Tag: music

Happy Birthday, Mac Miller

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Today, I learned that yesterday was the late Mac Miller’s birthday. He would have been 34 years old.

How very fitting because as it turns out for about two weeks now, I’ve been listening to his album Circles almost daily.

It’s my favorite Mac Miller album, and a few times out of the year, I will listen to it over and over.

I’m still so sad he passed away. He was so young and incredibly talented. 🕊🙏🏽💜

RIP Mac Miller

Cooking Dinner in the Morning Saves Time

I started cooking dinner in the morning time. It makes a HUGE difference in my day. I feel less stressed when 4 p.m. rolls around and I know dinner is already prepared. BIG mom win! 💯

Today’s dinner: BBQ chicken, rice, and cream of corn for the kids, broccoli for me. I don’t know how they like cream of corn. I think it’s so gross. 😆

The weather forecast for this weekend!

Below Freezing Temps This Weekend

I’m worried about the weather for the weekend. The low is supposed to be between -7°F to -10°F. 😲

WHAT EVEN IS THAT?!! 😱🥶

So basically, we’ll be in the house all weekend. I hope we can make it to church. I’m going to go ahead and do the grocery shopping Thursday before the freezing temps hit us.

Here are a few moments from today.

Zaya (5) placing Stitch and Pandy on my bed.
Reading practice with Zephaniah (8).
Little Junco at my patio bird feeder. The Blie Jays, Juncos, Mourning Doves, and Sparrows have been eating all throughout the day at my bird feeders to prepare for the upcoming freezing cold.
Writing practice with Zechariah (10). Ever since we started working on writing skills with Building Writers (from Handwriting Without Tears) and The Usborne Creative Writing Book, Zechariah’s and Zhen’s writing has improved so much! I love that the writing activities are engaging, fun, and brief.
For some creative time, Zechariah worked on making a stop motion video. We got him this film slate for Christmas because he’s always making mini movies.
Todays art activity was creating a design with diagonal, horizontal, and vertical lines using strips of construction paper.
The kids really loved this art activity, and they got creative with it creating their own designs.
This is the art book we’ve been using. We’re loving it so far!
Sunlight shining through the stained-glass windows at church. 🙏🏽
I’m getting closer to finishing my 1,000 piece Jane Austen puzzle!
“Get swept away by love.” ❤️

“There’s a lot of beauty in the world, so go hang out and go be a part of the solution rather than the problem.” — Mac Miller

Feature image from Spotify. Personal photos info here.

My Year in Music 2024

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So, Spotify just dropped their Spotify Wrapped 2024– the annual end-of-year music recap for their members. I always look forward to this series to see my stats on the top artists, songs, music genres I listened to the most throughout the year.

One thing I’ve noticed over the past three years is that my taste in music has changed quite a bit.

I’m sure some of it has to do with my mood, where I’m at in my life, and things I’m typically doing while listening to music.

I thought I’d share my year in music with you. Here are my top five favorite music artists of 2024, according to Spotify.

My Spotify Wrapped 2024

Hermanos Gutiérrez
Hermanos Gutiérrez (By Luchosantiago – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115340288)
  1. Khuranbig
  2. Alexis Ffrench
  3. Hermanos Gutiérrez
  4. Arc De Soleil
  5. Leon Bridges
  6. Mac Miller

2024 was a *no lyrics* type musical year for me – with the exceptions of Leon Bridges and Mac Miller. I do love me some Leon and Mac (RIP)!

In 2024, I listened to a lot of classical, funk, jazz, psychedelic, and soul music.

What My Spotify Wrapped Says About My Music Taste

Mac Miller
Mac Miller (By Nicolas Völcker – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77865490)

So, what does my Spotify Wrapped 2024 say about my taste in music?

Quite honestly, I just got tired of all the noise.

At the beginning of the year, I started to notice certain sound frequencies (and voices) were making me feel weird. Almost as if it was hurting my brain.

My shift toward listening to music without lyrics—classical, funk, jazz, psychedelic, and soul—feels like a response to the overwhelming noise of modern life.

I find these genres to offer me a kind of mental clarity, allowing me to unwind and focus without the distraction of words. Each music genre style is very relaxing and therapeutic to me.

I found this to be true most especially when my anxiety was triggered.

How Classical, Funk, Jazz, Psychedelic, and Soul Music Inspire Creativity and Calm

Leon Bridges
Leon Bridges (By Cal Quinn – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143797653)

Classical, funk, jazz, psychedelic, and soul music also spark my creativity and provide a fresh perspective, acting as a soothing backdrop for exploring my thoughts.

I think my change in music taste reflects a desire for balance, simplicity, and a greater appreciation for the complexity and artistry that instrumental music brings. It’s like a reset, bringing harmony and inspiration to my daily life.

I’m happy with my year in music. It definitely fits my personality– an introverted loner who finds solace in the simple things.

What music were you jammin’ to this year?

Feature image: Khruangbin (Alexander Kellner, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)