, I have faith that one day everything will be okay and the hurt will go away! I truly believe in true love (get it), and nothing (time, people, circumstances, sexuality) can stop that. I suppose what people need to realize is that there are certain things you can not control. These things range from religion to speech, but only recently has gender and sexual equality been recognized as a right. I mean, the entire United States only legalized gay marriage in June of this year! Let's be honest, they were a little late to the parade, but at least they got on board with the majority of humanity. The ending of this music has a tragic ending that can not be over-looked. Suicide is a topic that must be discussed in order to prevent it. If you or someone you know is struggling with things like bullying, depression, sexual identity there are so many resources you can use to help get through whatever your dealing with. The first one I would recommend is the Kids Help Phone. Kids also mean teens, so don't feel like the name should stop you from using it. It is a 24-hour counseling and help hot line that is 100% confidential. They also offer web-counseling at http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/Teens/home.aspx. There phone number is 1-800-668-6868 and all of there services are free. Another resource I would like to recommend is the National Suicide Prevention Hotline! Another completely free crisis hot line that is 100% confidential and can be found at 1-800-273-8255. Suicide is a very preventable issue and if we just spread the word about these resources, I believe a lot more lives could be saved and tragedies avoided. Always remember, no matter how hopeless life feels, no matter how desperate the situation is, there are people that love you. And if you don't feel that, there are many numbers you can call (like the ones listed) or websites you can visit to seek aid. That's all for this one everyone! See you next week and have a safe, fantastic day. Best regards,
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We hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving, ate tons of turkey and spent time with the people you love the most! Sometimes the holidays can get a little crazy, but we hope everything went well during your Thanksgiving! Before I start this blog, (which is a FANTASTIC topic by the way) I would like to thank everyone for all the votes on the straw poll (http://strawpoll.me/5628715/r)! Remember, you can still vote, and I need as many votes as I can so that I can steer this blog towards a specific topic! However, because October is just about over (one more week) I am going to inform you on some ACTUAL holidays that exist in November that not many people know about! To start off, I am going to share my favorite holiday on this list, November 6th, 2015 which is Saxophone Day. Saxophone Day is dedicated to the appreciation, history and music of my favorite wood-wind instrument, the saxophone! So, cancel your schedule, pick up a saxophone, and bust a tune! I understand that a lot of people wont actually be able to do that, so maybe just google Saxophone music. That will do! Next up we have November 8th, Cook Something Bold Day! Feel like your life is just a little bland? Well I'm sure this day will make it a bit more epic! This day is meant to cook up something that fills the house with warm, comforting odors to celebrate November! Feeling happy? Then November 13th is the day FOR YOU! National Kindness Day! Honestly, I don't believe there should be a specific day that people should have to be nice to each other, but maybe on this day you will just remember to be a little nicer to everyone you meet. Real talk time super quick: It's easier to be a kind person than a rude one. It actually requires less muscle to smile at someone than to frown. Remember that the next time you feel sad! Missing someone in your life, alive or who has passed away! November 10th is the perfect day to remember or visit them! This day is Forget-Me-Not Day and it is designed to re-establish strong relationships with your family, friends or loved ones that you feel are drifting away. There is no feeling (in my opinion) that is worse than feeling someone you love beginning to fall away from you, so maybe on this day you will remember to say hello to them! Some people also celebrate this day by sending Forget-Me-Not flowers to people they love and miss! I really like that idea and will be doing it myself! I think the perfect holiday to share with you to end this blog is November 12th, Chicken Soup For The Soul Day! Created by the authors of Chicken Soup For The Soul, the object of this day is to, "celebrate who you are, where you've been, where you're going, and who you will be thankful to when you get there!" I think that is a fantastic holiday that everyone in the world should enjoy! I find often we are too hard on ourselves, especially because of our past, and I think that if this is something you are going through you should definitely take a look in the mirror and just tell yourself exactly what the creators of the book said! Celebrate what you are now, as opposed to what you were, be thankful for where you are and who is with you and know that everything is going to be okay! That is going to be it for this post, be sure to follow our every move on Facebook (Welland Mayor's Youth Advisory Council) and follow us on twitter (@WellandMYAC)! Also if you want to check out more of those holidays, click this link (http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/november.htm) to bring you the Bizarre and Weird Holidays calendar! Remember to check out the blog next Tuesday for another wonderful post! P.S., I sense a contest coming up! Stay tuned!
Until next time, Hello!
Welcome to the first ever Welland Mayor's Youth Advisory Council blog post! We are very excited to be delivering this new content to the public and we hope you, the viewer, will enjoy it! Today, I am going to be talking about a new spot in Welland that I am very excited about! Opened only two and a half months ago, The Black Sheep Lounge has experienced incredible success and publicity in the Welland community! Locally owned by Lucas Spinosa, The Black Sheep Lounge actually used to be a run-down night club called "Times Square" before it became what it is now. Renovating this building was no small task, but Lucas and a team of workers worked tirelessly all summer to complete the job. And does the building ever look amazing, complete with a new roof, walls, floor, EVERYTHING! Every Thursday and Saturday evening, the Black Sheep can be found bustling with people and music! With a stage, amps and piano, the Black Sheep is completely set to show off some local talent! I usually visit the lounge every Thursday to listen to music, and recently the Black Sheep was showcasing a local named Sarah Boulton. She played some amazing covers but also performed a song she had only written the night before her gig! If you are interested in listening to some of her music (which I highly recommend) you can check her out on Facebook at Sarah Boulton Music! Even if you aren't interested in music, the Black Sheep offers a delicious full menu that is actually affordable. I would personally recommend the grilled cheese and the home-brewed tea, however everything on the menu is absolutely delicious. They even offer a lot of vegan options! The Black Sheep also has free wifi, so it's the perfect place to do homework while you eat some great food and listen to some excellent local talent! The address for the Black Sheep Lounge is 64 Niagara Street, right next to Spinosa's Bakery. I highly recommend this lounge and I really think you should go check it out, especially on Thursday's and Saturday's to help support the music scene in Welland. The thing I really love about the Black Sheep is the feeling you get when you walk in the front door. You can tell that it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to make the lounge into what it is now. There is just a lot of raw passion that went into the making and upkeep of that place, and that is something I can definetely appreciate that! Check out the Black Sheep on Facebook at The Black Sheep Lounge. Well, with that it's about time to end this post! Make sure you keep up to date on everything we do by liking our Facebook page (Welland Mayor's Youth Advisory Council) and by following us on twitter (@WellandMYAC). Catch you later! |
Caleb FastPublicity and Promotions co-coordinator for Welland MYAC. Archives
February 2016
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