A-Z Guide to Happiness: S

S

Singing

I think I have always sung really from about the age of 6 or something. When I was in year 3 at middle school I joined the choir, and that was it from there really! I always loved singing and was always belting out the hymns in our assemblies.

I begged my parents for singing lessons and they always said no until one day I wrote my first song, after that they then let me go for singing lessons and within 3 years I had achieve grade 8 of the Rock School exams.

I studied music at college, which involved a lot of performing and I loved every minute of being on stage with my very dysfunctional family :) I was with such a talented bunch of musicians and I really hope they make it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB6_W7YzCmY

I love singing a variety of things from Rock to Country! My favourite is acoustic stuff though. I like to take chart songs and make an acoustic version. My old duet partner Harry was incredible, him and I always performed an acoustic set, he would play guitar and sing harmonies and I would sing the main melody, and if i say so myself it sounded bloody amazing! I'm gutted I don't get the chance to perform with him anymore (Adult life got in the way for me, and he's now at uni) as he is one of the most talented musicians I've ever met!

Another thing that's good about singing is if you are listening to music and focusing on the lyrics, it is a very good distraction against anxiety or things that are worrying you or making you feel low!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69PevoT0WOw

What makes you happy?

Much Love

LJ xo

A-Z Guide to Happiness: P

P

Photography

I love love love photography, for me it is a hobby, I believe that I have got an eye for it and I am capable of taking a good photo, and I never believe that I'm good at anything! So having confidence in this is a big deal. My only set back is that I couldn't do it professionally as I do not have the technical knowledge i.e f-stops and lighting etc.

I did try to learn this when volunteering at a photography studio, however I was not taught what to do, the photographer 'teaching' me would set up the lighting and camera and get me to do the shoot, but I already had the eye for what looked good, the right positioning of the model and the camera, I had an issue with making it happen technically. I also tried reading up on it but I just didn't understand it, I learn much better by doing and putting stuff into practice.

Here are a few of my shots..

What makes you happy?

Much Love

LJ Xo

A-Z Guide to Happiness: G

G

Helloooo

Gabrielle Aplin, originating from youtube, later getting one of her songs as the track for one of the Christmas John Lewis adverts.. Gabrielle Aplin's album English Rain is AMAZING.

I have always loved Gabrielle since I first her singing with Harry and Alfie (Hudson Taylor) then my friend showed me a few more of her songs. I've recently discovered her album English Rain, and that noticed that this album really helps with my anxiety.

Here is a link to a playlist of the album if you want to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b94dzKJfNIU&list=PLSVA3e8gd9-WZIGHBzgPgYKa3jb372VeC

My favourite tracks on this are
- Home
- Please don't say you love me
- Panic Chord
- Salvation
- I also love the song 'The Power of Love' but not sure if that's on this album!

What I do when I'm feeling anxious; If I'm at home then I will lay on my bed, light a lavender candle (Helps you to relax/sleep), turn off my light and just have on the bedside lamp instead, put the album on and relax, I've tried this a couple of times and it really helps!

I also recently went shopping whilst listening to the music in one earphone and I felt so much better! I wasn't worried about people talking to me or looking at me or anything like that, I felt shut off and un noticed - which is what I like when I'm shopping!:)

What makes you happy?

Much Love

LJ xo

A-Z Guide to Happiness: D

D

Hellooo

Dancing!

I personally am pretty pants at dancing but I used to do it when I was little and I did love it and I now wish that I had never stopped.

But even though I now don't dance, I do think it is something that can make others very happy, and watching others dance does make me happy so it still counts :P

Dancing is a very good way of releasing emotions as there are so many different types of dance and also different genres of music you could be performing too. Something like street dance would let out a lot of frustration I think as its a lot of tensing and relaxing your muscles and often has sharp hard movements. Where as ballet is often very calming, especially to watch!

One of my favourite types of dance would be contemporary, I think this is because it often tells a story that you can get lost in and you feel the emotions through their dance.

After having a look around online, I really liked this video (once the dancing starts! - about one minute in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx3NdoMpYDw

What would your word be??

Much Love

LJ xo

Studio Time!

HeyHey Lovelys!!

Sorry I haven't really posted this week :( I've been trying to hold back to do a holiday - mini haul type thingy but that wont be for another few days so I thought I'd tell you about my day.

Soooo today I spent the afternoon helping out some of my friends who were recording one of their tracks which I believe is going on their next EP. They are a very talented bunch of lads aged 18-19 who I think genuinely have the potential to make it within the music industry. They're called Rampant Horse. I urge you to check out this video! even if you only listen to the first song (around 50 seconds in) they are an incredible band and just listening to them gives me goosebumps and I'm so proud of them!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXlncQeeDwM


& They don't know that I'm posting this as none of them know that this blog even exists so I've not been asked to say any of this stuff.
Anyways, the track we were doing today is called Hold On and they needed as many people as possible to come in and sing a riff to imitate a crowd like at a festival when the crowd sings along to their favourite band. & It sounded awesome when it was all put together!!!


Here's a little clip from my friends vine of us singing the crowd bit - I'm the one with the sunnies on my head ;) lol https://vine.co/v/hmBH7zOOlBl

Couple more pics : The wonderful band - Rampant Horse

And here's a photo of some of us "crowd peoples" :) - if you like what I'm wearing this will be in my holiday mini haul post coming one day this week! :) 

If you like their stuff pop along to their facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/rampanthorseofficial and post saying LJ/ Lisa sent you!!:)

Toodles ♥

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30 Day Snap Challenge - Day 13

Hey Hey

Today was a busy and hectic day! Got up at 7, got to college for 9 then was pretty much non stop from then onwards until 11pm when I got home!! All because.... today was our final gig!:( boooo

As much as I dislike my college course, I was very sad that I most likely will not get the chance to perform with my boys again!! They are all incredibly talented musicians!! (check out Rampant Horse - they're one of the bands from my class :) ) & in a few weeks college all together will be over and I'm barely going to see any of them, which I don't really like the idea of, because although they do my head in because I'm the only girl and end up mothering them and doing everything for them because they're too lazy to do it themselves, they're all like my brothers and have got me through so much over the past 2 years, there has been heartache, tears, laughs, the lot! Any emotion you name it!!

Anyway time for me to stop being soppy!! I have got video's of the gig & I will probably share them with you once I've got them in the correct format and such.

So today's picture is of me and my boys (and 2 of the tutors which have been there throughout our time there)

Toodles ♥

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30 day snap challenge day 12

Hey hey,
Most of my day was spent doing an assignment that's due in tomorrow, fun fun! Out of all the areas on my course this is probably my weakest, writing songs on logic and stuff like that, I'm a lot slower than the others, probably because I'm a singer and they're all guitarists so they know more about keys and stuff like that. I'm a bit rambly this evening, sorry!
I also had talent scouts from the voice come to my college today so I auditioned for that too, so fingers crossed :)

Bed time now

Toodles <3

30 Day Snap Challenge - Day 10

Hey Hey!!

Today's snap is of my music stuff! Didn't realise I had quite so much stuff until I got i all out. I'm not actually that good at guitar but I like them and I cant bring myself to get rid of any of them!!

From Left to right in this picture I have

Microphone : sE2000 - around £80 but you need an audio interface box with it ( I use Cakewalk  UA-4FX )
Keyboard : Yamaha PSR E403 - I don't use this anymore since I got my electric piano but it was very good for learning and you can record on it too which is VERY useful when song writing!:) -
not sure if this is still available

Now the guitars

Electric - Westfield baby pink - I got this 2nd hand from the music school that I went to, I've never been able to play power chords or anything like that so I cant get a very good sound out of it! I'm sure a good guitarist could though :) 

Chantry - I bought this from a charity shop called Sue Ryders I'm not sure if its just a local one of its nationwide, but it only cost £50 and its not 2nd hand, the shop actually make and supply them themselves, very good for a starter guitar!! 

Tanglewood - this one is my baby!!! My FAVOURITE guitar, It has a hand painted design on it and my name written on it also!! It's a lovely sounding guitar, its an electric acoustic so good for gigging also and has a built in tuner which is always handy! I bought this from Ziva guitars - this is the make/shape of the guitar I got http://www.zivaguitars.com/#!Tanglewood Discovery Deluxe|c1crq but I got it in black and with the design "la fleur" which made it end up looking like http://www.zivaguitars.com/#!la Fleur|c1m2e 

Westfield - Another westfield guitar! I've not played this one really, I have it out on display though as it's pretty, I got this for my 18th birthday from one of my bestfriends at college. When he passed me the guitar case and said happy birthday I was like.. haha very funny you cant have seriously got me a guitar, and refused to open it thinking something was going to jump out at me, then when I saw it was infact a guitar, and pink it was clear that it was infact for me!! Talk about a good friend or what?!

'Herald' - This one is my slight guitar of shame lol! It was my first ever guitar, I must have got it when I was about 8, it is a nylon strung guitar (at first I thought that was all you could get then I didn't understand why mine sounded different and later realised it was because I didnt have a steel string) & I got this from Argos.... Sorry musicians! I didn't play it for a good few years though! then eventually I did, picked up the basics quick enough and then my collection grew!

Finally!!!! The electric piano - this is a Korg SP250 which costs around £600 and it is VERY good! I was given this for me to learn my piano grades on !:) 

The software which I use for recording is Sonar Le - and I have NO idea how to use it, if anyone knows how to use this software I would greatly appreciate some tips!!!

Anyway this has turned out to be quite a long blog post so time for me to shhh!!

Toodles ♥

If you want to know what this 30 Day Snap Challenge is click here to go to --> Sprinkle of Glitters <-- Page whom I am doing the challenge with along with many other bloggers:) 

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30 Day Snap Challenge - Day 6

HeyHey

Just a short post today as I'm still not feeling too great and just got home and as its 11pm I think I should go to bed soon!!

It seem's that my eye-makeup post is getting some interest, would you like me to do more makeup posts? (just to state I am not trained in makeup or anything like that, I just enjoy playing around a learnt a little bit when I was training as a photographer as I had to work with Makeup artists)

Anyways... Today's picture is from my lunch time! Mcdonald's yey! I go there every Thursday on my lunch break from college! don't know why, it was always monday before but then our timetable changed! bit of a tradition for my class!!:) This is my local shopping mall/foodcourt.. :)

Bedtime now!

Toodles ♥

30 Day Snap Challenge - Day 3

Hey Hey!!

Today I spent 4 hours from 9 until 1 working in the recording suite at college, firstly setting up the equipment, and then recording all of the tracks for a band in my class as a part of the course I'm doing. I have to say it was INCREDIBLY stressful!!! Trying to set up 14 microphones and check that each one is working (and if its not - trying to work out what the problem is) and communicate with everyone, whilst people are missing around and not paying attention... very hard work! But eventually we did it and got the song laid down! Now  the next step is to mix it! Although next week it's my turn to do the performing so I might mix our track instead of another band's :)

I'm now sitting at home on my own, procrastinating... I have lots of assignments to be in, some that i didn't even know about until today! Woopsie! But I really don't know where to start, or have the will power to do anything after a 9-4 day at college, but it needs to be done! So anyway, must be off now! Feel free to drop me a message on here or twitter, would love to talk to some other bloggers :)

Here's my snap for today...

Toodles ♥

Hi Hi!

Hey! Not really sure where to start with this whole blogging dealio or what I should even say really... but here goes!!

First off, my name isn't actually Ell unfortunately *sad face* - but basically people call me LJ so that's how I got the name EllJaye :) I am 18 years old & I'm a music student in Norfolk, UK. Some of my hobbies are, singing, photography, gaming and I quite like experimenting with makeup too - so I might even put a bit of that up on here if I'm ever feeling 'wild'!

The reason for why I'm starting this blog is because I was initially going to try vlogging on youtube, however I haven't got the guts to do that just yet, so I thought blogging would be the best place to start! I've not got a specific topic that this blog is based around, I'm just going to talk about pretty much whatever is in my head at the time the keyboard is under my fingers! Whether it be about life, love, makeup, music - whatever chatter is needed! One thing I am hoping to get out of this blog is that I am the type of person that always gives advice to my friends, so I hope that if people ever actually end up reading this, I'll be able to help them out too!!

Anyways! I know this wasn't a very long post but it is ... 2am now (wasn't expecting that time to pop up when I looked at the clock!). So I think sleep is probably needed :)

Shall write again soon :)

Toodles!:) ♥