My Brand of Art

Without art, the world would be an extremely dull and lifeless place, and life itself wouldn’t be as enjoyable. Think about it. Art is everywhere from the paintings hanging in museums to the spaghetti we make for dinner. It’s one of the only things in life that doesn’t have to always follow guidelines or rules. It allows for creativity and passion to be expressed freely. For many people, art allows them to do what they love, and simply enjoy life. 

Art plays a huge role in my own life. I don’t paint or sculpt, I play and create music. I recently performed in my first concert for the orchestra at Penn State. This was a great experience all around, but my favorite part was performing in the Eisenhower auditorium. The hall had two balconies and was larger than any auditorium I have ever performed in. When people think of art, many only think of the basics like painting, sculpting, etc., but for everyone that’s a part of the orchestra, including myself, the music we create is art. The sound bounces off the walls of the stage and throughout the auditorium in such harmony and power, mesmerizing the audience and even me at times. How can we not call this art? 

I believe that music is one of the most powerful art forms that we have. Yes the only thing you physically see is a bunch of people playing instruments being directed by someone waving a baton. However, the synchronized movements of the bows of the string section, the way everyone seems to sway to the music, following the different tempos, all of this can be art in itself. Going beyond the physical sight of the performance, each written piece of music tells a story. Just as a movie has different scenes and actions that take place, so does music. The slow, soothing part of the piece can demonstrate a romantic part in the story, but just as quickly as this begins, a shift in tempo and key occurs and there’s a sense of frantic terror that’s created. 

As musicians, it’s easy for us to picture what is happening during each section of the piece. For me, all I have to do is close my eyes, listen, and I can paint a picture in my mind about what is happening in the music. Music influences and enhances mood and has inspired millions, and has definitely has inspired me.

Unfortunately many school districts nation wide have chosen to cut not only the music programs, but also many other art related classes. This has effected my family personally. My mom is an elementary music teacher who has lost her room at the school she taught at. She now has to travel to six different schools throughout the school district, teaching new kids every few weeks. This is not only terrible for her, but for the kids as well. Music and other art related classes are an important part of the curriculum especially for young children. Art classes utilize a different part of the brain than any other type of class and help children grow and become well rounded. These classes need to remain in schools. Either way, music is and will forever be an important art form and part of society.

Self-Evaluation

As my first semester of college comes to a close, I want to reflect on everything that I've learned and experienced. This past semester truly did fly by. In my first college english class, I think the most important thing I learned was to think about the audience and who will be reading what I write. This was important for me because many times when I write, in my mind everything seems to make sense, but I have trouble realizing that other people don't necessarily see it the way I do, or interpret what I'm trying to say. English 15 helped me to overcome this problem, and essentially helped me to become a better writer. A few things I never knew about before English 15 was the ethos, pathos, and logos infused in writing. With the incorporation of these three utilities, writing can be much more effective, and in turn made my writing better.

 Other than learning about the characteristics of writing, I learned much about Penn State itself. Through everyday discussion, I became aware of much of the problems, and also just basic knowledge about Penn State. Being a freshman, I didn't think that Penn State had changed in the past year. I knew that the scandal had put a dark cloud over the university for some time, but I didn't attend school anywhere near here, so I had no idea how the school functioned and acted before it happened. During class, my eyes were opened to how much the students, faculty, and community were actually effected by one man. I never would have thought that this year in particular was different from any other previous year. It's hard to imagine a place you've been living in and gotten accustomed to, to be drastically different only a short time ago. It's hard to explain, but being in English, and through our class discussions, I became informed and more widely effected by the scandal myself, even though I wasn't here when it happened. I think that this, along with the information we learned pertaining writing and the course material, was the most important part of our class. As a Penn State student, I have become more aware and better educated as to where I live and what it truly means to be a student at this university. Coming into the year, I felt like somewhat of an outsider and just a freshman, but this class has taught me how important my freshman class truly is. 

I also learned a thing or two about the arts here at Penn State and just in general. As a musician, I considered myself to understand what art was pretty well. I was sadly mistaken. There were many things I considered to be art. I considered art to be anything from sculptures to Beethoven's fifth symphony. Through this class however, I learned that almost anything can be art. A prime example of this was when we took a trip to the Arboretum. I wasn't necessarily that intrigued with the idea of going to look at a bunch of flowers, but as I took pictures of the hundreds of different kinds of flowers and plants, it became clearer and clearer. Art is whatever you make it out to be, you just have to be creative and look at something from a different perspective than you normally do. I still don't know if I would go see another play at the theatre or visit the Arboretum again, but I definitely view the world from a different perspective now than I did before I took this class. 

All in all, after having taken this class, I can honestly say that I've not only grown as a student, but as an individual as well. I believe that I am one step closer to becoming a successful individual in society. I'm not saying it's a giant step, but if I take it one step at a time and I think I'll end up okay. 

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Arts/Cultural Response: Wiz Khalifa Concert

In the beginning of the year when deciding what arts/cultural event to attend, I never would’ve guessed that it would be a Wiz Khalifa Concert. I went to the concert with my two friends, also fans of Wiz, and we were all extremely anxious to see what songs he was going to play. The energy level, the loudness, and the amount of people at the Bryce Jordan Center was incredible. Before Wiz came on stage there were four other performers that opened for him. The first two artists to appear were Berner and Tuki Carter, two artists I had never heard of. Both however performed pretty well, and managed to generate a decent energy from the crowd. The next two artists to perform, Chevy Woods and Juicy J, I was familiar with. Last but not least, Wiz came on stage and the hinges came off the roof. For every guy that yelled in the stadium, three girls were screaming at the top of their lungs. 
Before attending this event I had never been to a live concert, and wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I figured it would be very loud, not the greatest quality of music, and a lot of screaming. I’ve been told if I were to go see an artist live not to expect them to sound anything like they do on their recorded tracks. This was quite the contrary for Wiz. He sounded fantastic, much like how he does in the songs you can buy on itunes. He played a wide variety of songs in his repertoire, which was very exciting because I had always wanted to see him perform songs from earlier in his career. 
The only negative part of the experience was that being on the ground in the standing section, people were constantly bumping and pushing you, trying to get closer to the stage when there was already no room to spare. I figured that it would be very crowded, especially where I chose to stand, but I had no idea of the constant barrage of bodies. Being so squished in a confined space also generated a tremendous amount of heat causing everyone to sweat. 
My favorite part of the concert was when Wiz played the song Young, Wild, and Free. When he started the song the entire crowd seemed to morph as one. looking around, everyone was singing along to this youthful anthem, there were girls got on top of the shoulders of guys, and there was an aura of such intense, yet carefree energy it gave me chills. It seemed like the stadium was transported back to the sixties, everyone singing and swaying together, all having a good time, not having a care in the world. It was such a strange yet enlightening feeling, something I never could’ve imagined, and something that is impossible to portray on paper. It is something that everyone needs to experience and it changed my outlook on life. It made me realize that not everything in life is such a big deal and so serious.
My friends and I thought the concert was extremely fun, and each one of us would go to another one again. It was a completely new experience for me and was unlike anything I have ever attended. I always wondered why anyone would go to a crowded arena full of obnoxious fans screaming over the sound of the performer, but I understand fully now. Something special happens when thousands of people who love the music being played get together. Something that only happens at concerts, and it’s what makes them so special.