I’m definitely not usually the type of person to willingly jump into the next big thing just because it’s popular. So I understand why a lot of people might look at this explosive franchise and simply ignore it. I, for one, am always wary of the next fad and not so sure I want to become one of those millions of obsessive, squealing teenage fans.

But one day in 2010 I picked up a random book at a bookstore because the premise simply intrigued me, and it turned out to be a resonating, disturbing, and engaging story.

The Hunger Games is everywhere! I can guarantee that if you hadn’t heard of it before, you’ve heard of it now. It’s all over television and social media, and it seems like pretty much everyone is talking about it. It’s so big, people are calling this franchise the “next Twilight” (which, by the way, annoys me because HG is so different). People everywhere are buzzing about Suzanne Collins’ book series and the newly released movie.

So what’s the buzz all about?

Here’s the main gist of the story: In the future, the ruins of North America—known now as the country of Panem—are split into thirteen districts, and run by a totalitarian Capitol city. A rebellion brews, rallying up citizens and igniting chaos, which results in the apparent obliteration of District 13. In retaliation for the rebellious outbreak, the government sets up the annual Hunger Games. The remaining twelve districts are forced to send one boy and one girl—who are chosen at random—to compete in a televised fight to the death in a brutal arena. All citizens of Panem are forced to watch this twisted fanfare on television, and every single kid from the ages of twelve to eighteen is required to enter the drawing to participate. When the book (and movie) begins, it is the eve of the 74^th Hunger Games, and we are introduced to sixteen-year-old Katniss, a girl from District 12. It is the Reaping Day, where the district’s tributes are chosen and then sent away to the Capitol. In anguish Katniss watches as her twelve-year-old sister’s name is called, and volunteers to compete in the bloody games to take the place of her sister.

Okay, I won’t give away much more, because I really think you should read it! And I’m not saying that just because the story is good. Yeah, it is quite good, packed with action and complex characters—an edge-of-your-seat read with an intriguing plot and gripping narrative. But that’s not the only reason.

I think the Hunger Games is so popular in part because the story feels so relevant in the present day. The deep, underlying themes teem with social commentary and ask some tough questions. Which, of course, was Collins’ intention in The Hunger Games series.

Yeah, this story is bloody. While the brutality of the games is well represented in the movie, the violence of the book would give a completely faithful adaptation an R-rating. The citizens of Panem are forced to watch a barbaric bloodbath every year from their family homes, hoping and praying their children won’t be picked for next year’s violent spectacle.

But how is that relevant today?

Think about reality television. Multitudes of people voluntarily tune in to it every year. It’s part of our culture. The media is all about fame and celebrity. So we relate to the idea of watching some ridiculous madness on our television screens. We absorb all this from our living rooms, and read all about it in tabloids and blogs.

But speaking of our culture, think about what we see every day when we flip the channel and the news comes on. We witness snippets of overseas war. We see death and despair worldwide in the form of crime, combat, and natural disasters.

What if things went so far that we all became desensitized to those things—to any social issues, for that matter? Or simply desensitized to death in general?

The author of the Hunger Games asks those questions, and after reading the story it’s likely the ideas will stay with you. It really makes you think hard about the value of life, of love, of friendship, and of family. The story is about the good and bad in human nature, and what happens if things go way too far.

If you give it a shot, I think you’d probably enjoy the story in this dystopian novel (and its sequels), whether you’re 15 or 50. I think The Hunger Games appeals to a wide range of people because of its thought-provoking themes and the humanness of rare heroine Katniss Everdeen. But okay, guys. I am an eighteen-year-old girl, so of course I’m gonna love the adventure, the romantic parts, the gut-wrenching suspense. And all of those are great! But I think that it’s the deeper stuff—disturbing ideas and all—that really make the story what it is. It’s different than a lot of young adult literature out there. I just have a warning for you. You might be staying up all night if you pick up the books.

NOTE: So I went to a midnight showing with friends for the Hunger Games, but today I’m seeing it again! So yeah… I am a freakish fangirl… but I’m not ashamed!! Hahahaha <3

The Internet has definitely made a huge impact on the world, and has changed a whole lot of things, including the way the world listens to music. Back in the olden days our grandparents and their parents had vinyl records. Later on, our own parents probably had cassette tapes. Old school stuff, right? Now we are in 2011, part of a generation that lives and breathes technology.

But throughout all those years, as technology progressed and generations came and went, artists and musicians continuously made music. They wrote lyrics and composed sweet melodies. They created art, masterpieces. And it still goes on to this day, and will for generations to come (I hope, haha).

 Music is a beautiful art form that has been around for a long time. Since Bible times, as a matter of fact! David was a musician and songwriter, isn’t that legit?? (: 

Right now, I want you to think about the last time you heard a really good song. Think about the kind of feelings the music made you feel. I love those songs that just make you want to get up and dance like a freak! Yet I also love when a song quiets me down and captures me, makes me think. Music, it really is a powerful thing. A song has the power to invoke emotion, to captivate, to entertain. However you want to look at it. I think it’s awesome, it’s totally a gift from heaven.

One thing that always makes me so incredibly happy is when I hear a song for the first time, and the lyrics totally and completely describe whatever I’m going through. If you are a music lover you know that feeling.

Isn’t that worth something? To experience and listen to a really good song, is it worth it?

Artists and songwriters, musicians and bands, they invest a lot into the projects they make. Experiencing the process of recording my very first EP helped me learn a bit more about that, about what it takes to put a project out, and about the time and effort that is put into each and every song you hear on your iPod and on the radio. It really was an absolutely amazing experience for me. It was so cool to see how the process really works… how each individual track is laid down for the songs, how the producer really ties things together, and how afterwards, the whole separate process of mixing and mastering can make a huge difference.

Time, effort, talents, and money are all invested into the songs you love. Believe it or not, it does cost money to make music! But we make music because it’s worth it.

If you love an artist or band, why don’t you thank them for it? One of the best ways to do that is to help them out by actually purchasing their music. Whether it’s on iTunes or Amazon, or even if it’s on a physical CD copy—why not support the music you love by maybe skipping out on seeing a movie with your best friend Bob and buying a song or CD instead? Think about it… in your opinion, what is music worth? If it’s worth something to you, show some appreciation for the artists and bands you like, and get your music legally. On top of doing a good thing and getting awesome music, you aren’t breaking the law.

Besides legally obtaining music, I encourage you to also support the music you love by going to their shows and buying their merchandise. Music is such a rough career financially. The guys in the bands you like pack into a smelly van or bus and go from city to city, but a lot of them barely make enough money (from playing shows, etc.) to  pick up some McDonald’s on the road. Especially newer musicians and artists that are trying to make it independently. So, if you feel led to do so, why not support your favorite music in some way?

I hope this series of posts didn’t tick you guys off too much, and I hope it made you guys think about piracy and what music is truly worth. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it! Feel free to comment below and help close out this discussion on piracy.

I hope you all have an AMAZING Christmas weekend!!!

It’s is a pretty typical scenario in this day and age, especially in the kind of economy we’re in. People don’t make much money so they jump at the first opportunity to get something they want for free. Music is just one of those things. But you get my point. When I bring up the issue of illegally downloading music to kids my age, I often hear the same excuse, just said different ways. “I’m too broke, man.” “Music is just too expensive when you think about it.” “I wanna save my money so I can go chill with friends, I can’t afford to waste it!” Basically, kids simply can’t or don’t want to BUY music. Everyone has music they love, but it seems a good percentage of them don’t love it enough to pay a buck or so a piece for their favorite tracks.

You’re probably thinking, “Emilie, come on. It’s not like I don’t LOVE my music. I just don’t have the kind of money to buy it all, it really adds up.”  

Well, here’s the thing. I want you to look down at the clothes you’re wearing.

You heard me right. You can laugh at me, but just take a look at your clothes. Especially if you’re a girl, I’m assuming you probably purchased that outfit you’re wearing—or at least you picked it out for yourself. Gone are the days when we’re cool with Mommy and Daddy going out and buying those tiny little articles of clothing for us. Gone are the days when we’d be cool with actually wearing those clothes, too, let alone be able to fit into them (haha). All jokes aside, my point is, you might have spent some money on that awesome t-shirt, sick pair of jeans, or stylin’ hoodie that you’re wearing right now. If for some reason you magically got them all for free, that’d be a little weird, right? Well, I won’t judge you if all your clothes were picked out and purchased by your parents… especially if you have parents as cool as mine. Anyways, that’s a whole lot better than full-on stealing clothing, but I’ll touch on that issue later.

Here’s where I’m going with this: whether you think about it a lot or not, you spend money on plenty of things, even as a teen. The list extends far beyond simply clothing… think about it—when was the last time you went to the movie theater? a fast food restaurant? the mall? Regardless of where the money comes from (…cough cough… even from parents… cough…), a lot of us have side-activities we do all the time that involve expenses. So technically, we can’t exactly go around screaming that we’re broke or poor because a great deal of us are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy so many activities that we take for granted. As teenagers in high school and junior high, we don’t really think about money and where it goes, but a whole lot of us definitely spend it frequently when we have access to it. Even when we are smarter with our money and are saving it up, we might still take some out every once and a while to go see the latest hot flick at the theater or go chill with friends in some activity that requires a little bit of cash.

So, what’s the deal with teens and the issue with buying their music?

Well, first of all, because we CAN get it for free, we don’t really think to buy it in the first place. It seems that because it’s right here online, easy to access and download with one click, we just do it without thinking about it. Even though it isn’t legal. All the downloading is just such a common thing in kids’ eyes that they see beyond the big red flag of illegalness! Um… if illegalness is even a word. haha

 Think about this: most of us in our right minds wouldn’t walk into our favorite store in the mall and steal a shirt, a hat, or some jewelry.  So why are we so desensitized when it comes to music? Illegal music downloading, or piracy, is a form of stealing, believe it or not. So what makes it so different to us?

Like any form of stealing, there’s consequences to illegally downloading music. Some of those consequences don’t directly effect us–or at least, they probably don’t seem like they do. And one of the biggest consequences is more directed at the bands or artists who made the music.

In next Thursday’s installment, I’m going to go a bit deeper into what piracy really does, and I’m going to kind of share with you exactly why I think, morally, piracy isn’t right–along with a few other thoughts on how the internet has affected the music industry.

Feel free to share your opinions here! I do my best to get back to everyone who comments, and I appreciate your opinions (I don’t mind if you disagree with me). One of the main reasons I started this series is to get a conversation started! Thank you for checking out my blog!

STEP RIGHT UP, GET YOUR FREE DOWNLOADS HERE!

… just kidding. I know I’d probably draw more kids my age to this blog if I posted a link to download some sick tunes for free, but I’m not doing that. The thing is, even though it’s pretty much a normal thing these days for teenagers to get the majority of their mp3s FREE of charge from various online sources these days, I’m totally against it. Yeah, it probably makes me really uncool, and I understand how the most common comeback will be “dude, EVERYONE does it!” But all I’m asking is that you hear me out on this. I don’t expect everybody to agree with me completely, but I still want you guys to see I have reasons for feeling so strongly about this issue. But please know this is all just my opinion, and I’m not trying to condemn anyone or try to make you feel bad, ‘cause I know how common the issue is. The whole point of this post (and the posts that will follow) is to start a discussion or at least get you thinking about the true worth of music.

I’m going to kick things off with a rhetorical question. You don’t have to admit anything to me, although if you do, I won’t judge, because it isn’t my place to do that. I want this blog to feel like a safe place for you to kind of open up about this issue if you feel led to do so, especially if you’re a teen like me (or even just a parent of a teen)!

So here’s my question (as stated in the title of this post): Are YOU a pirate?

Haha, and no, if you were wondering, I’m not talking the kind of pirate that lives on a pirate ship and causes mayhem throughout the seven seas. I’m not referring to Jack Sparrow or anything like that. Hopefully reading the first paragraph in this post clued you in to the type of pirate I’m referring to. Just in case you missed it, I’ll spell it out for you guys.

The second definition for piracy, as stated by dictionary.com, is this:

“the unauthorized reproduction or use of a copyrighted book, recording,  television program,  patented invention, trademarked product,  etc.”

So, it’s that kind of pirate. I’m going to be referring more specifically to music piracy (illegal downloading of music) in this post series, because it’s so common among today’s teenagers. 

I have run into so many kids that illegally obtain their music online. They don’t really understand why it’s wrong or what they should do about it. That’s why I wanted to do a three-post series on my blog tackling this issue. I want you guys to start thinking about the issue if you haven’t already.

Today’s post isn’t all about me, I want to hear what you have to say! What is your opinion on piracy? Why do you think it’s so common these days, especially among teens? If you want to join the discussion, start it up in the comments section! I want to hear some fresh opinions on this topic to get this series started.

Be sure to check back here next Thursday, December 15th! I’ll give you some more of my opinion on piracy, and give you guys a response to some of the most common excuses. I hope to see you then!

As some of you might have noticed a while back, I did a blog post about a year ago about an awesome Family Force 5 show I went to. Looking back, I had the idea, why not do a cool little blog post every time I go to a concert, and share a bit of the ridiculously fun experiences with you guys?

I’ve decided to do segments on my blog now that I’ll call “Concert Adventures.” I have a crazy obsession with live shows… so I guess it’s appropriate.

As you can see from the title, this blog in particular is about the Winter Jam Tour. Winter Jam is a Christian concert tour featuring some pretty great artists, and it’s only $10 at the door! I went to the show in Ontario, CA, at the Citizens Business Bank Arena last Sunday.

The experience I had with three of my closest friends was nothing short of an adventure…

It was a rainy day in the usually sunny So Cal, and our trip up to Ontario was a drive in stormy weather. We reached the arena and it was still pouring outside…. and I didn’t bring a raincoat! Thankfully, my friend Lindsay brought an umbrella with her. We stood in the line to get in, all four of us huddled under that one umbrella like penguins, taking pictures, giggling, and making jokes while trying to stay as dry as possible.

Thankfully that line moved pretty fast, and we got pretty good seats in the arena.

The concert began with three brand new artists, which all did a pretty good job. I’d have to say that out of those my favorite was definitely For KING & COUNTRY. They have kind of a unique sound for the Christian music scene, and the two brothers that are the main singers and songwriters have really cool voices.

The lineup after that was great, with everything ranging from hard rock to rap to pop. The band RED was super rad… the rockers had columns of red fire shooting up behind them, and their music had the arena jumping and headbanging like maniacs. Other bands after that included Fireflight, KJ-52, and Kutless. Matthew West did his set next, and I really enjoyed the stories he told. In the end the Newsboys stole the show! The concert overall was a really cool experience, and a lot of fun!

Here’s a shot of my friends and I under the umbrella in line… haha Lindsay, Alyssa, me, and Morgan!

(Lindsay also did a blog post about our adventure last weekend, you can check it out on her blog!)

The new t-shirt design I made as a perk for my IndieGoGo.com backers will be ordered next week, if all goes well! I am going to also be selling this to the public as well. You can order your t-shirt right here!

This appeared today on the blog Mikeymo’s Place:

One pleasure of being plugged into the online worship community is getting some insight into cutting-edge stuff. This is some of that. Emilie is a vibrant teenager with an old soul. Produced by Ramy Antoun, this EP is rich and deep. I’ve seen Emilie sing solo with just an acoustic. You can’t stop listening to her. This album takes that to the nth degree. The addition of horns, drums, electric and synths to what are essentially simple, heartfelt tunes makes this an EP worth having. You cannot spend 3 bucks any better way. You will play the title track over and over again, I gar-un-tee!

Brace yourselves…. “My Oh My” is finding its way to your ears! Yes, you heard me right, you can listen to the EP today! Check out my BandCamp…. you can purchase a digital download of the EP, or even order a hard copy. The manufacturer will have them done for our release on November 5! Don’t hesitate to check out this BandCamp link and get your hands on some music you’re gonna love! Currently, the physical CDs are in the manufacturing process. They are DONE! (For my IndieGoGo backers, we’ll be getting to work on your t-shirts and other perks, and we’ll be getting them out to you by November!)

I’d like to personally invite you (yes, YOU, the person at the computer right now) to attend the rad CD release party we’re putting on to celebrate the EP. It’s going to be held at Chorus Church on Saturday, November 5th! I’ll be performing my tunes and hanging out with you guys, it’s gonna be a lot of fun. Come celebrate with us!

Thanks for checking out my post… once you get your hands on the “My Oh My” EP, let me know what you guys think! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the project. Hit me up on Twitter (@emilie_music) or Facebook (facebook.com/emiliemusic)! Help me spread the word, friends! Thanks for all the love and support through this whole thing.

I am so stoked for you to hear my music!!

[you can also purchase via Apple iTunes or Amazon.com!]