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September, 2012

  1. Markus Zusak meets The Beatles (Week 3)

    September 27, 2012 by Francis Flores

    Hello, again! I tried my best to look for something from a play for this week, but I could not find anything that really inspired me, so I found another passage from one of my favorite books. This one was a bit tricky, but the book that I took the passage from is SUCH a great book with so many great passage that I kept changing my mind, thus I kept switching songs, and it was just tough. I finally settled, though, and this is probably one of my favorite passages in a book.

    Anyway, the passage I chose was from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and the song that I am analyzing it with is “Because” by The Beatles. Oh, yeah. **SPOILER ALERT** If you haven’t read this book and you want to, this will kill the ending. Sorry.

    The Book Thief was written by Markus Zusak and was published in 2006. The story of the book, however, takes place in Nazi Germany and is narrated by Death.

    “Because” by The Beatles was written in 1969, and debuted on their “Abbey Road” album.

    “She [Liesel] took a step and didn’t want to take anymore, but she did. Slowly, Liesel walked to her mama and papa and sat down between them. She held mama’s hand and began: ‘Remember when I came here, mama? I clung to the gate and cried,’ her voice wavered now. ‘You said, “What are you arseholes looking at?” Mama… I liked it when you came to school and told me Max had woken up. Did you know I saw you with papa’s accordion?’ She tightened her grip on the hardening hand. ‘I came and watched and you were beautiful. God damn it, you were so beautiful mama.’

    ***Many Moments of Avoidance***

    Papa. She would not, and could not, look at papa. Not yet. Not now. Papa was a man with silver eyes, not dead ones. Papa was an accordion! But his bellows were empty. Nothing went in and nothing came out.”

    Again, it really does help to listen to the music while reading the passage, so here you go:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWlLPJG9Cvg

    In the beginning of the song, an electric harpsichord can be heard as well as a guitar mimicking the same melody. This sets the melancholic tone as well as the ambiance of the passage. It lends to the intense emotion that Liesel may be feeling as she is walking over to her mama and papa. It toys with the emotions of the reader and forces them to endure the feeling and thoughts that might be flowing through Liesel. The vocal harmonies during the “aaah’s” also lend to the mixture of emotions seeing as the three voices of the Beatles: top, middle, and bottom, blend together so well which, in turn, allow the reader to reminiscence along with Liesel as she speaks about and remembers her mother.

    The nuances in the passages correlate directly with each other tonally in which it switches to a more light-hearted and whimsical ambiance. This occurs in the song when the lyrics, “Love is old, love is new. Love is all, love is you” are sung which also cues the instrumental solo from the “moog synthesizer.” This portion of the song synchronizes well with the memory of Liesel’s mama playing and dancing in Liesel’s mind. Almost immediately after, she begins to think of her lifeless papa, in which the tone reverts back to a more melancholic scene. We then return to a repeat of an earlier melody in the song in which the harpsichord takes lead under the vocals. As the music fades, the vocals abruptly come to a halt, thus paralleling the last sentence of this passage mainly because both are deceiving. For example, the last vocal chord of the song ends in a deceptive manner by stopping on a chord that isn’t the one expected, a term commonly known in the music universe as a “deceptive cadence.” This usually leaves the listener with an unsatisfied emotion. The last sentence of this passage describes the deception that Liesel feels when she realizes that her father had abandoned her, leaving no one to sooth her with the accordion as he usually did. As of that moment, he was gone and she was alone.

    This passage just left me with so many emotions that I can’t even begin to describe. Because I felt such a connection with all of them, I was heart-broken when Liesel was left alone with the deaths of her mama and her papa. I actually cried when I read this because of how beautifully written it is. Zusak wrote this in such a way that the personalities of mama and papa were both altered while still depicting their true selves. I loved this song with this passage because of the initial intensity I felt. It really hit me hard, but actually describing how it went with this passage was tricky since it was a Beatles song. So, for help I went to my best friend who actually helped a lot with the analyzing of the music and passage together. I felt obligated to mention that fact.

    Anyway, thanks for reading!


  2. Speech Reflection

    September 27, 2012 by Francis Flores

    I was actually pretty satisfied with my speech. I do think I could have done better, though. I noticed that my voice was dying out (sorry about that), so I suppose next time I’ll bring some water or drink some more water beforehand. I do think that my pacing was pretty decent. I didn’t think that it was too fast, nor do I think it was too slow. The beginning was a bit rocky for me since my visual aid did not show up as planned, so I was a bit shaken and nervous; I had to completely change my picture so I had to fix up my introduction. Even though I was nervous, though, I still think I transitioned pretty smoothly into the rest of the speech. I know that it probably wouldn’t have killed me to look up a bit more so I know I have to work on that more for next time. I also know that hand gestures might have been a bit helpful too; I didn’t really notice whether or not I was using them, so I’ll definitely have to be sure of that for next time. Overall, I think that I should learn to not stick to my outline as much, if that makes sense, and to improvise a bit more once I’m a bit more comfortable with the audience. I guess this speech didn’t call for it, but in the future, I should definitely try that out.


  3. RCL: NO H8

    September 27, 2012 by Francis Flores

    a) For my Rhetoric Analysis Essay, I decided to analyze an Anti-bullying PSA put out by the NO H8 Campaign, which can be seen on Youtube by clicking this link:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhFZ7qjrw5U

    b) This artifact was created in November of 2010 by the NO H8 Campaign and it was created to shine a light on the bullying of LGBT teenagers and the the effects that it has on them. One of their main highlights is suicide. This PSA was intended for adults and teenagers of the LGBT community especially. They try to emphasize the fact that the ignorance of some adults is passed down to their children and this has a great effect on the lives of those in the LGBT community. They also emphasize that those getting bullied due to this ignorance should ask for help. They face the constraints of many people who are against the gay community, such as many religious and political organizations. I wanted to analyze this particular advertisement because of the effects that bullying has on these teenagers, and the fact that the numbers of suicide are so is astonishing. It’s saddening to think that no one thinks much of how this ignorance can affect people until they commit suicide.


  4. Speech Design Plan: Week 2

    September 21, 2012 by Francis Flores

    After talking to Erica, Patrick, and Mike about my speech, I plan on revising a lot of the aspects of this outline. I decided to switch around the quotes I would be using in the introduction and the conclusion, it would just make a lot more sense. Outline-wise, Mike suggested using concise titles just so that I have a focused point.

    Patrick and Mike also made the points that I needed to emphasize how civic life was romanticized and focus less on the hard-work aspect of everything. Overall, I need to delve deeper into what I’m trying to say. Using this feedback, I intend to better incorporate certain aspects that would emphasize my mother’s ideas of civic life.

    To practice my speech, like I did with every other speech I’ve given, I’m just going to use Powerpoint and my keyword outline and say it in front of the mirror. As a performer, I think that even speeches need to look and sound good in order to complement each other. Since I have access to a mirror, I can say my speech in front of it and point out what I need to work on. Also, I think the feed back that we received in class on September 19 gave me a lot of confidence in the strong points in my speech and the constructive criticism allowed me new insights in order to make it sound better.


  5. Composing, Designing, Advocating: RCL Week 2

    September 21, 2012 by Francis Flores

    Composing, by definition, means “making or forming by combining pieces into a whole,” and when I see this word, I generally think of music. I don’t compose music myself, but I know a couple of people that do. My best friend composes music and he trusts me enough to show me in advance before he shows the rest of the world. I could listen to him strum different guitar chords or sing different scales until he finds one that he likes for a very long time. The composition of music just reminds me of my jazz choir in senior year. I got the chance to meet the composer of one of the songs we performed on a couple of our competition trips, so every time I see the word “composing,” I think of my best friend and my experience in jazz choir in my senior year.

    Designing, by definition, is “concerned with how people use things,” and when I see this word, I generally think of architecture. I don’t have this talent, but my dad does and I used to watch him design for hours. He used to design furniture for Hollywood-style places and he even met a few celebrities such as The Black-Eyed Peas. He used to sit with me and ask me what I liked about his designs and what he should change (color, usually). Every time I see the word “designing,” I think of my father and all the time we spent looking at his different drawings.

    Advocating, by definition, is “speaking or writing in favor of,” and when I see this word, I think of the church, specifically the Catholic Church. In today’s society, especially, there seems to be a strong influence of their beliefs regarding LGBT rights. A lot of people seem to use the church as a reason to not legalize gay marriage and even sometimes gay adoption. So, when I see this word, I see it in a negative way, but I do know that sometimes, well, actually the majority of the time, it’s a good thing to advocate for your beliefs.

    I think they differ only in the way that they can be associated with different thing. Honestly, who thinks of advocating when talking about music? Who thinks of designing when talking about LGBT rights? I don’t. I mean, if you do, then I’m sorry if this upsets you. They are similar in the way that they need each other to work together. For something to be successful, these components must be utilized to their own strengths.


  6. Adrian Green meets Norah Jones (Week 2)

    September 20, 2012 by Francis Flores

    Hello, again! So, this week, I decided to take a different path and look at a poem! I’ll be looking at “Bluenote Time” by Adrian Green and “I’ve Got to See You Again.”

    “Bluenote Time” written by Adrian Green, publication date unknown.

    “I’ve Got to See You Again” by Norah Jones, released in 2002 on her “Come Away With Me” Album.

    Bluenote Time

    “In the soft jazz and midnight hour

    Your eyes are dancing close to mine

    A sway of hips, a touch of lips

     

    While on the stand

    Piano player’s fingers

    Dance around the tune

    Above a gentle touch

    Caressing music from the bass

     

    Your fingers up and down my spine

     

    In the soft jazz and midnight hour,

    We lose ourselves in bluenote time.”

    Also, here’s the song! I really hope you like it as much as I did, and if you listen to it while reading the poem, it all makes sense!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el9cknEVlc0

    This poem lends an extremely sultry tone because it is extremely suggestive of romance and closeness to another person. The phrases “sway of hips,” “touch of lips,” “gentle touch,” “caressing,” and “up and down my spine” lend to this tone directly. It romanticizes the playing of the jazz music that is said to be playing in the background. Jazz music is generally known for the sultry sounding piano and bass, and so this poem incorporates that idea by providing the image of this couple representing the playing of the piano and bass. The piano caresses music from the bass as the speaker tells of someone’s fingers running up and down her spine. This couple symbolizes the collaboration of the two instruments to create the sultry feel of jazz music.

    “I’ve Got to See You Again” by Norah Jones plays with this tone with the piano and bass that plays behind her vocals. In my head, I imagined the couple from the poem dancing to this song. “Piano player’s fingers/ Dance around the tune” accurately describes the piano playing in the song, and it directly goes along with “caressing music from the bass,” because the piano and bass complement each other so well. The vocals in this song also exemplify the repetition of the phrase “soft jazz and midnight hour.” Norah Jones’ voice, in general, is very tired sounding which is how I imagine their own voices would sound at the hour that they are dancing. Her voice is also soft and complements the dance of the piano and the bass, and these things together lend to an all-around sultry tone in the song.

    When I first read this poem, I had no idea how to feel about it. I just thought it sounded …sexy. Am I the only one? The phrases that I used to kind of touch on its sultry tone really attracted me to this poem, plus I love jazz music, so it just struck in my mind. I heard this Norah Jones song from a friend, and the two just clicked in my mind. Both are extremely attractive pieces of work and the direct image of jazz music was just fantastic and I loved it.

    I hope you liked this week’s post. Thanks for reading!


  7. Speech Design Plan: Week 1

    September 14, 2012 by Francis Flores

    Purpose: I really want to shine a light on the kids who grow up in foster care, such as my mom. I want to highlight just how much someone who grows up in such an environment could really flourish and make something better for themselves and the community around them. I’ll be analyzing what happened when she was in the system, what happened when she was forced to move on when she turned eighteen, and, finally, how it has affected her adult life.

    Audience: Well, since it is a class of my peers, this topic may be a little depressing, but hopefully the outcome of her story will make up for it.

    Media: An oral speech with a visual aids thrown in.

    Ethos: As weird as this sounds, I want to take this merely as a research study. I do not intend on being biased in any way since I am her daughter.

    Pathos: I’m going describe how she took advantage of every opportunity that did come to her, and try to establish a sense of familiarity and comfort.

    Logos: I’m going to pretty much go in chronological order, just so that I don’t get confused. (I’m pretty sure you guys could handle it, but I can’t. Sorry).


  8. “Do the Right Thing”?

    September 14, 2012 by Francis Flores

    I absolutely loved the irony with the title of this movie and the actual movie itself. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t find one character in that movie likable and I think that was Spike Lee’s intention. This situation was an amplification of stereotypical urban life in 1980’s New York and no one did the right thing in any situation.

    There were no antagonists or protagonists because every person in this movie made a mistake that directly affected the course of things. The irony of this title, I think, stems from the lack of civic responsibility. Because of the various ethnic groups in that neighborhood, everyone has a different view of what civic is and reacted in that way.

    An example of that would be the actions of Buggin Out and Radio Rahim and Sal. Their whole conflict started out because Buggin Out wanted pictures of famous black people on the Wall of Fame in Sal’s Pizzeria, but Sal refuses and from there, Buggin Out tries to convince people to boycott the place. Radio Rahim agrees after Sal makes him turn down his radio in the pizzeria. I understand where Sal is coming from by not putting up famous black people on his wall, and I think that Buggin Out dragged out the problem way farther than it needed to be dragged out.

    I think my favorite thing about this movie, though, is the recurring ironic symbolism of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. They both argued for peace, but they had different philosophies on how to bring about peace. Malcolm X believed that violence is only okay when it comes to self-defense. On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr. believed that violence is never the answer. In this movie, though, even with their contrasting philosophies, the picture that keeps coming up is a picture of them shaking hands–demonstrating civility and respect. This symbolized that though they had contrasting ideas, they were able to get along because they found a balance. The irony in this was just perfect, since the picture that does make it to the Wall of Fame in Sal’s Pizzeria as it’s burning down is their picture. The actions that occurred leading up to that event, and the actions that occurred at the event, were actions of violence for the sake of violence, and the situation was handled poorly by everyone. The burning of the building with the photo inside mirrirs the blatant disregard for their beliefs.


  9. Gustav Flaubert meets Sia (Week 1)

    September 13, 2012 by Francis Flores

    For my passion blog, I decided to take an old AP English project to the next level. In this project, we had to pick a passage and relate a piece of art to it. I loved it and I felt comfortable with it. I got to pick apart the music tonally and instrumentally, and I got to relate it to the tone and figurative language of the passage.

    Of course I will be telling the name of the author/person singing the song and the name of the piece of literature/song, and I will describe the time period from which it originates, and then when I’m done analyzing the two, I’ll include a bit of what I feel about them. I won’t necessarily be relating the lyrics to the literature, but if something stands out, or the two happen to go hand-in-hand, I will use both, but generally, I will just be using the music (instruments, tone of voice, tempo). My favorite thing is to listen to and read new things, so suggestions would be fantastic, too!

    For this first week, I’d like to look at a passage from Madame Bovary, written by Gustav Flaubert, and “My Love” by Sia.

    Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert was written in 1856 in France.

    “My Love” by Sia was written in 2010 for the “Twilight Saga: Eclipse” Soundtrack.

    “She stood there in a daze. Only the pulsing of her veins told her that she was alive; she thought she heard it outside herself, like some deafening music filling the country-side. The earth beneath her feet was as yielding as water, and the furrows seemed to her like an immense, dark, breaking waves. All the memories and thoughts in her mind poured out at once, like a thousand fireworks…Madness began to take hold of her; she was frightened but managed to control herself—without, however, emerging from confusion…It was only her love that was making her suffer and she felt her soul leave her at the thought…Night was falling; crows flew overhead. It suddenly seemed to her that fiery particles were bursting in the air, like bullets exploding as they fell, and spinning and spinning and finally melting in the snow among tree branches. In the center of each of them appeared Rodolphe’s face. They multiplied; they came together; they penetrated her; everything vanished…Suddenly her plight loomed before her like an abyss” (Flaubert 355-356).

    Here is the song, as well. I would encourage trying to read the passage while listening to the song because then you can feel the true anguish in both pieces.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtM_cc4SPJI

    In this song, the instruments that play emphasize an intense feeling that perfectly accents the meaning behind the singer’s voice and tone. She sings of leaving her love behind but there is a pain in her voice that speaks to the listener; she is lost and there is nothing left for her it seems. The piano is extremely haunting and accents the raspiness (is that even a word?) of her voice. When the music swells, the singer breaks off and the piano plays the same haunting tune. When she picks up again, her voices starts strong and continues to get even stronger, almost as if her desperation has been exemplified. The drums in the background lend to the growing intensity of her voice; in the very end, all of the instruments involved, including her voice, increase in volume, and fade off so that it is only her and the piano again, thus lending to the idea that she has lost hope. This relates to tone of the passage perfectly because it is what Emma feels and what Flaubert portrays to the reader. In the beginning of the song, she is broken and desperate, and as the song climaxes her anguish has been exemplified and Emma is overcome by the madness.  The madness is so overwhelming that she continues on with her intense feeling of anguish and desperation until she gazes into the abyss that is her plight.

    When I first read this passage, I immediately thought to this song because both pieces epitomize anguish and desperation. To be quite honest, I was extremely depressed while writing this, but it hit me hard. I was very emotional because I felt the anguish of both Emma, from Madame Bovary, and the Sia.

    Okay, I’m done with my first post. I really hope you weren’t too depressed with this song or with the passage, but I promise next week will be better. I’ve already got an idea!

    Thanks for reading!


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