#jules ambrose icon

[lureofthegallowsgame]

Hello! In the past I’ve kept it to the imagination with few exceptions, but I don’t mind sharing some reference photos/face claims for now. I kept them under the cut for those who have their own mental image. :)

Leo: They don’t have a particular FC, but it’s been mentioned that they remind people of Chad (Corbin Bleu) from High School Musical, which I sort of agree with. :) I just picture fluffy dark curls, the sweetest dark eyes, and a kind smile.

Eli: No one in particular, honestly. They just popped into my head and never left. I just imagine obnoxiously bright teal hair, an often over-exaggerated scowl, and the type of intimidating stare that makes people look away.

Warren: His FC is apparently hard to narrow down. I’ve used the same picture of Darwin Gray for years now, even before TLOTG became an IF. Someone in the Discord mentioned a young Rob Lowe, which is ALSO very good, specifically this picture. Just imagine the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen and ink-dark hair, and that’s how I write him.

Fin: I was discussing this with my dear friend Mars a while back, but I imagine them to look like the Brazilian model Fernanda Oliveira. The curly dark hair, the soft round face, the fathomless dark eyes. It all fits so well.

Ambrose: Again, no specific FC. I just imagine a very angelic appearance with golden hair and dark eyes paired with Do Not Fuck With Me vibes.

Luna: I specifically like this photo with the blonde highlights, but I picture her to be a more buff version of the gymnast Laurie Hernandez.

Jules: No FC, the vibes are based purely on their imposing height/build, the quarter-sized scar on his temple, and the iconic vampiric eyes.

Faye: No FC, she’s just a bright shining star in my mind. Just a heart-winning smile, intricately braided dark hair, and a siren’s voice cut through with a banshee’s scream.

Hazel: No FC, but she’s very tall/built sturdy, she has a commanding voice, and her confidence as a human cannot compare to the grace that her werewolf form possesses.

[loudlyunladylike]

Pride icons of fictional pride icons! (3/?)

Theo Putnam - Transgender

Petra Solano - Bisexual

Ambrose Spellman - Pansexual

Lauren Cooper - Intersex

Kevin Keller - Gay

Jules Vaughn - Transgender

Alison DiLaurentis - Bisexual

Jane Ramos - Lesbian

Steven Carrington - Gay

[akajustmerry]

favorite kisses? (in movies or series?)

hiii i know there are so many i love (i’ve often thought about a gif series). but these are off the top of my head!! thank u!

anna and declan’s fake marriage kiss in leap year - mate, no matter how many times I watch this my heart CLENCHES i can’t even speak coherently about this its perfect...the build up, the nerves, THE WAY THEY GET INTO IT BUT THEN UH OH just WOW.

benvolio and rosaline in still starcrossed - the build-up to this??? UNPARALLELED, and after 5 episodes of pining and ALMOSTS they FINALLY KISS THROUGH LITERAL BARS I WEPT THE FIRST TIME I WATCHED

emily and sue in the orchid!!! - Dickinson starting with this in their first episode was Big Dickinson Energy

prudence and ambrose (caos) - the chemistry between them is just fire and their kisses are so TENDER i could DIE, (pls so spoilers for s4 i haven’t started!)

richonne kiss in the walking dead, S7E5: Go Getters - honestly, just youtube this, I think its literally one of the greatest on screen kisses of all time I’m not even joking. 

rue and jule’s first kisses in euphoria - hunter and zendaya have the softest chemistry, watching them is so lovely. i really only watch euphoria for them i don’t like the rest of the show sajdn

rikki n zane in h20 just add water - i really can’t tell if these two had genuine chemistry or i was just projecting onto zane because i didn’t really register i had a crush on rikki. whatever i just loved them and for a kids show, these were some KISSES u know?

Joana & Natália (3%) - this one’s for the VINDICATION of me knowing Joana was a lesbian for 3 SEASONS n finally seeing her kiss and be kissed by a girl who loved her. my longest yeah boi ever.

bell and Freddie in the hour - sorry, i can’t talk about this without retraumatising myself, but if you’ve seen the hour, you know. 

knightley/emma in emma (2020) - bitch, they’re shit eating GRINS. i love them.

jack harkness/the doctor/rose (doctor who) - the way That Scene single handedly showed me bisexuality existed? iconic. 

thanks for asking this!!

[2700fstreet]

JAZZ / 2017-2018

ERIC HARLAND, VOYAGER

PERFORMANCE / DEMONSTRATION

So, What’s Going On?

Eric Harland is one of the most respected drummers on the jazz scene today. Though he’s only in his 40s, he’s been studying and playing professionally for over half of his life. Whether on stage or in the studio, Harlan’s passion and excitement for jazz inspire his audiences and fellow performers alike.

One of Harland’s favorite pastimes is hanging out in his New York City Studio, casually making music with friends and colleagues through improvisation. In jazz, improvisation is the spontaneous aspect of creating new melodies within the jazz structure. Jazz music is a subtle balance of structure and inventiveness.

The Language of Jazz—A quick guide to being in the know.

Here are some key jazz terms to know and to listen for during the performance:

Articulation: Performance techniques used by musicians that determine the style or sound of the music by specifying how individual notes are to be played within a section or entire piece of music

Improvisation: Creating music or song spontaneously, a technique that requires great musical skill and creativity

Melody: The tune of a piece of music created by a series of notes; most often recognizable as the main tune you hum or sing along with in a musical work

Harmony: Two or more notes played together that create a compatible or pleasant sound

Rhythm: A strong, repeated pattern of sound

Soloing: When a musician improvises by elaborating on the music’s melody and harmony in their own personal style

The best jazz musicians, Harland included, need a firm understanding of jazz theory (the rules and language of jazz music) and structure (the order of compositions) to succeed. In fact, Harland studied for years to master the technical aspects of jazz music. But jazz “cats,” as they’re called, are also all composers by default, participating in improvisation through solos that are either planned or occur spontaneously in the middle of a performance. Because improvisation is invented at the moment it occurs, it’s true that no two performances, even of the same piece, are exactly the same.

Jazz Fundamentals: What is Improvisation?

Let’s begin. Watch this:

Harland is a technical master who has earned the ability to stretch and expand how music can sound. Harland and his group certainly think about techniques, chords, and musical form, but then they allow their imaginations to expand upon the technical aspects of music. For example, Harland likes to use technology to take a melodic line and experiment around that line. He might add random notes and rhythms to the score and see what comes out, adjusting those notes and rhythms to try to find a central key—an activity he calls finding “a melody in the chaos.”

Eric Harland mixes up more than just the melody—as a drummer, he plays with the beat, too. Watch him give a lesson on playing behind, on, and ahead of the beat:

During the demonstration, Eric Harland and his band Voyager will play music from their repertoire, including original pieces. They’ll also take questions before finishing up with a final tune. Be prepared to ask the musicians about how they approach composition and improvisation, their influences and early music experiences, and how they practice.

Who’s Who

Eric Harland is an award-winning drummer and composer, seriously accomplished for a such a young man. Originally from Houston, Texas, Harland entered the music scene early, beginning private lessons at age 5, and studied music seriously as a teen. He graduated from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in his home town where he found his niche, excelling in jazz performance groups and even beginning his professional performing career. In fact, legendary jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis conducted a workshop at his high school and was so impressed with Harland’s musicianship and dedication, he encouraged the teen to study music in New York City. Harland won a full scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music.

Hear Eric Harland speak about his introduction to jazz and how he finds his voice:

But the New York music scene, though successful and fun, led Harlan towards a path that he wasn’t sure was right for him. So he returned to Texas and attended Houston Baptist University, where he studied theology and was ordained as a minster, giving up music for a time. He describes that period as an evolution, one which eventually led him back to the drum kit.

Harland returned to New York and built a reputation as a creative and skilled drummer. He has since shared the stage with prominent jazz musicians across the country. He’s played on nearly 400 recordings and in several film scores. Harland has made music with jazz legends like Wynton Marsalis and modern artists like Terence Blanchard, Taylor Eigsti, and Aaron Parks. He’s collaborated with artists from KRS1 and Mariah Carey to John Mayer and Spike Lee. Harland has also performed (and continues to perform) with jazz artists including Joshua Redman, Dave Holland, Kevin Eubanks, Jason Moran, and Chris Potter. In fact, he’s become the drummer of choice for many icons in the jazz world.

Harland waited until his second decade of performing jazz to release an album as a band leader and composer. His group Voyager is highly regarded with two albums under its belt. Harland released his first album, Voyager: Live by Night, in 2010 and a second album, Vipassana, in 2014. He’s also worked with the SFJAZZ Center and Monterey Jazz Festival as Musician-in-Residence. Harland and Voyager are known for their high energy, while also providing plenty of opportunities for solo exploration. Harland’s self-described musical mission is to provide his listeners insight into the music.

Take a listen… Catch Eric Harland’s quintet in action:

Meet Voyager

Besides Harland on drums, Voyager is composed of a saxophone, guitar, piano, and sometimes double bass, representing accomplished musicians that critics call a musical “brain trust.”

Taylor Eigsti (piano) leads his own trio and is a member of several other jazz groups. He has been a faculty member of the Stanford Jazz Workshop at Stanford University in California since he was just 15. His trio has been nominated for two Grammy® Awards.

Julian Lage (guitar) was a child prodigy in jazz music, featured in the documentary Jules at Eight. He played live on the Grammys at age 13, and, like Eigsti, became a faculty member of the Stanford Jazz Workshop at 15. The leader of his own trio, Lage also performs and records as a solo guitarist.

Walter Smith III (saxophone) is a jazz performer and composer from Houston, Texas. In addition to playing with his own group and Voyager, he plays with Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet. He specializes in tenor saxophone.

Harish Raghavan (bass) grew up in Northbrook, Illinois, just north of Chicago. At age eight he began studying Western and Indian percussion, and later switched to the double bass at seventeen.

Take a listen: See Voyager performing at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival in 2015:

Check This Out…

As a drummer, Harland uses different techniques to create different sounds and effects. Pay attention to his skills with the cymbals. What do you notice about how he adjusts his instruments, sticks, and techniques as he plays? Watch Eric Harland talk about different cymbals and techniques he uses with each:

Jazz may have a unique sound, but it’s fundamentally not that different from other types of music. One major similarity? Jazz, like many types of music, places great importance on the relationship with the audience. How do Harland and Voyager create a relationship with the audience through their music?

Harland’s performance has been described as “a firestorm” and energetic. What do you hear that would fit this description? Are there other words you might use to describe Harland and his group’s music?

Harland talks about “staying in the musical moment.” By that, he means experimenting with technique in composition that, while following the “rules” of jazz, leave room for creativity and organic music—those exciting and sometimes unexpected musical moments that bring goosebumps. Is there a point when you hear that “musical moment?”

Think About This…

Jazz music is heavily connected to song writing. Even when a band plays a “standard” (a musical composition that’s a part of the historical musical repertoire of jazz), the leader and/or instrumentalists often add their own “spin” to it, through improvisation. Think outside the box for a minute. Can you apply this concept to life? In what ways can or do you take historical events and ideas and change them to fit your life?

Becoming an expert in anything takes practice. Harland says that he’s always had focus surrounding his music. At eight, he even told his mom that he wanted to tour the world as a musician. Though Harland faced roadblocks at times in his life, he credits his success with working every day, one day at a time, to become the best at what he was doing. What’s the lesson here for you as a teen?

Rhythm is an intrinsic part of both language and music. If that’s true, think about what language and music have in common. Could it be that language is just an extension of music, or vice versa? What do you think? Watch Eric Harland talk about the rhythmic nature of language:

Take Action: Be Bold

Eric Harland thrives on the creative experience of boldly throwing it all out there (musically speaking) and then refining what results into a meaningful piece of art. Picture a painter throwing paint on a canvas to see what shapes might emerge. In writing, this might be called brainstorming. Harland even says that he doesn’t write full tunes for his band, but allows the group to experiment with his framework in order to create a song. How can you apply this to your own life or art? Is there a project you’re working on that could use some bold creativity? Are you bold enough to try?

Snap a picture or take a video of your bold artistic exploration and post it to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, or any other platform. If other people are involved, make sure that you have their permission to include them in your post. Then, tag five friends and ask them to share their exploration. Use #BeBold as your hashtag.

Explore More

Go even deeper with the Eric Harland Performance Extras.

–

Support for Jazz at the Kennedy Center is generously provided by Elizabeth and C. Michael Kojaian.