Maestro Johnson Argumentative Essay

My background is firmly concreted in the band community. I had no idea that joining the band as a tenor saxophone player in sixth grade would have such a remarkable effect on me. My teachers and I have noticed my growth, driven by my dedication to what I love. I have worked hard within my supportive band association to achieve my goals. Of my ultimate goals was to make one of the most exclusive bands in Nebraska. When I was selected to play in the 2015 All-State honor band, my dream transpired. Since the seventh grade I have participated in jazz band along with concert band; I now play in my high school 's most selective jazz band. Humbled by my elite group members, I accept many improvisation solos to express my ideas and find my place among

Mark Tucker was a professor, a pianist, and an expert on Duke Ellington’s life and his career. He taught at the Columbia University from 1987 to 1997 and the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia from 1997. His scholarly works included Ellington: The Early Years that was published in 1991 and The Duke Ellington Reader that was published in 1993. He was also the co-author of the book Jazz From The Beginning with Garvin Bushell.

My gaze penetrates the black box and wishes to create frictions of four strings, the way musicians were rendering the music during my Middle School orientation. My elective choice, a violin, upset my mom though.

Most people of academic achievement ought to be able to readily cite a vast number of supportive mentors. John Donne recognized this through one of his works, stating that “no man is an island”. I am no outlier to this trend, for I have an immensely helpful family, superb educators, and friends that share similar interests in the world of science. However, I would like to concentrate on a rather unsuspecting part of my schooling as having the highest impact: my junior high music teacher. Amidst my life fixated on textbook education, she forced me to never be complacent, to hold high behavioral standards, and to passionately pursue the flighty sparks of inspiration.

Self-sacrifice is a common theme throughout Steven Galloway’s novel “The Cellist of Sarajevo”. The novel itself is a combination of fiction and nonfiction, while based on true events, Galloway’s imagination has vividly created four distinct character that each make sacrifices for their own ideal. They all share one vision, the vision being their city, Sarajevo, in a state of peace, rather than war. Each of the four characters attempt to survive in their war torn city in their own way. Amidst sniper fire, and bombing of markets, homes and even hospitals, each of them continues on with their lives, in what seems to be an unrelated chain of events. As the the story evolves, however, it becomes more apparent that each of the characters are connected

A person’s hobbies say a lot about them as an individual. It is a universal truth that the people you surround yourself with have a major impact in shaping who you are, and the people that coincide with your interests can either change your life for better or for worse. For the past six years of my life, I have been a part of the fine arts community through band.

Have the government forgot about the Detroit public schools? Public schools of Detroit are under very poor condition; Spain Elementary/Middle School is an example of this misfortune. This particular school is facing problems such as, missing books, unavailability to use the gymnasium as well playground, or missing out on music lessons due the lack of terminating the musician teacher. This mistreat is highly noticeable by the parents as well as the stuff. However, the government is not doing anything to face this society problem. It seems that the norm of schooling conditions is not equal throughout the rest of the country.

All through the 1920’s, Thomas Dorsey was rejected by church fathers all over (Reich 9). They associated Dorsey’s style of music with the nightlife, drinking, gambling, underworld, and sex (Johnson 16). Churches at this time were trying to repress this behavior, especially churches like the Black Methodist and Black Baptist churches (Lee 22). People such as Joseph R. Washington, an African American writer, believed that this form of gospel music was the religious expression of the “lower class masses” (Johnson 809). And Edward Boatner, a musical composer, also showed his negative view on gospel when he said,

When I out grew my Shetland pony, my mother and I decided it was time to start looking for a horse for me to continue my riding career on. We had no idea at that time, that horse would be a starving, broke to only the basics, and a recent failure of a pre-purchase veterinarian exam, due to an injury to his fetlock. When we went to meet Hank, who was eventually renamed to Juble, I knew immediately that he was the horse for me, my mom wasn’t as convinced. Much like myself, my mom has a huge heart for animals, especially the ones in harmful environments, which means after minimal begging, she agreed to purchase Juble. This began the long process of helping him put on more weight, helping his swollen fetlock heal, and gaining his trust. This was six years ago, and I’m proud to say that Juble and I are two-time State

For many years I have been known for being a very talented athlete. But what many people do not know is that I was once in the Elba Marching band. Being in the band has taught me a lot of things, like reading music, discipline and organization. The most interesting thing about the band was that we had to learn how to read music. At first this was a challenge for me, but I soon got the hang of it.

If I had the opportunity to share a meal with any figure from American history, I would choose Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only female recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and one of the first feminists and dress reformists. One of the reasons I admire Dr. Walker is her ability to fight through prejudice. Dr. Walker lived and worked during the Civil War. She was denied a place as a doctor for the army because of her gender. After three years of volunteer work, she was given a position as a civilian contract surgeon for the Union. Even when so many people told her that she wasn’t going to be able to use her medical knowledge for its intended purposes, she never backed down, all well staying true to who she was. There were many

In the year 2012, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba made a historic visit to the United States. I opted to witness the orchestra in the town of Aiken, South Carolina. I was extremely excited to experience the reaction to the orchestra in the South America. The performance of the band was scheduled by 9 pm on Tuesday, 2ND November, at the Etherredge Center, Aiken. As I reached the center, I saw that a studio theater was prearranged as the green room for the band. Some snacks including sandwiches and cookies were laid on tables in the passageway connecting the hallway and the lounge. The auditorium was packed with the Cuban- American spectators. The visual magnificence of the orchestra and the attention of the listeners heightened my excitement.

The marching band arrangement of the Divine Comedy was the most challenging piece that I have ever had to play. It was only my second year in the band, yet I was playing the center marimba in the front ensemble, an instrument which I had no experience on. I was also the only returning member, the previous year’s front ensemble comprised entirely of seniors and me, so it was my responsibility to help teach all of the new freshman how to play their instruments. Everyone depended on me to be the best one there and be the leader of the group, yet I was struggling to even play my own parts. In order to get to the level that I wanted to be at, I spent all of my free time after school practicing. The hardest part about the Divine Comedy was not learning

rite of passage that seemingly many East Asian children go through, with varying degrees of success, is learning an instrument. Parents hope that coercing their child into playing music will leave a positive influence. I experienced this time-tried journey at the age of seven. My mother had decided that it was the right time for me to start learning the piano and I was completely against it. Initial rebellion were tantrums; fake tears spilt in hopes of avoiding practice sessions. As time slowly passed, I fell in love with the big, wooden instrument. Daily practices quickly flew by as I buried my daily stress under a large pile of old, wrinkled sheet music.

Future… it always seems so far away from me. As a younger generation of this complex world, I used to not think that I am part of this community to make the world a better place to live in.