Oh hey... I'm on a magazine website?!?

So awhile back I entered J-14 magazines "Be A YouTube Star!" contest. I didn't think much of it. I had entered contests before, looking for ways to get myself out there, but failed at winning. And this one wasn't too hard anyway. Just post a video of yourself doing something you think you were talented at. I had been doing that for over a year at this point. So I entered and then kind of forgot about it.

A month later, I checked my email and got a HUGE surprise. A message from a J-14 editor saying I had won! I was excited, and amazed, and surprised. And it happened at a moment when I wouldn't have expected. I was with my friend and my other friend's mom in the car, driving home after waking up early to get Road Dogs tickets. I was glad I got to experience that moment with them :)

So they uploaded my video as soon as they could to YouTube. But that didn't turn out to be such a big deal. It didn't get many views and I didn't even see it in my subscription box :/ But then, 3 weeks later, they put the video on their website, just as promised. I basically flipped out when I saw it. It was so cool seeing my face on the same page as the Jonas Brothers, and Demi Lovato, and all these other people I admire so much. It was so surreal. And the comments were so nice (mostly, haha. But I've dealt with haters before.)

In the end, it turned out to be great. I really feel like I'm going somewhere with my music career, even if just in small steps. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be IN J-14 magazine, and not just on the site :D

Check Out My Post On The Website!
http://www.j-14.com/2010/09/congrats-to-j-14s-be-a-youtube-star-brennah.html:

3 Weeks.

3 weeks ago I posted two videos on YouTube. I didn't think much of it. I've been posting YouTube videos for over a year.
They were simple, as always. Just me and my guitar, playing a new favorite song. In this case, Introducing Me from Camp Rock 2.
I did something special with one of the videos though. I sang it as fast as I could, in attempt to beat Nick Jonas. I succeeded. But I wasn't really trying to compete. I was just having fun doing something I love.
Suddenly I'm getting 10 emails a day. Comments. Friend Invites. Subscribers. (Oh my! :P) Why is this video getting so popular?!
Soon my normal version of this cover is getting popular. I'm confused. What did I do that was any different from my other videos.
But I'm very thankful for it all. Every comment, even the annoying ones, mean a lot. The fact that someone felt I was worthy enough to hate on is a compliment, even if not intended.
3 weeks ago I had 77 subscribers, 250 friends I added myself, and not a single video with a view count of over 2,000. And only one with over 1,000.
Today I have 107 subscribers, 309 friends, a video with almost 3,000 views, and a video with almost 6,000 views.
3 weeks ago I was wondering if YouTube was the right way to get myself out there.
Today I know it is. And I'm proud to say I'm finally starting too.

Thank You <3

My Amzing Weekend

First came the Road Dogs game on Friday. Our seats were between home base and first but they were in the 200's section, so we decided to sit in the 100's section to be closer to the field until we got kicked out.

Well, we didn't get kicked out and had the perfect spot. Nick, Joe, and Kevin all looked amazing in their uniforms, haha. Big Rob ended up walking through the stadium to get to the field and right before he was about to walk past us so we could get a high five, he turned down the stairs to get to the field. So. Close. Haha.

The National Anthem was the funniest thing. They all stood in a line with their hats off, but Joe having the worst attention span ever, starts eating his hat, It was sooo funny. The game started and the Flyers were up first. Kevin and Nick were basically right in front of us as Pitcher and First Base. Joe was on our side, but in the out field so he was kind of far. He wasn't getting much action back there so it was funny watching him because he honestly had nothing to do.

Every time the Road Dogs were up to bat was amazing. First base was probably only 30 feet away from us, so it was fun trying to get the boys attention when they were on the base. This involved getting our entire section to scream their name at once and holding up signs. I got a thumbs up from Kevin for my "Kevin is Amazing" sign and my friend got a thumbs up from Nick for her "Free Hugs for a Jonas" sign.

About halfway through the game I for some reason looked up behind me and noticed that the Camp Rock 2 cast all had a suite and were on the balcony watching the game. We then started shouting the names of the dancers and actors and they all waved.

At one point we noticed they all left the balcony so me and my friend decided to walk around the concourse to see if we could find them. We found Jordan Francis, Luke, and Shorty waiting to buy ice cream and got pictures with all of them.

Back at our seats, we saw MDot and Alyson Stoner again and got more waves from them. My friends tried to get MDot to come down by holding up their "Free Hugs" signs and folding over the part that said "For Jonas". He didn't come down, but they did sort of have a conversation with them.

In the end, the Road Dogs killed the Flyers. When they did a lap around the field, we probably could have been one of the people to get and high five, except we were right in front of the Flyers dug out. We stood on top of it and stuck our hands over the edge hoping they might go into the dugout to see us, but they didn't :( We Just got more waves.

We ended up sitting outside their bus by a fence hoping they'd go meet fans, but they didn't. They just waved. Again.

Arthur Ashe Kids Day was pretty cool, too. Our seats were right behind the stage (the stage is like attached to where people would sit in the lower section. so we were right above it) and when you looked down you could see into one of the suites where all the Camp Rock 2 people were. We said hi to the dancers who were sitting out and then Joe came out and everyone started screaming his name so he went back inside, haha. Then we saw Garbo and Jack Lawless.

After that we decided to go wait backstage to see if we could meet some people. We saw Nick, Kevin, Joe, Demi, and all the Camp Rock dancers going to the stage and coming out but they didn't come to meet us. Then we saw Allstar Weekend but they were walking on the level above us. but they waved and it was really cool. Dillon was the only one who was aloud to come and say hi, so he did and he was really nice. We missed the Jonas performance because we were backstage and after they performed their were probably 50 people waiting to see them backstage compared to the 10 when Dillon came to meet us, so that's probably why they couldn't come over and at least say hi. I'm seriously losing hope in meeting them. We stayed back there through David Archuleta and Shontelle's performances. Shontelle waved to everybody and David came over to meet fans, but he went to the opposite side I was on :(

After that we just went back to our seats to watch Allstar Weekend perform because we knew we would be meeting them the next day anyway. They were amazing, obviously, haha :D Before the left the stage we were trying to get their attention. They all waved and when got a "Thank you," from Michael when we yelled "Michael Martinez is hot!" haha.

Then we went back to the backstage area to see if Allstar Weekend would come out, but they didn't we met Quddus though, and he was really nice.

The next day was Adub again at Starland Ballroom, which is seriously the sketchiest place I have ever been too, lol. My friend had won two private meet and greets from Radio Disney, so she put all of our names in a hat to see who got to go with her, and my name got pulled! The Radio Disney people took us to this really sketchy kitchen place in the back of the venue and we waited for about five minutes before the boys came in. I think they had the same reaction as we did about where the meet and greet was taking place.

Me and my friend purposely went to the back of the line so we could have more time with them. When we finally got up there, the first thing Cameron says is "I think I remember you guys." Which was so cool cause we met them in March. We talked to them for a little bit and then had them sign some stuff and took a picture. And then they gave us all hugs and oh my gosh, Cameron gives the best hugs ever!

After that we went back to the main stage room which was already filled with people, so we hung around the side of the stage,where they let us from the meet and greet. Action Item kept walking back and forth past us during the two openers, but we only got to talk to Brian. He was really nice and when I told him how excited I was too see him he gave me a hug.

I manged to push my way closer to the stage for Action Item, who were great, and Allstar Weekend who were also amazing :D

After, Allstar Weekend did a really fast meet and greet for everyone and while we were waiting on line, Action Item was walking around talking to people and selling their CDs. I got picture with all of them and got a hug from Anthony for giving him the picture I colored him xD And I finally bought their CD.

The second meet and greet with Adub was super fast. Basically you gave a person you camera, stood with the boys, took the picture, and it was over. No hugs or anything. It was okay though.

When we left the venue we went to the back of it where Allstar Weekend's van was and waited for them to come out. Action Item was out there so we got to talk to them again, and get hugs :D

Allstar Weekend came out and it was all the fans that had known them for awhile so no one was like screaming or freaking out. Cameron was like "Wow, it's so quiet," haha. And didn't make my way to the front of the pack to get more pictures and autographs, but I did get hugs from Zach and Nathan. Nathan said "I love you" and it was so adorable. Then they had to leave to get to NYC for GMA in the morning. Before we left the venue for good, I went to get a hug from David from Action Item because I hadn't gotten a hug from him yet, and he seriously gave a better hug then Cameron. It was the greatest thing ever.

So yeah, that was my amazing weekend :D

Oh, Hello Again

So it's been awhile, hasn't it? I thought I would be posting everyday again. Well, I kind of forgot :/ Summer has been super busy, but super fun. Here are some of the highlights of it so far:

Meeting Allisyn Ashley Arm (Zora frrom Sonny With A Chance).




Going to the Ramona and Beezus premiere, briefly meeting the stars (including Selena!)



...but then getting a picture and a hug from Hutch Dano at the theater.



Meeting Hot Chelle Rae (pictured) and JLS backstage at their show because my friend got to open for them as part of a contest (which she won).





And then going to three concerts in a row! Maroon 5 and Owl City, then Camp Rock tour, twice! Videos to be up on www.youtube.com/CONCERTxGIRL soon :)

And that's it for now :) More blogs to come soon! Summer is NOT over yet!

-Brennah

Failure.

So I'm not usually the kind of person who likes to fail. But sometimes, you have to fail one task in order to succeed in another. For instance, this blog. I made this blog as a part of National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo), meaning I was supposed to blog everyday in the month of June. But I wasn't so smart in picking the month in which my Finals for school would occur. So unfortunately, in order to pass these finals, I had to sacrifice blog posting for studying. Because school is just more important. But that doesn't mean I'm completely giving up. The best part about NaBloPoMo is that it happens every single month. So July, prepare for a heck of a lot of blog posts :D

That's all for now <3
-Brennah

Procrastination

So I procrastinate. You procrastinate. We all procrastinate. At some point, anyway. But you know what? It sucks. A lot. Especially when you're up at ungodly hours doing things you could have done earlier if you had just sucked it up and did it.

Yet, we still procrastinate.

I'm even procrastinating right now. I have an essay to write, a video project to edit, a script to write, and research to be done. But I'm blogging instead, because it's much more enjoyable :D

So until the day all my work becomes fun, I will always be a procrastinator.

That's all for now <3
-Brennah

Books For School

So I love books. I love reading. I love getting captured in a story, becoming addicted to the plot line and falling in love with the stories. While I'd like to say this happens with all books I read, it doesn't. And this is solely because I am forced to read books for school. Now I know everyone has to do this, but I feel that it isn't necessarily fair. I feel that the purpose of reading is for enjoyment. I understand that all the analyzing, finding symbolism, and all the other stuff that teachers make you do is important to make you more educated, but I feel it is pointless when you have a passionate hate for the book you're reading. Are you really learning anything if you're doing everything in your power not to remember this book?

I think students deserve choice. Maybe not total freedom, because some stories just aren't school appropriate, but wouldn't it be nice if we received a list of books we could read this year, pick three or four, and then do our assignments on them? It would be like summer reading, just on a larger scale. Maybe then more students would actually read the novels instead of abusing Spark Notes, and possibly teachers would be able to get through units quicker.

But I know this is unrealistic. How is a teacher supposed to teach if the students are all reading different books? I guess it's merely a dream to have some sort of choice. So now I'm off to start reading a book for class that I would rather not be reading right now :P

That's all for now <3
-Brennah

Video Projects

So today and tomorrow have been dedicated to video projects. Whenever I get a video project in class, I get really excited. I mean, I make videos for fun, getting to do them for school should be awesome. But I'm starting to realize it's really not.

First, you basically have to sacrifice an entire day for them. A day out of your own time that you could be spending hanging out with your friends, or playing around on the computer, or reading a book. Even if the project is with your friends, talking to a camera all day isn't always fun.

But sometimes, you try to make it fun. You try to make it cool, and show off your video editing skills. That's always my first impression. But now I'm realizing, the teacher doesn't care if your video is high quality, or if you have cool music in the background. They only care about the content. And I'm probably not going to do so well on video project number one because I just realized that now. Hopefully in video project two, I'll learn from my mistakes.

That's all for now <3
-Brennah

Random Acts of Kindness

So today I attended an open mic night at my friend's friend's church. It was slightly awkward at first because I only knew the two friends I came with, but it was a church youth group event and everyone who came was nice.

After I performed my song, everyone clapped like they had been for the other performers and I walked back to my seat and grabbed my guitar case from the table I left it. Now my guitar case isn't really much. It's basically a pouch that opens up just enough at the bottom to slip my guitar in, and it has a handle to make carrying it easier. But it's not made of a hard or padded material, so it's more of a carrying case than a protective case, which isn't too good, but it was all I had.

I sat and watched the the next performer and when their performance ended, I was surprise to see a guy walk up to me. He was in a band that already performed two songs and were talking about how they were going to be playing a show at a minor league baseball stadium and that they were looking to get a record deal soon. So seeing the lead singer approach me was definitely surprising.

He looked down at my guitar case and told me it was the worse guitar case he had ever seen, and asked if I wanted a new one. I said yes, but I figured he was just being hypothetical. Then he offered to give me his,apologizing because it was a little beat up, but saying it was better than what I had. I was in shock. Was this stranger really going to just give me his guitar case? None the less, I accepted his offer and was sure to thank him a few times. Later on after he was going to perform another song, he pulled me up to the front to give me the case in front of everyone.

I may be a proud owner of a new (sort of) guitar case, but I received more than that. This random guy gave me hope. He made me realize that there are good people in this world, willing to do things to help others in need. Now maybe I'm not that needy, but that guitar case probably just saved my guitar from getting beat up anymore than it already has in my old case. His simple gesture of kindness made my night, and now I feel inspired to do something like that to help a stranger. And I know it sounds corny, but I encourage you to try and do something for a stranger, something that will make them happy. I dare you.

That's all for now <3
-Brennah

My Day Without Technology

So, I completed the challenge. I went 24 hours without modern technology. From 5pm yesterday until 5pm today I didn't use my cellphone, iPod, computer, TV, camera, video camera, or video games. There were some drawbacks, but also some pluses, so I'm going to make you guys a neat little list to tell you about it :D :

Good Things
- I did my homework at a decent time
- I read a lot in a book I've been trying to finish for awhile now
- I started writing a story with my friend that we've been meaning to write for awhile now.
- I went to bed at a decent time.
- I practiced my guitar.
- I cleaned my room.
- I was allowed to use a CD player, and became very thankful for my recent obsession with owning hard copies of CDs instead of digital ones.

Bad Things
- I constantly wanted to check Twitter, but I couldn't.
- I constantly wanted to tweet things, but I couldn't.
- I could hear the TV show my brother was watching. I wanted to watch to, but I couldn't.
- In two of my classes today we watched movies. We were allowed to cheat if it was for school, but I still felt bad.
- My sister enjoyed teasing me. "You should take a picture of this! Oh wait, YOU CAN'T!"
- I like knowing what time it is at all times. Instead of just checking my phone, I had to find a clock.
- When I was at my friend's house, instead of her calling me to let me know she was on her way to pick me up, I had to wait outside.
- I felt disconnect from my friends.
- I couldn't continue the chapter of my story I've been typing.

So in the end, I learned just how much I rely on technology. But I also learned that I can live without it. But one things for sure: I don't ever want to do it again.

That's all for now <3
-Brennah

Technology

So today in English class we were given an assignment that seems almost impossible for a group of 14-15 year olds to complete: Go 24 hours with technology. That means no cellphones, iPods, computers, TVs, video games, and cameras. And the assignment isn't optional. We have one week to complete the task and then reflect on it.

My first reaction was total shock. Seriously, how was I going to survive without technology? The majority of my day is spent on the computer, I'm constantly checking twitter and facebook on my iPod touch, and my cellphone is always in my pocket so I can answer texts, calls, and emails. What was I supposed to do all day? Sleep?

But then I started thinking about how good this could be for me. Maybe on this technology free day I'll actually do my math homework before 9 PM, or spend some time outside enjoying this gorgeous weather that we are finally getting.

Bottom line is, as much as not having technology for a day is going to suck, I'm going to try. And who knows, maybe something good will come out of it.

That's all for now <3
-Brennah

Easily Amused

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like teenagers are very easily amused. For instance, today I found myself absent-mindedly pushing my iPod and watching it spin. I did this multiple times until I realized I had better things to do. But that's not the only time something like that has happened. When I first got a phone with a texting keyboard I found myself addicted to sliding it back and forth. But it's all good, because as soon as I showed my friends my new device, they were doing the same thing.

Then there's the things that amuse the fangirl in me. Like when a new clip is released of my favorite couple from a TV show. (Most recently, Chad and Sonny from Sonny With A Chance. So what if I'm 15. I still love Disney :P) I can seriously sit and watch the video five times in a row, squealing and smiling stupidly like the fangirl I am. But hey, I'm a hopeless romantic, and that kind of stuff makes me happy :D

So I'm going to keep making my electronics do silly tricks, and unleash my inner fangirl because that's what amuses me, even if it does seen kind of ridiculous...

That's all for now <3
-Brennah

A New Start

So, today I've decided to ditch my Webs blog and move to Blogger, a website that's actually made for blogging. But that's not the important part. The important part is that starting tomorrow, June 1, 2010, I will be blogging everyday until July as part of NaBloPoMo. I don't know what this blog will be about, if it will be interesting, or if I will even blog everyday but hey, I will try :D

See you tomorrow!

-Brennah