being a vocal major, i decided i should compile a list of my top 20 favorite songs. so beware: this is a long post! i have also attached mp3 links of the songs in the post :) so here they be:

  1. landed by ben folds. i love all of bens music, but the instrumental part of this this song is so gosh darn amazing that i usually put it on repeat for hours and hours... just to listen to the beautiful piano and flippin sweet drums.  Ben Folds – Landed - Strings Version
  2. La Cathedrale Engloutie by claude debussy. translated into english, this song is called the sunken cathedral. debussy is my absolute favorite modern composer and i have listened to this song everyday since mid october of 2011.  Peter Davison – The Sunken Cathedral Claude Debussy
  3. chasing cars by snow patrol. this is one of those songs that i have known would be my "first dance as husband and wife" at my wedding since the first time i heard it some 4 or 5 years ago. i love it so much! Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
  4. samson by regina spektor. i love regina spektor. her voice is SO beautiful, and samson is my all time favorite from her.  Regina Spektor – Samson
  5. gnossiennes no. 4 by erik satie. another french composer who is a favorite of mine. all of his pieces are great, by particularly enjoy this one. it has a very other worldly, kind of almost trippy type of feel to it. its also fun (and here is where my true nerdiness comes out) to analyze in my head. Exam Study Classical Music Orchestra – Satie - Gnossiennes n.4
  6. let me fly written by mark decormier and performed by the byu singers. first of all, i love and have great choir nerd envy of the byu singers. but i also love gospel/spirituals written for choirs. many think theyre too rowdy and dont invite the Holy Spirit. i think that is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard, for i have in fact, never felt the Spirit more intensely in any other choir song than when i sang Ride on King Jesus in the 10th grade with director terry hicks. they may not be appropriate for sacrament meeting... but i think God and his Son love them every bit as much as i do. which brings me too #7... BYU Singers – Let Me Fly
  7. ride on king Jesus by moses hogan. "moses hogan is the essence of life" that is a direct quote from my mouth in 10th grade. hogan is my FAVORITE choral composer. ever. before 10th grade i had never really had a passion for choir or spirituals,i actually thought they were kind of stupid. but i cant even describe how this piece affected me. it changed my life, and it will always be my favorite. Children's Chorus of Washington – Ride On, King Jesus (Trad. African-American Spiritual, Arr. Moses Hogan)  this is not the hogan version, but one i just found that is also awesome: CLC – Ride on King Jesus
  8. sunday morning by maroon 5. maroon 5 is my favorite band and sunday morning is another one of those songs that i sometimes put on repeat for hours on end. everything about them is great, everything. and yes, adam levine's voice is a little weird... but his tone has such clarity and perfection that listening becomes almost like an addiction. Maroon 5 – Sunday Morning
  9. curbside prophet by jason mraz. not gonna lie... i just realized this song was by jason mraz, but i luuuuuhhhve it. and i dont really actually know why. its just one of those songs that i like for a million reasons and yet, no reason at all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrNW1Uw91rw
  10. hourglass by mindy gledhill. if i had to describe what my voice sounds like, i would say its a blend of sara bereilles, colbie calliat and mindy gledhill. and out of all of those artists, the only one that i really care for is mindy. she takes the win for two reasons: the simplicity of her music and her beautiful lyrics. this song in particular is my favorite of hers because of the lyrics. it describes the sacred relationship between a mother and her child. it talks about all the little every day details: holding hands, kissing a cheek, playing make believe, not growing up and many other precious little kid things. Mindy Gledhill – Hourglass
  11. the seal lullaby by eric whitacre. this is another piece that i sang in high school and didnt expect to love... but is now on my top 20 songs list! this song arouses several different emotions in me. it makes me cry, it helps me to understand the meaning of love and it  gives me a bright hope for the future.  Eric Whitacre – Whitacre: The Seal Lullaby
  12. nearer, my God, to Thee by lowell mason. i love almost every rendition of this song (emphasis on most), but my favorite so far has been a folksy kind of pop rock version found on the album entitled "Nearer: a new collection of favorite hymns" by the LDS church. the album is composed of various artists but nearer my God to Thee is by far my favorite because of the many harmonies it adds to the old hymn. another reason i love this song is because im a history geek. nearer my God to Thee is the very last song played on the Titanic before it sunk. i just think its a pretty neat-o fact. the poem, written by sarah f. adams is an exquisite example of early 19th century classicism. the poem is as clear as possible and has a beautiful sense of perfection to it. its restrained emotion presents it's audience with an opportunity to create their own emotion as they see fit.  
  13. guy on a buffalo by thepossumposse. this song just makes me laugh. seriously. check it out. here is episode 1, but there are 4 more!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM
  14. i wish i was a man/master class by the Dynamic Duo. the dynamic duo is a pair of incredibly gorgeous, super genius music majors attending byu-idaho. their names are moom & heidi jane. and lets not forget about their producer, stephanie the asian. moom is  a lead singer, guitar player and all around great theorist. heidi jane is also a lead singer, and plays piano for the dynamic duo. stephanie the asian is also a fantastic musician but usually does not perform with the duo. instead she uses her incredible technology skills to record and produce the beautiful and electrifying sounds of the duo.
    master class was their first single and is an endearing song about their favorite professor, while i wish i was a man is about, well, wanting to be a man.      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuY7k9G7hrs
  15. deh vienni non tardar composed by Mozart. this was the first opera aria i ever sang, or even listened to, really. and it still remains my favorite aria/art song that i have ever sung.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVa8zHqPtDU
  16. dream a little dream by fabian andre, performed by nat king cole. jazz will always have a special place in my heart, and this piece is probably my all time favorite.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIZG7hzQ6_4
  17. hush, my dear, lie still and slumber by  paul carey. this is an old traditional Christmas hymn that i sang in high school my senior year. it has a lot of dissonant chords, but its absolutely beautiful. i love Christmas music, but this song is probably my favorite. Cat Jahnke – Hush, My Dear, Lie Still and Slumber
  18. the news by jack johnson. i love jacks soothing voice and usually listen to it when im having down time or trying to do homework. i like this song in particular because it talks about some of the worlds faults that are often overlooked. Jack Johnson – The News
  19. sweet pea by amos lee. this song is just so cute, and is also a song that i like to listen to when im just chillaxin. i will probably play this song at my wedding :)  Amos Lee – Sweet Pea
  20. hallelujah by leonard cohen. if you dont know what this song is... life just isnt worth living. this song is BEAUTIFUL. gah.  Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah - Live April 17, 2009; Coachella Music Festival, Indio, California
whale. there you have it. a look into the deep, complex, and often troubled mind of a music major.

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