Bruno Mars newest single: It will rain

You will love Bruno Mars newest single! "It will rain". My goodness, the song suits his voice perfectly. His high-registered tone and the way his strained undertones is consistent throughout this vocal performance adds a lot of colour to this song.

I absolutely love it! This is a meaningful single.

Smooth Criminal - Cello duet

This is one awesome rocking duo and this video has over a million hits!! Both Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser teamed up to play an arrangement of Smooth Criminal on the cellos. Authentic and without electricity, the duo has brought forth a new trend of merging classic hits with classical instruments.

Happy Holidays from me~

Hey everyone!! Christmas is here! Wishing you all a festive end to the New Year. Here is something short and sweet for you to hear. But its jammed packed with awesome rock music! Enjoy and hope you've been getting the presents you want :D

Apocalyptica - Nothing else matters (Metallica)

One of the coolest rock bands out there playing a classical instrument - Apocalyptica. Its a Finnish band comprising of very accomplished musicians.

Have a listen to it

On/Off openings - Vampire Knight

Oh the lack of updates~ What a busy world. However, I bring you a personal music analysis of both Vampire Knight opening themes! Read it at your leisure.

On/Off is a pop duo consisting of twin brothers who is well-known for singing the opening songs of Vampire Knight + Guilty.

Naoya Sakamoto and Kazuya Sakamoto debuted in 2007.

1st opening of Vampire Knight - Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi (Two beats and a red sin)
2nd opening of Vampire Knight Guilty - Rinne: Rondo (Cycle: Rondo)

This is a review based off both opening themes of Vampire Knight and Guilty. It comparatively looks at the differences in song composition and the blend between both singers.

• People who aren't musicians can still understand it!!
  
• I am not concerned about the lyrics.
  
• Sorry if I sound too meticulous in picking up details and in no way do I want to criticise the effort gone into producing these songs, I just want to be able to practice my musicianship and keep those skills up~

Full lyrics, music and summary are provided under the cut :D

Vampire Knight Still Doll sheet music

First of all~ I changed my blog picture into Vampire Knight where Yuuki is holding a cello. I love this picture! Its so vibrant and good looking?! haha!

You guys know that I play the cello right???

Arr...do you know how hard it is to find Vampire Knight cello sheet music? Kanon Wakeshima, who is one of the well-known musicians for her cello because of Vampire Knight anime, has finally emerged the anime market using a cello - and not to mention her singing.

So I am now expressing and encouraging more cello music and not just violin for anime! haha~~~

Anyway, if you are looking for the cello sheet music of Vampire Knight Still Doll, it is at http://ichigos.com/sheets/v .You can also find transcribed violin or viola versions as well, so do not worry. It just sounds so much better with the "original" music hehe.

I tried the music last night. Blah...I have gone sooo rusty...I have to work hard to play up to the level that I was once at.

Hope you musicians out there have fun playing it. I wish they had Suna no Oshiro out as well. By the way, I have added Still Doll for you all to listen to on the right hand side. Enjoy!

Nodame Cantabile + Uta no Onisan Introduction

Let's make some music for the coolest music-oriented Japanese dramas!

Nodame Cantabile and...

Uta no Onisan

Anyway~ as you can tell by the images, I am introducing both dramas in this post.

Please read the rules on the right-hand column and respect it :D

NODAME Cantabile!!!!! Its the best musical drama ever!!!! I mean I am a musician and I am sooo overwhelmed by how this is professionally done and that it does not tolerate "mediocrity". This drama/manga/anime not only expanded into a respectable genre that no one have been able to properly execute but it was done precisely so that musicians can fully enjoy it and those that don't understand music can pick it up straight away. I am amazed!! Well done!!!!! I enjoyed it a lot!

haha I just love this drama! I started watching the drama first. It seems like I don't want to revert back to the originally created manga or anime series!!

Uta no Onisan is just one of my favourite series ever!!! I don't know why but I guess I am becoming more touched each day in life and have come to appreciate the fullness of life that I have. lol I am soo cheesy. Also, the comedy spasms don't stop at all!! Its always good to have a good laugh.

Below contains synopsis and cast members gathered directly from dramawiki. This is just the start of the introduction!

Nodame Cantabile

Episodes: 11
Romantic Comedy
Broadcasted: late 2006; Specials - early 2008

Synopsis
Megumi Noda, or “Nodame” is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a kindergarten teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat.

Shinichi Chiaki, is Momogaoka’s top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy, he feels mired in Japan because of a childhood phobia.
They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame’s unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Because of Nodame, Chiaki got the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people's musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible.
Main Cast
Ueno Juri - Noda Megumi aka Nodame (Piano)
Tamaki Hiroshi - Chiaki Shinichi (Piano/Violin/Conducting)
Eita - Mine Ryutaro (Violin)
Koide Keisuke - Okuyama Masumi (Timpani)
Mizukawa Asami - Miki Kiyora (Violin)
Saeko - Saku Sakura (Contrabass)
Takenaka Naoto - Franz Strezemann (Milch Holstein by Nodame)



Too many actors/actress to list so refer to dramawiki for more.

Official Site: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/nodame/index.html
More information @: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Nodame_Cantabile


Uta no Onisan

Episodes: 8
Comedy
Broadcasted: early 2009

Synopsis
The story revolves around an unconventional children's show called "Minna de Utao!" Kenta is a young musician whose band breaks up and who gets dumped by his girlfriend. To top it off, his own family labels him as useless. Unexpectedly, he becomes an "uta no oniisan," a singing character on the children's show.

Main Cast
Ohno Satoshi - Yano Kenta
Chisa - Mizuno Akane
Totsugi Shigeyuki - Prince Himuro
Katase Nana - Mizuki Urara
Maruyama Ryuhei - Saito Mamoru
Kimura Yoshino - Manabe Kyoko
Ono Takehiko - Kenta's Dad
Sudo Risa - Yano Sakura; Kenta's Sister



Official Website: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/utaoni/index_org.html
More information @: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Uta_no_Onii-san

Exciting or what???! Please look forward to my screencaps from here on! do re mi fa so la ti do!

Nodame Cantabile's Piano Concerto

Nodame Cantabile's famous Rachmaninov Piano Concerto in C minor No.2 Op 18.
Chiaki - piano
Stresemann - conductor
A Orchestra collaboration for the mistress of the school.

Full details and more of the piece here @
http://clickpointshoot.blogspot.com/2009/02/rachmaninov-piano-concerto-in-c-minor.html

Nodame Cantabile link

If you want to check out Nodame Cantabile Synopsis and Summary, go to
http://conservative-cheapo.blogspot.com/2009/02/nodame-cantabile-drama.html

It is Hayato Matsuo! Major major!

He is one of the best modern composers I have ever come across! Composing music works for games, animes and shows delivering impact in all genres of the media industry. OH!!! OH!! hahaha I love his music!!! ><>March of the Black Queen
Sword Maniac
Super Hockey '94
Magic Knights Rayearth on Sega Saturn
Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Fuurai no Shiren
Kamen Rider 555
Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor
His latest works are the Hellsing original animation videos, Les Misèrables - Shoujo Cosette
Final Fantasy XII!!!!!
And many more......too good too good!! So good!!!!

I love listening to Kamen Rider 555!!

I haven't heard the rest above although I do know some titles. Ogre battle is nice! But I must check it out! OO Guyver! Violent violent show but I want to watch it!

Full biography is here: http://www.squareenixmusic.com/composers/matsuo/biography.shtml

Right I need to go and sort out the washing hehe its not too bad.....its quite simple just so as long as I follow the rules!

Then need to go out and get ready to head off to my friend's birthday party and a sleep over!!! WHOO!

Current Mood: Raining...yucky outside!

Kanon Wakeshima Cellist

AHH!! Kanon Wakeshima derived from the name Canon! I stumbled onto her website! She is so talented!! Ok I am copying and pasting all this information about her! She is good at drawing pictures too!!

Her website link: http://www.kanonweb.jp/

Kanon Wakeshima

19 years old, a cello vocalist

Kanon started playing the cello at the age of 3. She began to take full-scale guidance since early of age.

When she was a junior high school student, she formed a cello duo and an ensemble group. At the age of 15, she started playing the baroque cello as part of her classical ensembles. She appeared in many recitals and joint concerts.

She began music creation at the end of the junior high school times, and when she was 16 years old, she sang as a vocalist for the first time on stage of the senior high school festival.

As a multi-talented artist, Kanon joined the Sony Music Audition as a singer. She was one of the finalists and she made a contract with DefSTAR RECORDS.

• performance musical instrument : cello
• the opportunity when she began music : the recommendation of cello from her parents
• the music that she played for the first time : twinkle, twinkle, little star variations
• memorable song : haydn cello concerto
• favourite cell player : Jacqueline du Pré
• favourite musician : Emilie Simon, lily-chou-chou, Mayumi Kojima
• favorite composer : Debussy, Satie
• favourite painter : Alfons Maria Mucha
• favourite colour : red (mostly)
• hobby / special ability : drawing a picture

“My parents had made up their minds before I was even born that I was to take up music because they’re such great fans of music. They even gave me a musical name. Kanon, is actually taken from canon (and also written as ‘sound of flowers’ in Japanese).”





I watched it just then with a single lamp on and I got scared when my brother came knocking on my door lol. But it is ok!!! Not that scary! The japanese latest fashion is fusing doll-like fashion (lolita) with goth....surprisingly it looks quite cool to me if it is done properly lol. The Japanese are so big on trends!

Some drawings from her blog and she did draw them:

Painter

Random bird but I love the detailed work!

Strawberry Shortcake!

The best one! Snow White

Current Mood: Inspired!