Five year old Akim Camara playing Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Dance of the Fairies’ with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra.
In 2004 – when Akim was only 3 years old – he already performed Ferdinand Kuchler’s violin concertino in G, opus 11 with André in the Netherlands. Followed by a brief encore performance. Akim exited stage right after two massive standing ovations.
With his uncanny ability to memorize a musical piece after hearing it only once or twice, Akim’s talent developed rapidly and his youthful enthusiasm and passion for the violin only grew.
This time Akim was performing a more complex piece, Dance of the Fairies, at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall with an appropriately bigger violin. He also sang “Pie Jesu” with Carla Maffioletti.
The clip is taken from the DVD André Rieu Live in New York City.
Going back in to work tomorrow. Not on the schedule, but extra money for those stupid ass student loans.
Whoever thought of that didn’t think about what it would do in the long run. People have in their heads that these people going to work in restaurants and what not are losers who couldn’t go to college when the reality of the matter is they are being filled by college students, who couldn’t find jobs coming right out of college.
Another day in this carnival of souls
Another night settles in as quickly as it goes
The memories are shadows ink on the page
And I can’t seem to find my way home
And it’s almost like
Your heaven’s trying everything
Your heaven’s trying everything
To keep me out
All the places I’ve been and things I’ve seen
All the stories that made up
A million shattered dreams
The faces of people I’ll never see again
And I can’t seem to find my way home
To break me down x3 Oh!
Your heaven’s trying everything
Your heaven’s trying everything
To break me down
I’m applying to The Dons’-Wood Fired Pizza. I plan on asking them why they started selling gluten free. It’s a family owned business, which probably means they care about people, but still. I would like an answer. And I think you’re supposed to ask questions. Never understood why. If I’m the one being interviewed, why am I the one asking questions? Or, why am I asking questions or expected to ask questions?
[22:25]
We went to the Kennedy Center today and got t-shirts and our programs signed by the cast of Gigi! We were in and out in less than an hour and mom was able to get her money for parking back.
20150208 [20:20] Sunday
Even though I sent them multiple e-mails telling them I want to cancel, I was STILL charged $27 today. On top of that, I woke up today feeling nauseated and I still feel that way! On top of THAT, I started filling out an application for Wood Fired Pizza for the evening shit to find out that today I’m working in the evening two days next week. Really?
The only highlight of the day were Charlene Harris Dead Until Dawn and the family dinner tonight. Which I almost fell asleep during. I had REALLY bad headache during that dinner.
[20:26]
And the only time I didn’t feel nauseous was when I was eating. Until I got full. Then it got worse. Mom told me that 20 some people at her job had some kind of stomach flu and she guess I caught it from somewhere.
I need to be sick like a hole in the head.
I took a benadryl at 8. Contemplating just going to sleep now or waiting until 9. I don’t really feel like reading anymore even thought it got pretty interesting before I went to dinner.
Which Version of Frozen‘s “Let It Go” Is More Relatable?
Original vs. Remake
Certain lines are going to be mentioned throughout this article. If you wish to see them, click here for the original version sung by Idina Menzel and click here for the remake sung by Demi Lovato. The videos were put at the top not only for your convenience, but also because they, too, are going to be discussed.
Now, I’m gonna start off by saying that the two versions are spectacular by themselves, but when a comparison is done, one of them will reign supreme.
Have you ever taken a good look at the lyrics? If you have, did you ever wonder if the changes in the lyrics to remake help the song? If you haven’t looked at the changes, I hope a peek will help you start to wonder.
To begin, I need to make a particular point clear before I more forward to analyze the lyrics themselves; I despise people making the statement, “Check out Demi’s/Idina’s new song, ‘Let It Go’!” It’s not their song. It was written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and it was PERFORMED by Demi Lovato and Idina Menzel. That is a big difference. Give credit where it is due.
Getting back to the songs themselves, I’m going to start with the lyrics, (this is where my being an English major in college kicks in) so if you clicked the two links above, your initiative will not have been in vain. And, if you have seen the videos, they shall also be discussed for they go hand in hand with the lyrics and how they are sung.
If you look at the very beginning, you can see that the two versions have already started off differently. In the remake, the song starts with:
Let it go, let it go Can’t hold you back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door
After this, the song gets into the original beginning that we hear in Frozen, which you can hear above if you need a refresher.
The remake, sung by Demi Lovato, has already begun with some points removed. The song starts off talking/singing to the listener, “Can’t hold you back anymore,” but then switches to the singer with the line, “Turn my back and slam the door.” This version starts off lacking a direction. The original version, sung by Idina Menzel, begins with:
The snow glows what on the mountain tonight, Not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation, And it looks like I’m the Queen.
Right in the beginning, we know who the song is about and it makes it more relatable. If the remake is meant to be empowering with the usage of the word “you,” I appreciate it, but the lack of consistency makes the song weaker. Is the focus supposed to be on the singer and their experiences or is it an encouraging song for the listener? It’s difficult to tell when the song starts off with “you” and then injects “me.”
Another thing to address is the chorus: only one word is changed; the injection of the word “you” into the remake instead of leaving it as “it” like it was in the original. Why the change? The word “it” would have worked perfectly in both versions. The word “it” is generic and could have worked with anything a new singer/a listener, someone looking to use this song to empower themselves, decided to replace “it” with. The change from “it” to “you” was not only unnecessary, it was damaging in establishing a focus in the remake, as I mentioned before.
In the movie Frozen, the song, the original, is about how Elsa, voiced by Idina Menzel, is finally free from her fears and free to use her ice powers instead of being afraid of everyone finding out. Now that they know, she can let it go. Elsa (Idina Menzel) is singing about herself, which is seen and heard clearly in the usage of the words “I” and “me.” The only time she uses the word “you” is when she is repeating what her parents were telling her her entire life, “Be the good girl you always have to be.” Now that everyone knows about her powers “being good” is no longer necessary. In addition, she is finally able to be happy, not fearful, which better enables her to control her powers, as can be seen in the video at 2:27 when she begins to build the ice castle while singing:
My power flurries through the air into the ground My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
The remake takes that section of the original and changes it to this:
Standing frozen in the life I’ve chosen You won’t find me, the past is behind me Buried in the snow
The original’s version is more powerful in the context I put it in AND in context of the song. In the original, fear is mentioned:
It’s funny how some distance Makes everything seem small And the fears that once controlled me Can’t get to me at all
Elsa is singing about letting go of her fear and “To test the limits and break through.” Combine that with the lines about one thought crystallizing “like an icy blast” is a powerful metaphor! To sum up the song, don’t let your fears control you, see what you can do, test your limits and, eventually, you will realize you are powerful and one thought will eventually “crystallize like an icy blast.” Let go of the past, move forward and let the storm rage on. Because, at this point, after having faced your fears and realized what you can do, the “cold,” the storm, will no longer bother you.
With that in mind, I have a question: what is the remake about?
It makes references to fear, certainly, but, in that version, they make no reference to “powers,” or being held back from improving yourself, thus I have no idea what needs to be “let go” in the first place. The remake mentions the past being, “Buried in the snow,” but what about the past needs to be let go? What about the past was so fearful that it needed to be let go in the first place? Now, if the person has seen the movie or has watched the music video, they’ll know, but what if they haven’t? What if they’re just listening to the song and have no idea what Frozen is about?
The original version of the song gives you this:
It’s time to see what I can do To test the limits and break through No right, no wrong, no rules for me I’m free
From that, the listener can infer that the person (singer) has broken away from whatever was holding them back and they are now free to accomplish whatever it was they wanted to accomplish. They have let go of the past. But what can be inferred from the remake? The remake mentions fear and:
Up here in the cold thin air, I finally can breathe I know left a life behind but I’m too relieved to grieve
Why did they (person/singer in remake) leave in the first place? In what sense are they being held back? The original is talking about freedom while the remake reminds me of a spoiled brat running away from home because they didn’t get their way.
In the remake, what storm is howling inside? What are they being held back from? Or what is holding them back? What are they afraid of? And even if they are, “Standing frozen in the life I’ve [they’ve] chosen,” it doesn’t mean much if we have no idea what life they were leaving before. What past is being, “Buried in the snow,” and why should we care? The only reason why we would care is because of the VIDEO showing us clips from the movie showing us what life is being left behind and what was being let go. If we were just listening to the song (remake), the only reason why we would like it is because of Demi Lovato. Slap a famous person’s name on it and the song goes viral.
However, in the original, the storm inside is the fear of everyone finding out about Elsa’s power over ice and that was the fear that was controlling her. When she finally lost her fear, she was able to learn and see what she could do, test her limits and find her freedom. The entire song is literal for the movie, but it’s a large metaphor for reality. If someone was to listen to the original, they wouldn’t need the video. All the references they would need to understand what was going on is in the song. And because of it’s clear references, thus making it a powerful metaphor, makes it a more relatable and memorable song.
And it helps that Elsa, after singing, “Well, now they know,” at 1:03, she cracks a smile. And she is smiling THROUGHOUT the song. She looks happy! In the beginning of the song, she is clearly sad and upset, but we are there to gradually see her go from sad to delighted. From self-conscious to confident. We see a whole new woman!
And, because of Idina Menzel’s powerful voice, we can hear the transition. (This is where my having been in choir between 5th grade and my senior year of high school (7 years) kicks in to assist in the analysis.) Demi Lovato is definitely the better known singer (I had to research who sang for the movie) but the person I feel who has the better voice quality of the 2 singers is Idina Menzel.
Idina has the power the song requires. Demi, as my aunt put it, (and I agree) is too sweet. The song is about finally being free. Power is a necessity and Demi doesn’t have that power. Either that, or the rewrite diminished Demi’s potential. Having listened to “Give Your Heart a Break” and “Heart Attack,” Demi probably has the vocals to sing the original version. But choosing her for the remade song was not a good idea. The remake does not seem to have been written for her voice type. If it was, then it was written poorly. Unless she wrote the remake, no fault on Demi.
But Demi’s voice type and the lyrics are not the only problems keeping the remake from being more relatable. I mentioned before that Elsa was smiling in her video. Clearly ecstatic! That is how the song is supposed to be; empowering and happy! The thing with the remake is…
Being a singer myself, I know it is difficult to smile while you are singing. And that is why Demi did her smiling during the few parts where she wasn’t singing. But, as a singer, I know body language is also important (That and I watched the show Lie to Me, which is all about reading body language and micro-expressions in the face; you can find it on Netflix). Demi’s body language, including her forehead, is anything but happy while she is singing. People can talk and still look happy, I’m sure Demi can, too. The point I’m trying to make is why doesn’t her body language match the words she’s singing?
To me, she looks desperate, upset, sad and a little broken while she’s singing. And after seeing her look sad throughout the video, her smiling at the piano is a little out of place. To the people who decided she should sing the remake, did they not see her music video for “Heart Attack”? She was PERFECT in that video! She had her hands near her face a little too much, but her face and body language were perfect!
She just wasn’t perfect for the happy song. Changing Demi’s clothes from black to a lighter color didn’t change her performance. It just brightened up the video.
Quick question: have you ever heard the saying, “You hear what you see”? My choir teacher at my high school told us that quite often and I didn’t fully understand what it meant until college. And I’m going to use an experience there as an example to explain.
During my 3.5 years of college (I graduated a semester early), I worked at the theater. I was one of the ones who did the painting, the organizing, the cleaning and the ushering during shows. But I was also up in the light booth from time to time. During one show, I didn’t have to do too much adjusting so I played Spider Solitaire. Suddenly, the sopranos hit a BEAUTIFUL high not and caught my attention.
Big. Mistake.
The zombies from Night of the Living Dead were more expressive than the singers were and it completely killed the beauty. I immediately went back to playing Spider Solitaire.
You hear what you see.
At my college and with Demi in the remake, it was how they performed that determined whether or not the song is received well. The designers and programmers who brought Elsa to life made her performance PERFECTLY while Demi, throughout the remake, made me feel a little down while I was watching her. Just like my college choir; sounded great when they weren’t being watched.
But to conclude, there is a question that needs consideration; why was a remake even necessary? Looking at the original, the metaphors are sound considering they can be applied to reality, the song is well written and Idina’s vocals are perfect. And, last time I checked YouTube, the original “Let It Go” for the movie had over 74.5 million views while the remake only had 63.3 million views. The fans speak for me.
But the thing is, slapping a famous name and face for the song didn’t help it because of how Demi performed (talking about her body language and how she was looking sad instead of happy where it was required). Demi has nice vocals, but the rewrite of the music diminished them. And if the only reason why we know there are legitimate issues being had in the song is because they had clips from the movie being shown, what’s the point in making another video? If there was no original song and video to compare this too, or if Demi had been the one to sing for the movie, this would be fine. Unfortunately, for the remake, there is.
Elsa performed perfectly, which allowed for the audience to relate to her troubles; her vocals matched the song flawlessly and the lyrics held metaphors that can be applied to every day life. THAT is why the origianal “Let It Go” from the movie is more relatable than the remake.
This is one of my FAVORITE movies, Repo! The Genetic Opera. In this post, I have it set up to play the videos I have in my “Repo! The Genetic Opera” playlist.
Lyrics to Let the Monster Rise: Nathan:
Didn’t I tell you not to go out, didn’t I?
Shilo:
You did, you did…
Nathan:
Didn’t I say the world was cruel, didn’t I?
Shilo:
You did, you did…
Nathan:
Then tell me how this happened
What I did wrong, tell me why
Can’t we just go home, Shi,
And forget this dreadful night?
Shilo:
Didn’t you say that you were different, didn’t you?
Nathan:
I am, I am
Shilo:
Say you aren’t that person, say it
Nathan:
I am, I am!
Shilo:
Then tell me how to act, Dad,
What to say, Dad,
Tell me why!
All you’ve ever told me, every word,
Is a lie!
Didn’t you say that you’d protect me, didn’t you?
Nathan:
I tried, I tried…
Shilo:
Is that how you’d help me, is it?
Nathan:
I tried, I tried!
Shilo:
Don’t help me anymore, Dad,
You are dead, Dad,
In my eyes.
Someone has replaced you
Dad, I hate you,
Go and die!
Nathan:
Didn’t I build a house, a home, didn’t I?
(You did, you did! )
Didn’t I raise her all alone, didn’t I?
(You did, you did! )
Then Rotti took her from me,
Stole my Shilo, he’s to blame!
Have I failed my daughter?
Then let the father die!
And LET THE MONSTER RISE!
Here’s my list:
Monria Titans 
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