| Diane Warren. Know her? Diane Warren may not be a very popular name, but for me, it certainly rings a bell. Whenever I see or hear that name, I am surrounded with sounds of good music. Diane Warren is my all-time favorite songwriter, and I believe she has written many of the best songs ever heard on planet Earth. I became an avid fan of Diane at 11, when I saw her in an awards show on TV, and found out that she wrote some of my favorite songs. Every time I bought a new record, I�d leaf through the credits to see if there�s any Diane Warren song. If so, that song would be an addition to my list of favorites. Even before I knew Diane, I already knew her music. When I was in Kinder 2, there was a song that I really liked. I was too young, then, to care about the writer or the performer of the song. All I knew was that I loved to listen to it. During my mid-teens, I found out that Diane wrote that song. One thing that brings me closer to Diane is the fact that she looks a bit like my mother. Thanks to the Internet, I�m able to get a better view of her� and she�s not at all the young-looking musician I expected her to be. She�s already in her mid-forties, and I find it hard to believe that she still writes such songs that can appeal to people of all ages. She has written over a hundred songs, which have gone to the top of the charts, and each song is different from the next. She can write pop, R&B and country songs, with different themes. I wonder where she gets all her ideas� The lyrics of her songs are just simple and clearly expressed. It�s the way the songs are presented that makes them HITS. The tune really plays an important part in a song. Like in one of Diane�s songs, there�s a line, �Look in my eyes, you�ll see a love that�s deep and true.� When that line is read, it just sounds somewhat dull. But when it is sung, with background music and all, there�s really a climatic sound that gives emphasis to the meaning of the line. It draws the listeners into the song, and puts them in the mood to whatever the theme of the song is. Although Diane just uses simple words for her songs, she has a way of putting words together, which make her songs unique. Sample lines are, �It was you who made my blue eyes blue,� �I wanna feel how it feels to be somebody�s somebody,� and �You can try to resist, try to hide from my kiss, but you know that you can�t fight the moonlight.� If I could write just one song that is as good as Diane�s, I would indeed be very happy. However, I�m not her, so I just have to be contented with my own style in songwriting. One of my dreams is to be able to work with Diane in the future. I could either have a song that is written by her, or write a song with her. That would be very nice. However, if that dream won�t come true, I�d still continue listening to Diane�s songs. Diane Warren will always hold a special place in my heart. |
| At a first glance, most people would think he's a bit arrogant. He roams around with that impatient look of his. But then, this guy can be funny. Not just ordinarily funny, but outrageously funny! I call him "Faffer" for fun. I'm talking about my father, Mr. Maximo Yu. He's the third child of Yu Chay Leng and Lim Lee Suan. He was born smart and, according to him, meticulous. He started with Grade 1 in school. He was a straight first honor student in Chinese from elementary up to junior high. Aside form that, he was also good with his studies in English. He graduated Cum Laude in Colegio de San Jose Recoletos. He finished engineering, but failed to be one because he wasn't a Filipino citizen then. Presently, he works for his brother-in-law in Cebu. They sell trucks, multicabs, and other things related to mechanics. Every Sunday, he usually wakes up at lunchtime, due to lack of sleep on weekdays. In his freetime, he watches different kinds of sports on TV. His favorite is basketball. In fact, he used to play basketball during his high school days. He's a pretty athletic person. He's practically good in everything. He's also good in singing. He sometimes brags about how he's very good in singing when he never even took voice lessons. He can sometimes be a sentimental slob, but usually denies it after he's done crying. He also denies some things, like when he's trying to prove a point. He never quits even though he knows sometimes he's wrong. You can always hear loud chaos in his room most nights. It's either we're in a strong fit of laughter or we're arguing over something. Well, that's my father. He's one of God's best and unique creations. |
| Column 2 submitted on: 11-04-02 4th Year HS grade: 88% Diane Warren |
| Prose Portrait 2nd Year HS grade: 92% Faffer |
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