Study tip #3

My study tip number three is without a doubt the fact that people need faith, when i say faith i don't mean in a religious way, faith in terms of your grade. That your homework that you do will help you out in the long run and that will bring determination and more effort.

Music List#4

Always and Forever- Heatwave
Black President-Nas
Love vs. Money- The Dream
Ice Cream paint job- lil Wayne
I'm lily- T.I.
My music list includes R&B and rap. The song by Heatwave is a old song that i love to hear. It starts off slow then it goes very up tempo with him singing to the top of his lungs. You can hear his voice almost shake when he hits the top notes. My other songs are more rap and lyrics based. Other than this song which i just listen to and i can relate my emotions with. The next song is from an artist that i respect is Nas. His full name is Nasir and he is a artist that actually named a album called Nigger. But was later names Untilited. The song that he has on my list is Black president. Its about how we once stated that Black President is something that we were not ready for. But then it says yes we can due to our president now being Barrack Obama. The next song that i like is Love vs. Money. It is a song related love vs money and how what is more important. Love or money. It is a comparison that i find very important and its lyrics are a definite must have on my ipod. The last song that i appreciate is Ice cream paint job by lil wayne. Lil wayne did a freestyle song.

Bible study- non muse event#2

My event was mon. 16 and the event was bible study in hoover hall. The book we use for the event was Jesus without religion. We do this event every monday, and we speak and talk about issues that freshman are having difficulty with. Last monday we talked about how being non violent and turning the other cheek. Now at some point our society tells us to stand up and fight back. And that our world will be horrible if everyone never fought back. But looking at the perspective isn't that what jesus did? He took the beating cursing and other assaults and did nothing to the victimization. And if we are just trying to be like Jesus, shouldn't we do the same. I personally have this issue because i don't give a rats ass about anyone and being Christian i am not doing what i am supposed to do. But it is a conflict of whats more important. the society that i live in? or my religion? because they are telling me to do different things. Its an issue that concerns me and i talked with the people in the group about. It was a good Monday, i learned a lot.

Music Review

My music review is on War by Edwin Starr. It is a compelling song that i have heard over the years but have never really looked up the lyrics. And once i did i had a completely different view and perspective. In the song he constantly talks about what war is good for " absolutely noting"
He gives his own opinion about war and how it only destroys. it can never create. I related this song because for one i understand how music is an outlet for many people to express there own opinions to other people. And how music is directly connected to the youth. So in this song he is talking to the youth telling them to not listen to the old telling them to fight and die but rather create peace and understand life is "too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days".
It does create an one sided opinion and i understand that some things are worth fighting for. but at the same time it always depends what your fighting for and how you fight.

Interview with a senior.

I recently interview two seniors who work at ucat, the building to the right of Clark hall. The names of the students are Sandy Banuelos, who is majoring in Business. And Matt who declined to give me his last name, is majoring in international business. I met them by asking them these questions the first week of school. They were working and i had gotten lost, and so after they showed me around school and told me a lot of the do's and donts of school. And it especially revolved around relationships. They told me that one thing that they would change is that freshman year to never get into a relationship, because by the third or fourth year you will have found someone better. They also told me about the two month rule that explains how freshman behave the first two months and how people generally act now that they are in college. Sandy told me that her college experience revolved around freshman year. And after that school got boring and now she doesnt know what to do with her life now that she is graduating. Matt however told me that college was a blast ever since he joined a Fraternity, and has lots of interesting stories to tell me everytime i see him. They both told me that what they would do differently is to avoid parties that you dont know how to get to. Because otherwise the consequences can be very harsh. And advise they both told me was to always wrap up. Which i also take very seriously.

Scholarly Journal Article Summary

My article is on the Jackson 5, which was a music group that started unofficially in 1962. The group consisted of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon ,and Michael. The group had a string of hits in the early 70's and every single they made was either on the top 20 hit list or top ten in soul hits. The article was in depth more with Micheal's career towards the group and less about the group as a whole. The article talked about some of the rough times Micheal had with his family and his father. And the fact that he didn't grow up like a regular kid didn't help either. The article did point out how every Jackson five song was immediately recognizable able. Micheal has his high pitched voice shadowed by Jermaine. The Jackson five's music videos are as unique as their songs. With all Afro's, bright shirts and dancing in sync. The Jackson five hit was another Motown group hit.The article then went down the list for the hits that the Jackson five had created, some of which i still listen to. But then the article talked about how Motown then went for the solo artists. Making Micheal a solo artist as well as Jermaine. They both had success by 1971. The Jackson five were inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 1997.

Music Memories # 2

My music memories i have interviewed my dad, Levi Swindell Sr. And he was born in 1955. He is about 53 and i had asked him the following questions.
1. What music genre did you listen to when you were a teenager?
2. Did your music interests change as you aged to an adult?
3. Do you like the current music of today?
4. Reflecting do you think that music has changed society?

My father answered the questions without thought as he feels that the music that i listen to has no meaning compared to the music that he has listened to. Me and my father seem apart because of our positions on that argument, but we are more similar than i thought before i wrote this essay. Levi listened to Motown oldies when he grew up. Smokey, temptations, and the Jackson five where some of his favorite artist/groups. He stated that he did not change interest in the songs but listened to slow jams compared to the up beat songs of that genre. He stated that he does not like the current hip hop rap songs that i listen to. But he appreciates some of the R&B songs saying that they copied them from the past. As he reflected he thinks that music has definitely changed society reminding me of Sam Cooke- a change is gonna come. My father has never been to concerts, but says he has spent his time at disco's. He was born around the time where music was not as degrading towards other people and always enjoyed music that pertained to or about African Americans having a good time. I feel its because of his circumstance of being raised in a extremely poor environment. My father was to say the least no trying to help the world become a better place, he was trying to make the world a better place for him. And that can be understood by the music that he intentionally segregates. I do not blame him, everyone has their reasons for listing to certain music types.



As i reflect on the interview with my father. I understand now how i like the motown music and oldies, because that's all they listened to when i was growing up. But one clear difference is that my father has never liked alternative rock or anything close to it. A difference because of where i was raised compared to where he lived when he was my age. This underlying difference of where i was raised compared to my father is the point where i listen to music that he finds illogical. Another reason is that the music in my time consists of hip hop, rap, r&B, alternative rock, etc. The music that is in my time is a whole lot more degrading than my fathers time. And i choose to listen to music that i like, which spans to all music genres in one way or another. I parallel him to his music genre but i then span into my own music that i listen to that he chooses not to. Me and my father do not like going to concerts but we both like disco's, disco's for him. And Clubs/Functions for me. My father is quick to shoot down music of today but i argue that we are a result of the past. And the songs that he listens to has more of a subliminal message of sex compared of music of today which lyrically it is more blunt then ever. Which proves a point that this class shows about in the past things were more conservative than now.