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Aug. 2nd, 2012 04:32 pmWhat I've Been Looking For
The first composition piece of Kelsi's we see is a love song duet. The major points in the lyrics is that the person was lonely before they found they never had a need to be, what they needed was right there beside him. What do these lyrics mean to Kelsi as a person? Well, we're going to take this in a non-romantical sense.
When Kelsi first appears in High School Musical, she's a quiet albeit seemingly attentive girl. She follows the theatre teacher onto the stage without a fuss and reacts immediately to Mrs. Darbis's questions. We are immediately given the image of a young wallflower who's particularly talented. Kelsi, however, has a difficult time speaking out. We find out quickly she's terrified of Sharpay and Ryan and doesn't want to displease them. Not soon following this realization we also learn that she doubts her own composing ability. That's not to say she's not proud of her work, she is, but she's afraid no one else will see it for what it is.
Kelsi's fear and self doubt are essential here because it's the very reason she's putting up with Sharpay and Ryan's antics. Twinkle Town Musical would be the first time her compositions were played for the public eye, in more than one way one of her dreams was coming true. She tried speaking out when the twins altered her music, but it ended in Sharpay bullying her and telling her she had no artist's right. And, at the time, Kelsi wasn't one to fight back like she wanted to.
Que one Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, but mostly Troy. It's likely that Kelsi has known of Troy from quite sometime, but when he talks to her after the musical audition she's astounded. This makes it obvious that Kelsi isn't used to a lot of attention, let alone from the star of the basketball team. But it's thanks to Troy's words that she becomes more confident in her compositions. Troy tells her that she's the playmaker of the musical, the one they needed most if they were going to be putting on a show.
This sparks another emotion we hadn't seen in Kelsi before: passion. Immediately following his compliments, Kelsi asks if he and Gabriella would like to see what her song was supposed to be like. She starts going a mile a minute and it was impossible for the couple to get a word in edge wise. While meek and quiet, we quickly come to find that Kelsi loves her art. She takes pride and enjoyment in it and tries to pass that same love on into the people around her.
From that moment on something begins stirring inside of Kelsi. She'd began to find some level of courage, but it continues to falter depending on the circumstances even through the third movie. The day Troy and Gabriella opened auditioned for the musical opened a new world of opportunity for Kelsi and she dived in head first. Maybe she was still afraid of Sharpay, but she'd begin speaking out more as time went on.
Breaking Free
"Breaking Free" is a song written by Kelsi about, well, you can guess it: breaking free. Going away from stereotypes and cliques to become who you really are is an essential theme in the first High School Musical movie. Kelsi was the first one to realize and see there was something more to Gabriella and Troy and she helped them find it in themselves. In turn, helping them also helped her find herself, too.
By the time the song comes on in the movie, Kelsi has stood up for herself and fought for what she believes in. She helped the others to plot against Sharpay and Ryan to allow Troy and Gabriella to sing. More importantly, however, is that she began defending herself and her friends. First with Mrs. Darbis and then again when Sharpay told her "she didn't want to do this [play the piano]". To that Kelsi had responded with, "yes, I really do".
This is important because Kelsi has grown more of a backbone throughout the few weeks in the movie. Thanks to Troy's confidence boost she's began to stand up for herself and not back down. While it's true in the second movie she still sort of backs down when it comes to Sharpay, Kelsi also mumbles things so Sharpay can't hear it. And, eventually, she helps conspire against Sharpay with Ryan, but we'll get to that more later.
Essentially, for Kelsi, Breaking Free is the moment she breaks free, too. She comes out of her shell in more ways then one. Due to her friendship with Troy and Gabriella she ends up being included in the "wildcats". Kelsi is no longer so much of a wallflower by the end of the movie. While it's obvious she's still invested in her music and watching those around her, she's also become more of the group. Kelsi enjoys having friends to the point she writes things in the hopes they'll all do it together and have fun, possibly in part because that is when she's having the most fun, too.
You Are The Music In Me
This song is the first one we know of that Kelsi writes especially for Gabriella and Troy. However, as Sharpay says Kelsi composes all of her best songs for Troy and Gabriella, it's heavily implied that she's written more than we hear for them. This song in particular is the one that shows us what inspires Kelsi and thus allows us to delve a little more into her personality.
It's noticeable that she doesn't enjoy writing songs for Ryan and Sharpay where as her apparent best ones go to Troy and Gabriella. "You are the music in me," is another love song, showing that Kelsi has a fondness for romanticism. As most of her songs center around love and coming together it's shown that Kelsi has a heart for true, fantastical romance. Maybe she's not so much for knights in shining armor, but she does seem to believe there's a lot of happiness in love, despite what circumstances may be.
In essence, love inspires Kelsi, but so does her friends. Kelsi never seems to write a song about herself, but the people around her. Why is this important? It shows that Kelsi is observant and understanding of people's relationships. She knew that music is what brought Troy and Gabriella together and they only really enjoyed singing together, especially Troy. While it's true anyone could tell this by the end of the first movie, Kelsi appears to understand it more than the others.
Considering this, we also come to the fact that Kelsi fangirls over Troy and Gabriella. While it's not something she says openly, she tries to help keep them together. They're both her inspiration and something she wants to see last. In part, the love she sees between them is also why Kelsi defies Sharpay.
Also shown particularly in this moment is that Kelsi is a team player. She wants everyone to be together and have fun to the best of their ability. Even when the wildcats turn against Troy, although she doesn't talk to him she lets him in on why everyone was upset. In part this was a show of fairness as well as adhering to the seemingly unspoken rule of not talking to Troy. But she does things in the attempt to include everyone of her friends, although the best way she knows how is through music.
Everyday
Written explicitly for all the wildcats together, "Everyday" can be considered both another love song and a praise to life. It's the song that, although partly written for Troy and Gabriella, Kelsi wrote especially for the group as a whole. The essence of it is that you only have one moment to live your life and you should take it.
Considering Kelsi's actions at the end of the movie we know she's reached that stage in her life. While we still see she's afraid to confront Sharpay, we also see that when she's had enough she's incredibly vindictive. Unlike at the end of the first movie Kelsi doesn't just declare she will do something and storm off. Instead, she and Ryan come together and plot against Sharpay. All of the Wildcats have decided they've had enough of Sharpay and Ryan and Kelsi, knowing her best, take charge.
The fact that the two humiliate Sharpay so thoroughly is a point to not cross either of them. Kelsi is naturally a quiet and nice girl, but she also has other sides to her that come out when triggered. Normally, we see this when Kelsi becomes passionate, but the moment we hear Everyday shows another side. While Ryan did all the actual work, it's shown that he and Kelsi work together on the plan, meaning they both have a bit of a manipulative streak. It's the only time we see it in Kelsi and, given later events, Ryan is more manipulative than she is, but we have to remember he's not the only one who plotted against Sharpay.
Beyond this, however, "Everyday" has another part to it we must consider: a will to live. The lyrics very strongly state that we shouldn't allow bad times get in the way, but to cease the moment while we can. For the wildcats, this was a theme for the movie because they thought they were losing Troy, but then Kelsi writes this song. In a way, this shows she has a strong will as many times throughout the two movies she's wanted to give up. While this was shown especially in the first one until Chad said they were going to fix things, in the second movie we see it again. Both times she accepts them readily and is the first to respond.
Essentially, this is the same doubt we see when it comes to get her music out there. When Kelsi wants to give up or is disheartened is when she speaks out the most. It's true that during these times she does seem to have a pessimistic outlook, but that's easily changed. She has a strong belief in the people around her and supports them to the best of her ability. From the moment they decide to do something, she sticks with them even if she's afraid (i.e. Sharpay). Her willpower wavers in self-doubt, but the minute they decide to do something Kelsi doesn't give up.
Now or Never
Senior year for any high school student is a time of change. It's the time where you learn you have to stop being a kid and grow into adulthood. The last time you have to cease the day without consequence. When we see Kelsi, she is same girl we saw in her junior year, but also a changed girl. Where as in the first movie she didn't say much unless addressed, Kelsi is now more open. We see her attending basketball games and DJing at an after party happily. In all, Kelsi's not shying away from being around and doing things with others.
However, we do know that she's still afraid of disappointing people. When she hears Sharpay claiming they need to make a one man musical, Kelsi immediately begins writing down every single one of her friends' names on the sign up sheet. She did this without permission, so of course she sort of ducked away from the resulting backlash. Upon given the chance she apologize and tells them she did it so they could all have fun together one last time. This, surprisingly, was the only instance of real doubt we see in her throughout the whole film. In fact, she didn't even doubt the musical's performance when Gabriella left because of a Standford early enrollment.
By senior year Kelsi has finally reached a whole new level of confidence in herself. She sent a letter into Julliard on her own and, although she worried they didn't receive her letter, had applied for a full-ride scholarship. Given her behavior in the first film and her idea that maybe her music wasn't good enough proves that she has more faith in people enjoying her music. Not only that, but she's excited to write the school musical and, for once, doesn't have to bend to anyone else's whims. Even when Gabriella left there wasn't a meltdown after she left, but a simple "we can do this" moment.
The idea of "now or never" appears important to Kelsi as she realizes this is their last chance to do something together. It shows that while she might be afraid of the future, that they all are, there's something they can do in that moment to celebrate their time. This is an important trait in Kelsi as her music always shows something to be happy about, but the theme of "now or never" is present, too. Thanks to Troy in the first film, Kelsi has learned to embrace the moment. She's learned that things might be scary, but if she really believes in something she should stick by it. First when Troy and Gabriella auditions, second in having a good summer, and third in the idea they could all have one last blow out.
I Just Want To Be With You
Finally, by the end of the series Kelsi is given a full-ride scholarship to Juliard University in New York. The wildcats as a whole are going in all different directions and life is about to change wholly. "I just want to be with you," is the perfect ending to the series as it shows Kelsi's belief of the future and what her friends can do.
Kelsi is no longer as meek a girl as she was in the beginning of the series, and her confidence shows in this song in particular. She shows an understanding that their futures are coming for them and they have a lot to do, but she believes that they'll all be all right. Considering how fears of the shows being destroyed because of Sharpay, this is quite the difference. Kelsi realizes that things change quickly and there's nothing you can do about it, but that doesn't mean you should give up.
Especially, as she says, if you're with your friends. Again we come back to the importance of her friends. In a year her whole life had changed, she had more friends and confidence in herself than she ever had before. In some cases we might see a person backpedal and believe they're going to fail without them, but that isn't the case with Kelsi. We still see she has a lot of belief in the people she knows because she writes that even if they're miles apart they'll still be okay. Why? Because they still had each other and no one could break those bonds.
It's safe to say that, overall, Kelsi is an optimistic person. While she has her moments of self-doubt those have lessened over the year and they've always been something easily fixed. She's been bullied and still is able to write songs of love, happiness, togetherness, and individuality. None of the songs we see her write are of the darker variety, although she does mention that things happen but they have to pull through. Kelsi realizes there's evil in the world, she has to with Sharpay, but she also believes and stands by the good. The good for her, friendship and love, are what inspires her to compose. Kelsi wants to see the two prevail and it's shown by her constantly trying to help Troy and Gabriella or keep the wildcats together.
The first composition piece of Kelsi's we see is a love song duet. The major points in the lyrics is that the person was lonely before they found they never had a need to be, what they needed was right there beside him. What do these lyrics mean to Kelsi as a person? Well, we're going to take this in a non-romantical sense.
When Kelsi first appears in High School Musical, she's a quiet albeit seemingly attentive girl. She follows the theatre teacher onto the stage without a fuss and reacts immediately to Mrs. Darbis's questions. We are immediately given the image of a young wallflower who's particularly talented. Kelsi, however, has a difficult time speaking out. We find out quickly she's terrified of Sharpay and Ryan and doesn't want to displease them. Not soon following this realization we also learn that she doubts her own composing ability. That's not to say she's not proud of her work, she is, but she's afraid no one else will see it for what it is.
Kelsi's fear and self doubt are essential here because it's the very reason she's putting up with Sharpay and Ryan's antics. Twinkle Town Musical would be the first time her compositions were played for the public eye, in more than one way one of her dreams was coming true. She tried speaking out when the twins altered her music, but it ended in Sharpay bullying her and telling her she had no artist's right. And, at the time, Kelsi wasn't one to fight back like she wanted to.
Que one Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, but mostly Troy. It's likely that Kelsi has known of Troy from quite sometime, but when he talks to her after the musical audition she's astounded. This makes it obvious that Kelsi isn't used to a lot of attention, let alone from the star of the basketball team. But it's thanks to Troy's words that she becomes more confident in her compositions. Troy tells her that she's the playmaker of the musical, the one they needed most if they were going to be putting on a show.
This sparks another emotion we hadn't seen in Kelsi before: passion. Immediately following his compliments, Kelsi asks if he and Gabriella would like to see what her song was supposed to be like. She starts going a mile a minute and it was impossible for the couple to get a word in edge wise. While meek and quiet, we quickly come to find that Kelsi loves her art. She takes pride and enjoyment in it and tries to pass that same love on into the people around her.
From that moment on something begins stirring inside of Kelsi. She'd began to find some level of courage, but it continues to falter depending on the circumstances even through the third movie. The day Troy and Gabriella opened auditioned for the musical opened a new world of opportunity for Kelsi and she dived in head first. Maybe she was still afraid of Sharpay, but she'd begin speaking out more as time went on.
Breaking Free
"Breaking Free" is a song written by Kelsi about, well, you can guess it: breaking free. Going away from stereotypes and cliques to become who you really are is an essential theme in the first High School Musical movie. Kelsi was the first one to realize and see there was something more to Gabriella and Troy and she helped them find it in themselves. In turn, helping them also helped her find herself, too.
By the time the song comes on in the movie, Kelsi has stood up for herself and fought for what she believes in. She helped the others to plot against Sharpay and Ryan to allow Troy and Gabriella to sing. More importantly, however, is that she began defending herself and her friends. First with Mrs. Darbis and then again when Sharpay told her "she didn't want to do this [play the piano]". To that Kelsi had responded with, "yes, I really do".
This is important because Kelsi has grown more of a backbone throughout the few weeks in the movie. Thanks to Troy's confidence boost she's began to stand up for herself and not back down. While it's true in the second movie she still sort of backs down when it comes to Sharpay, Kelsi also mumbles things so Sharpay can't hear it. And, eventually, she helps conspire against Sharpay with Ryan, but we'll get to that more later.
Essentially, for Kelsi, Breaking Free is the moment she breaks free, too. She comes out of her shell in more ways then one. Due to her friendship with Troy and Gabriella she ends up being included in the "wildcats". Kelsi is no longer so much of a wallflower by the end of the movie. While it's obvious she's still invested in her music and watching those around her, she's also become more of the group. Kelsi enjoys having friends to the point she writes things in the hopes they'll all do it together and have fun, possibly in part because that is when she's having the most fun, too.
You Are The Music In Me
This song is the first one we know of that Kelsi writes especially for Gabriella and Troy. However, as Sharpay says Kelsi composes all of her best songs for Troy and Gabriella, it's heavily implied that she's written more than we hear for them. This song in particular is the one that shows us what inspires Kelsi and thus allows us to delve a little more into her personality.
It's noticeable that she doesn't enjoy writing songs for Ryan and Sharpay where as her apparent best ones go to Troy and Gabriella. "You are the music in me," is another love song, showing that Kelsi has a fondness for romanticism. As most of her songs center around love and coming together it's shown that Kelsi has a heart for true, fantastical romance. Maybe she's not so much for knights in shining armor, but she does seem to believe there's a lot of happiness in love, despite what circumstances may be.
In essence, love inspires Kelsi, but so does her friends. Kelsi never seems to write a song about herself, but the people around her. Why is this important? It shows that Kelsi is observant and understanding of people's relationships. She knew that music is what brought Troy and Gabriella together and they only really enjoyed singing together, especially Troy. While it's true anyone could tell this by the end of the first movie, Kelsi appears to understand it more than the others.
Considering this, we also come to the fact that Kelsi fangirls over Troy and Gabriella. While it's not something she says openly, she tries to help keep them together. They're both her inspiration and something she wants to see last. In part, the love she sees between them is also why Kelsi defies Sharpay.
Also shown particularly in this moment is that Kelsi is a team player. She wants everyone to be together and have fun to the best of their ability. Even when the wildcats turn against Troy, although she doesn't talk to him she lets him in on why everyone was upset. In part this was a show of fairness as well as adhering to the seemingly unspoken rule of not talking to Troy. But she does things in the attempt to include everyone of her friends, although the best way she knows how is through music.
Everyday
Written explicitly for all the wildcats together, "Everyday" can be considered both another love song and a praise to life. It's the song that, although partly written for Troy and Gabriella, Kelsi wrote especially for the group as a whole. The essence of it is that you only have one moment to live your life and you should take it.
Considering Kelsi's actions at the end of the movie we know she's reached that stage in her life. While we still see she's afraid to confront Sharpay, we also see that when she's had enough she's incredibly vindictive. Unlike at the end of the first movie Kelsi doesn't just declare she will do something and storm off. Instead, she and Ryan come together and plot against Sharpay. All of the Wildcats have decided they've had enough of Sharpay and Ryan and Kelsi, knowing her best, take charge.
The fact that the two humiliate Sharpay so thoroughly is a point to not cross either of them. Kelsi is naturally a quiet and nice girl, but she also has other sides to her that come out when triggered. Normally, we see this when Kelsi becomes passionate, but the moment we hear Everyday shows another side. While Ryan did all the actual work, it's shown that he and Kelsi work together on the plan, meaning they both have a bit of a manipulative streak. It's the only time we see it in Kelsi and, given later events, Ryan is more manipulative than she is, but we have to remember he's not the only one who plotted against Sharpay.
Beyond this, however, "Everyday" has another part to it we must consider: a will to live. The lyrics very strongly state that we shouldn't allow bad times get in the way, but to cease the moment while we can. For the wildcats, this was a theme for the movie because they thought they were losing Troy, but then Kelsi writes this song. In a way, this shows she has a strong will as many times throughout the two movies she's wanted to give up. While this was shown especially in the first one until Chad said they were going to fix things, in the second movie we see it again. Both times she accepts them readily and is the first to respond.
Essentially, this is the same doubt we see when it comes to get her music out there. When Kelsi wants to give up or is disheartened is when she speaks out the most. It's true that during these times she does seem to have a pessimistic outlook, but that's easily changed. She has a strong belief in the people around her and supports them to the best of her ability. From the moment they decide to do something, she sticks with them even if she's afraid (i.e. Sharpay). Her willpower wavers in self-doubt, but the minute they decide to do something Kelsi doesn't give up.
Now or Never
Senior year for any high school student is a time of change. It's the time where you learn you have to stop being a kid and grow into adulthood. The last time you have to cease the day without consequence. When we see Kelsi, she is same girl we saw in her junior year, but also a changed girl. Where as in the first movie she didn't say much unless addressed, Kelsi is now more open. We see her attending basketball games and DJing at an after party happily. In all, Kelsi's not shying away from being around and doing things with others.
However, we do know that she's still afraid of disappointing people. When she hears Sharpay claiming they need to make a one man musical, Kelsi immediately begins writing down every single one of her friends' names on the sign up sheet. She did this without permission, so of course she sort of ducked away from the resulting backlash. Upon given the chance she apologize and tells them she did it so they could all have fun together one last time. This, surprisingly, was the only instance of real doubt we see in her throughout the whole film. In fact, she didn't even doubt the musical's performance when Gabriella left because of a Standford early enrollment.
By senior year Kelsi has finally reached a whole new level of confidence in herself. She sent a letter into Julliard on her own and, although she worried they didn't receive her letter, had applied for a full-ride scholarship. Given her behavior in the first film and her idea that maybe her music wasn't good enough proves that she has more faith in people enjoying her music. Not only that, but she's excited to write the school musical and, for once, doesn't have to bend to anyone else's whims. Even when Gabriella left there wasn't a meltdown after she left, but a simple "we can do this" moment.
The idea of "now or never" appears important to Kelsi as she realizes this is their last chance to do something together. It shows that while she might be afraid of the future, that they all are, there's something they can do in that moment to celebrate their time. This is an important trait in Kelsi as her music always shows something to be happy about, but the theme of "now or never" is present, too. Thanks to Troy in the first film, Kelsi has learned to embrace the moment. She's learned that things might be scary, but if she really believes in something she should stick by it. First when Troy and Gabriella auditions, second in having a good summer, and third in the idea they could all have one last blow out.
I Just Want To Be With You
Finally, by the end of the series Kelsi is given a full-ride scholarship to Juliard University in New York. The wildcats as a whole are going in all different directions and life is about to change wholly. "I just want to be with you," is the perfect ending to the series as it shows Kelsi's belief of the future and what her friends can do.
Kelsi is no longer as meek a girl as she was in the beginning of the series, and her confidence shows in this song in particular. She shows an understanding that their futures are coming for them and they have a lot to do, but she believes that they'll all be all right. Considering how fears of the shows being destroyed because of Sharpay, this is quite the difference. Kelsi realizes that things change quickly and there's nothing you can do about it, but that doesn't mean you should give up.
Especially, as she says, if you're with your friends. Again we come back to the importance of her friends. In a year her whole life had changed, she had more friends and confidence in herself than she ever had before. In some cases we might see a person backpedal and believe they're going to fail without them, but that isn't the case with Kelsi. We still see she has a lot of belief in the people she knows because she writes that even if they're miles apart they'll still be okay. Why? Because they still had each other and no one could break those bonds.
It's safe to say that, overall, Kelsi is an optimistic person. While she has her moments of self-doubt those have lessened over the year and they've always been something easily fixed. She's been bullied and still is able to write songs of love, happiness, togetherness, and individuality. None of the songs we see her write are of the darker variety, although she does mention that things happen but they have to pull through. Kelsi realizes there's evil in the world, she has to with Sharpay, but she also believes and stands by the good. The good for her, friendship and love, are what inspires her to compose. Kelsi wants to see the two prevail and it's shown by her constantly trying to help Troy and Gabriella or keep the wildcats together.
Amat Application
Jul. 27th, 2012 03:33 amPLAYER
» Journal: creatively
» Birthdate/Age: June 1993
» Characters Played: Ron Weasley
CHARACTER FACTS
» Name: Kelsi Nielsen
» Fandom: High School Musical
» Reference: http://high-school-musical.wikia.com/wiki/Kelsi_Nielsen
» Canon Point: Post High School Musical 3: Senior Year, during the summer preparing to go to Julliard School
» Gender: Female
» Age: 18
CHARACTER INTERPRETATION
» Appearance: As an adult, Kelsi isn't much different from how she was in her junior year. While she has more confidence in herself and sometimes wears more feminine clothing, Kelsi still comes off as her own person in dress. Overall, however, she's fairly tiny standing at five feet and two inches with the rest of the cast standing over her (Olesya's real height). To match her small size, Kelsi also happens to be impossibly tiny. Genes, it would seem, were not on Kelsi's side when it came to the stature side of things. Other than this, she's actually got a fairly pretty face often hidden behind both glasses and hates. Kelsi's eyes are a in waves of green and blue, making a nice cerulean colour that lights up when she gets talking about something. The other most noticeable feature is the curly brown locks that, more often that not, she tucks away into a bun and under her hat.
Appearance wise, Kelsi's not exceedingly special unless you take in her choice of clothing. "Normal outfits" don't appear to be a thing for Kelsi. She wears colours that don't match, whatever hat she feels likes, baggy clothes, artistic clothes, and ballerina dresses for prom. If there's anything really noticeable about Kelsi it's that, whatever she chooses to wear, no one else is wearing or would think to wear the same thing as her.
» Suitability: N/A
» Orientation: As a minor character, Kelsi's orientation is more implied than anything else. Unlike Jason, an even more minor character, the most she gets is a few dance partners. When it comes to the implied nature, Kelsi is heterosexual. In the first movie we see Jason pull her aside and help her shoot the winning ball, something she was giddy about. After this, they become dance partners for the next two movies and are seen holding hands in the final scene. By the third movie they appear to have broken up, as Jason has decided to ask Martha to prom. Ryan, under orders from Sharpay, asks Kelsi to the prom. At this, of course, Kelsi grinned and agreed, a little shyly and these two become dance partners. We get no hint of romantic feelings that might be towards other females, who she appears more natural around. Thus, we can safely say that she is heterosexual.
» Personality:
What I've Been Looking For
The first composition piece of Kelsi's we see is a love song duet. The major points in the lyrics is that the person was lonely before they found they never had a need to be, what they needed was right there beside him. What do these lyrics mean to Kelsi as a person? Well, we're going to take this in a non-romantical sense.
When Kelsi first appears in High School Musical, she's a quiet albeit seemingly attentive girl. She follows the theatre teacher onto the stage without a fuss and reacts immediately to Mrs. Darbis's questions. We are immediately given the image of a young wallflower who's particularly talented. Kelsi, however, has a difficult time speaking out. We find out quickly she's terrified of Sharpay and Ryan and doesn't want to displease them. Not soon following this realization we also learn that she doubts her own composing ability. That's not to say she's not proud of her work, she is, but she's afraid no one else will see it for what it is.
Kelsi's fear and self doubt are essential here because it's the very reason she's putting up with Sharpay and Ryan's antics. Twinkle Town Musical would be the first time her compositions were played for the public eye, in more than one way one of her dreams was coming true. She tried speaking out when the twins altered her music, but it ended in Sharpay bullying her and telling her she had no artist's right. And, at the time, Kelsi wasn't one to fight back like she wanted to.
Que one Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, but mostly Troy. It's likely that Kelsi has known of Troy from quite sometime, but when he talks to her after the musical audition she's astounded. This makes it obvious that Kelsi isn't used to a lot of attention, let alone from the star of the basketball team. But it's thanks to Troy's words that she becomes more confident in her compositions. Troy tells her that she's the playmaker of the musical, the one they needed most if they were going to be putting on a show.
This sparks another emotion we hadn't seen in Kelsi before: passion. Immediately following his compliments, Kelsi asks if he and Gabriella would like to see what her song was supposed to be like. She starts going a mile a minute and it was impossible for the couple to get a word in edge wise. While meek and quiet, we quickly come to find that Kelsi loves her art. She takes pride and enjoyment in it and tries to pass that same love on into the people around her.
From that moment on something begins stirring inside of Kelsi. She'd began to find some level of courage, but it continues to falter depending on the circumstances even through the third movie. The day Troy and Gabriella opened auditioned for the musical opened a new world of opportunity for Kelsi and she dived in head first. Maybe she was still afraid of Sharpay, but she'd begin speaking out more as time went on.
Breaking Free
"Breaking Free" is a song written by Kelsi about, well, you can guess it: breaking free. Going away from stereotypes and cliques to become who you really are is an essential theme in the first High School Musical movie. Kelsi was the first one to realize and see there was something more to Gabriella and Troy and she helped them find it in themselves. In turn, helping them also helped her find herself, too.
By the time the song comes on in the movie, Kelsi has stood up for herself and fought for what she believes in. She helped the others to plot against Sharpay and Ryan to allow Troy and Gabriella to sing. More importantly, however, is that she began defending herself and her friends. First with Mrs. Darbis and then again when Sharpay told her "she didn't want to do this [play the piano]". To that Kelsi had responded with, "yes, I really do".
This is important because Kelsi has grown more of a backbone throughout the few weeks in the movie. Thanks to Troy's confidence boost she's began to stand up for herself and not back down. While it's true in the second movie she still sort of backs down when it comes to Sharpay, Kelsi also mumbles things so Sharpay can't hear it. And, eventually, she helps conspire against Sharpay with Ryan, but we'll get to that more later.
Essentially, for Kelsi, Breaking Free is the moment she breaks free, too. She comes out of her shell in more ways then one. Due to her friendship with Troy and Gabriella she ends up being included in the "wildcats". Kelsi is no longer so much of a wallflower by the end of the movie. While it's obvious she's still invested in her music and watching those around her, she's also become more of the group. Kelsi enjoys having friends to the point she writes things in the hopes they'll all do it together and have fun, possibly in part because that is when she's having the most fun, too.
You Are The Music In Me
This song is the first one we know of that Kelsi writes especially for Gabriella and Troy. However, as Sharpay says Kelsi composes all of her best songs for Troy and Gabriella, it's heavily implied that she's written more than we hear for them. This song in particular is the one that shows us what inspires Kelsi and thus allows us to delve a little more into her personality.
It's noticeable that she doesn't enjoy writing songs for Ryan and Sharpay where as her apparent best ones go to Troy and Gabriella. "You are the music in me," is another love song, showing that Kelsi has a fondness for romanticism. As most of her songs center around love and coming together it's shown that Kelsi has a heart for true, fantastical romance. Maybe she's not so much for knights in shining armor, but she does seem to believe there's a lot of happiness in love, despite what circumstances may be.
In essence, love inspires Kelsi, but so does her friends. Kelsi never seems to write a song about herself, but the people around her. Why is this important? It shows that Kelsi is observant and understanding of people's relationships. She knew that music is what brought Troy and Gabriella together and they only really enjoyed singing together, especially Troy. While it's true anyone could tell this by the end of the first movie, Kelsi appears to understand it more than the others.
Considering this, we also come to the fact that Kelsi fangirls over Troy and Gabriella. While it's not something she says openly, she tries to help keep them together. They're both her inspiration and something she wants to see last. In part, the love she sees between them is also why Kelsi defies Sharpay.
Also shown particularly in this moment is that Kelsi is a team player. She wants everyone to be together and have fun to the best of their ability. Even when the wildcats turn against Troy, although she doesn't talk to him she lets him in on why everyone was upset. In part this was a show of fairness as well as adhering to the seemingly unspoken rule of not talking to Troy. But she does things in the attempt to include everyone of her friends, although the best way she knows how is through music.
Everyday
Written explicitly for all the wildcats together, "Everyday" can be considered both another love song and a praise to life. It's the song that, although partly written for Troy and Gabriella, Kelsi wrote especially for the group as a whole. The essence of it is that you only have one moment to live your life and you should take it.
Considering Kelsi's actions at the end of the movie we know she's reached that stage in her life. While we still see she's afraid to confront Sharpay, we also see that when she's had enough she's incredibly vindictive. Unlike at the end of the first movie Kelsi doesn't just declare she will do something and storm off. Instead, she and Ryan come together and plot against Sharpay. All of the Wildcats have decided they've had enough of Sharpay and Ryan and Kelsi, knowing her best, take charge.
The fact that the two humiliate Sharpay so thoroughly is a point to not cross either of them. Kelsi is naturally a quiet and nice girl, but she also has other sides to her that come out when triggered. Normally, we see this when Kelsi becomes passionate, but the moment we hear Everyday shows another side. While Ryan did all the actual work, it's shown that he and Kelsi work together on the plan, meaning they both have a bit of a manipulative streak. It's the only time we see it in Kelsi and, given later events, Ryan is more manipulative than she is, but we have to remember he's not the only one who plotted against Sharpay.
Beyond this, however, "Everyday" has another part to it we must consider: a will to live. The lyrics very strongly state that we shouldn't allow bad times get in the way, but to cease the moment while we can. For the wildcats, this was a theme for the movie because they thought they were losing Troy, but then Kelsi writes this song. In a way, this shows she has a strong will as many times throughout the two movies she's wanted to give up. While this was shown especially in the first one until Chad said they were going to fix things, in the second movie we see it again. Both times she accepts them readily and is the first to respond.
Essentially, this is the same doubt we see when it comes to get her music out there. When Kelsi wants to give up or is disheartened is when she speaks out the most. It's true that during these times she does seem to have a pessimistic outlook, but that's easily changed. She has a strong belief in the people around her and supports them to the best of her ability. From the moment they decide to do something, she sticks with them even if she's afraid (i.e. Sharpay). Her willpower wavers in self-doubt, but the minute they decide to do something Kelsi doesn't give up.
Now or Never
Senior year for any high school student is a time of change. It's the time where you learn you have to stop being a kid and grow into adulthood. The last time you have to cease the day without consequence. When we see Kelsi, she is same girl we saw in her junior year, but also a changed girl. Where as in the first movie she didn't say much unless addressed, Kelsi is now more open. We see her attending basketball games and DJing at an after party happily. In all, Kelsi's not shying away from being around and doing things with others.
However, we do know that she's still afraid of disappointing people. When she hears Sharpay claiming they need to make a one man musical, Kelsi immediately begins writing down every single one of her friends' names on the sign up sheet. She did this without permission, so of course she sort of ducked away from the resulting backlash. Upon given the chance she apologize and tells them she did it so they could all have fun together one last time. This, surprisingly, was the only instance of real doubt we see in her throughout the whole film. In fact, she didn't even doubt the musical's performance when Gabriella left because of a Standford early enrollment.
By senior year Kelsi has finally reached a whole new level of confidence in herself. She sent a letter into Julliard on her own and, although she worried they didn't receive her letter, had applied for a full-ride scholarship. Given her behavior in the first film and her idea that maybe her music wasn't good enough proves that she has more faith in people enjoying her music. Not only that, but she's excited to write the school musical and, for once, doesn't have to bend to anyone else's whims. Even when Gabriella left there wasn't a meltdown after she left, but a simple "we can do this" moment.
The idea of "now or never" appears important to Kelsi as she realizes this is their last chance to do something together. It shows that while she might be afraid of the future, that they all are, there's something they can do in that moment to celebrate their time. This is an important trait in Kelsi as her music always shows something to be happy about, but the theme of "now or never" is present, too. Thanks to Troy in the first film, Kelsi has learned to embrace the moment. She's learned that things might be scary, but if she really believes in something she should stick by it. First when Troy and Gabriella auditions, second in having a good summer, and third in the idea they could all have one last blow out.
I Just Want To Be With You
Finally, by the end of the series Kelsi is given a full-ride scholarship to Juliard University in New York. The wildcats as a whole are going in all different directions and life is about to change wholly. "I just want to be with you," is the perfect ending to the series as it shows Kelsi's belief of the future and what her friends can do.
Kelsi is no longer as meek a girl as she was in the beginning of the series, and her confidence shows in this song in particular. She shows an understanding that their futures are coming for them and they have a lot to do, but she believes that they'll all be all right. Considering how fears of the shows being destroyed because of Sharpay, this is quite the difference. Kelsi realizes that things change quickly and there's nothing you can do about it, but that doesn't mean you should give up.
Especially, as she says, if you're with your friends. Again we come back to the importance of her friends. In a year her whole life had changed, she had more friends and confidence in herself than she ever had before. In some cases we might see a person backpedal and believe they're going to fail without them, but that isn't the case with Kelsi. We still see she has a lot of belief in the people she knows because she writes that even if they're miles apart they'll still be okay. Why? Because they still had each other and no one could break those bonds.
It's safe to say that, overall, Kelsi is an optimistic person. While she has her moments of self-doubt those have lessened over the year and they've always been something easily fixed. She's been bullied and still is able to write songs of love, happiness, togetherness, and individuality. None of the songs we see her write are of the darker variety, although she does mention that things happen but they have to pull through. Kelsi realizes there's evil in the world, she has to with Sharpay, but she also believes and stands by the good. The good for her, friendship and love, are what inspires her to compose. Kelsi wants to see the two prevail and it's shown by her constantly trying to help Troy and Gabriella or keep the wildcats together.
SAMPLES
» First Person Sample Choice: (Prompt TWO)
[The face that appears on the screen is a slightly nervous one. Kelsi's collar is sitting more than a little snug on her neck, but she doesn't seem to pay that much mind for a moment. She gives a breath before finally speaking.]
Um... I know this is a little late, but I think it's time I get a job. My name's Kelsi Nielsen and back home I graduated High School a few weeks ago. I'm okay in biology and math, but I've played piano at my friend's country club. I'm good at piano if anyone had a use for a pianist! Soon I'll be going off to Julliard for school and I've written a few musicals for school. They're no Mozart, but I can play them for you if you like!
[But she winces a little, which is the only reason she stopped. Trying hard not to flush, she tries to find the confidence to finally say.] I--I might need to find a different kind of help, too.
» Third Person Sample Choice: (Prompt THREE)
The tightness around her throat was exceedingly uncomfortable as Kelsi turned off the device in her hand. Some part of her hadn't believed that an island could really force people to have sex. That was crazy, right? About as crazy as being kidnapped. Well, the last part actually happened to people daily, Kelsi conceded, wringing her hands. She'd wanted to wait to deal with the collar just in case, but with how tight it was she doubted the possibility of that. How long had it been exactly? Ten days sounded about right.
In truth, Kelsi didn't know what she was waiting for. Maybe she was hoping she wouldn't have to. Not because she minded the idea of sex, that wasn't it. Kelsi had long ago realized she was a sexual being, but she enjoyed intimacy in a different way. Kelsi enjoyed seeing people speaking of their feelings first than engaging promptly in the sexual aspect of it. Call her old fashioned, but she'd prefer to be in an established romantic relationship before jumping into the next part. At least, Kelsi was fairly sure she did.
Groaning, Kelsi dropped the device next to her and placed her head in her hands. This was a disaster. Maybe she should talk to Ryan, he might have someway to help even if they didn't do anything... And, certainly, Kelsi was very aware of how things could have changed and didn't want to press anything onto him. Ryan was the only friend Kelsi considered she had here at the moment, and she didn't want to ruin it by questioning him. Even if a small jealous side of her ribbed that it was only right, Kelsi ignored it.
Instead, she forced herself to focus on the matter at hand: the collar tightening around her throat. Even her request for a job paled at the thought of a her imminent death. Maybe someone would answer her call, being that they were all in this together. "It'd be better if I ..." Kelsi mumbled out in a rough voice, pulling her hands away from her face. She could feel the shy blush rushing to her cheeks but stood anyway.
Glancing at herself in the mirror, Kelsi blinked before sighing. Hand on device ready to move if someone answered, she shook her head before exiting the room. Ryan, she thought with a finality. Kelsi didn't have to ask him for his help, something about that made the shy blush sink further into her features, but she could ask in general. Ryan had to know something, right? Well, she was certainly going to hope so, because she didn't want that collar getting much tighter.
» Journal: creatively
» Birthdate/Age: June 1993
» Characters Played: Ron Weasley
CHARACTER FACTS
» Name: Kelsi Nielsen
» Fandom: High School Musical
» Reference: http://high-school-musical.wikia.com/wiki/Kelsi_Nielsen
» Canon Point: Post High School Musical 3: Senior Year, during the summer preparing to go to Julliard School
» Gender: Female
» Age: 18
CHARACTER INTERPRETATION
» Appearance: As an adult, Kelsi isn't much different from how she was in her junior year. While she has more confidence in herself and sometimes wears more feminine clothing, Kelsi still comes off as her own person in dress. Overall, however, she's fairly tiny standing at five feet and two inches with the rest of the cast standing over her (Olesya's real height). To match her small size, Kelsi also happens to be impossibly tiny. Genes, it would seem, were not on Kelsi's side when it came to the stature side of things. Other than this, she's actually got a fairly pretty face often hidden behind both glasses and hates. Kelsi's eyes are a in waves of green and blue, making a nice cerulean colour that lights up when she gets talking about something. The other most noticeable feature is the curly brown locks that, more often that not, she tucks away into a bun and under her hat.
Appearance wise, Kelsi's not exceedingly special unless you take in her choice of clothing. "Normal outfits" don't appear to be a thing for Kelsi. She wears colours that don't match, whatever hat she feels likes, baggy clothes, artistic clothes, and ballerina dresses for prom. If there's anything really noticeable about Kelsi it's that, whatever she chooses to wear, no one else is wearing or would think to wear the same thing as her.
» Suitability: N/A
» Orientation: As a minor character, Kelsi's orientation is more implied than anything else. Unlike Jason, an even more minor character, the most she gets is a few dance partners. When it comes to the implied nature, Kelsi is heterosexual. In the first movie we see Jason pull her aside and help her shoot the winning ball, something she was giddy about. After this, they become dance partners for the next two movies and are seen holding hands in the final scene. By the third movie they appear to have broken up, as Jason has decided to ask Martha to prom. Ryan, under orders from Sharpay, asks Kelsi to the prom. At this, of course, Kelsi grinned and agreed, a little shyly and these two become dance partners. We get no hint of romantic feelings that might be towards other females, who she appears more natural around. Thus, we can safely say that she is heterosexual.
» Personality:
What I've Been Looking For
The first composition piece of Kelsi's we see is a love song duet. The major points in the lyrics is that the person was lonely before they found they never had a need to be, what they needed was right there beside him. What do these lyrics mean to Kelsi as a person? Well, we're going to take this in a non-romantical sense.
When Kelsi first appears in High School Musical, she's a quiet albeit seemingly attentive girl. She follows the theatre teacher onto the stage without a fuss and reacts immediately to Mrs. Darbis's questions. We are immediately given the image of a young wallflower who's particularly talented. Kelsi, however, has a difficult time speaking out. We find out quickly she's terrified of Sharpay and Ryan and doesn't want to displease them. Not soon following this realization we also learn that she doubts her own composing ability. That's not to say she's not proud of her work, she is, but she's afraid no one else will see it for what it is.
Kelsi's fear and self doubt are essential here because it's the very reason she's putting up with Sharpay and Ryan's antics. Twinkle Town Musical would be the first time her compositions were played for the public eye, in more than one way one of her dreams was coming true. She tried speaking out when the twins altered her music, but it ended in Sharpay bullying her and telling her she had no artist's right. And, at the time, Kelsi wasn't one to fight back like she wanted to.
Que one Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, but mostly Troy. It's likely that Kelsi has known of Troy from quite sometime, but when he talks to her after the musical audition she's astounded. This makes it obvious that Kelsi isn't used to a lot of attention, let alone from the star of the basketball team. But it's thanks to Troy's words that she becomes more confident in her compositions. Troy tells her that she's the playmaker of the musical, the one they needed most if they were going to be putting on a show.
This sparks another emotion we hadn't seen in Kelsi before: passion. Immediately following his compliments, Kelsi asks if he and Gabriella would like to see what her song was supposed to be like. She starts going a mile a minute and it was impossible for the couple to get a word in edge wise. While meek and quiet, we quickly come to find that Kelsi loves her art. She takes pride and enjoyment in it and tries to pass that same love on into the people around her.
From that moment on something begins stirring inside of Kelsi. She'd began to find some level of courage, but it continues to falter depending on the circumstances even through the third movie. The day Troy and Gabriella opened auditioned for the musical opened a new world of opportunity for Kelsi and she dived in head first. Maybe she was still afraid of Sharpay, but she'd begin speaking out more as time went on.
Breaking Free
"Breaking Free" is a song written by Kelsi about, well, you can guess it: breaking free. Going away from stereotypes and cliques to become who you really are is an essential theme in the first High School Musical movie. Kelsi was the first one to realize and see there was something more to Gabriella and Troy and she helped them find it in themselves. In turn, helping them also helped her find herself, too.
By the time the song comes on in the movie, Kelsi has stood up for herself and fought for what she believes in. She helped the others to plot against Sharpay and Ryan to allow Troy and Gabriella to sing. More importantly, however, is that she began defending herself and her friends. First with Mrs. Darbis and then again when Sharpay told her "she didn't want to do this [play the piano]". To that Kelsi had responded with, "yes, I really do".
This is important because Kelsi has grown more of a backbone throughout the few weeks in the movie. Thanks to Troy's confidence boost she's began to stand up for herself and not back down. While it's true in the second movie she still sort of backs down when it comes to Sharpay, Kelsi also mumbles things so Sharpay can't hear it. And, eventually, she helps conspire against Sharpay with Ryan, but we'll get to that more later.
Essentially, for Kelsi, Breaking Free is the moment she breaks free, too. She comes out of her shell in more ways then one. Due to her friendship with Troy and Gabriella she ends up being included in the "wildcats". Kelsi is no longer so much of a wallflower by the end of the movie. While it's obvious she's still invested in her music and watching those around her, she's also become more of the group. Kelsi enjoys having friends to the point she writes things in the hopes they'll all do it together and have fun, possibly in part because that is when she's having the most fun, too.
You Are The Music In Me
This song is the first one we know of that Kelsi writes especially for Gabriella and Troy. However, as Sharpay says Kelsi composes all of her best songs for Troy and Gabriella, it's heavily implied that she's written more than we hear for them. This song in particular is the one that shows us what inspires Kelsi and thus allows us to delve a little more into her personality.
It's noticeable that she doesn't enjoy writing songs for Ryan and Sharpay where as her apparent best ones go to Troy and Gabriella. "You are the music in me," is another love song, showing that Kelsi has a fondness for romanticism. As most of her songs center around love and coming together it's shown that Kelsi has a heart for true, fantastical romance. Maybe she's not so much for knights in shining armor, but she does seem to believe there's a lot of happiness in love, despite what circumstances may be.
In essence, love inspires Kelsi, but so does her friends. Kelsi never seems to write a song about herself, but the people around her. Why is this important? It shows that Kelsi is observant and understanding of people's relationships. She knew that music is what brought Troy and Gabriella together and they only really enjoyed singing together, especially Troy. While it's true anyone could tell this by the end of the first movie, Kelsi appears to understand it more than the others.
Considering this, we also come to the fact that Kelsi fangirls over Troy and Gabriella. While it's not something she says openly, she tries to help keep them together. They're both her inspiration and something she wants to see last. In part, the love she sees between them is also why Kelsi defies Sharpay.
Also shown particularly in this moment is that Kelsi is a team player. She wants everyone to be together and have fun to the best of their ability. Even when the wildcats turn against Troy, although she doesn't talk to him she lets him in on why everyone was upset. In part this was a show of fairness as well as adhering to the seemingly unspoken rule of not talking to Troy. But she does things in the attempt to include everyone of her friends, although the best way she knows how is through music.
Everyday
Written explicitly for all the wildcats together, "Everyday" can be considered both another love song and a praise to life. It's the song that, although partly written for Troy and Gabriella, Kelsi wrote especially for the group as a whole. The essence of it is that you only have one moment to live your life and you should take it.
Considering Kelsi's actions at the end of the movie we know she's reached that stage in her life. While we still see she's afraid to confront Sharpay, we also see that when she's had enough she's incredibly vindictive. Unlike at the end of the first movie Kelsi doesn't just declare she will do something and storm off. Instead, she and Ryan come together and plot against Sharpay. All of the Wildcats have decided they've had enough of Sharpay and Ryan and Kelsi, knowing her best, take charge.
The fact that the two humiliate Sharpay so thoroughly is a point to not cross either of them. Kelsi is naturally a quiet and nice girl, but she also has other sides to her that come out when triggered. Normally, we see this when Kelsi becomes passionate, but the moment we hear Everyday shows another side. While Ryan did all the actual work, it's shown that he and Kelsi work together on the plan, meaning they both have a bit of a manipulative streak. It's the only time we see it in Kelsi and, given later events, Ryan is more manipulative than she is, but we have to remember he's not the only one who plotted against Sharpay.
Beyond this, however, "Everyday" has another part to it we must consider: a will to live. The lyrics very strongly state that we shouldn't allow bad times get in the way, but to cease the moment while we can. For the wildcats, this was a theme for the movie because they thought they were losing Troy, but then Kelsi writes this song. In a way, this shows she has a strong will as many times throughout the two movies she's wanted to give up. While this was shown especially in the first one until Chad said they were going to fix things, in the second movie we see it again. Both times she accepts them readily and is the first to respond.
Essentially, this is the same doubt we see when it comes to get her music out there. When Kelsi wants to give up or is disheartened is when she speaks out the most. It's true that during these times she does seem to have a pessimistic outlook, but that's easily changed. She has a strong belief in the people around her and supports them to the best of her ability. From the moment they decide to do something, she sticks with them even if she's afraid (i.e. Sharpay). Her willpower wavers in self-doubt, but the minute they decide to do something Kelsi doesn't give up.
Now or Never
Senior year for any high school student is a time of change. It's the time where you learn you have to stop being a kid and grow into adulthood. The last time you have to cease the day without consequence. When we see Kelsi, she is same girl we saw in her junior year, but also a changed girl. Where as in the first movie she didn't say much unless addressed, Kelsi is now more open. We see her attending basketball games and DJing at an after party happily. In all, Kelsi's not shying away from being around and doing things with others.
However, we do know that she's still afraid of disappointing people. When she hears Sharpay claiming they need to make a one man musical, Kelsi immediately begins writing down every single one of her friends' names on the sign up sheet. She did this without permission, so of course she sort of ducked away from the resulting backlash. Upon given the chance she apologize and tells them she did it so they could all have fun together one last time. This, surprisingly, was the only instance of real doubt we see in her throughout the whole film. In fact, she didn't even doubt the musical's performance when Gabriella left because of a Standford early enrollment.
By senior year Kelsi has finally reached a whole new level of confidence in herself. She sent a letter into Julliard on her own and, although she worried they didn't receive her letter, had applied for a full-ride scholarship. Given her behavior in the first film and her idea that maybe her music wasn't good enough proves that she has more faith in people enjoying her music. Not only that, but she's excited to write the school musical and, for once, doesn't have to bend to anyone else's whims. Even when Gabriella left there wasn't a meltdown after she left, but a simple "we can do this" moment.
The idea of "now or never" appears important to Kelsi as she realizes this is their last chance to do something together. It shows that while she might be afraid of the future, that they all are, there's something they can do in that moment to celebrate their time. This is an important trait in Kelsi as her music always shows something to be happy about, but the theme of "now or never" is present, too. Thanks to Troy in the first film, Kelsi has learned to embrace the moment. She's learned that things might be scary, but if she really believes in something she should stick by it. First when Troy and Gabriella auditions, second in having a good summer, and third in the idea they could all have one last blow out.
I Just Want To Be With You
Finally, by the end of the series Kelsi is given a full-ride scholarship to Juliard University in New York. The wildcats as a whole are going in all different directions and life is about to change wholly. "I just want to be with you," is the perfect ending to the series as it shows Kelsi's belief of the future and what her friends can do.
Kelsi is no longer as meek a girl as she was in the beginning of the series, and her confidence shows in this song in particular. She shows an understanding that their futures are coming for them and they have a lot to do, but she believes that they'll all be all right. Considering how fears of the shows being destroyed because of Sharpay, this is quite the difference. Kelsi realizes that things change quickly and there's nothing you can do about it, but that doesn't mean you should give up.
Especially, as she says, if you're with your friends. Again we come back to the importance of her friends. In a year her whole life had changed, she had more friends and confidence in herself than she ever had before. In some cases we might see a person backpedal and believe they're going to fail without them, but that isn't the case with Kelsi. We still see she has a lot of belief in the people she knows because she writes that even if they're miles apart they'll still be okay. Why? Because they still had each other and no one could break those bonds.
It's safe to say that, overall, Kelsi is an optimistic person. While she has her moments of self-doubt those have lessened over the year and they've always been something easily fixed. She's been bullied and still is able to write songs of love, happiness, togetherness, and individuality. None of the songs we see her write are of the darker variety, although she does mention that things happen but they have to pull through. Kelsi realizes there's evil in the world, she has to with Sharpay, but she also believes and stands by the good. The good for her, friendship and love, are what inspires her to compose. Kelsi wants to see the two prevail and it's shown by her constantly trying to help Troy and Gabriella or keep the wildcats together.
SAMPLES
» First Person Sample Choice: (Prompt TWO)
[The face that appears on the screen is a slightly nervous one. Kelsi's collar is sitting more than a little snug on her neck, but she doesn't seem to pay that much mind for a moment. She gives a breath before finally speaking.]
Um... I know this is a little late, but I think it's time I get a job. My name's Kelsi Nielsen and back home I graduated High School a few weeks ago. I'm okay in biology and math, but I've played piano at my friend's country club. I'm good at piano if anyone had a use for a pianist! Soon I'll be going off to Julliard for school and I've written a few musicals for school. They're no Mozart, but I can play them for you if you like!
[But she winces a little, which is the only reason she stopped. Trying hard not to flush, she tries to find the confidence to finally say.] I--I might need to find a different kind of help, too.
» Third Person Sample Choice: (Prompt THREE)
The tightness around her throat was exceedingly uncomfortable as Kelsi turned off the device in her hand. Some part of her hadn't believed that an island could really force people to have sex. That was crazy, right? About as crazy as being kidnapped. Well, the last part actually happened to people daily, Kelsi conceded, wringing her hands. She'd wanted to wait to deal with the collar just in case, but with how tight it was she doubted the possibility of that. How long had it been exactly? Ten days sounded about right.
In truth, Kelsi didn't know what she was waiting for. Maybe she was hoping she wouldn't have to. Not because she minded the idea of sex, that wasn't it. Kelsi had long ago realized she was a sexual being, but she enjoyed intimacy in a different way. Kelsi enjoyed seeing people speaking of their feelings first than engaging promptly in the sexual aspect of it. Call her old fashioned, but she'd prefer to be in an established romantic relationship before jumping into the next part. At least, Kelsi was fairly sure she did.
Groaning, Kelsi dropped the device next to her and placed her head in her hands. This was a disaster. Maybe she should talk to Ryan, he might have someway to help even if they didn't do anything... And, certainly, Kelsi was very aware of how things could have changed and didn't want to press anything onto him. Ryan was the only friend Kelsi considered she had here at the moment, and she didn't want to ruin it by questioning him. Even if a small jealous side of her ribbed that it was only right, Kelsi ignored it.
Instead, she forced herself to focus on the matter at hand: the collar tightening around her throat. Even her request for a job paled at the thought of a her imminent death. Maybe someone would answer her call, being that they were all in this together. "It'd be better if I ..." Kelsi mumbled out in a rough voice, pulling her hands away from her face. She could feel the shy blush rushing to her cheeks but stood anyway.
Glancing at herself in the mirror, Kelsi blinked before sighing. Hand on device ready to move if someone answered, she shook her head before exiting the room. Ryan, she thought with a finality. Kelsi didn't have to ask him for his help, something about that made the shy blush sink further into her features, but she could ask in general. Ryan had to know something, right? Well, she was certainly going to hope so, because she didn't want that collar getting much tighter.
