The main thing that I'll remember about Evelyn Glennie's performance is that she's deaf. She can't hear anything through her ears, and yet she makes perfect notes and knows exactly what each note will sound like. That's freaking Beethoven-status. That was absolutely amazing that she could do that.
It was very very intense listening to her play her piece. She made music that moved through your soul, just by the sound on the marimba. She could alter her playing so that it sounded like an organ, instead of a mechanical ding. Not to mention, she could make single notes, even while using slight cords to produce the organ sound.
The elements that influenced the audience's impression of the sound were how loud she played, how hard she hit the keys, and how she had her arms positioned. If her arms were positioned really tightly and close to her body, then it would be a harsh, metallic sounding note. But if she held her arms freely and loosely, then the note would reflect that.
By that, she meant that everyone feels the music differently. Some people feel it in there hands, some through their ears, some through their heads. I feel the music in my head, which is where I compose most of my music and listen to songs. After enough times of hearing the song, I can listen to the entire thing, drums, piano, guitar and all in my head exactly as I would hear it from a video.
On May 2nd of this year, my family and I visited a Farmers' Market that sets up on Sundays in Point Loma. I interviewed a couple that was selling spices:
Q: What is your name and your role here at the farmers' market? A: My name's Jan, and I sell seasonings here.
Q: Why do you choose to support/sell at this farmers' market? A: Well, this is our business, it's how we make money, and this way, we get the spices to a direct target, instead of having a middleman.
Q: When did you first start coming here [to this farmers' market]? A: We started coming here around 2 years ago.
Q: What would be your advice to get others to do what you do? A: Take a chance, follow your dream. It's kinda cheesy, but that's my advice.
Here's some reflective questions that I am also answering:
Q: What struck you about the location you visited? Was it what you expected, or very different? A: Well, I thought it was pretty cool how there were so many stalls that sold so many different things. Most of them had samples, so you could see whether you wanted the product or not. The only thing that I hadn't thought would happen was the place being outside. I was thinking of different stalls, but inside a building.
Q: Which items were cheaper than you expected? Which were more expensive? A: There weren't any items that were more expensive than I'd anticipated, but I thought that my family got a really nice deal on the jam that we bought. It was only five dollars a jar, and it tasted WAY better than the stuff you buy from Albertsons or Vons.
Q: Do you think you will start going to a farmers market more often? Or using a community garden? Or supporting a CSA? A: I think that we've found one that's really close to our house, and it opens on Fridays, which means we could pick up stuff on the way home from school. If the stuff at that farmers market was as good as the stuff at the Point Loma farmers market, then I DEFINITELY want to support it.
Q: How do these locations fit into our essential questions of "Why Don't People Live More Sustainably?" and "How Can I Convince Them To Do So?" A: Farmers markets may be farther away, and they might be more expensive than your local Albertsons, but they are definitely worth the price and the walk, because they taste better, last longer (sometimes), and they are definitely better for your health. (I just made a thesis with a concessive :D)
On Thursday, our class went to see the Seniors' garden where they grow all kinds of plants. Here are some of the questions that I asked and the answers that were given:
Q: How does this garden tie in with learning? A: We're learning Environmental Science this year and it's great because, even though you can learn in a closed off classroom environment, it's much more interesting to go out and actually experience the stuff that you can do with environmental science, like growing a garden.
Q: What do you grow? A: Lettuce, basil, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, and a couple of random plants.
Q: What happens during the Summer? A: Nothing I guess. If John were here, he'd probably take care of it, but this is his last year [teaching], so I guess it just dies.
Q: Do you guys do anything with the plants (e.g. sell them, eat them, etc.)? A: We eat the plants sometimes. But last week, for example, we fed lunch to a lot of people from just the garden, and they each got a good amount of food.
Here are some reflective questions that I'm also going to answer:
Q: Do you want to continue the Seniors' work? A: I would love to do that, but according to my third question, the garden is going to die over the summer, so my class might have to start anew when it finally ends up our turn.
Q: What struck you about the garden? A: I thought it was really cool how they could grow all kinds of different plants, like fruits, trees, vegetables and spices all in the same area.
Q: Did this inspire you to start your own garden? A: I guess not exactly a garden, but it inspired me to plant a couple of trees with fruit on them, so I could have fresh tomatoes, strawberries and a grapes, and if olives count as fruit, then those too.
Q: How did this garden remind you of sustainable living? A: I think the garden was sustainable because instead of giving money to someone else (which cannot make plants), the seniors are growing their own plants, so that they take from nature, but they also replant the seeds, thus creating an equivalent exchange process.
I talked about the concepts of Food, Inc with my dad. When I asked him the questions, he gave me some interesting responses. When I asked him what struck him about the concepts, he told me that it gave him a feeling of helplessness, and it made him feel as though there are almost no sources of decent food out there (or food without GMO's and other unhealthy additives), and he can't single-handedly change the food system. He agreed with the concepts, and it convinced him that it had really compelling evidence that it was true. He says that he'll apply the concepts to the real world by reading labels, shopping at farmer's markets and shopping at health food stores and not patronizing fast food.
"Kids will learn anything they want to learn, anything they have a use for. But to make them learn things they don't have any use for, you have to send them to school." --Julie, My Ishmael
This quote made me think. You know, the whole chapter in general made me think. On one hand, we have the subjects in school like Chemistry, Geometry, Ancient Studies, and a whole billion other different fields of learning because the teachers want to expose us to different things that we can do as a career if we so choose.
On the other hand, it makes me wonder if fields of learning such as Spanish class are really to help us in life, when we may grow up doing something that relates to Spanish about as well as a bowling ball can float.
For example, let me take the example of Spanish class. It may be useful to know in the certain frame of time that we are currently in, and because I live in San Diego, close to the border. However, one of the things that I would be looking forward to doing with my life is writing and international law. Okay, so there are technicalities involved, such as translating, and having Spanish-speaking clients. But when it comes to International Law, the main things that I would be dealing with are conflicts between whole countries. Because English is still quite a dominating language in most of the world, I would presumably be using English when communicating with foreign countries.
“The United States is one of our top priorities. It is a disgusting country, and we must take it out for the betterment of our ideals.” The man spoke. He drummed his fingers on the surface of the long oak table. Light filtered through the glass illuminating the man’s grim face. To his right was a pert woman of 39 with a dark complexion, and an authoritative posture. Her marine-blue eyes were fixated on the man who was talking. She was Shauna Toll, newly elected President of the United States.
The man continued, now facing Shauna. “Now that we’ve put you into the presidency, it’s time you knew the plan you will carry out.”
Shauna mulled the plan over in her head. Civil War 2, huh? I wonder…
There was a sharp knock on her office door.
“Come in,” Shauna commanded, with authority. A man in a black silk suit stepped through the doorway carrying a rectangular box in his hands.
“I have a package for you, Madame President. Where shall I leave it?” he asked.
“Bring it here, John. I’ll open it later.”
The man stepped over to her desk and laid the rectangular box on a clear spot on Shauna’s desk. He bowed, and promptly left, shutting the door behind him. Shana leaned over the box, and saw the printing on the top. Le Prieure de Sion,it read.
Curiously, she opened the flaps, and took out all of the plastic wrapping. A bomb? She dared not touch it. It could be some sick person’s assassination plot. Attached to the bottom of the package was a note. She grabbed it and revealed a phone number.
Shauna reached for her phone, and dialed the number. Listening to the ringer go off, she pondered how many people the bomb could take out.
“Ah hello, Mrs. Toll. How are you doing this fine day?”
“I am doing well sir. You?”
“Fine, thank you. I presume you’ve gotten my package?”
“Yes I have,”
“Good. Here are some instructions I have for you regarding that package. I suppose that you realize it is a bomb,”
“Yes, now what the--”
“Very good. I need you to kick off this war for us. Within a week, choose a state, preferably a Democratic one, and notify us. Come up with an excuse, so there is no suspicion. You will be compensated, with $10,000,000 now, and $5,000,000 after the job is done, and you and your husband will have a safe ride with us while the war is at its peak,”
Oh my god, a whole ten million!
“Of course sir,”
“Ah, and Mrs. Toll?”
“Yes sir?”
“If you do not comply, we will have to get rid of you. We have other ways to start this war, but we don’t want to have to do that, do we?”
“No, of course not.” Shauna replied, straining to keep a strong tone in her voice. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought of death, and beads of sweat dotted themselves across her face.
Shauna promptly hung up and sighed. Great. This’ll work nicely. I’ll get the money now, and I’ll formulate a plan...
Another person opened the door. It was her husband, Lindon. He was a tall man, with a strong jaw line. Normally, he looked ready to fight a lion, but now, creases of worry were apparent on his brow.
“Who was that, Honey?” he asked
“Le Prieure de Sion.” Shauna responded, calm now as a lake.
“You can’t be serious about this war, Shauna! You can’t let it happen!”
“Lindon, if I don’t, they’ll kill me and you and start the war anyways. Besides, I’ll get- I mean, we’ll get ten million dollars!”
“Don’t do it. You’ll forsake your humanity, your religion, and your country’s trust, all for this?
“I don’t have another choice, so back out of it!” She retorted, annoyed.
The reporter spoke into the microphone, reading the words posted for her behind the camera. “Three people were just killed on Saturday. Apparently, there was a fight just outside a Wal-Mart, between four Democrats, and three Republicans. They were arguing over the recently started war in Iran. Although we do not have further information…”
Shauna nodded from the background, and smirked to herself. If all goes according to plan, I’ll bomb L.A. in two days! I’ll get my ten million, my family and I will be safe, and there’ll be less disgusting people on this beautiful planet.
But Lindon’s last words still echoed in her mind: You’re making a big mistake.
The alarm clock went off in her room. Today’s the day, but something’s different. It’s almost as if my body won’t cooperate! Move, stupid body! Gotta set this bomb off today, and I won’t be late. Ow, it feels like my head’s split into two, and the two sides are screaming at each other! I gotta listen to this. I know what one side’s saying, but what about the other side….Don’t….do….it. Don’t do it? Why? Everything’s planned….just don’t go through with this….
“Shauna, where is this bomb going to be set off?”
Shauna turned to face the man responsible for sending her the bomb, and a wave of panic spread through her like quicksilver. Ignoring it, she spoke defiantly, “Sir, I will not go through with this. I will not stand by and watch my country go down!”
“It’s too late. You’ve already riled up the masses, and, there’s no way to turn back now. I’ll see you in hell.” The man retorted, with a smug grin on his face.
“As will I. Mr. Graykan you are a son of a bitch!”
His lip curled up on itself, with his face contorted in rage. Shauna’s spine froze up at the sight, if only for a second. She spat on his shoe, and left.
Shauna paced back and forth in her office. I know that they’ll kill me, but what am I to do? I need to relax, that’s all. She flipped on the T.V. right in the middle of a news story.
“We have secured the bomb and have it locked up in a safe, away from her reach.” What the? “Congress is considering her impeachment at this time. Thank you for listening and--” Shauna flipped off the T.V., her mind racing. What the hell was that? Impeachment?
The sounds of the masses filled Shauna’s ears like the sound of an airplane. She knew what it was.They were shouting murderous speeches of hate towards their president who had betrayed them, and was still allowed to live in WashingtonD.C.
“Honey, let’s go. They will still set off the bomb, and we know it.”Lindon was already opening the trapdoor. “Call the Secret Service to lock the doors, and I’ll prepare the shelter downstairs. It’ll be somewhere to get away from the masses!”
Shauna ran around the White House, ran to her desk and jammed her finger on a button. Speaking into a microphone with a shaky voice, she ordered the Service to secure all entrances to the building, and to make sure that all the windows would be impenetrable. She then ran after her husband down some wooden stairs, and into the enveloping darkness.
Shauna eyes fluttered open.As her nose caught the damp, stale air, she realized she was in the bomb shelter below the White House. She groggily got to her feet and ascended a set of old, mildewed steps where she heaved open the trapdoor. Smoke and the smell of burned flesh filled her lungs, and she gagged. Coughing, she stumbled through the debris of what used to be the White House and…Oh my God, they didn’t set it off in L.A. They bombed WashingtonD.C.! Seeing carcasses, bloodied and burned, Shauna stepped over a pile of rubble that used to be a wall. There were charred shells of humans everywhere lying on the blackened ground that used to be grass, in air that used to be clean, but now was filled with gas and smog. There was a woman still clinging her child to her breast. It was all futile. No one could have possibly survived such a disaster. Shauna looked around at the devastation, and was distraught; until she saw two skeletons ride by on a tandem bike. They saw her and waved, with skeletal smiles spread across their jaws. There was a loud creak, hollow and dark as Death himself, but Shauna had no time to react, even though every single part of her body stood poised for an ambush. The mass of stone and wood from the Presidential Building fell onto her. Shauna felt the life ebbing away, as her bones collapsed, and the blood rose into her throat. She closed her eyes, and turned herself away from life. God, I’ll see you soon…But I have one last request. Please watch over my husband, wherever he may be.
I am a 9th Grader of High Tech High Media Arts! If you're wondering about the url name, it's because if I ever have a gaming/movie corporation, then it will be named "G-Nome LTD"
