The Universal Language

Music is the universal language...something that anyone can listen to, understand, and appreciate.

Listening to music is one thing, but playing is another. When you are making music with a group of people, all who share the same love, passion, and talent with you, you can't help but smile and think, "How lucky am I?" When you're in a band, they aren't just musicians, they aren't just friends, they're your family, and the band room is your home away from home. The same goes for any other type of music...orchestra, chorus, even a small rock band practiced in a garage and performed in a coffee shop on Friday nights.

I'm in the band program at my high school and I love it. It is one of the few things that make me truly happy in life. When I play with my friends, I feel that all is right with the world, and when we perform and the audience stands and cheers, I feel that I am truly making a difference. During the fall, we march, and although it is hard, grueling, even painful work, it is also extremely rewarding. We all work towards a common goal, and it makes me feel warm inside, knowing that in the end, all of our hard work really will pay off. At the end of a good run, whether it is during a rehearsal or at our final show at FMBC, you stand there, frozen in place with your horn in your hands, panting, completely out of breath, and you are filled with a sense of such happiness, such exhilaration, that the corners of your mouth turn up, your teeth show, and you don't even notice, nor mind, the beads of sweat rolling down your face.

Music can bring such happiness to a listener, but also to the player, who works so hard to play their best...to play their heart out...to play their soul out.

Music truly is the universal language, but it is also so much more than that. Music is love, happiness, and excitement. Music is life.

When Life Hands You Lemons

When life hands you lemons, throw them back and demand a more enjoyable fruit, because life is short and worth enjoying!

We are young...at the prime of our lives...and we shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing! We need to make a difference, an impact in the world, whether that is playing music for groups of people, feeding the homeless, or doing what you love to do most. For me, that means writing. I write, people read, and everyone's happy! Well at least I hope so. I do what I can to live my life to its fullest potential, because who knows...we could die any day. We could die TOMORROW! So make today worth it! Go to the beach with your friends, or spend the day out with your family, or take the day, just to yourself, to be alone, contemplate life, and do what you love to do. Do what makes you completely happy.

Love life. Live life.

Make it worth your while, as it should be. Because life is worth enjoying!

After all... you need more than just lemons to make lemonade.

-AJ

First post! :)

Hello and welcome to...The Teen Scene!!! The one and (maybe not) only place to get the low down on life as a teen, from an actual teen! (Yes, I know, your mind has been blown. ;) ) I'm here to share with you tidbits about my life and to give you advice about yours! I will try to be brutally honest with you, but it may come out sounding a little biased based on my life and who I am as of now.

So first for a little bit about me (you may care, you may not. I am going to tell you anyway, haha) : I'm about 5 foot 4 inches, or close to it, and while I used to believe that my hair was brown, I have admitted defeat and compromised with all of my friends who call me a blond, to agree that I am a dirty blond. Not dirty as in bad, 'cause I'm normally a pretty nice, good person. I have hazel eyes which often turn either greener or browner depending on what I'm doing. My usual attire is a t-shirt and shorts or jeans, at least around my house. I play trumpet and piano and I'm going into my second year in marching band, so if you think band is weird or stupid, don't bother coming back. Okay, okay, you can come back, just keep it to yourself, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but you still shouldn't "knock it 'till you try it", as some say. Another one of my favorite things to do is read and write. I wrote a novel called Creatures in the Forest and have plenty of other ideas for books and stories. I'll try to share some on here every once-in-awhile. If you have any ideas for a short story or poem, feel free to share it and I might just write a little something for you and post it on here!

So now you know a little about me, but I want to hear about you! Comment with your thoughts, questions, and problems and I'll get back to you as quickly as possible! (Wow I sound like an answering machine, hahaha.) Seriously, though, I want to hear about you and your problems, whether you're a teen dealing with your parents, or a parent dealing with your teen! I'll help as much as I can in the best way that I possibly can! And you can throw any type of problem at me...whether it's about school, friends, relationships, or even extra-curricular stuff!

Alrighty then, thanks for reading!
This is me, AJ, signing off for the very first time!
I hope to hear from you all very soon! Remember, I'm a teen, which means I have all summer to deal with whatever you need some help with, so don't be afraid to ask!
Thanks again! :)

-AJ