Ali J Art & Illustration

Currently listening to....

East 17.  Ahhh... takes me back to the 90's................

Miley Cyrus - The Climb

Whether you like pop music or not, there is something about the song "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus that resonates with me strongly.  I'm a bit fan of listening to music when I paint or draw, especially music that has strong lyrics.  This song isn't a happy song, but it is a powerful song.  It reminds me that no matter what goals I set myself, I can't forget the journey.  That no matter how tough everything gets, not to let it get to me, as I'll get stronger with each passing day.  That at some stage I'm going to look back and be amazed at the path I took and everything that I've achieved.

That sometimes I just have to stop and look around me.

"The Climb"
by Miley Cyrus

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

Ben Lee & Mandy Moore In Concert

I had a fantastic opportunity on Saturday night to go to see Ben Lee in concert with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra.  I really enjoyed myself, he was so good and really interacted with the audience.  Mandy Moore supported him and sung a few songs from her recent CD released called "Wild Hope" before they sung a few duets.

I had a few close eye contact moments with him.  I still can't believe how close I was.  I kept dreaming he would ask me if I was single.  I knew exactly what my answer would be, "I am now!"  ha ha ha.... :)

So here are a few photos.  First let us set the scene.

The Venue was at Kings Park in Perth, Australia.  The stage was placed above a pond and people could bring in chairs or picnic blankets.  I went with Chad's mum and we had a wonderful picnic for dinner to eat before the concert.

This is Mandy Moore singing songs from "Wild Hope".  She is such a stunning woman, I can't believe how much she has achieved at such a young age.  She was really nervous singing and had her eyes closed almost the whole time on stage.

She is such a passionate woman though, as you can see from these photos. The fist closing tightly to hold the side of her skirt, the fierce facial expressions, and the strength in her stance.

Then a wonderful duet of Mandy Moore and Ben Lee!

A rare moment caught on camera - Mandy Moore smiling!  She barely smiled at all during the concert because she was so shy and nervous. 

Then Ben continued singing - for a total of 19 songs!  He was great and very funny.  If you ever get the chance to go to one of his concerts, don't hesitate!