The Voice

So, on saturday I watched the BBC's new talent show The Voice. I knew it was starting this weekend, but as I'm not a real fan of your normal run of the mill talent shows, I hadn't intentionally decided to watch it, it just happened to be on

I've watched programs like britian's got talent and the X-factor before, and found them entertaining to some extent, but not so enthralling that I felt the need to watch them most weeks. However, musical based shows such as Any Dream Will Do, How Do You Solve a Promblen Like Maria and I'd Do Anything, now they're another story, alongside Strictly and So You Think You Can Dance.
There's something about the genrealised 'talent' contests that just doesn't quite work for me, with the endless episodes designed to host some (sometimes questionable!) talent, but also to provide a platform to laugh at those who are perhaps a ittle deluded as to their own abilities. Yes, maybe they are hopless, but it makes them happy, so quite frankly who cares? It's not for the general public to play with their hopes and dreams.

I often also find the judges somewhat irritating, with vague or unfair comments, sometimes provided by those who often have no more of a clue than the person up on stage.
Enter the voice.

The format of the show is, from what I've seen so far, entirely different to that of other talent shows, with the intention of stripping it all back to what really matters - the music. At first I thought the choice of judges a little odd and gimicky, but seeing them all perform together at the beginning of the show really validated their positions and showed exactly why they are qualified enough to take the budding singers under their wing to tutor them. At the end of the day the program is all about the voice and the music, without the gimmicks, the costumes, the dance moves, and the great celebrity mirage, and the judges are there to help mold that voice into something truley remarkable. Yes there is the competative edge there, and it is without dout a talent competition, but it's about the potential for singing great music and the journey in getting there, rather than a fame fuelled drive to be the next big thing.
As Jessie J said after hearing one of the performers sing - the fame and the money are bonus', it's the music that matters. If the singers get a celebrity following along the way, then great, but it needs to be because of the music they make and their voices, rather than their ability to put on a show and be famous for famous' sake.

This show marks the devide between those are in it for the fame, but perhaps lack talent somewhat, and those who are in it for the music, because it's important to them and, hopefully, important to others. And that is the whole point of creating music and sharing it with others, something that often gets forgotten in today's music industry.

Yay, it's the Easter Holidays!

So, the Easter holidays have finally arrived and I now have a whole month off! A whole month - four weeks of freedom, 28 days, one twelfth of the year. That seems ages right? Think of how much I can do during that time! All the places I can go, jobs that have been niggling me for ages I can finally get done, all the time I can spend with my friends...

Although I suppose it is now Wednesday, so after a weekend at work and a couple (literally!) of days at home I now only have 3 1/2 weeks left. And I'm sat on a train at the moment on my way back to my uni home to work for the rest of the week and over the weekend. Add to that the fact that I'm still working in Sussex every weekend and have rehearsals over there one night a week...

Oh, and I have an essay to write and a lengthy stats exercise to do. And I suppose if I've got exams next term I should probably do some reading and revision in preparation. So that's 6 courses to revise at, let's say a day each, plus 2 pieces of coursework at maybe 3 days each, so that's 12 days. Plus 11 days spent at work - 23 days. And 3 days gone already - so 26. 
So that leaves me with the grand total of 2 days to spend relaxing, shopping, attempting to get my life straight and seeing my friends. Wasn't I going to decorate my bedroom at some point as well?

4 weeks really isn't all that long is it?

Oh well, onwards and upwards, at least the sun is shining...

Happy Mothering Sunday!

So tomorrow is mothering Sunday, with sons and daughters alike across the country buying gifts, cards and flowers for their mums (and sometimes even their grandmothers and aunties!)  But where does this tradition come from?


Mothering Sunday in the UK is originally a Christian event marking the 4th Sunday in lent, the one Sunday in which people, daughters in particular, who worked in the big houses would return to their home (mother) church rather than attending their usual church closest to where they worked ( known as a daughter church). 
Today mothering Sunday is more about spoiling mums and thanking them for the all the little things they do for us all year round.
When I was little I used to ask my dad why, if there was a mothers day and a fathers day, there wasn't a daughters day (I'm afraid sons didn't get a look in!) and he would always say that everyday is daughters day. I think he had a point there! Think of all the things you mum does or has done for you every day, just because. Think of all the little things she's bought you as a treat, just because she thinks you deserve it, and think about all the times you've given her hassle or not been quite as grateful as you should have been. 

Whilst mothering Sunday is a great excuse to celebrate our mums, it can also be one of the most difficult days of the year for some people, particularly those who have lost their mums, or for those mothers who have lost their children. On the other hand it can also be a special time for new mums or even those waiting to adopt or be adopted. Either way it's all about family and stopping to appreciate all the little things that mums do for us.

As well as being mothering Sunday, the 4th Sunday in lent is also refreshment Sunday, where everything is about food - and yes, that means that you're allowed to indulge in all the things you've given up for lent! So what've you got planned for this mothering Sunday? Why not spoil your mum by combining the two and taking care of the cookingmformthe day, even if that means a sneaky takeaway - we promise we won't tell!

Just a quick note...

Sorry it's been a little quiet on here over the last couple of weeks. It's nearly the end of term here at uni, so I'm afraid the coursework is calling and keeping me away from all the things I love to blog about.

However, it's not all doom and gloom! It's less than a week now until my Easter Holidays and boy have I got a lot planned for my time off, starting with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall next week with the Brighton Festival Chorus.

So, for now I'm afraid I'm signing off to return to the joys of a lab report, however I promise I will be back and definitely before next Friday!

PS you may have seen my post about Laura Ashley last week, which I've taken down momentarily, but if I can I'll put it up again as soon as possible!