Taylor Swift has Her Cake and Eats it Too

https://soundcloud.com/madicrader/taylor-swift-has-her-cake-and-eats-it-too
Check out my latest podcast!!

Why Riding Horses has been the best experience of my life

http://theodysseyonline.com/transylvania/showing-horses-worlds-greatest-learning-experience/401651

A Playlist for My Love

I Love Jordan Mahaney Click here to hear a great playlist of music. These songs I have compiled all remind me of my love, Jordan Mahaney. He is the best boyfriend I could ask for, and I felt that music was a great way to represent all that I feel for him. I love you Jor Jor!!

Why I am proud to be a 20 year old Republican

http://theodysseyonline.com/transylvania/proud-20-year-old-republican/376546

Personal taste determines authenticity of artists’ music

Authenticity is a widely used adjective as it pertains to music and art. If an artist is deemed authentic,  than their work is generally perceived as high quality. If one does not like an artist or a specific type of music, one can often hear the excuse, “Their music is fake”. The problem arises in the fact that due to everyone’s specific taste, likes or dislikes, and backgrounds, their criteria for authenticity is going to change.
What makes a musician or a piece of artwork authentic? Personally, I do not think that an artist needs to fit into a cookie cutter genre to be deemed authentic. I think that their art needs to fluctuate and have a wide range in order to express their life and emotions to their audience in their music. Life doesn’t fall into a specific mold. Life changes and with that so does one’s emotions. I think it is only logical for an artist to have music that can bounce from one genre to the next because it allows for creativity and does not stifle emotion. While some music critics may not understand the music because of its lack of roots to a particular culture or audience that does not mean that it is not authentic. So I have come to the conclusion that an artist’s emotion and heart that they put into their music is what makes them authentic or not. Authenticity has nothing to do with culture, genre, or a particular audience. Trying to please a particular set of people to be considered authentic will only take the true emotion out of the music.

For example, let us take the artist Celine Dion. Most listeners of Celine Dion’s music all agree that she has incredible vocal abilities and can hit the high notes, but she is not able to connect with an audience. The phrase, “She has great pipes” comes to mind, thus relating her to a machine rather than a person. This is a very valid critique of her work in my opinion, because unlike other artists whom Celine is often compared, people don’t really know who she is, or why she is singing in the first place. I suppose it can be from her rags to riches past, but in reality, many artists have a rags to riches story, it does not really make her different, or understood as an artist and a person. It only makes her one of a group. Now, I think what makes other artists stand out that are generally in her same genre. Whitney Houston, or Amy Winehouse, you can hear their pain and emotion in their music. They sing about what is close to them, and they sing about their personal story, making them artists, not just singers with really talented singing ability.

Again, it comes down to personal preference or your taste. What do you like in your music? Do you just want something that you can blast and roll your windows down to on the freeway? Or do you prefer something heartfelt that you connect with on a deeper level while you are feeling all emotional for whatever reason? Do you like rap or do you like pop? Do you even want to hear lyrics or do you just want to listen to EDM and let loose. Authenticity is determined by your personal taste and there is no right or wrong way to experience and express your taste. Even though your tastes might be judged, and in particular, I judge artists whom I feel are not very talented or exemplify good taste, it comes down to the person, their experiences, and why they like or dislike someone or something. There really is no such thing as good or bad, it just changes according to the person.

My Role Model

I am currently working on my application to attend school at the University of Southern California in the fall of 2016. One of the questions on the application inquires about my role model. This is an easy question for me as my role model as shaped my entire life path and has taught me the importance of having a strong work ethic. My grandfather, William Ronald Sandwith, or Ron as he liked to go by, is my role model.

My Grandpa decided that he had a passion for business and he started a window and manufacturing company out of his garage of a tiny little home in his late twenties. That company later grew to being a multimillion dollar corporation by the time he died in 2003. I was very little when he passed away of a rare disease called progressive super nuclear palsy, but I will never forget the way he taught me to take risks and to go after everything that I wanted. His favorite musician was Kenny Loggins and there was a song called This is It by Kenny that will always be close to my heart. It embodies my grandfathers passion for chasing your dreams and doing so with a will to work and by being the best person you can be.

I will always look up to  my grandfather, as I shape my morals, and work ethic off of his success and his work ethic. I didn't grow up with a father, but I am lucky to have had my grandfather as a young girl. He will continue to teach me as I reflect on his life as I embark on my own endeavors into the professional world. I want nothing more than to make him proud.

Making the Best out of a Situation

It is like a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. I have survived the first quarter of my final year in Lexington, Kentucky, and currently homeward bound for fall break. I have four lovely days at home eating nothing but authentic Mexican food and drinking kale and spinach juice. The daydream itself is glorious even though the reality of it all is still a nine-hour flight away.Nothing really new to report on my behalf as far as my experience in Lexington goes. It is the same place; same people, same culture, and I still feel trapped as an outsider looking in to this funky way of life I will never completely understand.

All I know is that I made it through the most difficult part, and the rest is downhill from here. I look forward to embarking on the journey of the rest of my life. Even just on this plane ride, I feel free and I don’t feel so trapped. Just the fact that I made it through fall break, means that I can make it through the rest of this year as this past month and a half is the longest straight period of time I will have to stay in Lexington.

In part, I feel bad for my brother. I know he wants me to be happy in Lexington, and it will be bittersweet leaving him, but I just was not able to adapt to the ways of life here in the manner that he did. I will miss him, and I will miss not being two minutes away from him at all times, as it has been my entire life, but I realize that it is time to venture off on my own, not only away from my mother’s protective grasp, but also from the security blanket provided by my brother that I have grown to cherish when I needed a familiar face.I never told him truly how I felt, he’s not that type of guy, but he knows me, and deep down I think he knows that I need to be on the west coast. I know I have to return to school in a few short days and I know that time is going to fly by, but I am so ecstatic to be able to have this moment of relaxation and bliss back in Laguna Beach, even for a little while.

 Nothing lasts forever, but it is the little moments that will carry me through to my ultimate destination wherever that may be.  It may be USC, it may be an unforeseen path I have yet to ponder, but no matter where I go next, I will be a better, more educated person for having been through this experience in Lexington.