We've arrived at the final in-class blog assignment; from here on out,
we have 3 homework posts to go which will be explained in detail next
week. Today's blog is going to be an art review. Consider the following
genres of art:
visual arts (painting, drawing, graphics, sculpture, photography)
language arts (prose, poetry)
music (songs, albums, musical performance)
performance arts (theater, dance)
cinema
television
Render your opinion, in 20 lines, about a work of art you've enjoyed
recently. Give your readers the basics of what the work of art entails,
and provide your opinions/recommendations regarding the work.
Ultimately, why did you enjoy this, and why should we care to enjoy it
as well? If you can link to anything on the web that would
add-to/support your post about the work of art, please do so.
Call me vain if you wish, but A work of art I'm really interested in right now is a work I am part of. It is a piece of music that my jazz band, the Wissahickon One O' Clock Jazz Band is playing. It is a very fast swing tune called Movin' Uptown and was written by Benny Carter. What made Benny Carter special was that he was an excellent trumpet and saxophone player; few play reed and brass instruments well. But, I digress. I will give you an inside look about how this song is constructed.
It starts by grabbing you by the throat with a bold entrance, and the fast speed of the song catches you off guard. The melody starts with the saxophones, playing a quick Bb scale starting on G, and then the trombones reply. after a repeat of the riff, the trumpets come in soft and get louder quickly, then we are at the bridge of the song. The bridge is one gradual crescendo, and when the bridge is done, we get to the solo section. First to solo is the tenor sax player, August Kim, senior. Next to solo is a trumpet player, Bennett Kelberman, also a senior. I can't say anything about their solos, because they make them up as they go! It's called improvising, and it's essential to jazz. After those two finish their solos, the key changes and the trumpets get the melody, and we trade 8 measure phrases with yet another soloist, lead alto sax player Samantha Webster, who is in the 11th grade. When she finishes, the band plays a repeat of the bridge section, and the main riff is repeated, then the end comes up, in half speed as normal. It ends on a big note, and I personally have to play a very high note as lead trumpet player.
I enjoy this piece of music so much because it is a very fast, happy tune, and it's fun to play. It also impresses most people when they hear it, so I get to show off a little. Movin' Uptown is the first song in the link below :]
https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=f0de44aae7&view=att&th=135e2a5f95ff98ee&attid=0.1&disp=safe&zw&saduie=AG9B_P80TgmQGg6B4XQP8JX7yrpK&sadet=1331232264838&sads=Jxsrhvu5uPaznjCF2QiHlAF8c0g&sadssc=1
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The thing that annoys me the most is...
The thing that annoys me the most is a tough one, but I really dislike how high schools are so focused on sports, and not balanced with the arts. As a musician, I obviously have some bias, but I also have a better perspective than most on this issue. Ms. Fields certainly gives "shout outs" on a regular basis, and apparently we have some of the best sports teams in the country, because they always seem to be more important than any musical accomplishment. It took 2 students to be the best players of their instruments in THE WHOLE STATE to just make mention on Ms. Field's "radio show". And the instrumental music department receives the brunt of this cold shoulder.
STATISTIC:
-since Ms. Fields has been principal, she has attended all chorus concerts and took minutes of our precious time to describe them. She, as far as I know, has not attended a single band concert, and has certainly for a fact said nothing about them.
MY POINT:
If you are going to do this, do it right and be impartial to all factions. You have had many missed opportunities for music: 1pm Jazz band winning a "Best rhythm section" award last year in championships, as well as many 1st place trophies the marching band collected last year. The base of the problem is not ms. fields however. It is you, the student body, who doesn't care and has never cared about music. Y'all listen to a lot of music on your Ipods, but when you get a chance to hear live music, you spurn it. So, Ms. fields, do not try to just give people what they want to hear, inform them of the deeds our instrumental program has done. It will get people interested, and hopefully, invite more people into the program. We need your support.
Thanks,
R\
The thing that annoys me the most is a tough one, but I really dislike how high schools are so focused on sports, and not balanced with the arts. As a musician, I obviously have some bias, but I also have a better perspective than most on this issue. Ms. Fields certainly gives "shout outs" on a regular basis, and apparently we have some of the best sports teams in the country, because they always seem to be more important than any musical accomplishment. It took 2 students to be the best players of their instruments in THE WHOLE STATE to just make mention on Ms. Field's "radio show". And the instrumental music department receives the brunt of this cold shoulder.
STATISTIC:
-since Ms. Fields has been principal, she has attended all chorus concerts and took minutes of our precious time to describe them. She, as far as I know, has not attended a single band concert, and has certainly for a fact said nothing about them.
MY POINT:
If you are going to do this, do it right and be impartial to all factions. You have had many missed opportunities for music: 1pm Jazz band winning a "Best rhythm section" award last year in championships, as well as many 1st place trophies the marching band collected last year. The base of the problem is not ms. fields however. It is you, the student body, who doesn't care and has never cared about music. Y'all listen to a lot of music on your Ipods, but when you get a chance to hear live music, you spurn it. So, Ms. fields, do not try to just give people what they want to hear, inform them of the deeds our instrumental program has done. It will get people interested, and hopefully, invite more people into the program. We need your support.
Thanks,
R\
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
- is this article stating fact entirely, or is bias or opinion present?
- what about the article interests you?
- what about the article do you agree/disagree with? what are you opinions on both the story being covered and the writer's take on the story?
- what topics or concepts does the article make you think about?
- would you recommend this article to anyone in particular? why/why not?
Musicians and the concept of “selling out” - MIA’s Superbowl Halftime appearance:
This article was so convoluted, it was just a cacophony of words. I couldn't figure out really anything about what this was. I read this article because the title caught my eye.
Musicians and the concept of “selling out”is definitely up my alley, for I am a musician and I personally love that topic. But it didn't really breach the topic much at all.
- what about the article interests you?
- what about the article do you agree/disagree with? what are you opinions on both the story being covered and the writer's take on the story?
- what topics or concepts does the article make you think about?
- would you recommend this article to anyone in particular? why/why not?
Musicians and the concept of “selling out” - MIA’s Superbowl Halftime appearance:
This article was so convoluted, it was just a cacophony of words. I couldn't figure out really anything about what this was. I read this article because the title caught my eye.
Musicians and the concept of “selling out”is definitely up my alley, for I am a musician and I personally love that topic. But it didn't really breach the topic much at all.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Post three: Gender roles
It's horrible. In school, I see the worst things happening between people my age. I see my own gender, the males, just being disrespectful to the girls. They dominate the girls, making them feel like they need to be touched. The hallway hugs are less innocent then you'd like to think. they grope the girls and feel like they are entitled to be able to do this. And the worst part is that the boys know they can easily get away with it. Why? Because the girls let them. Many girls in this school do not have enough respect for themselves. They enjoy the attention, but what they don't understand is that they are being insulted, being thought of as just bodies, and the great minds many of the girls in our school have are forgotten. Every time a girl lets another guy grope them gives the guy more confidence, and therefore he thinks he can get away with more and more. And sooner than you'd like to think, it can get out of control. In this way it's alot like what we are learning about in history, how Britain appeased Hitler, gave him what he wanted, but he then took more and more and more. Girls, do not appease the "gentlemen".
...This is the unadulterated truth, don't kid yourself. I've seen this with my own eyes, talked about it with other people, and they agree. Please, I hope this is a wake-up call to some people. Guys, do NOT be (insert choice word here)s. And ladies, when in doubt, be paranoid about guys. Chances are, you are correct. Remember, in reality, you are in charge. I hope what I have to say here an change what seems to be a rapidly growing gender role here.
R\
...This is the unadulterated truth, don't kid yourself. I've seen this with my own eyes, talked about it with other people, and they agree. Please, I hope this is a wake-up call to some people. Guys, do NOT be (insert choice word here)s. And ladies, when in doubt, be paranoid about guys. Chances are, you are correct. Remember, in reality, you are in charge. I hope what I have to say here an change what seems to be a rapidly growing gender role here.
R\
Friday, February 3, 2012
Blog post 2 due 2/3/12
1. Let us assume you met a rudimentary magician. Let us assume he can do
five simple tricks--he can pull a rabbit out of his hat, he can make a
coin disappear, he can turn the ace of spades into the Joker card, and
two others in a similar vein. These are his only tricks and he can't
learn any more; he can only do these five. HOWEVER, it turns out he's
doing these five tricks with real magic. It's not an illusion; he can
actually conjure the bunny out of the ether and he can move the coin
through space. He's legitimately magical, but extremely limited in scope
and influence.
Would this person be more impressive than Albert Einstein?
If this one person could actually put those tricks to use, then I'd say yes. But apparently, he is restricted by the question, and cannot do that. Sure, the stuff he can do is cool, but cannot be applied in the "real" world, wheras Albert here applied his theories to the real world, and explained the many whys and wherefores of this earth. So, my answer is no.
5. You meet your soul mate. However, there is a catch: Every three years, someone will break both of your soul mate's collarbones with a Crescent wrench, and there is only one way you can stop this from happening: You must swallow a pill that will make every song you hear--for the rest of your life--sound as if it's being performed by the band Alice in Chains. When you hear Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio, it will sound (to your ears) like it's being played by Alice in Chains. If you see Radiohead live, every one of their tunes will sound like it's being covered by Alice in Chains. When you hear a commercial jingle on TV, it will sound like Alice in Chains; if you sing to yourself in the shower, your voice will sound like deceased Alice vocalist Layne Staley performing a capella (but it will only sound this way to you).
Would you swallow the pill?
Hell, no. I'd leave and live as a bachelor. Two reasons why: One, I'm the most selfish person I know, no one is more important than me. I wouldn't risk my life for anyone. period. I have become self reliant and autonomous, because the reader and the world have shaped me to be this way, to be used to it. Second, I am a musician, and it is the thing I only love right now. It's the job that isn't work for me. It's just play. And I would be a different person, not the same person who met my soul mate.
7. Defying all expectation, a group of Scottish marine biologists capture a live Loch Ness Monster. In an almost unbelievable coincidence, a bear hunter in the Pacific Northwest shoots a Sasquatch in the thigh, thereby allowing zoologists to take the furry monster into captivity. These events happen on the same afternoon. That evening, the president announces he may have thyroid cancer and will undergo a biopsy later that week.
You are the front page editor of The New York Times: What do you play as the biggest story?
Definitely the sasquatch. Because it's an american primate (and the only one in america besides us), and not part of scotland. As for the president, that's not a sure thing yet. But finding a primate in the US would be groundbreaking news for all of biology! Were theyy of the homo sapiens group? were they a differently evolved type of human? how closely related are they to us? So many questions, all would make a good front page.
12. You meet a wizard in downtown Chicago. The wizard tells you he can make you more attractive if you pay him money. When you ask how this process works, the wizard points to a random person on the street. You look at this random stranger. The wizard says, "I will now make them a dollar more attractive." He waves his magic wand. Ostensibly, this person does not change at all; as far as you can tell, nothing is different. But--somehow--this person is suddenly a little more appealing. The tangible difference is invisible to the naked eye, but you can't deny that this person is vaguely sexier. This wizard has a weird rule, though--you can only pay him once. You can't keep giving him money until you're satisfied. You can only pay him one lump sum up front.
How much cash do you give the wizard?
It's a trick, the peron is only more attractive to you and you only, because you know that money was put into the person's apperance. If it is naked to the human eye, others can't see the change. And, attractiveness is all about how others see you, so it won't matter. I am reading a book about this kinda stuff. It's called Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. I wouldn't give the wizard a cent....
Would this person be more impressive than Albert Einstein?
If this one person could actually put those tricks to use, then I'd say yes. But apparently, he is restricted by the question, and cannot do that. Sure, the stuff he can do is cool, but cannot be applied in the "real" world, wheras Albert here applied his theories to the real world, and explained the many whys and wherefores of this earth. So, my answer is no.
5. You meet your soul mate. However, there is a catch: Every three years, someone will break both of your soul mate's collarbones with a Crescent wrench, and there is only one way you can stop this from happening: You must swallow a pill that will make every song you hear--for the rest of your life--sound as if it's being performed by the band Alice in Chains. When you hear Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio, it will sound (to your ears) like it's being played by Alice in Chains. If you see Radiohead live, every one of their tunes will sound like it's being covered by Alice in Chains. When you hear a commercial jingle on TV, it will sound like Alice in Chains; if you sing to yourself in the shower, your voice will sound like deceased Alice vocalist Layne Staley performing a capella (but it will only sound this way to you).
Would you swallow the pill?
Hell, no. I'd leave and live as a bachelor. Two reasons why: One, I'm the most selfish person I know, no one is more important than me. I wouldn't risk my life for anyone. period. I have become self reliant and autonomous, because the reader and the world have shaped me to be this way, to be used to it. Second, I am a musician, and it is the thing I only love right now. It's the job that isn't work for me. It's just play. And I would be a different person, not the same person who met my soul mate.
7. Defying all expectation, a group of Scottish marine biologists capture a live Loch Ness Monster. In an almost unbelievable coincidence, a bear hunter in the Pacific Northwest shoots a Sasquatch in the thigh, thereby allowing zoologists to take the furry monster into captivity. These events happen on the same afternoon. That evening, the president announces he may have thyroid cancer and will undergo a biopsy later that week.
You are the front page editor of The New York Times: What do you play as the biggest story?
Definitely the sasquatch. Because it's an american primate (and the only one in america besides us), and not part of scotland. As for the president, that's not a sure thing yet. But finding a primate in the US would be groundbreaking news for all of biology! Were theyy of the homo sapiens group? were they a differently evolved type of human? how closely related are they to us? So many questions, all would make a good front page.
12. You meet a wizard in downtown Chicago. The wizard tells you he can make you more attractive if you pay him money. When you ask how this process works, the wizard points to a random person on the street. You look at this random stranger. The wizard says, "I will now make them a dollar more attractive." He waves his magic wand. Ostensibly, this person does not change at all; as far as you can tell, nothing is different. But--somehow--this person is suddenly a little more appealing. The tangible difference is invisible to the naked eye, but you can't deny that this person is vaguely sexier. This wizard has a weird rule, though--you can only pay him once. You can't keep giving him money until you're satisfied. You can only pay him one lump sum up front.
How much cash do you give the wizard?
It's a trick, the peron is only more attractive to you and you only, because you know that money was put into the person's apperance. If it is naked to the human eye, others can't see the change. And, attractiveness is all about how others see you, so it won't matter. I am reading a book about this kinda stuff. It's called Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. I wouldn't give the wizard a cent....
Friday, January 27, 2012
1st post: Initial reaction
When looking at the book How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez, the cover seemed interesting enough. It was pretty, and seemed delicate. Upon reading the first few pages, my mind flooded itself with questions. What were all the Spanish terms? I figured she was doing this on purpose to entice the reader into wanting to know more. This technique is widely used in books and movies alike. What time period is this? The US is talked about, it is a place where people go away for a period of time to go to school. If the setting isn't in America, then there are only two choices: Spain and Mexico...To be continued-R\
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