New Music Video 'Heartbreak Mashup' Finally Released! Battle Scars, Just A Dream, Love The Way You Lie, & Some Nights All In One Song!

After weeks of writing, recording, filming, editing, and months of procrastination I finally got around to releasing my first mashup this past Valentine's Day just as I had planned all along. I originally got the idea for this song last summer while listening to Just A Dream by Nelly. I was singing along (as usual) when it suddenly hit me that Some Nights by Fun and Battle Scars by Lupe Fiasco both sounded pretty good with it. This, and having just watched Pitch Perfect and become obsessed with mashups, inspired me to start making mashups, many more of which you will hopefully be seeing soon.

Routine vs. Spontaneity (The Rambling Road)

“Routine, in an intelligent man, is a sign of ambition.”
― W.H. Auden

“Say yes and you'll figure it out afterwards.” 

― Tina Fey

I don't know if it is the same for you, but one of the biggest struggles I face daily is trying to be spontaneous. However, at the same time I also face the challenge of figuring out how to create more productive daily routines so that I can accomplish what I want to accomplish and not become lazy and unproductive. It it this challenge of balancing following a following a set path to your destination vs. wondering and hoping you get there which is very vital in many successful (and unsuccessful) people's lives. How you live in the moment while also following a plan is something which varies from person to person, yet is universally human.

For the past couple of summers I have witnessed my grand ambitions fizzle out within the first couple of weeks and be forgotten completely, only to be picked up in a rush with two weeks left before I had to return to school. No one is to blame for this other than myself, which is both a bad and a good thing. While it is very easy to get yourself down playing the blame game, I have also been able to find encouragement in the fact that because the problem lies within me, the solution is also there as well. However, just because the solution is within me doesn't mean it is to come by easy; changing a routine can be likened to trying to change a bad habit since both are usually subconscious activities we resort back to in time of stress.

This summer I was initially quite excited about all the things I could get done. For one, I was just excited to be home from college, because if college has taught me anything it is that I should appreciate being home. But I also had a lot of work planned as well. Some of of the things, such as making videos for my tech channel on YouTube (Digital  Tech Reviews & Tips) was more "work" than real work, though I do make some money through Adsense and Amazon Affiliates. Other things, such as working at my family's outdoor movie theatre on weekends or heading up the social media department at my dad's local newspaper definitely had a more job like feel to them, even if in both situations I was only working for my parents. On top of this, I had the goal of recording several songs, and the music videos to go with them, for my music channel. I especially wanted to accomplish this because I really felt like I don't get to make music enough anymore. To wrap up my goals for this 2014 summer was of course the almost obligatory 'hanging out with friends',  as well as working out regularly and having fun.

Now here I sit (or lie on my bed actually - god I'm lazy), typing away, a full three weeks into my summer vacation and....I really haven't done much. Well I've done some things: I've filmed and uploaded some tech videos, worked at the outdoor movie theatre, and Facebooked and Twittered for the newspaper, but I feel unaccomplished and as if I haven't completed anything that I wanted to. Maybe this is because I have neglecting the things that I really wanted to do and know are good for me (like making music and working out) and instead have been focusing only on a few things. Maybe it is because I have slipped back into the dependent lifestyle that I tend to lead when at home (more on this likely to follow in later posts) and become the lethargic, computer addicted, 6'5" tall 19 year old that I am and there is nothing that I can do to change it. Or maybe it's because I just need to "Do It" (Thanks Nike) and add some spontaneity to my routine of not changing my routine even though I am not happy with the results it produces.

If you're still with me through that incredibly rambly bit above, I would like to know what you do to be more productive. What do you do when you get stuck in a rut and the only way for you to get out is to jump out into a new track? I am starting to change my routine by trying to write every morning (either for this blog, my tech blog (Digital Tech Reviews & Tips) or my forward thinking blog (We The People 2.0). Writing helps me crystallize my thoughts, clear my mind, and also feel productive at the same time. It is a fairly easy task with pretty much no constraints whatsoever. Maybe I'll even do some spontaneous things (like get outside before noon...nah) to spice up my blog and make it more interesting for the NSA (who I gurantee are the only people reading this).

Oh, btw, I hate to admit it but I don't have my driver's license yet. Pretty sad, but I'm gonna be working on getting that soon.

A New Chapter...

Yesterday was the day you see in so many movies, read about in so many books, and hear about from all your friends: college move in day. For me this day came with excitement, trepidation, anticipation, sadness, happiness, and basically every other emotion out there. Since this was the biggest change thus far  in my relatively short life, you can imagine why I was feeling so many emotions. Somewhat like when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon, though definitely not on the same scale, I was moving away from something that I had known my entire life and stepping into a whole new world (cue the music from Aladdin).

After all of the anticipation, packing, rushing around, the long car ride, meeting my roommate, unpacking, and settling in for my first night, I realized that the day had been completely different than I had thought it would be, yet the exactly the same at the same time. My college move in day was exactly like everyone elses', but it was also uniquely mine at the same time.
Each day is really a new day even if we don't expect to do new things. I expect for new things to happen from now into the future and they probably will, because of that. One of the simplest life facts is that: if you are looking for something new, you will surely find it, and if you are content with staying the same, the same you shall stay. I have decided to embrace my college experience, try new things, meet new people, have fun but also learn. I have for so long been someone who looks back on the past and longs for new things to have happened when in fact I should have been looking forward expecting things to happen. We perceive the world with our mind, so how we think about it in our mind is how we perceive it.

But now, I must go and leave this rambling blog post alone. Convocation is tomorrow and classes start on Wednesday and I have a whole world of new things to do between now and then.

Creativity, Now!

Creativity and the appreciation of another being's creativity are two traits that we currently believe are uniquely human. Here creativity, the expression of one's imagination, is not limited to art but any expression of an original idea. Even when one considers the animals that come close to our intelligence — for example the Chimpanzee which has been observed creating tools — we see that they only create or make things to serve physical needs, never to express themselves. Our creation and appreciation of the art itself isn't a new thing. People were making art over 5,000 years ago during the time of Egypt and ancient India. However, these two traits have experienced rapid changes recently, due to the increasing accessibility and use of digital media, which threaten to upset the relationship between the artist's creation of a work of art and the other's appreciation of it.
Today a vastly increased number of people are able to create art and express their creativity because of computers and other digital devices. These new devices and medias, such as digital photo editors, tablets, and Twitter, offer artists the chance to really take their art form to a whole different level and express themselves in ways never thought possible a century, fifty, or even ten years ago. Technology also allows for others to discover their own fundamental creative impulses by making being creative easier, more appealing, and affordable. Take for example cell phones. Most people today, artist or not, own and use a cell phone which, because of the current technology, is able to take photos that actually look good and no longer require the apology of "This was taken on a cellphone".
Once created, thoughts, videos, songs, and other expressions of human creativity can be "shared" much easier than ever before, thanks entirely to the growth of social media networks and the internet. Someone could think "My life sucks more than a vacuum" and in less than 30 seconds have it as their Facebook status, an amazing feat considering that it would usually take you longer just to run and tell your neighbor. Though it goes against logic, the amount of "sharing" of products of human creativity that we are seeing today may in fact not be completely beneficial to the process. With more people than ever expressing and sharing their creativity, we come to the point where human beings must be able to appreciate more art than ever before; otherwise that vital second half of art, the appreciation of it by another human being, will be lost in a sea of blurry photos, out of tune songs, and rambling essays.
The rituals of creating and displaying art have changed drastically in the past twenty years. What historically was a lengthy cooperative process is now a quick and simple singular activity. This transformation has occurred both in the process of actually creating the art as well as in the sharing. Actions that in the past involved physical changes now take place digitally without the idea ever entering the "real" world. Photos can be viewed instantaneously and discarded without the slightest hesitation, likewise drawings can be erased with the click of the erase tool in Sketchbook, and an entire book could be rewritten without inking a single page.
Ideas and creations can now be shared and distributed more easily and cheaply, thus making artists less selective about their creations. Rather than sharing five really well taken photos with the world, a photographer can share 100 just by uploading them to Flickr or Picasa. By eliminating the process of selection and self-criticism that photographers once had to go through when the only way of displaying their work was by paying a lot of money for it to be displayed, the proverbial filter is removed and art is free to flow in an unrefined form. Collectively these processes end up devaluing the art that is created by sheer volume alone; clouding the pool of art and spreading our appreciation out among many.
As a Waldorf student, I have had the unique opportunity to be able to express my creativity through many different media. I have painted, sculpted clay, forged metal, and even carved stone. I did not enjoy working with some of these media because I found them difficult and time consuming to work with; however, by being forced to express myself through a medium that I wouldn't have naturally chosen, I not only form the sculpture, drawing, or cloth that I am working with, but I also form part of myself. The most recent example was during our stone carving block when I came to the realization that I am often afraid to act, lest I might make a mistake. This stemmed from the observation that at first I was quite reluctant to make any major changes to the stone. As I chipped away at the shapeless piece of marble, I loosened the bands of reluctance that restricted the flow of creativity from my heart to my hands. Working with an unfamiliar media allows one to discover unknown inner truths about one's self.
Besides just learning about what are now often considered outdated processes, I have also experienced what it is like to self-critique as well as have a connection to what I am creating through the creation of main lesson books. For over ten years I have created main lesson pages, each one thought out and then carefully brought into form. For most of those years, I have had to do the pages completely by hand, a very time consuming process. In recent years teachers have allowed us to use a computer generate our pages, which saves time but also leaves me, the creator, less attached to my creation because I  have less(in this case time) invested in it . No bad grade on an essay typed on a computer will ever come close to a bad grade on an essay that I had to hand write three separate drafts of. Although identical in thoughts, words, and composition, the essay which I pen by hand will be closer to my heart because I can touch it, feel it, know it, and destroy it.
The contrast between modern and outdated methods is especially pronounced in the art of photography. Instead of light being captured on film via a chemical process it is now directed towards a sensor which converts it into electronic impulses.  Both ways are at the same time alike and yet so radically different that it is hard to remember that the idea and the end result are virtually the same. The process can best (and possibly only) be described by the following metaphor. Taking a picture with a digital camera, with which you see the end result immediately, is like going to the store and buying the headphones that you want. You see the headphones, an idea is sparked, and you get to enjoy them almost instantly. Taking a picture with a film camera though, which requires a period of waiting during which first the negative and then the print is developed, is like asking for the headphones you want for Christmas and then finally opening the box on Christmas morning. You see them, an idea is sparked, and you must wait to be able to enjoy them.
The waiting is perhaps the most essential factor in connecting the artist to his work. A digital photograph, while still able to evoke satisfaction or disappointment within the artist, can never reach level of connection that a film photograph has to its creator. The moment the shutter closes, the photos are in fact both the same, but the photo that holds its taker in suspense the longest is the one that holds his heart. Just like wine which is fermented and is able to please or displease the drinker far greater than grape juice, the work of art that an artist has to wait for can satisfy or disappoint him far more than that which comes quickly.
In our ever more connected world, instant (or as close to instant as you can get) seems to be the trend, especially when sharing the gems of human creativity. People want the fastest internet, 4G, or WiFi, connection possible so that they can upload a funny video of cats playing to YouTube, a picture of a sunset to Instagram, and an original song to Soundcloud, not to mention the increasingly necessary requirement of tweeting about the whole process. All of the sites available for sharing contain a feature that allows users to quickly show how they feel about that certain idea or creation by allowing the viewer to "like" or comment on it. Recent studies have shown (though I don't remember which ones) that people are actually becoming addicted to having other users "like", "thumbs up", "retweet", or otherwise broadcast their appreciation for, the content that the would-be artist posted. I have definitely noticed this practice in myself. For instance, when I post a status which I think is clever or witty pertaining to current events on Facebook, I find myself coming back often to check if my "friends" have "liked" what I said, appreciated my creation, clicked a mouse button.
Whether this predicament that we have gotten ourselves into, the imbalance of creation to appreciation, will find an equilibrium or become destructive to our own creativity is something that only the ticking of the clock will tell. What we do know is that the amount of creative production that the world is seeing from the rest of the connected world is at a level that is unsurpassed by any other time in history. I hope that in our struggle to correct this imbalance human beings increase their capacity to appreciate art rather than decrease the production of it. We are in our essence creative beings and we will create a solution to this quandary if we are to retain our humanity

Instagramers One and All

If you are into the awesome image sharing service Instagram, check me out @gabeshakour. I share cool photos of stuff and try to to keep it fresh.

Climbing The Charts: Is It Still Possible?

Many artists today, including myself, have a vision of one day becoming well known enough that the music you write will be played on radio stations, in clubs, or in in people's cars all around the world. The popular method of trying to reach that goal is to just start recording and making music, improving with experience. And thanks to the technology that is available today, it is easier than ever to get started producing some good sounding songs. However, because of the sheer amount of people currently creating music, I often wonder if it's even still possible to be heard from among the herd of equally deserving musicians and vocalists. Is the only way to break through to fame luck (aka getting discovered on YouTube) or is even that have to do with putting in countless hours of hard work?
I personally don't know and probably never will. Maybe by the time I die I might have a slightly better understanding of this issue, but I doubt it can ever be as simplified as some people try to make it. Either way, I will keep making music because ultimately it is still fun for me whether it is the whole world or just my friends and family who listen to my songs. What do you think? Let me know.

Making Your Own Fairytale Ending

In every movie, story, or play the perfect 'happy ending' seems to be as predictable as gravity. However in real life, you have to do a lot more than just wait for the universe to serve you up a fairytale ending on a silver platter. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to be with the one you love.

Baby I'll walk to you
So our dreams can come true,
Nothing can keep us apart because the force of hearts,
Is more than anything in this world,
Baby I'll walk to you
So our dreams can come true,
Mountain, bullet, or train,
I'll push right through the pain,
And I'll get to you; oh I'll walk to you.