Metaphor Madness by Toren Wallengren

Life is music. Music is life. Either way, it can be about whatever you want it to be. No one can decide for you when it comes to writing a song or a life. They will ultimately come a decision that is hard to make, or a part that is complicated or dull. We all have moods and stories, we all have feeling and time. Human nature has a natural beat based on how you feel. It shows too, because when you look at a person like you listen to a song, you can tell how they feel based on looks. As you do judging a song by it's tonality. Life and music directly relate to each other as well. Music gets you through life. Life is music.

My first day at Disneyland in my life, and I was crying. I wasn't even on a ride. Disneyland just decorated so well, that it actually got to my head. I was in line for Indiana Jones Adventure. It was the scariest thing ever! I just wanted to get out of there! My dad eventually convinced me to ride it. The actual ride, was not as scary as the line. There was so much going on during all of it and I couldn't keep track of it if it was scary! But, I did love it. It got me into design and tricks of the eye. It also showed the value of sound in certain settings. So I rode it again, and again, and again, and again! I figured out little details of the ride that make it what it is.

This was a turning point in my life. I could recognize the importance of music and sound. I realized the connection between music and life is very similar and that they affect each other in many ways. If you're depressed, you write a sad song. If you're exuberant, you write a happy-go-lucky song! There is also so much to learn in both subjects. Life has lessons needed to be learned. Music has to be taught and figured out too, just like life. People also make careers out of music. Their life is based solely on music. It works too. They're happy and a lot of the time rich! Music is life. Life is music.

Family Folklore by Toren Wallengren

My father can play the bass so well that even the vibrating strings can't keep up with his fingers. He's all over the place on that thing. You can't follow his fingers. If you tried, you may just fall into cardiac arrest. Being this great, he's obviously in a band. His band has been getting a great following for years and now was their chance to break. Kalai, the band, was scheduled to be on the Jimmy Kimmel show.

Even though my dad is an amazing bass player, he's still cheap. We drove to Hollywood to go to his show. Let me tell you, that drive was so boring that even the road fell asleep. There was just nothing interesting on the drive. The only thing you could do was sleep or ask the classic question, "Are we there yet?" The whole way was desert. Lifeless, baron, desert. Even microbial life would be bored to tears there! When we finally reached Hollywood, it was like that drive never existed before.

We drove around everywhere! We covered every square foot of Hollywood. We left no corner unseen. Hollywood was ours for that night. If you've ever driven around Hollywood though, you would know how unusual it is. It's so strange that an alien invasion would probably be considered ordinary. If you go to the Chinese theater, you'll find character impersonators walking around. That's how I was able to meet Spongebob! Back on subject, the streets were lined with stars and literal stars on the ground. It was so amazing.

That night was my dad's television debut! He was so excited, that coffee was able to calm him down! I've never seen him like that before. He couldn't stop moving, shaking, or talking. We arrived at the studio and the funniest sign was there! The sign said, "Jimmy Kimmel has been canceled tonight. Sorry for the inconvenience." My dad was stumped. He couldn't figure it out. He sat, watching the sign for half an hour! The first words that came out of his mouth after that were "Let's take a picture with it." Now I was stumped! I couldn't figure out what was going on in his head!

We drove home the next day. My dad didn't say a word for the whole 9 hour drive. In fact, no one said a word. Now our car was as baron and lifeless as the desert. Every time someone tried to start a conversation, no one said anything! So when we finally got home, I sat down. My eyes were as black as night from exhaust! Out of nowhere, my dad walks in and bursts into bright laughter! To the point where he was crying! At first, we didn't no why. But then we joined along laughing with him because his laughing was so funny. We came to a realization why he was laughing! We just went all the way to California for a show that ended up being canceled. We could have checked online before we even went there to check to see if the show was still a go. That was our whole family "blond moment."

"A Snapshot Of Me" by Toren Wallengren

Hockey, a sport of grace, power, and money. To play this game you need the skill, the will, and the perseverance. It's hard to accomplish great things in hockey. This one man has set a record for the most goals scored in the NHL for any left winger to ever play. Luc Robitaille. To meet this man is a great inspiration to any hockey player. In this snapshot, from left to right, it's my father, Luc Robitaille, then me. This snapshot has more of a story though than what I just said though.

Years ago, I wasn't the hockey-playing beast of a boy I am today. I was just your average twinkie-loving 9 year old. One day, my dad took me to a hockey game and it changed my life. The game just happened to have Luc Robitaille playing left wing. I was astonished. I couldn't believe that people could dress up in 40 pounds worth of gear, skate on a sheet of frozen water with blades only a millimeter thick, and use their stick to get a small rubber object into a goal smaller than the man protecting it. Luc, my inspiration, scored a hat trick that game (3 goals in one game). After that game, I couldn't stop thinking about hockey and that amazing hat trick.

That same year, I started to play hockey. With the goal of eventually meeting that scoring beast. He was my inspiration for playing. Him and some other Hall of Famers. I got further into hockey, I studied the history of the game, I studied better ways to play and became very knowledgeable of the great game. I went to every NHL game I could, all of them blowing my mind. My mind was still set on meeting that man. I eventually went to a hockey camp where he was the instructor. He taught so much, and I was just shocked to finally meet this man and actually learn from him.

Later, I had the chance to go to California for a music convention. My uncle is a radio DJ in California, so he can get us plenty of things to do in California. My dad sneakily suggested to him that we go see their local team, the Kings, play against the Red Wings. My uncle got us the tickets! Not only that, he got us V.I.P. passes to the game. We ended up in the Lexus club, it's very high class. In fact, it's so high class that the toilets had gold seats! Well, not really. But I wouldn't be surprised! We ate our delicious dinner there with the man, the manager of the King's communications department, Luc Robitaille. He even remembered me from that camp, and said I was a great hockey player. Those words were so inspiring. This picture is of me, my dad, and Luc right before we went back to our hotel. I will never forget it.

Getting To Know You by Toren Wallengren

The song I chose is not a song that really anyone would know. It's by the local artist "Kalai." Which also happens to be my dad's band. Years ago, my uncle was diagnosed with the disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It causes the degeneration of motor neurons in the brain. It will slowly paralyze the victim. After my uncle passed away, the whole entire family was in shock. So this artist, Kalai, wrote a song dedicated to him. The song is titled "Take Me Swiftly" and it's very meaningful. When I hear this song, it reminds me of the people who care. It makes me feel sad of course, but it also gives me hope and reminds me to look ahead and drop what I can't change (the past). This song also has several analogies that are deep and sometimes confusing. The music itself affects the mood of the song and the lyrics as well.
My partner, Skylar Ward, chose the song Forever by Papa Roach. He chose this song because he believes it explains a lot of real life situations. He said he can relate to things that take place in the song.
Our songs relate to each other because they both have to do with things we experience in our life. Not necessarily excellent things, but things none-the-less. They remind us of the good times, and the bad times. We all talk bad and we all compliment, we all suffer from family death and prosper from fortune.