My favorite Blues artist is Billy Holiday and trust me. If you've ever seen Lady Sings the Blues, the movie about her life, she'd be yours, too. Inspirational doesn't even begin to describe her career. Developing as a music artist during a time when the KKK was thriving, racism was undeniably prevalent, and the wrong roads to go down were constantly thrown into her foresight was not easy. She was strong, but did not always make the best choices. Unfortunately, she became addicted to drugs. The pain was too much. If you're wondering what kind of things she had to be sad about, listen to her song here, Strange Fruit.

I wish she could say she was talking about apples and bananas.

Lynching was all too common.

          Once upon a time, I was on a salsa dancing team. It was forever ago and I forgot most of what I learned but have no doubt that I can still turn all the way up at a party with predominantly hispanic people and music. Salsa is a style of dance where out of an eight count, you step on 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7. Then there's bachata and merengue which consist of movements based on a simple 1, 2, 3, 4. My personal favorite of the three is bachata and below is my favorite bachata song.

          Racism is something that I have been lucky enough to not really have to deal with in my time alive. To keep myself aware of how real struggles have been and are elsewhere, I try to remain educated with movies such as Hotel Rwanda. It shows the struggles of an unsupported African couple and their attempt to help their people during apartheid. Here is a clip of this movie, which in my opinion, could change your entire view of life, if you watched.

         In my area, there was never really a lack of what was acceptable for females to play. Girls played drums and guitars and cellos and basses. We even had some female tenors. I suppose I've never really considered it before, but we were pretty fortunate, huh? There was one thing I noticed, however. In all my schools, elementary through high, the orchestra and chorus teachers were females, while the band teacher was a guy. Why this is, I suppose I have an inkling, but I certainly don't understand.

          From what I hear, it's only recent that females be the director of any sort of musical ensemble. Society is gradually adapting to the fact that having a certain organ shouldn't dictate what is and is not acceptable. I guess that in this area, it'll just need a little more time. The conducting of Converse's female director has been marvelous to watch. I do admire the vigor and life she bring to the stage, music, and atmosphere. Watching her makes me excited to see a rise of more female conductors and all that they may have to offer. I've had a chance to conduct. It was just the concert chorus at my high school, but I enjoyed more than most of my musical endeavors. I can say, from experience, that the thrill of conducting; of having the power and respect enough to take the performers and performance, as a whole, to the next level is exhilarating, to say the least. I hope more females find their way into positions of directing large ensembles. I definitely encourage the female musician population to do whatever they find interested in. If you've got the stuff, that's the kind of thing that makes history.

          Another area I've noticed that it, for whatever reason, seems strange for women to partake in is rap. When you think of a female rapper, is Nikki Minaj not one of, if not the, first to come to mind? Rapping was turned in recent times into more of a thuggish art. It is often about and representative of the struggle of growing up surviving in the hood and living as a "gangsta" as precedented by artists such as Dr. Dre. Every now and then, there will be an artist who takes things to a level of more depth and intuition, such as Hopsin or Lupe Fiasco, but they, too, are males. Why is it so out of the norm for there to be a decent female rapper. Is it that we supposedly have less to write about? Or maybe all we think of is sugar plums and gumdrops. I consider myself a decent rapper. If you ever want to hear, just let me know. Always happy to share. I don't specifically aspire to be a rapper, but if it happened, I wouldn't mind. Breaking boundaries and staying fly-- sounds like my kind of lifestyle.

          Something I was really hoping we'd go over about Native American heritage was spirit animals. Similar to the zodiac presented in several different cultures' traditions, it is a Native American belief that at birth, each person is designated a spirit animal. With that animal, comes certain characteristics. This animal then becomes apart of the person. They are said to have an attachment if and whenever they encounter this animal in real life. This spiritualistic point of view on these animals is not only interesting, but a joy to think of as a possibility. A friend of mine's father is a pastor at a church. He is also, however, very in touch with his Native American beliefs. The two of them went on a camping trip on a Native American reservation a few years back. My friend says that this was when he discovered that his animal was the wolf. Knowing him, the young man that he was, it seemed strangely ordinary. I wasn't, nor am I now, used to hearing such things, but it just seemed to fit. I later discovered what being the wolf is supposed to mean and it only furthered my feeling that it just fit him. The wolf is supposed to be loving and gentle, but wanting freedom. Fully capable of providing needed love, the wolf remains independent and often takes on the role of the lone wolf. Check out your sign at http://www.whats-your-sign.com/native-american-animal-symbols.html 

the symbol of the wolf

          Another topic I wished we could have dabbled upon was the history of stepping. I'm sure many of you have heard of or seen some form of step dancing; at least stomp the yard. However, it wouldn't surprise me that the same number of you have never realized that stepping has roots in African dance. In West Africa, the slaves weren't allowed to communicate by drums. Deprived of this key component of their culture, they reverted to what they were left with-- their bodies. By slapping  their arms, legs, and chest, a new form of communication developed. With time, it was incorporated with music and morphed into tap dance. Only after these occurrences was the modern day stepping able to evolve. It always stirs up a sense of nostalgia to think of how far we've come and where we've come from , doesn't it? I mean, look at what we've made it to and this is only a taste.

          Before delving into what ways I think music and religion can correlate and enhance each other, I think that for the purposes of this post, I should briefly explain my spiritualistic views. Although I do not consider myself a member of specific denomination, I do believe that Jesus came and all that, so I am a Christian, but I think that a person's individual relationship with God is where the greatest importance lies.

          For this reason, I think it can differ, the ways in which religion and music can effect someone. For me, when I do go to church, I must admit that I do enjoy a good hand-clapping service. The more I get into the music, the more praise I feel that I'm showing my creator. The music I listen to varies. I am not a saint. I have songs like Loyal and Coco on my favorite playlist, but I also have some spirituals. The common factor, though, is that I enjoy listening to it all. I feel that just as you should respect and enjoy the time spent with your mother, the same should go for your creator. I enjoy a decent conversation. When others might say they're talking to themselves, I may be talking to Him because I know that someone's listening. I am thankful and don't like seeming ungrateful towards anyone. It is no different with my Christianity. I think that being involved, or at least interested in music intended for His praise is an excellent way to show gratitude and also to enjoy some decent music.

          I do not enjoy all music based upon Christianity. If it isn't decent, I won't enjoy it and then I just feel like I'm living a lie. There is a station that my grandmother used to play all the time and it always had these old-fashioned Jesus-loving songs during which it always seemed, to my juvenile ears, that they would spend about half of the song saying Looooooooooooooooooooooooooord on a single, monotonous note. I don't know what kind of music that is, so I may just be ignorant, but it's definitely not my personal preference.

          The parameters which mandate meeting have gradually lessened when it comes to what religious music should and should not contain. Certain characteristics such as notational repetition, rhythmic pattern, and altogether catchiness exist in traditional hymns. Hymns have, without a doubt, existed since long before America's modern music. Interestingly enough, these qualities also lie within many of our favorite songs. It's quite a sight to see how music has developed. Of course, modern music has far surpassed the technical intricacies of traditional hymns. As progress persists, one can see that there are now modern forms of musical praise which borrow from the stylings of several different genres such as bluegrass, rock, and even rap. In these ways, despite the undeniably prevalent differences between most of today's music and religious music, they are able to find common ground and rise to a spiritualistically head-bumping level. Before recent ages, this was not only simply unthought of, but moreover, looked down upon for its being outside of tradition.

         

          As an aspiring film scorer, I see it as my duty to not only be aware of culturally diverse styles of music, but to be able to appreciate them. Even before I decided that this was the career I wanted to pursue, I always liked a variety of genres from many different places. Actually, all I knew was that I wanted to be a musician and film scoring seemed the perfect hugely in part because I don't really have a favorite kind of music. To me, if it's good, I like it and if I like it, it's good. Music  is music, regardless of its origin.

          I did, however, grow up in New York. With my area being so diverse, exposure to foreign music was inevitable. When I was in the third grade, I had to do a project in which I represented where I'm from. I went home, talked to my mother, and figured I would do something with Trinidad because that's where my father and his entire family have immigrated from. My mother then suggested that I do something with Puerto Rico. That was the day I found out that I'm Puerto Rican. All I knew was that my Grandpa was a dark-skinned man who knew how to speak Spanish. I was completely unaware that he and his family were from Puerto Rico. Later that same year, my school had a multicultural show, giving me the opportunity to get in touch with my roots because my teacher choreographed an entire bachata/merengue performance for us to do. It turned out that I was really good at it. I learned the basics and everything else seemed to just come naturally. It was like the music took hold of me and didn't let go. It still hasn't, either. I was the co-choreographer for a quincenera which turned out wonderfully a couple of years ago and I dive into any opportunity that this typically unknown talent of mine provides me.

          Another foreign music that intrigues me is Japanese. I was introduced to anime, Japanese cartoons, at a very young age because my brothers always watched it. There is a specific theme song that always got stuck in my head though. The opening to Ouron Highschool Host Club is just so cute and catchy to me. I've memorized most of it and I don't even know what I'm saying. I do have an idea, at least, because there's an English version which doesn't sound anywhere near as good. You know when a relatively new music artist takes an original song, redoes it, and it just makes you resent it and want to hear the real one? That is exactly what it is like hearing the English version. After falling in love with the show's opening and entire series, I eventually looked up the artist and found that I like some of her other stuff, too.

          Moving to South Carolina was a really exciting event for me. Even though there are things about me which, as my friends say, "scream New York," I've always felt like I'd be more comfortable in a small town and that's exactly what being at Converse feels like. As much as I like it, I do miss the diverse culture, music, and dance from my home town.
         
     
 

These past few Common Sessions have made me realize some crucial things. I admit that I have a habit of putting off what is in need of confrontation. I have a knack for allowing myself to live only in the now, but dealing with all things, past, present, and future, is the only real way to get through life. I usually let the future be the future and the now be the now. What I need to do is live in the now while looking ahead. When I don't look ahead, it is not because I am afraid. I would just rather not be burdened. I have forced myself into the mentality of "It'll be okay," and "Things will get done." What I fail to acknowledge is that things will only get done if I do them. Even if I wait, things will still need to be done, the only difference being that it is in the now of  the future. In the grand scheme of things, real matters require careful consideration; matters such as what I am going to do after I graduate and how I am going to get to that point in my life. To get there is a goal, but I should also do it to the best of my ability. I can't even recall the last time I did something to the best of my ability. Putting my all into something when it's too late or when there's too much pressure or when I've had too much convincing does not qualify as doing it to the best of my ability. The Common Sessions, in conjunction with having to type out this blog as an assignment, have forced it out of my peripheral and into my foresight that I need to work in the now and for the future. No more refusal to see what is ahead. That's my future and I want to do it to the best of my ability.

It is our nature, as college freshmen, to make mistakes. We try, we fail, we learn, and adjust. It should be a tradition that at the end of every year, the freshman post these mistakes on a public bulletin board. It should go someplace where everyone can see it. Each freshman should write down their biggest mistake to be posted up for everybody to see. Though it may be something to be ashamed of, participating in this activity could act as a reminder that everybody makes mistakes. We could find a way to make it anonymous. There could be a box that people can voluntarily go up to in Gee or in Montgomery and write on a piece of paper to put inside of, similar to a ballet entry. Then, after the year has ended, a professor could go through them for approval to ensure that there is nothing that is utterly inappropriate. After all, we wouldn't want to seem like we encourage brutally bad decision-making. This way when the incoming freshmen arrive for the following year, they can see the board and be forewarned. It is much easier to learn from others' mistakes than to make your own and learn the hard way. Of course, there will always be that stubborn girl who says, "Well, GOLLY! That sounds like fun. Let's ignore their blatantly horrid experience and try it for ourselves!" However, at least that girl, as well as all others who read the board, will have gotten a kick out out of some of some good old-fashioned screw-ups. This, in my opinion, is a marvelous and simply fun idea. The entry box could be called the Confession Cube and we could title the board something like Freshmen Mishaps or Tales of the Foolish Freshmen. Let's forget embarrassment and realize wisdom.