About Me

 About this blog:

Hello fellow readers, my name is Ben, I'm a P.R. student , and  I'm the kind of guy  that dislikes the "About Me" section.  Another box to fit in, more rules, more boundaries...great.  Interestingly, this is what this blog is about: Thinking outside the box, but more specifically, musically.  I have been playing piano for 12 years and it's only within the past few years that I realised that I don't always have to play other peoples music.   Dear Beethoven, I don't want to play "Für Elise" anymore. 

It was at this point that I started composing my own music, and further discovered that music can be played by nearly anyone.  Ever wished you could play music?  Guess what, you can.  Do you need years of experience? No.  Do you need to know anything about music?  No.  Do you need a spark of passion for music? Yes.  This passion is what will let you pick up that instrument, and put into practice what I will show you in the following blogs.  Trust me, it's a lot easier than you think.  Please feel free to contact me at anytime about my blog at: bmorrissey0@gmail.com.

About me:

Hello,

My name is Benjamin Morrissey, and I am a 23 year old currently living in Kingston.  I was born in Quebec, but seeing as how my father was in the military, I got to experience the life of a military brat.  Moving a lot did have its perks: I'm now bilingual.

I will spare you all of the boring detail from my personal biography, but there is one story that I'd like to tell you.  However, if none of this interests you and would simply like to see my accomplishments, then please follow this link to my LinkedIn page.

Story time! In grade 10, I was what you could consider a "below average" student.  My grades were terrible (C+ at best), and I was addicted to video games.  Honestly, back then, I didn't see the problem.  School was useless since I was getting out after grade 12, I had a part time job, and I had no bills to pay which meant lots of pocket money.  Couldn't get any better! 

Unfortunately, in March, I had to show my parents my report card.  Boy, did that ever go badly.  I guess I can't blame them for wanting their child to use their full potential, but  they opened a big can of whoop @** on me!  

Perception is a funny thing, isn't it?  It's our reality, our foundation, yet it's so vulnerable to change.

Yeah, my parents did a pretty good job of changing my views on my current lifestyle.  Maybe working minimum wage for the rest of my life wasn't such a sweet deal after all.  So what now? 

 After a lot of soul search, I realized that I loved public speaking and the field of communications.  The catch was that I needed to raise my average if I wanted to go to university.  Thus began the rest of my life... In grade 11 I had a B- average, and a B+ in grade 12.  I could get in to university with these! Fast forward through four years of university and a one year post-graduate college certificate, I ended with an A+ average.  

The reason why I wanted to share this story is because the harder the situation got, the stronger and better I became.  In other words, regardless of what challenges come my way, I strongly believe that I can overcome them.

I also tend to go above and beyond what is expected of me.  Here's a perfect example: The final assignment in my 4 year long American Sign Language class was to sign along with any song of your choice.  While most people settled for "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", I went for Eminem's "Rap God".  Not only did I ace it, but on YouTube, it currently has 12 000 views and counting (Link here).  Needless to say, I love a challenge.

My Passions:

There are three things that I am really passionate about: music, video games, and the news.

1) Music:

I've been playing the piano for about  12 years, and recently came to the realization that music  can be A LOT easier than it is made out to be.  That being said, I've started a blog titled "In Be Major" with the purpose of teaching the concepts of music or even popular songs to those with very little or no musical background.  Ever listen to the Game of Thrones theme song and think: "Damn, what a great song!  I wish I could play that."  Well, I'm making a point of turning those dreams into a reality  (Fun fact, my G.O.T. tutorial can be found here).

Lately I've been carried away from this with my job hunting, but I'll get back to it....soon.

2) Video Games

What's not to love about video games? 

• It's a huge market that's still growing

• There's practically a game that fits everyone's interests

• With the mobile platforms, games are become even more accessible

• The marketing of some of the bigger companies (such as Ubisoft) is absolutely genius

What truly interests me is that Kingston doesn't seem to have tapped into this market yet.  From hosting tournaments, to welcoming indie developers, Kingston could make a name for itself in this field.

3) News

Finally, there's the news.  In 2014, I got the opportunity to work at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which was so much fun! 

 

"What's so special about the news?" you may ask. Arguably, information is power.  Ultimately, it allows for opportunity, such as analyzing the markets and judging when to invest.  I also consider it entertainment since it is always fresh.  I seek to create my own opportunities, and I believe that staying informed will help me.