On Classical Music, Heavy Metal, and Parenting
You know, much to my parents’ chagrin, I used to hate classical music. In retrospect it makes perfect sense. I would get up on weekends, and when I’d come downstairs, instead of being whisked away by the light, airy strings of The Red Priest, I would instead be jolted awake by the sound of my dog’s howling. Soon thereafter we got a second dog, and then, not only were the decibels doubled, but the howling of two dogs would beat together as their respective sound waves mingled. Maybe I never liked the music itself. Too soft, too boring. However, I’ll conveniently absolve myself of guilt and say that I hated the music because it was too often complemented by the throbbing beat of my dogs’ objection. I mean really, dogs have no shame.
I took piano lessons for six years. Rather, they made me take them. This was not a voluntary undertaking. Ironically enough, that seemed to help very little to further what should have been love for the classical. No, I wasn’t studying Jazz piano. I was very much ensconced in the works of Bach, Chopin, Bartok and the like. I practiced a lot. I suppose that I should also mention the fact that I couldn’t play the instrument, and that my technical control over it wasn’t worth a damn. My teacher, who was and still is a wonderful woman, would sign me up for piano examinations. They were like aptitude tests. I would play before a judge, and in addition to memorizing and playing a few pieces, I would also be asked to bang out scales and progressions that I was expected to know. Which I didn’t. It was hard to become fond of such music when I began to associate it with recitation, obligation, and the cruel, brutally honest judgment of my abilities, that glorious, ripe fruit of my toils. I think the judges would pass me because they felt sorry for me.
My musical tastes went through a few unfortunate years. My parents openly refused to take my musical sensibility seriously. They thought I was a joke, and with unwavering stubbornness, and I suppose ignorance, I would pitch my nose in the air, insisting no no, this really is good music. In an effort to distance myself from what I thought was the pretentious, classical bore, I moved to the other side of the continuum, and discovered grunge and alternative rock, a musical genre that deliberately attempted to be non-musical and crude.
Saunders, William P. Straight Answers: Answers to 100 Questions about the Catholic Faith. Baltimore, MD: Cathedral Foundation, 1998. Print.
Sullivan, James E. "Don't Give The Priest Shortage The Silent Treatment." U.S. Catholic 66.12 (2001): 26. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 May 2014.
Even though the odds go against him, Atticus Finch bravely stands up to his beliefs and morals. Furthermore, he
TitleAuthor/ EditorPublisherDate James Galways’ Music in TimeWilliam MannMichael Beazley Publishers1982 The Concise Oxford History of MusicGerald AbrahamOxford University Press1979 Music in Western CivilizationPaul Henry LangW. W. Norton and Company1941 The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Classical MusicRobert AinsleyCarlton Books Limited1995 The Cambridge Music GuideStanley SadieCambridge University Press1985 School text: Western European Orchestral MusicMary AllenHamilton Girls’ High School1999 History of MusicRoy BennettCambridge University Press1982 Classical Music for DummiesDavid PogueIDG Books Worldwide,Inc1997
Santos, Marlisa. "To Kill A Mockingbird." Bloom, Harold. The Hero's Journey. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2009. 207-213.
Western Music has developed in many ways since the middle ages through its form, sound, and message. Throughout these different periods in western music one thing has remained constant, the true essence of music, a way to communicate with someone on a much more divine level than be by rudimentary conversation. Though Ludwig Van Beethoven and Paul McCartney may seem completely opposite they have one in common through their music they changed the world’s perception of its self
The late 20th century was a very turbulent time in American history. In 1976, Jimmy Carter was elected to the presidency, and he had many goals to help better America. However, on November 4th, 1979, a group of radical students seized the United States’ embassy in Tehran, Iran. This completely altered the course of American history and relations with the Middle East. This crisis had many impacts on the United States. It caused the Energy Crisis which in turn caused the Recession of 1979. The Iran Hostage Crisis also had political consequences for President Carter. It was a major factor that contributed to him losing the election of 1980 to Ronald Reagan. Additionally, this crisis led to many instances of racial discrimination toward Iranian-Americans and Iranian immigrants. Even after the Hostage Crisis was resolved, the bad blood between the two countries continued; the United States helped Iraq in the war against Iran, and the Iranians backed a second hostage situation in Lebanon. The Iran Hostage Crisis was a very important event that impacted America in many ways and destroyed our relationship with Iran. The consequences of this event are still felt today and continue to our foreign policies toward Iran.
In today’s society the high influx of interracial marriages between Black and White individuals has resulted in the biracial population increasing significantly over the past 30 years (Roth, 2005). According to the 2010 census, the number of American children that categorize themselves as biracial has increased to 4.2 million, making it the quickest emergent youth group in the United States (Census, 2010). This has led to interest in the biracial population; recent literature has shown that amongst many studies, “individuals perceive the relationship between their mixed parentage and their self identity differently” (Rockquemore & Brunsma, 2002). This is significant in the area of child development and family studies because self-identity begins to surface during child development, the dynamics of biracial children brings up the question as to how they construct their racial identity. Due to the understanding in recent literature that being biracial can lead to feeling between both racial categories while dually feeling marginalized (Rockquemore et al., 2002); this paper will examine the nature of racial identity formation and the consequences’ black/white biracial identity can have on individuals to further address the need for additional research and attention on the biracial experience.
What would the world be like without music? The world would be a very silent place. Music is in many ways the material of our lives and the meaning of society. It is a reminder of how things were in the old days, a suggestion of how things are, and a view of where society is leading to. Music is the direct reflection of the picture of art, music, and literature. Music can be a way to deliver messages, being poetic, a fine art, or it can just be for entertainment. No matter what it is used for, music is the perfect art there is and there are various types of music; such as classical and romantic. This paper will discuss how classical music and romantic music had a turning point in humanity’s social or cultural development, and how they have
Advocates of celibacy worry that if priests marry, the congregation will be majorly neglected. However, that point is easily refuted because of the available examples of the leaders of uncelibate churches.
tragedies that befell her. She is an example of a melancholic character that is not able to let go of her loss and therefore lets it t...
The Scholar: You heard what I said. Everyone gets sick of a song after awhile. It's because there are no life issues in music. You hear it and it's over, and there's nothing to hold on to, nothing to cherish, not even an image, afterwards. It distracts me from reading. Yes, it's part of culture, but to really appreciate it you have to have an ear for it. It's not my thing. To really get it, it has to be your thing.
Isolation led me to miss most of the larger aspects in my surrounding music culture, so up until late middle school; most of my exposure was purely from background noise and personal interests. My sisters were 90s chicks, so I gained an infinity towards the backstreet boys, while my father grew up in the 60s and 70s, so I also enjoyed listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. As I entered early middle school, I wanted to emulate these rock artists, and took up guitar lessons. Once I began playing, my interests in classic rock ended up branching into two directions, with the roots of classic rock pushing me to join a jazz band, and with the fusion of pop and classic rock leading to my personal exploration into alternative rock. Up until this point, personal preference predominantly influenced the music I listened to and what I considered “good” and “cool,” and outside culture had yet to affect my
Music, a form of art, made up of unique and special sounds containing elements of pitch and rhythm can powerfully soothe one’s soul. Firstly, there are different types of music, and each has its own features. These sounds and features are what I admire in music because to me it creates a new form of communication to one’s consciousness. It stimulates our mind and gives it a sense of harmony and peace through the hardships that life poses for us. As a kid, I would always listen to music from any genre, deciding which genre would complement me the most as I grew older. In middle school, I remember going on the computer and finding a website/program where I could make my own beats. From that day on, I spent countless of hours each day making sure the tune sounded proper and pleasurable for my ears. At first, it wasn’t good, but eventua...
Listening to music releases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is known not only for improving mood but also increasing motivation and emotional stamina. But the benefits that come from listening to music affect more than just the way we feel. Studies have shown that when listening to the right style of music at the right decibel level, students have been able to concentrate better. For studying purposes, this mainly applies to classical music. Many school teachers and professors argue that music is simply distracting, or so stimulating that it inhibits a student’s ability to focus. However, when classical music has few words, or as is often found, few English words, the mind isn’t as easily distracted by the meaning or idea of the song. In fact, what is sometimes interpreted as chaotic in classical music can provide a high enough level of exertion for your brain to comprehend, that it stimulates high l...