My Score

My score was an image of an iPhone. I did this because it would make sense that I would have to touch the score to get the sounds. Also, I knew that I could get multiple sounds out of the score if I drew separate apps. I connected the apps so that I could slide my fingers between apps. The idea to use the image of an iPhone for my score hit me while I using my iPod touch. I was using an app that made different sounds depending on where you touched the screen. I figured that I can incorporate this into my score, and the idea was a success. I made a cool beat in RJC and I incorporated the it into the video. I am a fan of hip-hop, so the beat of the toon has a hip-hop feel to it. The final video contains video filmed from two cameras (One panning around and one steady in place). I used the video in place as the base to my video and I cleverly switched back and forth to the panning video using slick transitions.  

Music: The Universal Language (Weekly Blog #4)

Music is the universal language because one can listen to any kind of music and appreciate it. One can walk into a musical situation and sit in with musicians from other countries, races or cultures. Music can create images without using words. Musicians are able to play music with other musicians without speaking the same language. This is because music is the universal language. Someone does not have to speak the same language with someone to play music with him or her. Musicians can just pick up their instruments and improvise. Music can convey thoughts and feelings on a visceral level; no matter where you’re from you can understand and enjoy music. Music is everywhere and has/is being made by every culture. One does not have to understand the words of another song to enjoy it, nor does it need to have words. Music is merely beautiful to the ears. Anyone can appreciate any form of music no matter where the person is from, what language he or she speaks, or what the person is accustomed to.

Can Listening to Classical Music Make Babies Smarter? (Weekly Blog #3)

Letting a baby listen to classical music can relax and turn him or her into a classical music fan later in life, but it won't make the baby smarter. Researchers at Appalachian State University believe that they have found the Mozart effect (a temporary increase in intelligence experienced after listening to a piano sonata written by the famed composer).

The Mozart effect was first reported in 1993 by scientists at the University of California at Irvine, and replicated by the same group in 1995. The study found that college students who listened to a Mozart sonata for a few minutes before taking a test that measured spatial relationship skills did better than students who took the test after listening to another musician or no music at all.

The effect in the students was temporary, only lasting about 15 minutes and has always been controversial. But the media and politicians jumped on the Mozart effect, claiming that listening to the music offered numerous benefits and could ease physical and mental health problems.

The idea that babies would be smarter if they listened to classical music came from this ordeal. One year, the governor of Georgia authorized that a classic music CD, which contained the sonata and other pieces, be given to all new babies when they left the hospital.

In spite of this hype, there was not enough evidence that listening to classical music made people smarter. The lead researcher in the original U.C. Irvine study himself said in a Forbes article that the idea that classical music could heal health problems and make babies smarter did not have enough evidence, though he believes that listening to a Mozart sonata can prime the brain to tackle mathematical tasks.

When the researchers at Appalachian State University tried to duplicate the original "Mozart effect", they found out that the presence of classical music did not affect student’s performance on exams.

Source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-mozart-effect-classical-music-and-your-babys-brain_9308.bc

Music Score Explanation

I made unique symbols for all the sounds that I heard in the listening exercise, and I incorporated the symbols into a music score. I made a line graph music score; the horizontal line indicated the minute that I heard the sound in and the vertical line indicated how loud the sound was. If the sound continued for a long period of time, I drew both the symbol and smaller versions of the symbol near it.

I randomly selected symbols for some of the sounds that I heard. Some of the shapes just popped into my head. I made some of the symbols by building upon symbols that I already made for similar sounds. For example, for cars on the street I picked the letter F with 3 lines as a symbol, but for the trucks I heard on the street I picked an F with four lines; and for the club car I chose an F with 2 lines (Normal F). For whistling, I picked 3 o's for the symbol, but one o was above the other two. I also picked 3 o's for "key's jingling" but with one o below because the same guy that was whistling was also jingling the keys. For spitting, I picked an arrow pointing down for the symbol because the person spit on the ground. I picked two conjoined o's for Security Guard's foot steps and two separated o's for Security Guards conversing. I also made the shape of a butt to indicate the farting noise that I heard.

“Where Is The Love” Evaluation and how it relates to Social Justice (Weekly Blog #2)

The theme of the song Where is the Love? by The Black Eyed Peas is Peace on Earth. This song tells the listener that it is pointless to fight others because we are all children of God. This song relates to Social Justice because the song list social justice related issues such as war, racism, poverty, and the government lying to its citizens. The song states “If love and peace is so strong Why are there pieces of love that don't belong, Nations droppin' bombs, Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones, With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young, So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone”. These lines express the theme of the song because it really questions the unpeacefullness of the world we are living in today. These lines address the problem that innocent children are dying from war. The Black Eyed Peas then go on to say “Wrong information always shown by the media Negative images is the main criteria Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity Whatever happened to the fairness in equality”. These lines talk about the media poisoning children’s mind with the negative material shown on the T.V. and the internet. These lines also state that the media is influencing children to do bad things, and this will ultimately have a negative effect on the future because children are the future. For example, if a child is watching a Lil Wayne music video and in the video Lil Wayne is smoking, the child will be influenced to smoke because he or she yearns to be just like Lil Wayne. I found it interesting that the Black Eyed Peas addressed these topics because there songs are usually about partying and sex. I’m glad that they switched the subject to a more important manner. I think it’s great that they’re trying to make the world a more peaceful place.

Music Symbols For Listening Exercise

Listening Exercise

Noises Heard
Cars on the street, L, Adjectives: Loud, Aggressive, Mechanical

P.E. Teacher, L, Adjectives: Mad, Dissatisfied, Pushy

Birds, L, Adjectives: Loud, Crazy, Playful

Someone walking down the steps, L, Adjectives: Steady, Balanced

Whistling, L, Adjectives: Joyful, Relieving                                  

Club Car, L, Adjectives: Fast, Careful, Loud

Door, L, Adjectives: Swishing, Forceful

Security Guard Footstep, L, Adjectives: Careful, Light

Security Guard Talking, L, Adjectives: Happy, Funny

Janitor Conversing, L, Adjectives: Friendly, Happy

Pen Tapping, L, Adjectives: Nervousness, Jittery

Lady Talking, L, Adjectives: Talkative, Happy

Spitting, D, Adjectives: Nasty, Disturbing, Moist

Cart Being Moved, L, Adjectives: Loud, Noisy

Large Truck, D, Adjectives: Pollution, Huge, Loud

Baby Humming Bird, D, Adjectives: Worried, Odd, Loud

Fart, L, Adjectives: Nasty, Natural, Funny

Keys Jingling, L, Adjectives: Noisy, Ringing