Listening to Ariana Grande’s “fake smile” and Holding onto My Teacher Persona
In her rejection of performing happiness, Grande invokes gratitude for the impact she’s made on others. I have to believe the same.
John Bazley is an essayist and critic from Monmouth County, New Jersey. He writes primarily about the intersection of music and home. His work has appeared in Substream Magazine, Alternative Press, and The Asbury Park Press.
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Listening to Fall Out Boy on the Brink of Collapse
The release of "Infinity on High" marked the final moments of the mid-2000s, a time when collapse nested on the tongues of everyone in my universe but never made it out of their mouths.
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Finding My Voice as a Filipino Through the Kundiman and Karaoke
It’s hard to negotiate how much of me is Filipino or American, but I realize this is only a question asked of me by people who seek clarity in their own definition of “American” identity.
What Vin Diesel Taught Me About Singing and Sincerity
Vin closes his eyes and bares his soul, meaning each word of the song, and isn’t that the point? Vin never claimed to be a good singer.
Finding My Language of Healing in Indian Classical Music
To cope with pain, and prepare for parenthood, I had to learn how to breathe. To breathe, I needed more than air.