Personal Narrative – Singing Poorly
It was a year like any other, or, at least I suppose it could have been, but, it wasn't. It was actually 1965. This particular year, the Beatles released Help! the movie; for the second time, Jack Nicklaus won the Masters golf title; on Palm Sunday, 51 reported tornadoes touched down in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa resulting in 256 deaths and over 1500 injured; and, a young boy in Smalltown, USA was turned away from his school choir. "Some people just aren't right for choir. Son, you couldn't hold a note with a bucket." And so began a life-long career in singing poorly.
Singing poorly. It's an art. It takes feeling, passion. The chanteur/chanteuse in question must believe in herself, in the song, in the very message she is projecting. Not just anyone can do it. In fact, believe it or not, there are those who can even sing poorly, poorly.
Now, there are many different angles from which I could attack this topic, but, I'm not sure I want to pick one just yet...so, bear with me.
As well as there being different levels and "classes" among talented, quality singers, there are different levels and "classes" among talented, poor singers. Stay with me now. When I say poor singers, I mean they sing poorly, not sing without any money. Although, I suppose that there could be those out there who are poor enough singers, that they could actually be, poor poor singers.
The first class of poor singers I would like to discuss is a little group I like to call the "Hello, my name is Britney Spears and these are my various other counterparts of the female and male persuasions” posse, or, simply "Biapse" for short. This group of artists is famed the world over. They own Top 40 radio and are infamous for paying as much as possible, for as little as possible (when it comes to their clothing, that is). They play "idol" for the young and the...not so young (both of which, disturb me equally) despite their obvious lack of singing talent, which they cleverly cover up by showing off their "range" using different techniques, like wailing, moaning, sighing, and combinations thereof. Despite their shortcomings, however, I must give credit where credit is due. These people are doing their jobs, and doing them well.
Though The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz was written years ago, the idea of materialism, and measuring one's success by their possessions is also a prominent theme in pop culture in the West. Luxurious and excessive lifestyles are in, perpetuated by "blinged out" rap artists and rock stars who own multiple houses, and drive unnecessarily large and expensive sport utility vehicles and sports cars. Pop music has evolved throughout the 20th Century, and has now gotten to a point where it's not just music, but an industry. Singers are actors and vice versa. To make it big in the music industry you not only have to have talent, but a strong business sense, and your own clothing line, of course.
The 1964 played an important role in history. This was the year that The Beatles took over America by storm and Beatlemania release a series of number one hits. 1964 was not only a year of the greatest music of the century, but also of tragedy, lost and war. Such events include the investigation of John F. Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, and the war on poverty. This year had major events in business and economy, sports, arts and entertainment it became an important piece of history alike other years.
The big decision for many young adults like Meyrovich is whether or not to pursue a degree. The recent fame and success of Berklee dropouts John Mayer and Gavin DeGraw have many hopeful young performers questioning whether or not college is necessary. Does the entertainment industry care more about credentials or talent?
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." World of Ideas 8e I-claim. Boston: Bedford/st Martins, 2009. 256-67. Print.
Music in every country has a history going back hundreds of years. It is an excellent type of entertainment that any person can enjoy. America being such a diverse country, any person regardless of race or gender needs to be given a fair shot in an opportunity to showcase his or her talent. However, there is a lack of Asians Americans represented in America. Asian Americans must go above and beyond on what is expected in the industry, compared to white and black Americans who seem to have it much easier. “Always, it is the Asian who assimilates, who must explain his or her prese...
...e a lousy role model for our children. We must look past this, and see that a musician, like any artist is just expressing himself, not attempting to serve as an adequate role model for teens. Musicians are artists' just like Michaelangelo or Shakespeare. We wouldn't edit the love scene from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Furthermore, we would never consider adding clothes to Michaelangelo's scantily clad subjects. Should musicians be forced to walk a different rope?
This essay will explain both sides of the views and using critical thinking will uncover the real message the author intended to portray.
...dults we desire to obtain more status or materialistic items. Nevertheless, through change and development we remember our progress through memory. We contemplate our lives and how we lived them. We question the inferno of ones life and the desire of ones future. In society one can either resist or comply with change. Personal growth and structural growth is out of ones control. The best course seems to be transiting to the next level of one’s status. Then take the experiences and learn to grow from them.
Many people know the culture-shaped story of Alice falling down the rabbit hole, into a dream-like adventure that has impacted the world. But not many people know about the real mystery, how it was created and how the world reacted to it. That is the actual magic, how the book that was shaped by 1800s English culture, affected the rest of the world’s culture from that point on. Dodgson’s work of art paints a picture of the childish outlook that was looked down upon during the Victorian period.
Diane Arbus was born Diane Nemerov to a wealthy Jewish family in New York City on March 14, 1923. She was the second of three children, between her elder brother Howard Nemerov, a prize-winning poet and her younger sister Renee Sparkia, who became a sculptor and designer. Her father, David Nemerov was a very successful businessman. He married Gertrude Russek, whose family had started Russek's Fur store which later became Russek's of Fifth Avenue under David's management. At the age of fourteen Diane met Allan Arbus, who was nineteen, working in the art department of Russek’s. They became deeply involved with each other and fell in love. Although her parents did not approve of their affair, Diane and Allan continued to meet in secrecy for the next four to five years. Soon after Diane turned 18, they were married by a rabbi on April 10, 1941. Faced with reality, her parents gave their blessing to the marriage. They were married for twenty-eight years, and had two children Doon and Amy Arbus. Although Diane and Allan separated after nineteen years, Allan continued to be a emotional support in her life. It was Allan who introduced Diane to photography, when her father gave the couple their first job making advertisement photographs for his store. Allan always encouraged Diane to take her own photos and creativity, but she began to hate the world of fashion photography and start...
this is not to say that I have much musical talent. I did perform in the choir in elementary school, and I played the flute for four years through middle school, but one day I came to a simple decision. When it comes to music, I am a much better enjoyer of it than a producer of it. When I am alone in the car, my sing-along-to-whatever-is-on-the-radio voice is fab-u-lous. However, as soon as any else climbs into the car with me my talent suddenly dwindles. My larynx doesn’t seem to appreciate an audience when it is trying to perform. Thus, my musical enjoyment stems directly from listening.
Pop culture is evident in all aspects of American society but one of the greatest influences is seen in music. Music has evolved so much since the time of the great singers like Elvis and the Beatles. This change can be attributed to advancements in technology but, in some cases, what appears to be growth has become nothing but a lack of talent and dependence on machines and a naïve American people. Many of these artists achieve their fame because of their outward appearance-usually after cosmetic surgery-and the machines that generate their voices. In his essay titled “The Soundtracking of America,” J. Bottum agrees that “western pop songs make us ‘forcibly retarded,’ because they’re so shallow and because we’re compelled to hear the same ones over and over again.” Radio stations only play the so-called “pop” songs and, therefore, we, as a culture, are subjected and even forced to like these often obnoxious tunes. The songs rarely have any merit but are supported ...
I am sentimental, out-going, indecisive, understanding, curious, naive, lazy, and young. I want to be ... , well a lot of things, and growing is discovering what they are. I feel people cannot see the potential within, although there is no one to blame but myself. I look to others for approval instead of to myself. I aim to please; it leads to approval. I don’t like to discuss my faults; I pity myself.
In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, Alice is put in a variety of situations that expose her to different point of views. She meets the other characters of Wonderland as she takes on the role of a chess piece and moves through the “squares” of the chess board designed realm. By the end Alice has gained a new understanding and appreciation of her world, as well as her place in it. Carroll created a series of works that have inspired and entertained multiple generations. The story of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland, however, begins not with the writings of Lewis Carroll, but with the life of Charles Dodgson.
sublimation of Carroll’s own desires” (Hunt 24). In the beginning of this book, Alice is sitting by a tree next to her sister. After curiously following a rabbit, Alice falls down the rabbit hole into wonderland, a strange and whimsical world outside of the real world filled with fantastic characters who are all mad. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a book in which the real world and fantastic world are separate and Alice travels to the fantastic world from the real world. To her, Wonderland is extremely bizarre and not normal. The characters in Wonderland, whom Alice meets would never be found in real life and include the White Rabbit who brings Alice into Wonderland, the Mad Hatter who guides Alice and convinces her to help save Wonderland,