It makes me nostalgic for the iPod i had when i was still in school. My first iPod was the smallest, music player with no internet connectivity. Back in early 2000, options for entertainment were limited. Watching pretty much anything that broadcasted in television was fun until i had iPod. It delivered the utter joy that I experience the first time i used with the thin black headphones. I would practice dance with the headphone on for the school activities. It gave the opportunity to rewind and listen and practice again and again.IT gave me a personal soundscape which I think provide me a power to concentrate. I would feel every beats of the music and was easy to remember the dance choreography. It was easily portable as well as considered stylish back then. Some of the soundtracks that I still listen, can transport me back in time. I could feel that “real “time. I could feel what I was thinking or relate things at that particular moment that wonderful moment that I had experienced.

Everyone loves music but have different ways to enjoy it. Either listening to the song, humming the tunes or playing the instruments. Each one has its own choice in linking oneself to music. Some of those folks are the ones who actually play an instrument or compose music. Musical instruments are a type of sound sources or energy. My experience with musical instruments was learning piano when I was 7 years old. Music is a sound that pleases our ears, lift our mood up whenever we are feeling down, touches your soul and heals everyone’s mind. It can be used as a meditation for some people, sometime. For me, I used the piano keys as an escape from reality. I used to play the piano on some songs, record it and listen to it while walking anywhere, cooking or even studying. What’s more, it helped me in relieving stress, connecting my thoughts and not to listen to the noise in the outside environment. I can’t hear the noisy honks, workers using machine or people talking to each other while I’m having a walk. Music is always a best friend. It helped me in escaping from my thoughts and people’s noise, a lot.

After listening to EP1, “Time in the ways of hearing” by Damon Krukowshi, talks about how we use digital technology to change the way we make music. How we are able to go back to remove and/or change the way the music is edited from its original. Krukowhi, explain how he would take sounds from music from other artists to create his own. I happen to hear this a lot to the music I listen to. They have use piece and bits of the original music and add new sounds to it. Now in days, the big-name DJ’s that play in festivals are known for this. For example, DJ Hero song Just Blow (https://youtu.be/Bf5Ncpn6udU) was published on April 12,2013 and on April 23, 2017, Tiësto create a track called BOOM ( https://youtu.be/tSJSVmfaMCs ). On 2019, the F.H Crew used both of these to create a remix of both tracks to create one (https://youtu.be/94q1f7pmwJc). This for me a explain the Damon Krukowshi was talking about when I was listening to “Time in the way of hearing”

The Beatles – We Can Work It Out

The Beatles performing “We Can Work It Out.” “In “We Can Work It Out, Paul did the first half, I did the middle eight. But you’ve got Paul writing, ‘We can work it out, we can work it out’ – real optimistic, y’know, and me impatient, ‘Life is very short and there’s no time for fussing and fighting my friend’.”

My father has been a fan of “The Beatles” band since his youth. All my childhood was filled with songs of this legendary four. Each time, the sounds of the Beatles songs take me deep into childhood when my father and I listened to these songs on vinyl players and reel players every day. Over time, these songs began to sound from my father’s cassette player when he drove me to school. Gradually, this habit of listening to the Beatles’ songs grew into a love of this group. In present, listening to these songs in my car or through the headphones creates my personal hidden space in which I can disconnect from the real world full of problems and obligations. The familiar sounds of the Beatles songs like a cozy blanket cover me with memories and return me to a carefree childhood. Certainly, sounds pleasant to our hearing help us create some kind of hidden space for thought and creates a romantic and slightly utopian world. On the other hand, this is a shelter created by ourselves in which we can, with the help of sounds, be inspired and gain experience.

I could still clearly remember that The Lion King was the first Disney movie I watched when I was young. It is so amazing and impressive. Since then, The Lion King is one of my favorite movies. It opened a new window for me to see the outside world. In the beginning of the movie, there is an amazing music which immediately bring me from China to the faraway and vast African savanna. Through that music, I can feel the breeze blowing over my face. The aroma of grass and flowers haunts me tightly. I can even hear the sound of wind dancing over my head. I am on the savanna instead of my small bedroom. The roar of lions cheers me up. The sound of animals running seems make my floor vibrate. I am a cute deer celebrating the birth of Simba. The sound of that movie is so amazing that makes me feel immersive. I just ingnored everything around me when I watched it. I can’t hear the noisy honk outside the window. The bark of my dog from downstairs seems disappear. Only the beautiful music from the movie flows into my ears just like a clean stream flowing slowly in vast African savanna.

Blog Posts 4 & 5

1.     Briefly answer these questions from Chapter 2.2 Prewriting in English Composition: Connect, Collaborate, Communicate:

• Is the purpose of the essay to educate, announce, entertain, or persuade?

The purpose of this essay is to persuade, that is where the argumentative portion of the thesis comes from.

• Who might be interested in the topic of the essay?

Black Lives Matter activists and people interested in historical photography might be interested in this topic.

• Who would be impacted by the essay or the information within it?

The essay impacts the many protestors demanding justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among many others.

• What does the reader know about this topic?

The reader is my English Professor who specializes in African American Literature, I presume he is very knowledgeable about this topic.

• What does the reader need to know in order to understand the essay’s points?

The important background information is that Ieshia Evans was at a protest and that she is being arrested in the photo.

• What kind of hook is necessary to engage the readers and their interest?

The hook will be an appeal to the reader’s emotions in relation to the death of Alton Sterling.

• What level of language is required? Words that are too subject-specific may make the writing difficult to grasp for readers unfamiliar with the topic.

College level language is required, use of the elements of art we’ve learned about.

• What is an appropriate tone for the topic? A humorous tone that is suitable for an autobiographical, narrative essay may not work for a more serious, persuasive essay.

The tone will be serious and educational, making an effort to convince the reader that Ieshia is fearless.

2.     Write a draft of your opening paragraph based on Chpter 3.2 Opening Paragraphs from English Composition: Connect, Collaborate, Communicate

The death of Alton Sterling sent shockwaves through Baton Rouge, Louisana. Sterling was shot and killed in an act of police brutality outside of a store where he regularly sold DVDs. He was known affectionately as “CD Man” in his community. Sterling’s shooting was one of many racially charged incidents that gave rise to protests across the nation in 2016. Among these protests, one image rose to the top and became synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement. In Baton Rouge, protestor Ieshia Evans was photographed standing alone in the middle of a road while being arrested by two officers advancing from a line of police in riot gear. She stands completely still, one arm tight around her waist while the other is slightly extended to the officer running toward her. This is not a photo of a scared woman. Evans is not frozen with fear, she is rooted in her courage. Her arms at her waist and her shoulders pushed back show a woman with patience and confidence. Although her body language is stiff, Iesha Evans is fearless due to her unshakeable strength in the face of arrest.

1. The purpose of an essay is to educate and persuade. When people read an essay they’re meant to get the most information they can because a well developed essay has organized ideas, good structure and very refined words.
2. The topic of the essay is meant to interest students who have to write a College level essay. This helps to Improve their writing skills 
3. The students and the readers are the most impacted. When when they write a well developed essay. They will see exactly how affected this information was.
4. The reader knows in an essay you will find an introduction, body and conclusion paragraphs. The introduction gives clear ideas about a specific topic. Later, in the body, the writer organizes the ideas with good examples. The examples have to connect with the topic. In the conclusion, the reader has a good summarized paragraph of what the topic was about.
5. The reader needs to know the main points, how to develop a strong thesis statement and how to structure an essay around it.
6. A hook should catch the reader’s attention. You should provide an interesting statement or topic information that will engage a reader.
7. To write an essay in level College it’s important to understand the words you are reading. Using strong words in a specific word subject may be hard for others to understand. You need to use broad language.
8. The tone of the essay all depends on what type of essay you’re

Part 2

9. The year 2020 will be known for the year of tragedies. There were and continue to be many phenomenal world wide. 2020 has not had a month where we as a nation have been at peace. What continues to affect us is a deadly virus. The city that never sleeps came to a stop in 2020, COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus is a modern day pandemic that cost the lives of thousands. All forms of media have been overloaded with images and videos of what life is like outside our doors. These images show us the reality of the way the world is today and the difficulties people are going through. One photo can express a million emotions and an insight on other lives.