Tag: spotify

  • concert diaries #1

    concert diaries #1

    Hey guys! As I’m sure you’re all aware, I’m really into music. I like pop, musicals, indie, rock, jazz, and even a bit of country. So I figured I’d walk you through some of the concerts I’ve been to and let you get to know me a bit better 🙂

    My First Concert Ever May 2019

    When I was 15 I went to my very first concert in Chicago. I was really into k-pop at the time and I was so psyched to see BTS (a very popular Korean boyband). I dragged my dad along with me and it was a really memorable trip. The concert, however, was out of this world and felt unreal. It was pretty windy and chilly. I remember BTS saying it felt like a winter concert! (If only they knew what winter really is like in the Midwest)

    The Eras Tour June 2023

    And yes, I made that mirror disco cowgirl hat. I’m crafty like that 😉

    Surprise, surprise: I’m a bit of a Swiftie! While I’m not a super fan by any means, I still love Taylor Swift’s music and lyricism. I was able to use some of the money I had been saving up through high school to be able to experience the Eras Tour with my sister. It was so nostalgic for us, I remember getting her first CD and playing nonstop. The atmosphere was great and Taylor was soooo good. The backup dancers, the props, I just can’t say enough good things about it.

    The Car Tour August 2023

    This was a concert I decided to go to on a whim. My sister and I went to Minneapolis to see the Arctic Monkeys at the Armory. They’re a British rock band that’s been together since 2006. General admission was all standing, so we lined up hours before the doors opened to get a decent spot. It was so cool being that close to the band, and the opener was pretty good too! It was so fun being able to hear all of my favorite songs live.

    TopHouse June 2024

    TopHouse was a cool band that I was able to see for free in Sioux Falls! Every summer, Sioux Falls has free concerts at the Levitt. The band’s sound was very reminiscent of the Lumineers. It kinda had a bit of southern twang and was really cool to hear.

    Hinterland Music Festival August 2024

    Yep, it was that crowded. Only like 18,000 people

    Most recently I was able to go to a music festival in Iowa for a day! This was a lot different than most concerts I’ve been to. It was neat to be able to see a line up of musicians that I liked. While the live music was incredible, it was really overcrowded and super hot. Despite the heat, I had so much fun and was finally able to see Chappell Roan and Ethel Cain live! They had such different vibes but the energy was electric and I’d bear the 96 degree heat all over again.

    I do have a concert lined up next month, but we’ll see what happens.

    Until then, see ya! Read more of my blog posts below.

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  • making a zine in InDesign

    making a zine in InDesign

    Hey yall, I’m back! Before jumping into the software I decided to look for a tutorial. I found this one and it was pretty straightforward. If you’re looking for a tutorial on how to make a zine by hand check out this video from brattyxbre.

    Getting Started

    Form a plan. Or don’t, but that’s what I’m doing.

    • Find a topic
    • Make a rough draft
    • Gather images/digital scrapbook stuff (paper textures, tape, etc)
    • Design
    • Print!

    So first up is finding inspiration. Right now I’ve been really into musicians Chapell Roan and Ethel Cain. I’d be a shell of myself without Spotify. My zine will be called music on my mind to reflect my current song infatuations.

    Now that I have my topic, I split my pages up.

    • Cover
    • Intro Page
    • Artist
    • Artist
    • Artist
    • Artist
    • Artist
    • Back
    Here’s the rough sketched out page design layout!

    Designing

    The hardest part is next. I followed this tutorial to figure out my layout in the software. From there I found corresponding fonts and scrapbook-like elements. The colors, elements, and fonts corresponded with the main picture and the vibe of the artist. I got most of my fonts and elements from Adobe Fonts and Adobe Stock Images.

    The Final Product

    Initially, I had the layout similar to the video tutorial. However I ran into issues figuring out how to print it. More on that below.

    Printing

    Printing is a different beast entirely. At first, I printed my facing pages as spreads. But I thought I’d be smart and print them doublesided to save on paper. However, my double sided pages didn’t face the same way and one side was up and the other was flipped. To save my remaining sanity I brought the pages into a 8.5″ x 11″ document (split into 8). This allowed me to save on paper and simply fold and cut to make a zine without needing binding. For some reason, I still ended up with a white border after printing. I used the school’s printers but will try UPS next time.

    This is how I folded my mini zine!

    Thoughts

    If I were to do this again (hopefully soon!) I would change a couple of things.

    • Font Unity
      • I used a lot of fonts to try to adhere to the featured artist, but doing so made it hard to read and overall not uniform
    • Readability
      • I’d change the font size to be legible, it was hard to tell before printing
    • Printing Process
      • I ran into patchy ink printing so I’d find another way to print next time
    • Layout
      • Instead of doing multiple facing pages, I’d stick to a 8.5 x 11″ split into 8 sections. The simplified layout doesn’t make my head hurt as much and would save money on printing if I decide to sell/print multiple.

    What would you make a zine about? Have you made one before? Let me know below 🙂