"Inspiration Information" by shugie Otis (1974)

What is the overall feel of this piece? What elements (musically) put off that feel be specific. Indentify the choices you think the musician had to make to get this feel and explain why they worked.

“Inspiration Information” has a funky, joyful, and relaxing feel. Otis had to make certain decisions in order to allow this feel. One of the choices he made was to make the rhythm funky. He, also, chooses to use positive and short notes. The upbeat tempo also creates the positive vibe. If he changed any part of the song, the funky, joyful, and relaxing feeling may have gone away. For instance, if the notes were longer the song may have not been upbeat and funky. Musicians make specific choices for their music. If any of the decisions were changed, the song’s tone or feeling would be changes as well.

SOAPSTone of "Semadores" by Diego Rivera

         The subject of this painting is farming or forced labor in Mexico during the communist movement in Mexico in the 1940s (occasion). Diego Rivera meant for the audience of this painting to either be the Mexican farmers or their employees.  The artist believes that farming labor is difficult and tiring. One can tell he feels this way because the man with the plow is bent over, straining his back.  Rivera forces the bend of his back to “pop” in the viewer’s eye, by painting the background to follow the curve of his back. The tone of the painting is sympathetic. The smooth and natural coloring allows for this sympathetic feeling. The big idea of this painting is that labor is difficult, tiring, and strenuous.  

Creative Process

Summarize Wilco's approach to creating a song. What is your creative process for writing? Explain in detail the step which you go through. If there is no process then why don't you use one.

            When Wilco, a band, wants to create a new song the whole group gets together to write one. However, the group does not just sit down, write a song, then publish it without revisions. They have a creative process. First all five members get together and formulate a complete song. Then they take that song apart and edit or revise each musical section. Once the group agrees on the sound of each section, such as the piano or drum section, they put the song together again.

            I have a creative process for when I write papers. I start off my process with brainstorming, in which I create a basic idea of my point and then branch out smaller more specific points. Throughout the whole process if an idea comes to mind I quickly write it down on the brainstorming paper before I forget it. Once I have all my ideas down, I start writing sentences and forming paragraphs. When all my ideas are in sentence or paragraph form I place the paragraphs in a logical and flowing order. This leads me into my final revision step when reread the whole essay to check for errors, places for stronger vocab, ways to strengthen my point or to improve the flow of the paper.  

American Grafitti and Nostalgia

What is nostalgia? What images come to your mind when you hear this music (be specific and paint me a clear picture). What images pop in your head when you think of your childhood? What smells, sounds, and feels are associated with those images?

            Nostalgia is something that a certain person remembers, and wants to go back to. When I see a porch I am reminded of when my sister and I fished off our deck in San Diego. When I was around the age of 5, my little sister and I tied a piece of string on to a yard stick and fished for crazy sea animals, like octopi, sharks and whales. I smell the ocean, hear my sister saying what she caught, and feel excitement and joy.

            In English Class we listened to songs from American Graffiti. When I heard the first song, “Rock Around the Clock”, I pictured a group of teenagers, either in high school or college, dancing in an upbeat and crazy style. I imagined the group in brightly colored clothing, with crazy hair from the 80s. Then next song, “Sixteen Candles”, came on. The two songs were dramatically different. “Sixteen Candles” had a slower tempo, and caused me to think of a group of people formally dressed at a sweet sixteen party. The teenagers at the party are all awkwardly dancing back and forth while a man on stage singing the song. “Runaway” played next, with a western cowboy rhythm to it. This rhythm caused me to think of a lonely cowboy, who just lost his girlfriend, walking down a busy city street.

"The Pinch of Poverty"- Thomas Benjamin Kennington

What, as you see it, is the major contributing factor to poverty? Looking at this piece of art how does the artist portray poverty (positive light/negative light)? What is the artist's vision about poverty (what's the message)? Identify two artistic techniques that help the artist achieve his/her vision, and explain how they do that.

Poverty is caused by many different issues and can affect anyone. One of the major conributing factors to poverty is little opportunity. Most humans who are born into upper classes will stay in those upper classes due to expectations and large opportunities. It is the same on the other side of the spectrum, those born into the lower classes will likely stay in those classes due to lack of opportunities and money.  

Thomas Benjamin Kennington is the artist of “The Pinch of Poverty.” Kennington helps to portray the message that poverty as sad and dreary with the woman and little boy. They show this sadness and loss of hope by looking mournful. However, Thomas also shows hope and courage in the little girl stepping foward and selling flowers. The brightly colored flowers and baby dressed in red are not only the focal points of the picture but also show hope.  He also shows the contrast in those with money and those in poverty by placing shops with people in the background. Kennington also shows isolation from the people at the shops and the people in poverty because those in poverty are sitting on a corner across the road from the shops.

                Kennington uses positioning and coloring as two artistic techniques to show poverty. The picture is mainly in dark, saddening colors. Then, he placed yellow flowers and a baby dressed in red in the middle as the focal point.  The girl is selling the flowers showing that she may have a better future. Thomas also shows that the girl may have a future with positioning. The woman and boy are both sitting down, cuddled together and not trying to do anything to help their situation. The girl however is separated from the two other main characters and is selling flowers, stepping away from the others and attempting to improve her situation with the flowers.

"The Singer Solution to World Poverty" and "Live Free and Starve"

Write a blog contrasting the authors' opinions. Address your possible reader bias, and analyze each argument, ultimately agreeing or disagreeing with each argument or parts of each argument.

            “Some days back” President Clinton and Congress passed a bill stating that the United States would no longer import goods from factories with child labor. The author of “Live Free and Starve” believes that a bill passed is not as beneficiary as the president hoped for to the children. The children in these factories depend on the money they make to live. The children would not live a luxurious life like many American children do today. The children would instead be unemployed with “a leisure that comes without the benefit of food or clothing or shelter”. I agree with the author. The United States should import goods from these factories.

            “That’s right: I’m saying that you shouldn’t buy that new car, take that cruise, redecorate the house, or get that pricey new suit. After all, a thousand dollar suit could save five children’s lives.” The author of “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” believes that money Americans do not spend necessities should be donated to agencies that help children living in poverty. I completely disagree with this. Yes, some money should be donated to these children. However, the author believes “for a household bringing in $50,000 a year, donations to help the poor should be as close as possible to $20,000.” That only leaves the household $30,000 to live off of a year. According to a 2009 American Community Survey ^[1] the average 4 member household earns approximately $60,000 a year.

            I do not believe that I have a reader bias. I still read and considered both of the article’s opinions, even if I did not agree. I thoroughly believe that “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” is almost complete bogus. I did still read and consider this argument. I do agree with “Live Free and Starve.” No matter how terrible child labor is it provides money for the children to live on.

^[1] http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/statemedian/index.html

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- "Round and Round"

            How do your musical facts influence your opinion? What is the correlation between what you picked out and your opinion? Do you have a bias? If so, explain.
           
            Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti’s song “Round and Round” starts out with a slow tempo and a steady repetitive base instrumentation. There is a vocal section in the beginning, but with the base and synthesizing it is hard to understand. Then, the vocalization randomly and suddenly switches to a faster more upbeat speed and back down to a slower tempo. It is my opinion to say that I do not like the song. However, it is true and fact to say that the song constantly changes in tempo and that there is strong base.
            I will listen to almost any song with an upbeat and exciting tempo or feeling to it, whether that song is classical, pop, soft rock, rock, and so on. “Round and Round” started out with too slow of a tempo for me, which caused the song not to appeal to my interests. The sudden changes in tempo and rhythms didn’t cause an increase in my liking either. Due to the muffled sound of the vocals and the slow tempo I did not like “Round and Round”.