Music is the expression of passion, emotion and opinion through the harmony of melody and song. As I reflect on my educational and social journey, I begin to understand how my experiences are like a musical masterpiece, composed of intricate and dynamic passages and movements. I was first introduced to music in the fourth grade and as I matriculated my passion for music grew quite strong. In middle school and high school, I participated in various musical ensembles on colleges campuses and competed as both a soloist and in a quartet. The most gratifying musical experiences during my musical career occurred approximately four years apart from each other. The first was when I marched with the Tournament of Roses Honor Band in the 2005 Rose Parade, a historical event that celebrates the innovation of music, family and community. The following experience was on January 19th, 2009 when I marched with the Hampton University Marching Force in the Inaugural Parade for Barack Obama. My experiences with music helped me develop a sense of commitment, resilience, respect, versatility and pride as an individual and a future lawyer. These qualities are key in my plans of obtaining a J.D. degree. I’m determined to use my mastery of the law as a stepping stone for a career in critical race law. As a vehicle for change, I will use my knowledge to influence the legal system to adopt a more culturally innovative and diverse framework.
Living in an isolated, affluent community, it became apparent that those who haven’t been exposed to different cultures lack the cultural comprehension to facilitate a culturally and socially cohesive community. As one of few Black families in La Canada, my twin brother and I were well aware on the role diversity pl...
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...e organization. As a senior and now president, my visions and goals have matured. The present challenge to the group is to share your passion with all students so they too can appreciate the beauty and influence of music. Furthermore, this demonstrates the impact diversification of thought and talent has had and could have on Black women in music.
As a result of taking advantage of diverse opportunities, I am an academically and socially well-rounded individual. My confidence and creativity make me an asset for UCLA College of Law because my experiences as a scholar, musician and leader enable me to dynamically enhance the student body. Studying law is a crucial to understanding race relations because it seeks to unify society’s perception of race and law. My past is composed of both andante and allegro movements which indicate my future success as a law student.
Music has played a role in society since the dawn of man. Said to be the beginning of communication in early civilization, music and dance have influenced how we think, act and treat members of our own society. Song and dance are used in rites of passage ceremonies such as births, weddings and funerals throughout the world. American and African people of color have contributed a brand of music that represented a struggle as well as a celebration during the civil rights movement. This Civil rights era fueled a people to stand and be accounted for and take pride in their culture and ethnicity after millenniums of oppression. The music played was the soundtrack to this movement. Soul, funk, rhythm and blues are a music born of a culture, protest and celebration. The use of this music as a reflection of cultural issues, values, and belief has been sampled by many cultures. Though some critics feel Soul music was merely a passing fad. I intend to discuss the Contribution of music on two contemporary cultures and its effect on their cultural issues, values and beliefs.
Music’s role on society has changed drastically through the course of its history as it has become ever so increasingly expansive. Many of the previous musical movements were only for the wealthy as entertainment
Ugbu, J., U. (1992). Understanding cultural diversity and learning. EDUC 160 Urban Education (Spring 2014, pp. 213-228)
Stewart, Lauren. The effects of Music during the Civil Rights Movement. n.d. 28 April 2014 .
Before the war started, a wealthy white man by the name of John Hammond worked to integrate black and white music.1 Since his childhood, he enjoyed the music of numerous black artists, and he wanted to share his love with the rest of America. He used much of his inherited fortune to make this possible. He went against the general opinion of society and his parents, who despised black people. Hammond refused to ignore black artists’ musical abilities because of their color, “I did not revolt against the system, I simply refused to be a part of it.”2 He used his money to organize the most eclectic group of musicians ever assembled, for an integrated audience of his time. Hammond’s efforts made an indelible impact on the music industry. The musicians Hammond introduced in...
Some people consider jazz to be a “black music”, so white musicians should not be included in the history of it. Others think it’s unfair to call jazz a “black music” or that white musicians need to be given more credit in jazz history. DeVeaux argues that jazz music has origins in traditional African musical culture and is based on the experience of African Americans, so it should be considered black music. But at the same time, he also argues that white musicians did play an important role in jazz, both from a consumption and production standpoint. This fact should not be ignored because to do so would be to rewrite history. This should never be done even if doing so might be considered good for social movements. DeVeaux sensitively found a middle ground, so his argument could mean unity for critics who before could only see jazz as either black or white. This article also encourages unity within music and could increase equality in jazz for musicians. Through this groundbreaking article that destroys racial barriers, DeVeaux has successfully answered the question he posed for himself at the beginning of his
First, I will discuss the influences of different definitions of diversity in cultural unification. The major problem concerning this issue is that many people differ in the real meaning of the concept and how they view their personal involvement. Brook argues that “we do not really care about diversity all that much in America, even though we talk about it a great deal” (306). However, they are the general, erroneous interpretations of diversity that are really creating this wrong image of indifference. According to Kira Hudson Banks in her research entitled “A Qualitative Investigation of Students’ Perceptions of Diversity,” many people defined diversity as race and do not include other types of diversity (153).
As I became more involved with campus life, I couldn’t find a way to immerse myself in preparing for a career in law. While I knew why I wanted a law degree, I couldn’t conceptualize what I wanted to do with it. Prior to college life, my familiarity with the legal system was by way of internships with judges and lawyers. Clearly, that traditional route perked my interest but not my passion. Living with the athletes affirmed my interest in their culture. I began to immerse myself in subjects surro...
However, my dedication to my education and my diverse experiences in my youth are what have allowed me to overcome systematic barriers and get accepted to UCLA. The world I come from has not only propelled me get to college, but has shaped my understanding of the inequities and injustices of America’s educational system. I realize how socioeconomic status can hinder the capabilities of people because knowledge, opportunities, support, resources, and guidance are not always available to those who come from underserved communities.
Music was used as a critical instrument in the early 20th century in mobilizing and inspiring the civil rights movement by giving them more voice to bring out their grievances. According to Kerk (2007, p.18) Martin Luther king was the most prolific figure who utilized music to sensitize society, “we believe that freedom songs play a big and vital part in the struggle that we are going through” this words were also echoed by the Albany movement “music keeps us a live, it gives us a sense of unity, new courage every dawn, hope to move on that the future still holds something in our most daring and dreadful hours”
On February 23, I attended the 17th Annual Sphinx Competition held at the Detroit Orchestra Hall. The concert was phenomenal, and surprisingly enough to me I actually relished the performance. The reason the concert satisfied me was due to the fact of the meaning that was upheld throughout the concert. The Sphinx Orchestra is an amazing foundation in which supports Black and Latino string classical musicians and gives them a chance to better their life through the prodigious gift of scholarships. At this specific concert three finalist strived to see who truly has the utmost talent amongst the three. The three musicians included nineteen year old bassist, Xavier Foley; twenty-one year old cellist, Nicholas Mariscal; and twenty year old violinist, Clayton Penrose-Whitmore. Each musician did an extraordinary and gave the impression that they played their pieces flawlessly. Although all the young musicians achieved mere perfection; there had to be a winner and that was Xavier Foley. He received fifty thousand dollars in scholarships and by all means deserved it. The conductor of the concert was Maestro Brandon Keith Brown, who also did astonishing. In addition to all of those great musicians I also had the honor of hearing Simon Shaheen playing the oud. All together the performance was just incredible in my eyes.
“An array of knowledges, skills, abilities and contacts possessed and used by Communities of Color to survive and resist racism and other forms of oppression” encompasses the main idea of Community Cultural Wealth. It is vital to understand that students will step foot into the classroom with a variety of cultures zipped up in their backpacks, and it is our job as educators to make sure that equality is instilled/taught in our classrooms. The second a student feels a sense of discrimination, whether from ourselves or their fellow classmate(s), is when the safe and comforting environment of the classroom begins to diminish. Here I will discuss just how important it is to see the differences amongst students as an advantage
“Music is uniquely wonderful. It is incapable of being touched yet it touches everyone who is capable of hear sounds. It can seemingly evoke any emotion; we instinctively respond to happy tunes, mournful songs, beautiful melodies, inspiring anthems, stirring hymns, and majestic orchestrations.” (Doolan, Robert. 1985) There is no question that music is great part of society; it has been at civilization’s side whether it be the lyres and flutes of the ancient Greeks or how it calms or excites emotions and keeps armies in order during battle. Within society, there has also been social unrest and the desire for change. Protesting is the expression of a society’s concerns on current events of which they feel affected by whether it be through public rallies, picketing, riots or even bombings. Protest through music is one powerful medium for engaging people. Amidst what life throws at individuals, music has comforted the soul, provoked individualistic thought and opinion, and music draws people together through groups alike who have the same attachment or concerns with their surroundings. Whether it be rock, jazz, blues, rap, hip hop, dance, spiritual, or world, music has inspired artists to spill out their expression and views of society. Music is a universally effective tool of protest in generating social change and unrest as it continues to unite those with like ideas.
Music education plays an enormous role in student’s overall well being, outweighing the costs of it. In 1994, Congress passed the Improving America’s Schools Act, concluding that “...the arts are forms of understanding and ways of knowing that are fundamentally important to education” (Ford, AdamMcMahon, Maureen). Congress recognized the importance of music education. Now the effort must be made to make a difference. If people really do want the best for the future, music education is key. Ramon Cortines, former chancellor of the New York City public schools stated, “We engage in the arts, we ought to teach the arts, because this is part of what it means to be human” (“Arts Education”). When people eventually realize this, the benefits will be vast.
Students in the United States experience varying degrees of Multicultural Education. To my benefit, I was brought up in a learning environment that was culturally accepting and engaging. I was enrolled in the Franklin Pierce School District for my entire public education career and at Pierce College during my last two years of high school. Since the beginning of my academic career, I’ve been exposed to a learning environment filled with a rich amount of diversity among students which in turn produced well-roundedness in myself. In my experience as a FPSD student, I’ve shared experiences with fellow peers of different races, cultures, and socioeconomic standings. Pierce College boasts an even more specific type of diversity within the student