Tag

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right? "Indescribable" yes



What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life? Elizabeth Taylor(as she is now Dead!!) oh and Taylor Swift.

What is your comfort food/drink? CHOCOLATE!!

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself. I talk to myself when I am doing school work sorry All The Time!!!

Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it? yes, do the splits and a triple back-flip.
Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres? Romantic, Comedy, Drama, and Action, depending on what mood I'm in

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material? all, but mostly fiction, as long as it isn't too boring!!!

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative,
Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types? Classical, Pop, country(if Irish is included), don't really mind as long as it isn't: funk, blues, Crooner(??what's that??) heavy metal, and techno. especially heavy metal
If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money? Put it in bank (Duh)

Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul). a bit vain, Drama-Queen and definately want to be a STAR!!!!

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go? Right where I am, HOME
Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat? I can wiggle my ears!!!!

What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift). Dancing, Music, and hanging on to things. . . Oh, and getting myself out of trouble.
What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of? Mums perfume
When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less? depends . . .
If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in? ??? don't care as long as they're nice clothes!!!!
What is your greatest fear or strange phobia? not going to heaven, everything else I can handle. . .
What is your greatest accomplishment? not sure, so many great accomplishments, so little time . . .
What are your favorite animals? used to dogs, than horses, than cats, now dogs (dog score: 1st, 2nd, 3rd,1st)
Are you a hopeless romantic? umm . . . NO!!!
What movie or book character can you most relate to? Lady of Ch'iao Kuo from the Rayal Diaries series. I've read the book at least 8 times. Is a special edition book, one of my favorites.

The Strauss Family

The Strauss family must be included among Vienna’s greatest

and most important musicians. The ruling family and

aristocracy of this city loved the arts, especially music.

In view of this fact, Vienna produced the most magnificent

waves of musical genius anywhere

over a span of three centuries.


The first wave included Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and the senior Strauss. The second wave: Brahms, Mahlar, Richard Strauss1, and the younger Johann Strauss. Finally the third wave: the twentieth-century geniuses – Schoenberg, Berg and Webern.


Johann2 Strauss, Sr. lived for his orchestra and sadly, not for his family. He was restless, demanding and tyrannical3. Even so, his sons idolized him. Strauss, Sr. created cheerful and happy music. His ‘Rachetzy march’ was his greatest success. It is the unofficial Austrian national anthem.




Johann, Sr. didn’t want any of his children to become musicians, but encouraged by their mother Anna; his three sons, Johann, Jr., Josef, and Eduard4, studied music and contributed more to the waltz 5 than their father did.


Strauss, Sr. was called the Waltz King. He joined Joseph Lanner, in 1826, and they began to formalize the Viennese Waltz that Lanner had created earlier. They formed this into the kind of waltzes that we know today.




After his father left his family, Johann, Jr. became the new ‘Waltz King’. He was already writing music, in ¾ time, at age 6. This is an amazing accomplishment, as it is an extremely difficult time to play, let alone write in.



Beethoven6 often complained that “the Viennese were Waltz
 mad!” Maybe he had a point. Many waltz enthusiasts danced
 through the night until early morning, and the large elegant dance
 halls of Vienna often over flowed. These magnificent dance halls
 could hold over 500 people.


It was not unusual to find Johann Jr. writing music at night and usually under stress. In ill health, and urged by his wife, Jetti, he handed over the responsibility of the family orchestra to his brother Josef.


Reluctantly, his brother, took over conducting, yet handled it with outstanding success. Josef also wrote beautiful waltzes and was called ‘the Schubert of the Waltz”. Unfortunately, Josef died young of brain tumour. After Josef’s untimely and upsetting death, Eduard directed the family orchestra.

In Johann Jr.’s famous operetta masterpieces, “Die Fledermous” and “the Gypsy Baron”, he took ballroom to the theatre. Jr.’s music remained fresh and young. His genius went far beyond the realm of light dance, inspiring many great composers who wrote waltzes.


When Waltz King Johann Strauss, Jr. died in 1899, he had composed nearly five hundred works – waltzes, polkas, marches, operettas, and more.


Vienna and the world, owes much to the Strauss family. If it wasn’t for their passion and hard work we would not have the music we have today.





1 not a relation; 2 pronounced Jo-han, 3meaning bad, bad, and bad; 4Ed-r-ed; 5 wal-s;



6Bay-toe-van

thanks!!!!
Sara