Mozart - Symphony No. 25 in G Minor

          Symphony No. 25 in G minor by Mozart (pronounced Motz-art) is one of his best pieces. Used as the opening score to the movie Amadeus, the multitude of violins quickly grasp at the listener's heartstrings and pulls them along for a thrilling experience. I can not listen to this piece without smiling and under certain circumstances, spasm out to let the beauty of the music take me. It is one of two minor symphonies Mozart ever wrote.

          The symphony stays true to traditional form. A symphony normally consists of four movements. The first is usually a sonata with an exposition, development, and recapitulation and is normally played allegro. The second movement slows down to andante. The third picks up the pace into a minuet and trio style type dance. The final movement is allegro and returns to the same key as the first.

          Allegro con brio, 4/4 in G minor: The first movement is most well known. It is full of many memorable motifs utilizing violins and clarinets. It is full of volume dynamics with some dissonance thrown in to keep listeners on edge. Mozart effectively draws in his audience in this stunning first movement.

          Andante, 2/4 in E-flat major: The second, while not as fast paced as the first, is interesting nonetheless. The melody is pleasant and gorgeous. Typical for a symphony.

          Minuet & Trio, 3/4 in G minor, Trio in G major: In 3/4 time, this movement is easier to dance to if one wanted to. The tempo quickens to a brisk walk.

          Allegro, 4/4 in G minor: An excellent resolution to this composition. The themes and motifs of the first movement are reintroduced and have been altered. It brings a sense of completion and resolution.

          I highly recommend watching Amadeus of you are interested in Mozart.

Cowbells

You may or may not know but I wear a cowbell on my backpack everyday to school. Some may be indifferent towards it, others may hate it. I do not wear that cowbell to annoy or impress people. I wear it for myself. I bought the cowbell (it is a key chain) from a popular cross country called Mt. SAC. It is a prestigious meet with a rich history and I was proud to be there but to get back on topic, I wear that cowbell because of the chimes. 

The chimes I imagine stand for freedom. With every step that I take I am reminded of how lucky I am to have two legs that can run on this beautiful piece of land we call the U.S. of A. Every time I hear the twinkling of the bells it, for a moment in time, brings me back to the abstract world I enter on my runner's high. It is a place I like to call home. 

Cross country season is my favorite season. The only reason I can get XCited for fall is because of cross country. My XCitement is XClusive to cross country and not at all to school. Distance running is where I feel free to be who I was meant to be. I have the power to accomplish anything, "Who am I? I am a champion."

Life is a busy race. We do not really have much time to slow down and think about the beauties in life. Well, on that road, on that long run, you get plenty of time by yourself to contemplate. The ideal cadence when running is 180 steps per minute. That's 180 times you're pounding the Earth. You get into a rhythm, Your mind and body become one and your soul is in euphoria. I was born to run and run I shall. 

So the bells will stay on. I will continue to wear it. They are a constant reminder that there is greatness out there. Great things do not come to those who wait. Great things come to those who go out every single day to give it their all. Every chime takes me back on that lonely road miles from my home. Every chime calls me home. If home is where the heart is and my heart is in my left chest, then everywhere I go is home. The chimes ring true to the beat of my heart. 

      

Love Minus Zero / No Limit

The song title is read as a fraction (Love minus zero "over" no limit). Bob Dylan wrote this in 1964 during the beginnings of his surreal and introspective era. It was included in his Bringing it All Back Home album which was released in 1965. Musically, it is very simple and sounds like a straightforward love song and one might be fooled into thinking that for a while. However, the words are insane.

It describes of a narrator who lives in a world fallen in calamity as life around him accelerates and he is losing control. However, "his love" is a Zen figure who stabilizes his grip on reality. She transcends him to a state of elation when everyday life seems to drag him down. She is his spiritual anchor.

My love she speaks like silence, without ideals or violence

She doesn't have to say she's faithful, yet she's true, like ice, like fire

People carry roses, and make promises by the hour

My love she laughs like a flower, Valentines can't buy her.

The song starts off very simple. The narrator introduces "his love" and his depiction so far is of true admiration for her inner strength and beauty. One can tell that his lover is put on a pedestal, shown in her comparison to an unattainable beauty in a flower. The song only gets crazier from here. We begin to have a glimpse into the narrator's life. Dealing with other people only make his life more difficult. The future is exciting yet stressful to think about. He worries about succeeding and fears failure. 

Some speak of the future, my love she speaks softly

She know's there's no success like failure

And that failure's no success at all.

It is almost insane for her to say this. It sounds like filler for the silence. However, she is saying that success comes from trials and overcoming adversity, even making mistakes and failing sometimes. Even if trying does not yield the desired outcome, at least you tried and there's a better chance in succeeding in trying. On the other hand, giving up never results in success. 

The narrator's life is spiraling out of control. HIs work overtakes his time. He may not agree with everyone he meets. However, his love knows when to let go. When things are out of one's control, why worry about it? The ancient religion Daoism teaches that life is a river that flows around you and that you should allow it to flow. The universe may have things predestined and it is best to allow nature to take its course. 

Statues made of matchsticks, crumble into one another

My love winks, she does not bother

She knows too much to argue or to judge. 

Lastly, Dylan decides to reveal vulnerability in his lover. She can not thrive by herself. She needs a home while the narrator needs escape. They give each other their needs which is why they are so entwined. 

The wind howls like a hammer, the nigh blows rainy

My love she's like some raven

At my window with a broken wing.

"Love Minus Zero / No Limit" provides more insight on the role between partners in an unstable environment than a traditional love song. However, the simplistic music structure represents his lover's detachment from the world and the lyrics, his unending roller coaster of a life.

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The Impact of Bon Jovi on Acoustic Renditions

Do you love listening to acoustic versions of songs from your favorite artists? If so, you can thank Bon Jovi for that! Below is his iconic performance of two of his hit songs, "Living on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" unplugged and stripped down to the core. Rock at its finest.

Today, many of us take acoustic performances for granted. It's always been this way hasn't it? Well before 1989, it wasn't common for rock groups to perform their songs unplugged like this. The same can said for all other genres using electronics to amplify or produce sounds (i.e. Pop, Metal, Doo Wop, etc...)  There was a clear distinction between acoustic music, such as folk music, and electronic music (everything else). Side note: by electronic music I mean any music using electricity to convey, produce, or amplify their sounds; it does not necessarily mean music created on a computer. 

In 1989 Bon Jovi performed at the MTV music awards, back when MTV actually played music! What was to spawn from it no one would have guessed. Fans adored the intimacy that acoustic performance allowed them to feel. They felt closer to Bon Jovi, It gave new depth and meaning to a well heard song. As indicated by the cheering, people loved it.

Bon Jovi's performance at the MTV music awards was so influential that it sparked a whole movement. MTV Unplugged is generally acknowledged to have drawn inspiration from this rendition. MTV Unplugged is a T.V. show on MTV that showcases artists performing with acoustic instruments, usually the guitar. Artists in the 90's such as John Hammond Jr. would perform acoustic versions of their songs more often post-1989.

Bon Jovi may be the most influential rock musician in history. He is certainly my favorite. His music is timeless and remains relevant to this day. His songs reflect an era gone by but its influence still shines. Many people who grew up listening to Bon Jovi look fondly at their music. Current generation kids such as I can find fulfillment discovering such a rich and complex band history. Bon Jovi has done more than to change the acoustic scene. His lyrics touch the hearts of a'many. There may not be enough words to truly appreciate this legend. 

"Dear Lord, Jesus, Buddha, Allah or can I just call you Joe

I've got a lot of things to tell you and some things I gotta know

I'm tired of hearing talk about this world's about to end

If we can die together, then can't we all be friends?" 

- Save a Prayer, Bon Jovi

How to Pass the Baton in the 4x100

Let me warn you beforehand that if you are someone looking to find information on how to pass the baton in the 4x100 because you want to do it, this is difficult. That was an understatement. You have been warned.

The art of baton passing is very beautiful and intricate. Many can not deny the sense of amazement of watching a perfectly executed hand off.  It seems simple to the average spectator. Just sprint and take the baton right? Am I right coach? Wrong!

A 4x100 is a track event in which relay teams of four compete to run the fastest 400m with each person running 100m called a leg. 

So after the team is set up and everybody knows which leg they're running, each person has to figure out when to start sprinting. For the most part, high school track athletes count 14-17 steps behind their starting line. Mark this with tape. When the person running before you is approaching, the moment they hit that mark is when you start sprinting. We mark this area with tape because it is usually the amount of a lead someone needs to accelerate to top speed.

You can start anywhere in between the marked triangles. Once you take off you can not look back or else it's a disqualification (DQ). So how do you receive the baton? Now here comes the tricky part. The person handing off the baton yells "stick!" as soon as he/she catches up to the person. As soon as the person in front hears the word "stick!" he/she sticks out their palms towards the person behind them. The person behind will then make a straight and forceful punching motion to hand the baton to his/her teammate. The baton is always passed from either left to right hand or right to left hand.

This is the part where everyone messes up on. The person calling out "stick!" must make sure to time it so that they are both running at a stable rate. He/she must also make sure the baton goes dead straight into the palm of the other person's hand. 

The person receiving the baton must also make sure that his palm is facing the person behind him, fingers perpendicular to the track. This was the hardest part for me. It is difficult to maintain an easy target for your teammate to hit, make sure your palm is sticking out and facing directly behind you, and accelerate to top speed all at the same time. 

Many dreams and spirits have been crushed from a failed hand off. Many batons are dropped because of tiny errors. A messy hand off will slow you down. Deviating from the strict rules of the hand off will result in a DQ. This is why it is so difficult. This is why I do not enjoy doing this particular track event.

The pressure is real and I perform best in a more relaxed yet focused mindset. However this is one of the most popular track events and getting great at it would result in fame, scholarships, and most importantly pride.

If you think this is for you than sign up for track in the spring!

Community Post #1: Hidden Biases

As a sedentary society, only relatively recently have women been seen as equals in the work field. As early humans shifted from foraging to agriculture, the role of women declined as they played a smaller role in acquiring food for the population. This has been a common trend throughout history and still seems to affect today's society, however not as distinctively.

Although sexism is no longer overt in the workplace, evidence shows that it still exists. In the article "Exposing Hidden Bias at Google" Farhad Manjoo discusses the issues in the demographics of the company because about seventy percent of Google's employees are male.

Looking at the chart, one would wonder why males are dominating the company. The answer might lie within our unconscious biases towards women and their capabilities. Although an educated woman would be able to produce the same amount of work as another male on her level, our perspectives of them stemming from historical times still lingers on. Men still do not think of women as their equals.

Google has begun holding workshops and seminars to boost awareness of this flaw in their company to an unclear level of success. While there have been some anecdotes about people realizing what they or someone else was saying could possibly be sexist, there have been no result as to if the company really is changing. Spreading awareness is not enough. Women's rights activists of the past century have done that already. We need to instigate change. Analyzing our thought processes and the reason behind them is needed. Every time something about women pops up in our head, 'why' questions need to be asked.   

We live in a world where gender equality seems to be the standard. We assume that women have achieved the same rights as their counterparts. This thought masks our awareness of the same issues the dominated eighties culture. We think that we are not being sexist in our behavior because that age is over. It is only when we stop to think about what we say and do can we begin to see the situation and gradually stop doing it.