#to appreciate. and i have no real musical pedagogy

[divinekangaroo]

i keep seeing posts about hozier that are like, ok, i should like this guy's music, this should vibrate along my brain patterns, and then i keep trying to listen and....

niente *shrug*

[mymusicjournalblog]

What Are the Benefits of a Well-Designed Music Curriculum for Homeschooling and Kindergarten Students?

Creating a concrete melodious foundation and hopeful a love of music in young students is completed possible by stylish music curricula. Having planned planning and supplies is essential, apart from of the type of music curriculum you are working on: universal, kindergarten, or homeschool. In adding to importance method for teaching composition across the curriculum, this article examine the meaning of having a well-crafted kindergarten music prospectus and provide direction on mounting general curriculum intended for music teachers.

How to Create a Music Curriculum for Your Homeschool

To put up students' diverse wants when learning at home, a homeschool music curriculum have to be careful and elastic. A mixture of academic considerate, real-world claim and creative question ought to all be included. Music applications, instructional videos, and internet capital are all helpful tools for parents and teachers who are homeschooling. Basic music theory, practicing an apparatus, and appreciate a lot of musical genre and culture be supposed to all be integrated in a well-formed homeschool music program. Modified learning experiences that robust every student's benefit and learning style are complete likely by the curriculum's give.

Crafting a Music Curriculum for Kindergarteners

The foundation for young children's melodic teaching is laid by a kindergarten composition program. Its most important goal is supposed to be to here original musical thoughts in an entertaining and interesting manner. A kindergarten music curriculum is supposed to include exercises like in concert rhythm games, express music via movement, and singing simple songs. Children's organization, hearing skills, and awareness of rhythm are all improved by these activities. Stories and visual aid be able to help create knowledge more relevant and fun for Music Curriculum for Kindergarten, which is able to help them develop a love of music early on.

Designing a Comprehensive Music Curriculum

The goal of a general music curriculum is to provide students a careful understanding of music education at all levels, from basic to secondary. It has careful lesson plans that speak to a range of topics connected to music, as well as work of art, performance, history, theory, and history. Each mark level in this set of courses is supposed to build on the one previous to it in order to guarantee learning stability and advancement. Incorporating a varied spectrum of musical styles and traditions, an attractive general music set of courses fosters cultural alertness and musical variety among pupils.

Kindergarten Music Curriculum: Essential Components

The kindergarten music set of courses wants to be kindly intended to equal the developmental stages of the students. Movement-based actions, modest device exploration, and rhythm and melody movements are important components. In an age-appropriate way, these workings aid in the development of basic musical ability in kids. It is imperative that the curriculum incorporates avenue for students to express themselves imaginatively, enabling them to experiment and compose original music. Overall learning experiences can be enhanced by incorporate music into extra areas like language art and physical education.

Creating a Curriculum for Music Teachers

A set of courses for music teachers is made to provide instructors the skill and resources they require to teach music in a competent manner. It has to go over teaching tactics, classroom group strategies, and evaluation events. A thorough music teacher curriculum also offer specialized development opportunity to remain educator side by side of the most current developments in technology and pedagogy in the ground of music education. Giving educators a complete curriculum guarantees that they be able to give their pupils with brilliant music teaching.

Teaching Music in All Subject Areas

It is essential to incorporate musical ideas with other academic areas while teaching music across the curriculum. By using an interdisciplinary come up to, teachers be able to improve their students' generally learning process and help out their skill to draw connections across many subject areas. For example, employing music in language arts classes helps enhance phonemic awareness and reading comprehension, while introducing music into math sessions can aid students in sympathetic pattern and fractions. Teachers can create a additional interesting and comprehensive education environment by incorporating music training throughout the curriculum.

[headoverjojo]

Aaaaaah I hope I'm not to late! Since it's almost that time of the year, I'd like to request hcs for what presents La Squadra would buy for each other if they did the secret Santa thing. Thanks~

Hiiiii honey!! You’re absolutely in time and aaaaaa a Christmas request, I’m soft :,) Ok so! I apologize if they’re short, but they were a looot! And I hope you’ll like it :3

Secret Santa: Squadra di Esecuzione edition

(Under the cut for length!)

Risotto is a person who values more practice over beauty, so he’d make practical and useful gifts!

To Prosciutto he’d give a pair of elegant cufflinks. Prosciutto uses them a lot, so Risotto is sure he’s going to use them. Plus, Prosciutto is weak for fancy ornaments, so he’d immensely appreciate the gift!

He’d buy for Pesci a set to repair and clean his fishing rod. He knows, as Prosciutto, that Pesci’s secret hobby is to fish, and he’d be prone to encourage him with this activity, as not only it helps Pesci to relax, but it also helps him to better his precision!

He’d give Formaggio a beautiful agenda. It’s mostly a silent warning, as Formaggio is almost always late to meetings, to start to arrive at the right time! Now he has no more excuses: he can write down his duties on his new agenda!

For Melone, he’d buy the most recent biology dictionary. He knows that Melone is fond of biology and medicine and that he also loves to learn new specific terms, so what’s better than a biology dictionary? Melone will love it!

He knows that Illuso likes thrillers -and that he dies of boredom in the mirror world-, so Risotto would buy him a collection of novels that Illuso can keep safe in the mirror world and pick up in case of extreme boredom. Capo’s saved the day!

Finally, he’d get Ghiaccio a new coat. Even if his stand power allows him to freeze things, Ghiaccio is really sensible to cold! In winter he always ends up catching a cold ‘cause he’s too cold. So, nothing better than a new, super warm coat!

Prosciutto is more for classy gifts! Simple but elegant gifts are his trademark and he’s careful to every detail!

For Risotto, he’d buy an elegant fountain pen. A pen with a simple but sharp and elegant design, perfect for a man who has to check and fill in many documents. Risotto’s gonna do it with style!

Knowing Pesci’s passion for ocean creatures, Prosciutto would not buy him anything, instead taking him to the wonderful Genoa’s aquarium. It’s such a wonderful and unforgettable experience for Pesci!

He’d give Formaggio a new gilet, as he firmly thinks that the one he has is too ruined. The new one is basically like the one Formaggio already has, but, of course, new, softer and more beautiful. Assassins, but stylish!

For Melone, he’d buy a sweater, as he always cringes when he sees the skinny man with basically his whole torso exposed even when it gets cold. Even Risotto covers himself when it’s cold! Melone’s going to cover himself as well, and he’ll do with an elegant and warm sweater!

Illuso’s going to get a bag with fancy shampoo, balsamo, and whatever he may need to take care of his hair. Prosciutto knows that hair is important to Illuso, so he’s going to give him the best products!

Finally, for Ghiaccio, he’d buy a new pair of sneakers, Ferrari red as Ghiaccio likes. The ones he has, even if Ghiaccio takes good care of them, are pretty ruined, by now! No better occasion to buy him a new pair of shoes!

Pesci has a kind heart, and his gifts would show his sweetness in the simplicity and the great care he put in them!

He’s buy rock candies for Risotto, or, better, for Metallica beans. He knows the little ones love rock candies and happy beans mean a happier Risotto, and a happy Capo means a better day for everyone!

For Prosciutto, he’d buy something classic: a mug with printed on it “best big brother”. Even if Prosciutto just mutters a barely audible ���thanks”, he loves it!! And it shows when, the day after and all the following ones, he goes around with his new mug full of tea or water. He loves it!

He’d give Formaggio a little stock of toys for his cats. He knows that, even if Formaggio calls them “demons with fur”, he dearly loves his cats and wants just the best for them, so what’s better than few new and beautiful toys for them? Happy cats mean happy Formaggio!

Knowing how Melone teach Babyface’s spawns, he’d give him new and educative illustrated children books to use with Babyface’s spawns. He may not approve how his stand works, but this doesn’t mean that he condemns him for this!

Pesci knows that Illuso is from Venezia and, also, that he has, in the mirror world -he has seen it once, when Illuso hosted him for few hours in the mirror world- a small collection of Murano glass figurines. And this is Pesci’s gift! A new, beautiful Murano glass figurine for his collection!

For Ghiaccio, he’d not buy anything, but he’d cook White Album’s favourite dessert: tiramisù. And not a simple tiramisù, but one that follows the recipe Ghiaccio likes the most! For once, Ghiaccio’s not grumbling, but he’s almost… touched. He’d not miss to share it with Pesci too!

Formaggio is one who likes to bring fun also in his gifts. Incredibly, his gifts, even if he likes to think they’re just the shitposting of gifts, are actually appreciated!

For Risotto, he’d buy a plate which says “Boss of the Year”, chuckling to himself while giving him it. Jokes on Formaggio, Risotto actually puts it on his desk and he doesn’t even bat an eyelash when someone asks him about it. He’s pretty content to have it!

He’d give Prosciutto a sleeping mask with golden decorations on it, to mock Prosciutto’s fancy tastes. Prosciutto actually likes it for real and, since he’s really sensible to light when he sleeps, he regularly uses it!

Pesci would get a pineapple themed pijama. He doesn’t expect Pesci to like it nor to actually wear it, but, again jokes on him, the pijama is incredibly comfortable and soft, and the pattern is not even that bad? In the end Pesci likes it!

He’d give Melone a set of various hair dyes, from a forest green to amethyst purple. For once he thinks it’s a really unusable gift, but he has to eat back his words when he sees Melone coming at the following meeting with his hair dyed in a vibrant forest green. Melone loves to change his style!

For Illuso, he’d bought a Michael Jackson figurine, referencing to Illuso’s stand and appearance. He hopes that this could be intendended as a prank, but again, the curse of the well-accepted gift follows him; Illuso likes it a lot!

Finally, Ghiaccio would receive a Carolina Kostner’s biography as gift. He doesn’t know Ghiaccio would react to it, as it’s a clear joke based on his skating stand, but in the end he finds out that Ghiaccio is a sincere Carolina Kostner’s fan and so he appreciates a lot the gift!

Melone, even if everyone’s terrified of the possibility to get a gift from him, actually makes pretty gifts!

For Risotto, he’d buy a new hat. Simple, practical, useful: Risotto uses just one type of hats and god knows how much his hats end up ruined due to too much use. So he gets a new, customized hat with jingle balls and everything else, all for his Capo!

For Prosciutto, he’d buy a fancy necktie. He knows that Prosciutto always wants to look at his best, and what’s better than a perfect necktie to match his elegant suit? Prosciutto doesn’t have a lot of ties, so another one is good!

Pesci is kinda worried when he finds out that he was Melone’s Secret Santa, but he has to eat back his worries when he sees that Melone gave him a wonderful book about sea life, a book he truly wanted to buy since long time. One of the best gifts of the last years!

Formaggio gets a book too: one about cats’ breeds! It’s full of beautiful photos of cats and the various breeds’ descriptions; it’s actually one of Formaggio’s dearest books, as it also contains many advices and suggestions for every specific breed!

Melone wasn’t so creative with Illuso, as he bought him a fancy pocket mirror. It can be useful, however, as Illuso can slide it in his targets’ pockets, by fakingly bumping on them, and then using the mirror to attack them when they expect it the less. Useful and practical!

He’d also go on a safe path for Ghiaccio’s gift too; in the beginning he had thought to buy him a fake gift just for the lolz, but in the end he actually bought him a scarf, as he too knows that Ghiaccio is really prone to get colds and flu and so a scarf is always good for these cold winters!

Illuso loves music, and this reflects also on his gifts, mostly music themed ones!

He’d give Risotto a ticket for a Metallica’s concert during a metal festival. Risotto would be so baffled! How the hell did Illuso manage to get it?! They were basically unobtainable!! Illuso just gives one of his half smiles, saying that someone was in debt with him. If this is true or not, Illuso would never say it.

Prosciutto receives a ticket for a wonderful opera night! This time too Illuso doesn’t explain how and where he got this ticket, saying, again, that someone had to pay a debt and that Illuso asked for a ticket for that exclusive opera night instead of money. Is it true or not? Just Illuso knows.

Pesci gets a beautiful audiobook of sea related novels! Pesci absolutely adores it, it’s so soothing and the novels are so well-written and wonderful! He loves to listen to it before sleeping; it helps him to fall asleep faster and to not have nightmares!

Formaggio loves to listen to music in his own flat, but, alas, his stereo is broken! So there’s no better occasion to buy him a new and cooler one! Formaggio is ecstatic: that stereo is so cool, he can’t be happier!

Melone gets an invitation for a seminary about how music can positively influence children’s learning abilities. Melone is always curious to learn new things about biology and pedagogy, so he’s absolutely enthusiast to have the chance to go to this seminary!

And, finally, Ghiaccio gets a music themed gift too! It’s a vintage record player. Ghiaccio likes music, but he’s a bit fussy about the device used; he’s one of those who prefers vinyls over CDs. Now that he has a good record player, he can listen to music in the right way!

Ghiaccio is not for poetic or metaphorical gifts; his gifts are extremely practical!

For Risotto, he’d buy a new set of razors. He doesn’t care about how Capo’s gonna use them, if to actually shave or to use as “secret weapon” to carry around and to launch with Metallica. What matters is that Risotto’s gonna use them!

Prosciutto’s going to get fancy Cuban cigars. It’s not the healthiest gift, but hey, Prosciutto likes them, so he’s going to certainly use them, which is Ghiaccio’s primary goal. It’s a win-win situation, in the end!

Pesci gets a new fishing rod. The one he has is pretty consumed, by now, so a new one would be better. It’s more efficient, more beautiful and lighter, so Pesci can actually train more comfortably. He’s going to use it a lot, for sure!

For Formaggio he’d buy a cat tower that looks really good in Formaggio’s living room. Maybe, this time, Formaggio is not going to use it, but his cats for sure, so it’s fine anyway! In the end, what matters is that the gift doesn’t go wasted!

Melone gets a new mask. It may not seem such a great gift, but for Melone it is, in fact! He’s really fussy about his clothes, especially the mask, and the one Ghiaccio gave him is soft and comfortable, it’s perfect for him!

Illuso, finally, gets a new big file cabinet to place in the mirror world. Illuso has tons of files, about targets, allies, enemy gangs, he has almost more files than the Squadra Informazioni itself! So, new file cabinets are always well accepted!

[practiceandpedagogy]

Reflection – Pedagogy and Class Building

Having been sent an email recently from Tumblr asking me to confirm whether or not I wanted this blog, I’ve gone over my old posts and I’m not quite as embarrassed as I thought I would be. I am, however, coming back into this space with a different appreciation for how music teaching actually works, and with far fewer sweeping generalisations about the reality of music teaching. This post is mostly going to reflect on my past pedagogical posts (alliteration, boom!) and be really rambling in general – I’ve gotten very sick of essay form – but I’ll try and break it up into manageable pieces.

The reality of teaching music in a competitive environment, where your class is on the line if you don’t draw students in, is significantly more nuanced than texts would have you believe. You can spout as many mantras about the wonders of music learning or the need for the arts or any of that, but the fact of the matter is it comes down to a bunch of things which I will attempt (in vain) to list here.

1. Students need to be interested in your subject. They don’t really care about real world application, just that they like learning it.

2. Students need to be interested in learning from you. It’s all well and good that you can deliver content well, but building rapport is huge. Elective teachers are in the best position to do this because you meet literally all the kids. Talk to them, educate them in what they want to learn. That doesn’t mean flipping your program but if a kid prefers The Chats to Coldplay or Lil Nas X to Elton John then teach them through those lenses!

3. You need to know your stuff back to front. If a student doesn’t understand, you need to build them up until they do. You need to reexplain, draw diagrams, link back to past learning, do everything you can to make sure they’re on track.

4. You need to accept that some students who are good, won’t choose your subject. Some who are not so good, will. You are going to teach them all no matter what. And, last (for now) is;

5. You need to advertise. Use your rapport to pull kids back in. Talk them into it, chat to them on yard duties, in extras. Every opportunity to engage them, engage them!

If you want to build a class, then you have to build.

Speaking a little more to point 2 – as if it hasn’t gone on long enough already – it’s imperative that a music teacher knows about the zeitgeist in popular music. I’ll probably come back and make a list of ways to engage students interested by genre eventually, but if a kid is interested in rap, talk to them about it! Music learning is all about contextualising the elements of music! If they’re into rap talk about:

Triplet rhythms – trap music uses these in spades.

Production – Kanye West (despite being a dick) is an excellent producer, his vocal manipulation is up there with the best.

Chords – Rap is an evolution of black music and draws on those traditions. Jazz chords are huge in TPAB.

Texture, Vocal Tones, Samples!

Nurturing an environment where students can learn what they want to learn about our art form is the best way to keep them coming back. Expand their horizons once you’ve got them hooked. Cool you like rap? How about hip-hop? Soul? Funk? Jazz, Rock, Pop? How about we look for that same stuff in Western art music now? Bombarding kids with difficult stuff will only serve to ostracise you and your subject, no wonder kids hate maths after algebra!

Students enjoy learning difficult things if they understand. Teachers have all seen the click happen and it’s really wonderful, but that click can only happen if you start from a place of understanding, otherwise you’re doomed from the start.

————————————————-

It should go without saying that these have been hard times everywhere around the world. My thoughts go out to the BIPOC and LGBT+ communities, without you we wouldn’t have any good music to talk about.

[clevelandstate]

Celebrating Languages

This week people around the U.S. celebrated National Foreign Language Week – an annual event created to recognize what it means to study a foreign language and the roles that languages have in our lives.

With so many languages to study at CSU, we asked three different students studying three different languages – Spanish, French and Arabic – to share a little bit about their language journey.  

CSU: Tell us a little bit about yourself. NN: My name is Nashline, and I am a junior double majoring in Spanish and Teaching Education. I desire to become a Spanish educator for elementary/middle school education. Hopefully, and with the help of God, I will graduate in Spring 2022.

CSU: How did you come to study Spanish? NN: I am a native Spanish speaker and I love everything about my language. I am originally from Puerto Rico. The reason I got into studying Spanish is that I wanted to learn more about the language’s history and different dialects. I also think that being able to teach kids Spanish in the future will be an amazing journey. I believe that learning a second language deepens your connections with other cultures. Learning a second language exposes you to see the world in many different aspects, which to me is very powerful.

CSU: Does studying Spanish change the way you think about the world around you? Has it changed your perspective? NN: Definitely, even though I am a native speaker. Knowing many things about my own culture and language is one thing but learning more about it is different. While studying Spanish, I have been able to understand my culture better and gain knowledge about all the elements that created and changed our language. It helped me acknowledge the importance of valuing different dialects. Studying Spanish allowed me to make a connection with those who speak the same language and share experiences and different perspectives, which is important.

CSU: A lot of people find studying foreign languages to be too difficult, and they often give up. Do you have any tricks to help with that? NN: Although learning a foreign language is an option or desire that most people have, it is something that you have to be passionate about. If someone feels like giving up, they should start by remembering what got them into studying it in the first place. If they find a passion for the language among their reasons, they should continue until they make it.

CSU: What’s something interesting about Spanish that most people don’t know? NN: One thing that not everyone knows about Spanish is that the word itself has different names. The word “Spanish” in Spanish usually translates to “español,” but the only countries that call it that are the ones in Central America. Now, the countries in South America and Spain, except Colombia, call it “Castellano,” which means the same as “español,” or “Spanish.”

We asked Nashline to send us a clip of herself saying her favorite thing en español.  Check it Below!

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CSU: How did you come to study French? RJ: My mother studied French and because I was exposed to this idea at an early age, I just always knew I would study French. I didn’t necessarily have a firm plan to pursue a degree in French when I was younger, but by the time I was finishing high school, I knew I loved the language enough that I wanted to make it a major part of my studies. In fact, it became so important to me that I would not have chosen to attend Cleveland State had I not had the option to major in French!

CSU: Does studying French change the way you think about the world around you? Has it changed your perspective? RJ: I like this question. One thing I appreciate about knowing another language is that I can read the same text (primarily in a literature context) in both, and it gives me new insights. The actual process of learning the language has changed my perspective by opening a practical path to be a learner in every situation. To learn a new language and attempt to use it is like becoming a child again, but I think this is very good for our “adult” selves. It’s humbling to face a return to self-expression in highly simplistic terms.

CSU: A lot of people find studying foreign languages to be too difficult, and they often give up. Do you have any tricks to help with that? RJ: When I first started learning French, I imagined it as a disembodied entity, a tool I wished to learn to handle well. However, the further I got into language study, the more I realized just how much culture is intertwined with language. It’s possible to learn direct translations in a new language without actually learning how to communicate with speakers of that tongue. The way things are said, the order of words, the choice and availability of alternative vocabulary, are all reflections of a manner of thinking.

French is spoken in many countries around the world, and so it is impossible to say that you can understand the cultures of every francophone country by learning French. For the moment though, since I’m learning French in France, I’m re-orienting my own patterns of reasoning to understand those of native French. Later, I hope to do the same for French speakers in an African country.

All this is meant to describe the way that language-learning allows you to enter into the experience of someone from a different part of the world. In order to be motivated to learn to communicate in a new way, someone new to language-learning would need to acquire an interest in a particular culture first. My best “tip” would be exposure to the culture before any serious language learning even begins. This could be through a real, lived experience, through contact with people from the culture, or through online resources – even listening to music in the target language!

CSU: What’s something interesting about French that most people don’t know? RJ: In line with what I already said about language reflecting culture, it’s remarkable that the French language has a wider variety of verbs, nouns, and adjectives surrounding the process of preparing and enjoying food than does English. This makes sense given the importance of meals in French culture.

Because Rachel’s currently studying abroad in France, we asked her a couple of bonus questions on her experiences there.

CSU: How did you end up studying abroad? RJ: Ever since I started at CSU four years ago, I knew I wanted to study abroad for a semester. I hope to live overseas one day, so this experience was on the top of my list for my time at university. My plans were quite jumbled by the pandemic (as were everyone’s of course) but things worked out just right for me to still come to France for the current spring semester. It was a lot of work and honestly some very stressful weeks (*months*) to organize, but now that I’m here, it was worth it all! I never want to leave.

CSU: How does studying abroad change the way you learn French? RJ: When I arrived, I had the capacity in spoken French to make known what I wanted to say (most of the time), but it was very halting. Aside from facility with the language, however, I feel I’m learning a little more each day to speak in the WAY a French person speaks, not just in the French language. I would describe this as a shift from translation-speaking to natural-speaking. Also, now that I can read much more easily for pleasure in French, books and articles in French make up an even larger part of my language study than they did before. (The fact that there aren’t libraries of books in English available to me at the moment might also have something to do with this…) Studying abroad also makes me even more passionate about the language, because now there is a connection in my mind between the language itself and the people I know personally who speak it.

Check out Rachel’s favorite French phrase en français below!

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CSU: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

AD: I am a part of the CSUteach program, meaning I am receiving my BA in English and my minor in Education, which will certify me to teach grades 7-12. I am also receiving my minor in Arabic language and culture. In the summer, I will start a 500 level course for CSU’s program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and I hope to continue into the M.Ed program after my graduation in 2022.

CSU: How did you come to study Arabic? AD: Ever since high school, I have loved learning languages. I started off studying Mandarin Chinese for 4 years. I already had prior knowledge of Arabic before formal study at CSU. Also, as a future ESL teacher, I hope to immerse myself in various languages so I can study, observe, and undergo the process of second-language learning pedagogy in order to best serve my future students.

CSU: Does studying Arabic change the way you think about the world around you? Has it changed your perspective? AD: Yes, learning any language has a significant impact on how one is able to view the world. Many doors open in regard to culture, connections, friendships, and work, among other opportunities. Arabic is a critical language that I suggest for those hoping to tap into a rich culture and connect with many kind people around the world.

CSU: A lot of people find studying foreign languages to be too difficult, and they often give up. Do you have any tricks to help with that? AD: Fortunately, I have a natural ability to pick up languages very easily. I am the joke among people I know because I have random phrases within my head that I have picked up from people I have met who speak different languages.

I think that second-language learning in the American education system is viewed as a requirement rather than a gift. If we look at other countries, many people speak two languages with ease. I think that if someone wishes to learn a language, they mustn't focus on the difficulties they face, but focus on their ability to learn at their own pace in order to grow their strengths. Learning a language comes easier for some, but respect and perseverance is something that we all have inside of us.

CSU: What’s something interesting about Arabic that most people don’t know? AD: If someone is unfamiliar with Arab and Middle Eastern culture, they may assume that Arabic is reserved for those following a specific religion. Arabic is a language spoken within 25 countries and each speaker is from a diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural background! Arabic is not reserved for one religion and not all speakers of Arabic are Arab. There are also many spoken dialects of Arabic but at Cleveland State we learn Modern Standard Arabic which is mutually intelligible by all speakers of Arabic no matter their national or cultural origin.

We asked Alyssa to send us a clip of herself saying her favorite Arabic phrase. Check it out below! Assalamu Alaikum (السلام عليكم)!

[marwadiuniversity]

Top 5 Best MBA Colleges in Gujarat

For a successful career, a lot of students pursue an MBA. It leads to enormous growth in professional as well as personal life. An MBA degree is important and equally important is the college you pursue an MBA from. So, in this article, I have listed down the 5 best MBA colleges in Gujarat to decide from and hence, excel in your career.

MBA is a bright degree, which indicates to employers that you have done what is required. We pursue an MBA to grow and gain skills that are going to help us throughout life. Of course, MBA is a vast field having tremendous career opportunities but the college you pursue an MBA from is of utmost importance. Gujarat is a hub for various business management schools in India. And some of the top business management colleges like IIM are located in the state. 

With an aim in mind, to pursue an MBA, I had carried out a lot of research on the best MBA colleges in Gujarat. And based on that, I have listed down the top 5 Best MBA colleges in Gujarat. It will help you make a decision of choosing a college faster and save some time on research.   

 Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad 

As known to all, IIMA is one of the best B-school in India of all times. IIMA is ranked persistently as the top B-school in India since years. The institute believes in supporting the culture of creativity and autonomy among its students.

Chaos, the cultural festival of IIMA, is one of the greatest cultural fests of India. IIMA- Chaos takes everyone through a thrilling ride of dance, drama, music and a lot many exciting things in between. 

Of course, IIMA is a dream college for every aspirant planning to do an MBA. The institute from years has proved to be the most successful in creating excellent talented individuals. The campus of IIMA is visually appealing, and the institute is also quite famous for its happening culture. 

Courses offered: 

1. Post Graduate Program in Management ( MBA )

2. Post Graduate Program in Food and Agri-business Management (MBA - FABM )

3. Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (MBA-PGPX)

Don’t worry; IIMA will prepare you for the corporate world creatively through a practical approach.

 Nirma University, Ahmedabad

Nirma University with a history of more than 25 years is one of the most prestigious universities for MBA in Gujarat. The MBA at Nirma University is a course, which comprises learning through industry-oriented pedagogy and also provides varied MBA specializations options. The institute follows a complete student-driven culture by forming different student committees inside the massive campus. 

Courses Offered:

1. Masters of Business Administration

2. Masters of Business Administration (HRM)

Based on my research, Nirma University is a great college to pursue a master’s degree from as it helps enhance the skills and abilities of aspirants and also provides placements in well-reputed organizations. Moreover, Nirma University has been accredited with a NAAC A-grade, which adds more value and prestige to the institute. 

 Marwadi University, Rajkot

Marwadi University (MU) has been accredited with a NAAC A+ grade. Only 4% of colleges in India have received a NAAC A+ grade, and MU is one of these elite colleges. MU majorly focuses on increasing the practical skills of their students. These practical skills help them develop management skills, strategic and analytical thinking to work in corporate efficiently.  

I have started pursuing MBA from MU this year itself. It is a little challenging to pursue MBA on the online platform. But I am finding it to be a good experience considering the teaching methodology college uses. They keep on organizing a lot of workshops and tutorial sessions for us so that there is an increase in our practical learning and we attain qualities needed for businesses. 

Courses offered:

1. Masters of Business Administration

2. Masters of Business Administration (Business Analytics )

3. Masters of Business Administration (Executive Program)

 So far learning at MU has been a great experience. I can see a lot of improvement in my communication skills, strategic thinking and personality. 

School of Management, RK University, Rajkot

School of Management, a division school of RK University, started offering an MBA program in 2005. I had carried out detailed research on the curriculum of RK University, they have included real-life applications, case study based learning, and development on soft skills. 

School of Management, RK University has been rated as an A Category Business School in a survey conducted, by Business Standard in 2017. Also, along with an MBA degree, students can add some additional certificates from governmental and non-governmental institutes. 

Courses offered:

Masters of Business Administration with specializations in-

1. Finance

2. Marketing

3. HR

4. International Business

5. Entrepreneurship

RK University, Rajkot is also a good college to look at when planning for an MBA. 

 Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), Baroda

One of the oldest colleges of India, Maharaja Sayajirao University was established in 1881. It is one of those few universities, which offers research in Indian tradition. MSU, since years, has been a popular college for pursuing an MBA. 

MSU, for placements, gives proper career counselling, on-campus and industrial sessions training to students. It helps them to be confident and well versed for placement beforehand. 

Courses offered:

1. MBA in Finance

2. MBA in Marketing

3. MBA in HR

These are the top 5 Best MBA colleges in Gujarat as per my research. You can comment below your suggestions or any other colleges you think are good to go for pursuing an MBA.  

Your comments are appreciated.

Source

[becomingthebestversionofautumn]

Chapter Four of Social Justice Literacies in the English Classroom Response

1. How does Boyd speak back to traditional definitions of care in this chapter?

In the start of chapter four of Ashley S Boyd’s novel, she gives us ample examples of traditional definitions of ‘care’ and how a caring teacher/person starts with the idea that a critical care pedagogy is different from traditional notions of universalized care, because these traditional “theories of care that generalize to all populations of students (e.g., Noddings, 2005) tend to do so in ways that ignore race and societal inequity and therefore reflect systems of Whitness.” (Boyd 74) In giving us this information, Boyd immediately separates the ideas of general care from the idea of critical care pedagogy through this difference in social equity. This really draws a line in the sand for the whole chapter, as Boyd investigates this concept of critical care pedagogy. She then unpacks some of the reasons for caring that are problematic, such as political neutrality that is inherently embedded in the secondary school ecosystem. Also, “[arguing] that teacher’s avowal of caring may indicate pity or mask disgust for students, particularly those from marginalized racial populations. Expressions that communicate care, they posit, are “entrenched in Whiteness ideology.” (Boyd 75) For this is only the start of the reasons that Boyd advocates for a critical care pedagogy that calls into question the assumptions of traditional notions of care, and recognizes aspects of student identities that are part of a larger cultural narrative that affect students’ academic performance and behavior. (Boyd 75) It also exhibits the idea the critical care is working towards goals for equality and dismantling oppression. (Boyd 75) Through these traditional notions of care, Boyd was able to demonstrate to her readers the danger of a traditional care perspective in the classroom, and stresses the importance of pedagogy rooted in critical care.

2. In what ways does an understanding of critical caring complicate your own sense of what care should look like in a classroom environment?

My understanding and reading of this text by Boyd has taught me a lot about my own personal pedagogy. Throughout my whole life, I had always been a part of a team, and that is very often how I look at the classroom, as well as other parts of my life. Due to this importance on a sense of togetherness and teamwork, I have really pushed back against having traditional, strict disciplines set by the teacher that the students are forced to follow. I have always considered myself a pretty liberal educator, with a real focus on fostering the souls of the students in my classroom; thus, when I started recognizing some of my own teaching habits in the description of Beverly Mitchell’s teaching, I was a little taken aback due to Michell’s strict classroom procedures. I, as a person, have known that I have a great appreciation for organization and structure and the benefits we have when looking to further our team goals; however, my morals contradicted some aspects of the rigid rules that governed the classroom, such as when Beverly makes her student’s line up and call their parents if they do not turn in a large assignment that day (as sometimes home relationships are complicated). Although, I oppose many of Beverly’s classroom approaches, I also support many others, such as encouragement of cell phone (technology) use with trust placed in the students, treating students based on what she knows of them, and their lives specifically, in order to help the student, the way she frames student behavior as reactions to the structures that limit them, focus on the importance of ‘academic neglect’, the danger of microaggressions, the encouragement of big goals, transparent explanations. Weirdly enough, I connected most with the idea of a “warm demander” in the classroom. As a coach, teacher, big sister, mentor, and student, I have always tried to be a warm demander in the learning space, as shows the students my trust in them while also enforcing the idea that happiness and laughter are encouraged in learning spaces. So, to say that Boyd, and specifically Beverley Michell’s classroom policies, really complicated my own internal image of what a classroom should look like is an understatement.

3. How might a critical care pedagogy look different across different secondary disciplines? For example, how would critical caring manifest differently in a language arts curriculum and classroom vs. a science (or math, or music, or P.E., or history, etc.) curriculum and classroom?

The best way to encapsulate the importance of social justice pedagogy in the secondary ELA classroom is that it teaches students how to stand up for themselves. Social justice is a life issue. Not a school issue, not a classroom issue, but a lifelong skill that needs to be honed in on for survival, especially for marginalized communities. It is my responsibility as a teacher to best prepare my students for the world they are about to face, and, honestly, right now we live in a society where we have to learn to protect ourselves and protect others for either our own survival and/or equity, so we don’t always get the justice of seeing the equity we deserve.

[jannytew1219]

Research & Enquiry

Annotated Bibliography

Chang, K.-E., Chang, C.-T., Hou, H.-T., Sung, Y.-T., Chao, H.-L. & Lee, C.-M. (2014) Development and behavioral pattern analysis of a mobile guide system with augmented reality for painting appreciation instruction in an art museum. Computers & Education, 71, pp.185–197. Available from: https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0360131513002868 [Accessed 4 November 2019].

     This journal is about an experiment by using an art appreciation instruction system and augmented reality (AR) as an auxiliary tool for painting appreciation in the museum. The visitors are divided into three groups: AR-guided, audio-guided, and none guided which does not carry any auxiliary tool. The learning performance factors in this experiment including their learning effectiveness, experiences and the time that they spent on focusing on the paintings. The results turn out that the visitors with augmented reality guide has effectively increased the performance factors and the most engaged with the gallery experiences than others. The interaction between artworks and human relations are engaged and enriched user experiences in augmented reality software. From this experiment result, I found that the main reason for augmented reality becomes the most effective system is because of the interesting interaction that occurs during the process. Getting the attention of your audience will be one of the important issues that affect the satisfaction of your media interactive project.

Collins, K., Scott, P.D.B. & Hawkins, P.S. (2017) From Pac-Man to Pop Music: Interactive Audio in Games and New Media. Farnham, UNITED KINGDOM, Routledge. Available from: https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/bottlenecks-aligning-ux/9781484225806/ACoverHTML.html [Accessed 6 December 2019].

     This book analyzing the theoretical between the interaction of audio in games and new media. It provides the knowledge of understanding the history, issues and theories of interactive audio. The author mentions that sound always appears to be linear to the listener in the structure sense which plays an important role in the field of digital media creation. Music can provide better environment experiences and guide players for real experiences in types of adventures, horror or virtual reality games. By reading from the topic of different variety of angles can helps me better to utilize sound editing in my media practice project.

  Evans,D.C. (2017), Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology, 1st edn, Apress, Berkeley, CA. Available from: https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/augmented-human/9781491928363/titlepage01.html [Accessed 8 December 2019].

     This book is written about using the skills of psychology to understand human personality, needs, perception, memory, disposition, motivation and social influence. This can help me to determine whether the users can accept my digital innovations and increase the skill of user experience. The author also provided practical explanations and evidence-based on reasons why certain designs success and others fail. This information can help me to improve media interaction design by learning the characteristics and the needs of your audience. Using the angle from a psychological view will be interesting research to learn in this practice.

Gessner, I. (2016) Tamiko Thiel’s virtual reality installations as sites of learning in and beyond the museum. Studies in the Education of Adults, 48 (2), pp.155–176. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02660830.2016.1229849 [Accessed 8 December 2019].

     This article analyzes the 3D virtual reality installations by the artist Tamiko Thiel that use as technologies of critical cultural public pedagogy. She is an American artist who creates lots of amazing and incredible digital art by using augmented reality as her platform to reconstruct and visualize the memories becomes a successful cultural transmission. Each of her artworks has its own stories behind and the virtual experiences allow people to feel and learned from the historical political such as the Beyond Manzanar. This article describes the concept and idea of her works in detail which allow me to review and learning the conceptualize construction of an installation.

Gilbert, T. (2018) Looking at Digital Art: Towards a Visual Methodology for Digital Sociology. The American Sociologist; Washington, 49 (4), pp.569–579. Available from: https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/docview/2063525610?OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/sid:summon&accountid=14660 [Accessed 8 December 2019].

     This article analyzes about the changing and development of transformation from technology to art or the functions of social life in a digital age. The author uses a questioning approach and analyzes the transformation, influence, and theorization of media art on social phenomena. A variety of questions reflect the importance of ideas and evaluate the factors to get an answer. The author also analyzes three elements that may consider in digital visual methodologies, including social narrative transmission, media technology, and installation tools. I feel that these critical elements have particular determine the process and definitely useful methodology that can be used in digital media creation. This methodology can help me to stabilize and conceptualize my media proposal project.

Hashiguchi, S., Sano, Y., Shibata, F. & Kimura, A. (2014) R-V Dynamics Illusion: Psychophysical Influence on Sense of Weight by Mixed-Reality Visual Stimulation of Moving Objects. In: R. Shumaker & S. Lackey eds. Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality. Designing and Developing Virtual and Augmented Environments. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Cham, Springer International Publishing, pp.55–64. Available from: https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-07458-0_6 [Accessed 8 December 2019].

     This is an interesting book written about the relations between psychological influences and visual stimulation to virtual, augmented and mixed reality. When people facing with the sense of the weight of real objects in a mixed reality situation, they will not only influenced by tactile information but also visual information. There are much critical information and knowledge about creating a mixed reality environment in this book that is useful for creating a new angle for my practice. There are many skill knowledge in this book that valuable learned about digital media design. The author also makes a description that means of an optimized stereo matching technique based on the belief propagation algorithm to handle the hand occlusions situation in mixed and augmented reality which increases the satisfaction of mixed reality design.  

Kim, K., Schubert, R., Hochreiter, J., Bruder, G. & Welch, G. (2019) Blowing in the wind: Increasing social presence with a virtual human via environmental airflow interaction in mixed reality. Computers & Graphics, 83, pp.23–32. Available from: https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0097849319301001 [Accessed 6 December 2019].

     This journal investigated the effects of subtle multimodel interaction on social presence with a virtual human (VH) in mixed reality(MR). This experiment has shows the importance of creating a physical environment in mixed reality to increase the sense of presence with a virtual human. The author has involving airflow influence and virtual human awareness into two different mixed reality platform in this experiment. They wanted to explore how and in what ways that the surrounding environment can affect human perception of interaction with a virtual human. The users can actually get a physical feel or touch when they are interacting with the virtual object. This would be an interesting user experience in digital interaction project by combining the virtual and physical space.

Lindhé, C. (2016) Visual Touch:: Ekphrasis and Interactive Art Installations. In: C. van den Akker & S. Legêne eds. Museums in a Digital Culture. Amsterdam University Press, pp.31–40. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1s475tm.5 [Accessed 4 November 2019].

     This chapter focus on the interaction between the physical, the virtual, the body and technology, and reading that can be embodied and giving multisensory experience to the users. There are a few examples of interactive projects in this chapter that shows new media exist in the earlier media including printed work project. The author said that the concept of ekphrasis has described the special relationship between visual and emotional experiences which require spectators to participate in the artwork with their full physical body and mind. She also talks about the modern definition of enargeia which is an effect that makes the reader envision what is being described from the artist. These definitions have enhanced the structure building on art interaction and very useful to form a stronger concept idea for digital media art. This concept allows me to rethink the connection between human's body with the installation device in a media interaction. The concept and idea are not the only things that need to be considered but also utilizing the sensory system from the human body.

Papagiannis & Helen. (2017), Augmented Human: How Technology Is Shaping the New Reality, 1st edn, O'Reilly, Sebastopol. Available from: https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/augmented-human/9781491928363/ [Accessed 8 December 2019].

     This book is written about the introduction of the evolving, opportunities and further development of augmented reality.  There is an interesting chapter in this book which introduce about using digital smell and taste in augmented reality project. People can send and receive scent messages by downloading oNotes or Scentee application with their smartphone. Other than that, the augmented reality smell delivery system also can create smellscapes experience to enhance reality. It completely using human sensory systems including vision, hearing and smell. In the field of augmented or virtual reality media, creations of an interactive project can be brought into a higher realistic experience with a realistic environment. This book has shown the combination of using the human sensory system to interact with media and the digital smell would be an interesting topic in media design.

Saker, M. & Frith, J. (2019) From hybrid space to dislocated space: Mobile virtual reality and a third stage of mobile media theory. New Media & Society, 21 (1), pp.214–228. Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461444818792407 [Accessed 8 December 2019].

     This journal analyzing the mobile communication studies of an enhanced locative smartphone application and increase the space experience by distracting users physical environment. The authors have combined this study with the field of mobile virtual reality in this paper. They conceptualize mobile virtual reality to mobile communication studies and introduce the concept of  ‘dislocated space’. They discuss the possibility of digital is no longer augmented the physical space but replace it and constraints and specifications the surrounding shared space. This will be an interesting research field which provides a new media that may be introduced in the future that can inspire an idea for media design. It will create a new experience for human when it can be used in the public.

[yourniaawilson-blog]

#Blacklivesmatter

The black lives playlist that was very interesting throughout the whole series that we were given. Each artist gave me something that I will always remember, in a creative sense the works themselves from each artist's perspective were very intensely and dynamically created. I appreciate black artist even more now than I  previously did because of what they bring to the table to the media world. I feel without African american influence a lot of different types of music and contributions to media in general there wouldn’t be as much diversity/variety in the the industry without our endowment. African Americans are some of the most innovative and dedicated people that have given so much over the decades to not only the music industry but also a lot of other american cultural aspects. Some of the videos not only allowed us to be somewhat teleported into different worlds with pragmatic stories, but they also give us an eye-opener to real life issues and emotions.

The music videos had great empowering and inspirational vibe that emitted so strongly from each of them. The Janelle monae video was very catchy and liberating to the black female, she says in the video that “ Am I a freak for dancing brown” and I feel that she is trying to promote black stereotypes by directing the attention of the song to the color of our skin. The street arcade games is a very creative idea to address social issues within america to the public. The rise in white supremacy, racial profiling, and peer pressure is becoming more notable in our society.  I am so proud of the children who made the games in order to create awareness, it was very commendable and thoughtful.

Racial pedagogies are very prominent in our culture and in our school systems. There is a particular focus on backgrounds and cultural difference that our educators are failing to acknowledge these differences, which is causing a form of backlash toward people of color not being able to be taught properly because of  barriers such as age, culture, gender, learning style, and race, sexual orientation, socio-economic. They feel as if the “messages” in media and stereotypes cause educator to become hesitant in even interacting with these kids ,which is causing a rift between the student and getting the potential education they could be receiving.

[fatimahmaktuhesl]

Final IDTMS Program Reflectio

1) How has each course contributed to your personal and professional development as an instructional designer? Early in the program courses like Visual and Verbal Communication as well as Strategies for Learning Engagement created more of an awareness of how the today’s students learn and how it differs from the past traditional classroom. I was initially skeptical of how technology could successfully be used as the focal point in a classroom. I use more than most and know that by flipping the classroom and entwining it in common practices has worked well for my classroom. Better understanding what motivates students and the psychology behind it from everything to interactive infographics to typography and the positioning of objects on the screen. Months four through nine starting with corporate training and motivational development through game strategies really focused on the presentation of the material from more film and audio instruction. Technical aspects proved just as important like lighting, timing, camera angles, and equalizing/compression as the motivational aspects of digital storytelling, audio, body language and connecting with the audience does in presenting material. I really enjoyed the audio and film class. These classes really changed how I thought about presenting material online as an instructor. I had created power points before, but how to present material online in a fun way and on camera was something new for me. In month ten, it was a good review of Learning Management Systems and how to organize content. I was familiar with LMS, but this allowed me time to experiment with different systems and how to organize content. I will likely stay with iTunes U but may use other LMS in the future now that I know how many of them offer different features. Lastly, Media Assets really brought all of the classes together and it was rewarding to see how over the course of the year I understood the designing theories as an instructional designer. The program really changed the way of how I view the motivation of students. Although I use technology, I often felt like it was a struggle as an instructor to try to teach in the traditional sense more lately than I did 20 years ago. I have the pedagogy from my teaching degree and now feel that understanding how to create and design content online puts my teaching align with the 21 century student. I am pleased that I now better understand how to teach with technology that will both motivated and engage my students. 2) How well were you able to utilize the concepts and techniques you learned from the program (theories, systems design, interface styling, and the creation of multimedia content) as you designed, developed, and implemented your Final Project? The final project consisted of three parts that required the knowledge of all the courses. For all three assets the theories and design process was considered. For the video training, infographic, and game design all needed to engage and motivate the learning with consideration to the design and function of each asset. For the interactive infographic I used the course experience of Strategies for Learning Engagement and the infographic that we learned how to do in that course to construct the one I did for month 11. I came into some issues with the layers I had made in illustrator, but know how to design one and put it as interactive in InDesign as well as Acrobat. The video training I used the experience of the corporate training and motivational development course to add pictures, music, and narration to the video. Of course the film and audio class intertwined all components of the videos. Digital storytelling and visual/audio components all played important parts in creating the training video. I needed storyboards, a written script to keep with allotted timing, and some form of a story to connect the learning to the material. Lastly, the game design used all of the components as stated above plus the added course of Game design and Strategies. I plan to use the game I created in future classes and will better be able to tell of the success. However, by making the game design interactive with game based learning theory, students should end up with both the training material as well as incidental learning through game play. 3) Describe your most outstanding personal triumph in each course All of these courses the most challenging part with the technicality of learning the software components. Month One – Mastery This course gave me time to reflect what I wanted to get out of the program and how it would continue to be part of my destiny and mastery. Month Two- Strategies for Learning Engagement The infographic was the biggest challenge to overcome from this course. All of the software was brand new for me and it was extremely time burdensome. I overcame it and learned a lot in the process in technical terms. Month Three – Visual Verbal Communications This month introduced Adobe Photoshop and again it was my most difficult hurdle to overcome. I really learned a lot about typography, the importance of color, and how important font size plays in displaying information. This was a course that began to change at how I looked at things in media. Month Four- Corporate Training and Motivational Development This course continued to challenge me in Adobe Premier. It also aided in scaffolding material learned both in my teaching degree as well as the previous course. I had never created a filmed video with graphics. This was a change in how I will present information in the future and it changed the way I understood YouTube and the instructional videos. Month Five – Instructional Design and Evaluation This course really showed how information is designed online and how instructional designers work together. Collaborative learning really showed in our group work and was where I really connected with my classmates. I created long term relationships with my classmates from this class and where I really began to rely on my community. Month Six – Digital Media and Learning Applications Coding in and of itself was the most challenging part of the entire program. If one thing was off then the whole interactive quiz didn’t work. I struggled with this all month and thought I wasn’t going to pass. My classmates really helped me with the process. I appreciate coding and can speak to coders but as a designer, I hope that I will always have people that specialize in this as it wasn’t my strong suit. Month Seven- Music and Audio This was one of my favorite classes and took a lot away that will forever change my way of thinking of audio and how important it is in learning with visuals. Narration timing was a challenge for me that I overcame as well as listening and working with compression and equalizing. Month Eight- Film This class had a lot of components that I still need to work on but was another favorite class. It also was one of the most important in the area of instructional design. Lighting and editing were two things that were challenging for me. The epiphany for me was the importance of storytelling and connecting students to the material. Month Nine- Game Strategies I have a strength in creating games and hope to add more game based learning. Understanding that the 21st century student connects to games and the benefits that gaming has in cooperation, collaboration, and different types of learning showed the validity of the course. Month Ten- Learning Management Systems This course helped in appreciation of organizing content online. My challenge was creating the video that showed how to do this. I also struggled with what was important to put into the modules and what was not. This class wasn’t long enough for me to really formulate a proper course and see the benefits of the functions of the LMS. Month 11- Media Assets This course was all about time management. It was challenging to create all the assets in a real time configuration. The needs analysis was a complicated process but I was so glad that we did it. It helped to organize and give validity to the assets. The infographic was still the most challenging part to create in the technical aspect. Final Thoughts Overall all the courses brought me a better understanding of instructional design. I now look at content and how to create, organize, and display it much differently than a year ago. As a designer and a teacher the program has now made me a much better instructor that will motivate and engage my students.

[uberrapidash]

I should be happy, or at least content, but I’m not.

My department at my university put on an awards banquet video tonight (it’s usually done in the spring every year in person, of course), and watching it led to me feeling so alien, like I’m stuck on the outside looking in, that I feel like I’ve fallen into a really deep, dark hole. Like, a dangerous one.

Is this Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria? Does this explain all these overreactions that I’ve experienced my entire life? Or maybe I’ve been unable to make real connections with my peers my whole life, so it’s just that I’m sometimes reminded of a crushing loneliness?

And it’s SO stupid, like, why do I care if I receive an award? But you know, that’s not true. It’s not about awards. It’s about being noticed and feeling like I’m a part of something. 

Like, you know how [insert name here] got that thing for doing all of that painting for the opera? I don’t remember getting any sort of invitation to come paint, or any sort of notice that they were looking for someone to paint. So why was there an award for that? It’s just a reminder of how I was excluded. If I had known painting was happening, I would have been there to help. 

That’s just one example.

I am so awkward. I always want to help. I’m embarrassed at how much I want to do for other people. Last semester, in my music history class, when the professor had a serious talk with the class because so many people had failed the most recent listening quiz, I emailed him offering to share my study method with the class, because I had been getting perfect scores plus extra credit on all the listening quizzes. He responded how kind it was for me to offer but that he thought it best for them to figure it out for themselves.

My voice pedagogy teacher last semester jokingly said I should have been getting paid because I was basically the unofficial teacher’s assistant in that class. I was the only person that brought materials for the art project, when he asked for people to pitch in because he didn’t have coloring supplies. I was the only one to point out errors to him in his slides and the materials he posted online for us. It was like I was the only one that cared. He has told me so many times over the past two semesters how much he appreciates my input because no one else ever gives him any feedback.

I’m the only one that shared notes and documents with the class this semester in one of my classes when others were needing the help. When I was absent and asked for the same, no one responded to me.

I don’t do these things because I want recognition. I just care about people. So it really hurts when people don’t care about me.

I’m not saying that I need to be friends with everyone. But I have been here for a year, and I have not found a place where I fit in. I’m not an outgoing person (in person - I’m much better online or through text). I don’t make eye contact. I miss social cues and interrupt people and it’s embarrassing. People make jokes and I don’t laugh because I don’t get it. I haven’t made any friends. I am on friendly terms with everyone and I know people’s names, but I’ve not made friends. 

And it’s not just the age difference. There are grad students here my age who are getting on just fine. 

I don’t know why I expect anything different.

I’m just tired of feeling like I live in a different world than everyone else that I have so much interaction with. It’s exhausting. It’s maddening.

And even worse, I feel horrible for feeling this way. I should be happy with what I have. I have Aaron. I have my brother. I have Bekah. I have our kitties. Why do I need more? 

Maybe I’m scared of not being needed. Maybe I never stopped living for other people. Maybe that’s why I feel like I want to die right now. It’s like a trigger for this stupid, childish, extreme “I’ll show them” reaction. It’s like, “Oh? I’m not special to y’all? Guess I’ll just stop eating. Or slit my wrists. Or never talk to you again and see if you notice.”

By the way, my first memory of having this sort of reaction was when I was like 5 years old or something. And it was because my Granny didn’t wake me up to come eat breakfast. I even heard her and Gramps saying things like “Wow, she must be tired.” “She doesn’t usually sleep this long.” “I’m gonna check on her again.” But when she came to check on me, I pretended to be asleep. And then she’d leave, and I’d cry some more. Like. What the fuck is wrong with me? I was so young. I’m crying now, remembering what that felt like. I can hear Gramps stirring his tall cup of iced coffee. I just wanted to be included. I didn’t want them to have eaten without me. But they did. And Granny checked to see if I was awake multiple times, but she didn’t come wake me up. I wanted her to come get me. I didn’t want to go to them - I wanted them to come to me. I feel like it can’t be normal to feel something like that at such a young age.

Writing isn’t helping. I don’t know what to do with this. 

[trascapades]

Esperanza Spalding Talks Recording an Album in 77 Hours, Sexism in Music & Nicki Minaj

Billboard 9/22/2017 by Natalie Weiner 

Esperanza Spalding photo by Carmen Daneshmandi 

The time is 10:31 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 13, 2017, and 2.3k people are tuned in to Facebook Live as Lalah Hathaway records a haunting, wordless melody for Esperanza Spalding’s new album Exposure. A scene that would usually last days or weeks and be witnessed only by assistants, engineers, and maybe a couple friends is instead put on display to the world for the hour or so it takes to complete.

The expedited pace comes thanks to Spalding’s self-imposed deadline: 77 hours to compose and record one new studio album. The livestream was to preserve authenticity, from both Spalding and her label (can’t cut a song if the whole world’s already heard it). 34 hours in, the studio is humming as friends like Robert Glasper trickled in, and her bandmates loitered in various studio lounges waiting for the vocal takes to wrap. Cameras in all corners of the studio capture the entire process, including the requisite snacks and naps. Online, reactions roll in to Hathaway’s always-impressive voice. “Yo, I’m so shook rn,” one reads. “There are no more words for how my soul is smiling,” reads another. “When’d you write this?” Glasper asks as he brings a piece of music to the piano. “This morning,” says Spalding, chuckling.

Following the conclusion of her livestream experiment, the renowned bassist, singer, and composer spoke with Billboard about the unorthodox process for recording her sixth studio album, which will be released by Concord this fall.

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We’re speaking exactly a week after you started recording Exposure. How do you feel? Was the process exhausting or invigorating?

It was super-invigorating. I mean, my body is tired -- I think I lost like five pounds in there, burning so many brain calories. We didn't know what it was going to look like, but it was so clear to everyone that we were coming in to create. That took precedence over everything: fears, concerns, all of that. That was kind of the mission: to take all the extraneous factors away from the art of creation. And it happened. Now I’m in Philadelphia for work, I have writing to do for a gig coming up this weekend -- the momentum is still tumbling forward.

That's a pretty impressive schedule!

I mean, the mission isn't to be impressive, it's just...my job, you know? When a brain surgeon saves somebody's life or completes something they've failed at before, it's not like they take two weeks off from work to kick back and recover. That's your job! Your job is to perform. My job is to make and create, and it only works if I do it all the time. So this is what it is.

Once you have the momentum, you have to capitalize.

Use it and juice it. I assume we're talking about creative momentum here. There's nothing outside of you that’s propelling you forward -- if you set up the circumstances and decide on what your own stakes are, you create the momentum to move towards your mission. That's really all you need. We saw that with Exposure.

We had a lot of support: a studio, a film crew, assistants... but if all you're doing is creating, you don't need anything. You don't need any money, you don't need any tools, you don't need anybody to believe in you. You just start, with whatever resources you have. The act of creating is making something from nothing -- so you don't even need momentum. You can feel dead tired and uninspired, and still create. It's amazing.

That's a great way to put it. I've had people ask, "How do I become a writer?" and the answer is, more or less, you just have to do it.

Yep. There's no secret. Before you start, everyone says there's no secret and you're like, "Come on, you guys are holding out -- you're not telling us something." Then you start writing, and you're like, "Oh." The whole thing is just harder than you think it is. There's no secret, no shortcut. Once you accept that being a writer or a creator is just really hard and takes a lot of hours of slogging through crappy first drafts, you just keep producing, and then you turn around and it's done. That's the magic.

There were some people who suggested that recording your album Exposurein 77 hours might be a gimmick, which surprised me since it seemed like an escape from social media -- a concentrated amount of time to focus completely -- as much as an embrace of it. What was the main motivation for broadcasting the recording process for you?

For me it was about not hiding, and creating as my actual self -- the best that I could muster of my actual self. For that to mean anything, there had to be a real audience and it had to include strangers; people who hadn't already paid $50 to hear me perform. It needed a witness. Having a witness helps us know that the stakes are real, and that we really have to do this because people are watching. We can't be like, "Oh, I don't like this one, I'm going to stop." We have to keep going, because people believe in us, and they're waiting for us, and they're with us. It felt like we were all in it together.

The fact that anybody who was interested (or not interested) could watch this happen, was part of the healing of it. [In doing the livestream,] I'm not just making things for the people I presume already want them, and I actually have no way of knowing what the people watching want -- so what I make can't be catered to them. It was a way to have an exchange that was outside of the commodity-based economy. An opening to have a shared experience.

It's very similar to live performance in the sense that you have to keep going, because we're all there to have a forward-moving experience. It's hard to talk about what we all went through together -- if you saw it, you know.  The more I talk about it, the further I feel from it. It just seems small-minded to say that it's a gimmick, or a jazz thing. When I hear that, I think, no, you're just scared. There's actually a lot to be learned and taken away from this event.

I already know what it means to me, but I think there's more in there to be unpacked. I almost wish other artists and musicians would speak about it and to it, question it and challenge it. I've kind of said everything I can say about it by doing it, and speaking about it now feels cyclical and away from the point of the damn thing. The point of the damn thing was the thing.

Do you plan to perform this music live?

There will definitely be more performances. I like the music we wrote, and I didn't know if I would. But I really love it, so I want to play it some more.

Did you write anything for the album that surprised you?

Yeah, all of it. I practiced this mode of writing -- obviously we didn't write any of the songs that happened during Exposure -- but I realized the night before I went in the studio that I hadn't actually finished one song fast enough to get 10 done in three days. I got really nervous, and felt like I'd made this promise that I couldn't live up to. So really, as each one came, I was surprised that we’d actually done it.

In interviews leading up to the album, you used a few different sports metaphors. To me, it seemed like you were departing from the idea of being a musician training to perform (as all musicians do) to being a musician training to compose.

That's it. The energy of being in shape, but not knowing what we’re going to be responding to (while still understanding the mission as a team) -- I bet any athletes out there who are also musicians (or vice versa) would understand that sentiment. You step in, and you're prepared -- you've got your plays -- but you don't know what's going to happen! The muscles are all primed to move in an infinite combination of ways, and you depend on your creative brain operating in real time to come up with solutions and to make it entertaining! It's not about flawless execution, it's about the game of it. It's supposed to be fun.

Obviously beating Justin Bieber and Drake for the Best New Artist Grammy in 2011 is pretty far in the rearview for you at this point -- how do you see your connection to popular culture now?

I mean, I care about the act of making sounds and the creativity that goes into it. I enjoy hearing what people come up with, even when it's within a very established sonic aesthetic. I'm not an avid music consumer in any direction, including "less" "commercial" "forms" of "music" [Laughs.] I like to imagine that even if the culture-consuming populace-at-large doesn't like what I do or cheer for it sonically, that there's a certain appreciation for the fact that I'm doing it.

The whole Grammy thing will just exist in history as an anomaly. I got a couple more Grammys after that... I made good records, but part of me thinks that they were just trying to make [the first win] not look so random [Laughs.]

READ MORE

Esperanza Spalding Beats Bieber, Drake for Best New Artist Grammy

Are there pop artists you listen to?

It's no surprise that I thought that last Childish Gambino record was ingenious. I like the Mars Volta. LCD Soundsystem -- I heard them at a museum in Portugal, and I was like, "Word? These guys are glorious, where have I been?" That's what jazz will do to you: you spend so much time transcribing... in the amount of time it takes for a jazz musician to transcribe ten seconds worth of a solo, most people have listened to three albums. It's ridiculous. That's the downside of being a student of that pedagogy.

I think Nicki Minaj is a champion of our time, I really do. It's exciting to imagine, in 40 or 50 or 60 years, when students will be analyzing her business acumen and how she created personas and sounds... just her use of language. She's such a bright star that I think the genius of her approach is overlooked. I just always assume that powerful black women are never fully seen for what they're actually doing. People appreciate the results but not the method.

At some point when I'm at Harvard, I'll probably do a paper on her. I hope I get to interview her and learn more about her tactics. What I hear is a fucking tactical motherfucker. Like, a genius. I really admire her. She is so deep. She's a boss, she knows exactly what she's doing, and I really love her. I'm looking forward to when she has a couple kids and is just chilling at home on a weekend, and I'll go interview her for my research paper.

Sort of in the same vein, I got to see you perform with Geri Allen and Terri Lyne Carrington a couple years ago -- an all-woman band. What you guys played hit me in a way I wasn't expecting, and the energy was just really unique. Is that something you felt at all with that band? Is playing with exclusively women different at all for you?

There's no energetic boundary. That is different. It came up peripherally in conversation with Geri, but mostly speaking for myself: We didn't realize that we always hold this boundary around our bodies, and our language, and the way that we greet our bandmates, and the topics that we'll delve into -- all because on some level we're conscious of not triggering or feeding a sexual dynamic, a traditional, conditioned relational dynamic. We’d all worked with, grown up with, and studied with men from a generation that saw all women as potential objects for sex, or just generally as subordinates -- whether they were conscious of it or not.

Playing with Geri and Terri, there was the distinct feeling of something falling away. Energetically, emotionally, and physically, we would go anywhere with each other. We just felt 1000 percent free, and open, and heard, and received, and I think that expresses itself in the music somehow. I don't know how -- it would be interesting to see a brain scan, if there are any actual differences in our process for communicating [laughs]. I think we all were pleasantly surprised to discover what it feels like to just be completely uninhibited. It was really refreshing.

It actually made me aware of how much, in a lot of contexts, I am sort of...bracing. I got so used to it I didn't realize I was doing it, until I played with them and went, "Oooooh OK.”

And also, even though all three of us have very different personalities, as women in this music we'd experienced a very similar path. It can be really lonely to be a young woman in the music industry. We all had gone through a lot -- Geri more than Terri, and Terri more than me -- and when we played, there was this understanding of a common experience that we'd all lived. Never spoken of. But I think you could feel that, and I think that's something special to Geri, Terri, and me -- not necessarily any three women playing together.

In an interview with Larry Wilmore last year, he asked if you’d choose to end sexism forever, even if it meant you had to shave your head and give up music. He seemed surprised that you said yes. How do you see sexism in music and beyond actually ending?

I think it's less about sexism, and more about transforming the ideology that people are tools. Women in power in the music industry can be just as exploitative of other women and their sexuality as a man can -- if the mission of exploiting them is to make a dollar. It's our shared responsibility to stop using people, and to stop assuming that ther e's any type of person that it's ok for us to use or treat as less than.

I'm excited to hear more and more people speak to that level of deprogramming instead of just, "Let's make sure women can get the jobs men hold." That's great and important, let's absolutely share the burdens of this economy, but as important is remembering that more broadly inequality is our shared responsibility. As [German philosopher] Erich Fromm would say, it’s about treating people as ends, not as means.

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HIP-HOP IS HIP PART 2

Hip-Hop started in the streets of the Bronx in the 70’s, which is not too long ago. This underground scene is now a global phenomenon, as Hip-Hop superstars like Kanye West and Drake tour the globe. Fans in different countries are desperate to see these artists, and tickets usually sell out within days.

 Hip-Hop’s unique evolution was discussed in the previous article, but the question of why Hip-Hop has had the success it has is still unanswered. This is a question in which there is no simple answer. Hip-Hop is a complex genre built on the ideas of a complex world. Primarily the world of less privileged urban African-Americans. This article aims to answer the question of how Hip-Hop became successful, while incorporating many societal problems concerning Hip-Hop.

ORIGINS

For a refresher, Hip-Hop was created in the Bronx in effort to unite the divided community. It was primarily underground for the first 7-8 years, until the first Hip-Hop record was recorded and gained exposure all over the nation. However, Hip-Hop remained a genre primarily catered to African-Americans throughout the 80’s and 90’s. This period is usually referred to as the “Golden Age” of Hip-Hop. Most of the music during this time was politically charged, acting as a voice for the oppressed African-Americans in the country. “Gangster Rap” was also created during this time. (Wheeler)

GANGSTA RAP

This sub-genre of Hip-Hop originated out of California, and was arguably the first west coast rap. It gave insight to a brutal world most Americans didn’t know existed; a world of crime, a world of violence, a world of drugs, and a world of gangs. Gangster Rap was raw, and that’s why it was so appreciated. It was a real testimony to the atrocities these people were living. Gangster Rap exploded, but in areas one might not have guessed it would. 

During this time period of Gangster Rap, Hip-Hop found its way into the tape and CD players (LOL) of white suburban teens. Maybe it was because of the way Hip-Hop was romanticizing gangs and violence, bringing out a more masculine version of the white listener’s self, or maybe they just liked the way the music sounded. Either way, Hip-Hop was a very controversial topic in white America in the 80’s and 90’s. (Kajikawa) The group N.W.A caused a stir of controversy and even some legal issues with their song “F*** Tha Police”. However, the group actually received some praise after the Rodney King riots, as this helped open some of the countries’ eyes to some of the mistreatment African-Americans were receiving.

**SOCIETAL OUTBREAK **

Hip-Hop continued to gain popularity, while shedding light on the mistreatments African-Americans faced every day. In 1992, Dr. Dre released his first solo album titled “The Chronic”. This album had more sales than any Hip-Hop record ever, and arguably turned Hip-Hop mainstream. (Wheeler) Dre paints a vivid picture of what life is like in Compton California, and this alter reality is very appealing to a white audience proven by the sales this album achieved. This white audience can experience a harsher reality through Dre’s work, but can simply switch back to their own reality when convenient. A black listener cannot do this however, as they experience the everyday oppression Dre speaks of. This brings an interesting paradox within Hip-Hop music. Did this white audience have “a desire to transcend race or is it merely a new chapter in the long continuum of stereotyping, mimicry and cultural appropriation?” (Cliff)

PERSPECTIVE PASSER

The corporate seizing of Hip-Hop did not help to answer this question. It seems that the corporate invasion of Hip-Hop after its rising popularity “controlled hip hop's image & voice in ways that reinforce the racialized power structure.” (Wright) So is it fair for white listeners to call Hip-Hop “their” music? No. However, is it fair for only African-Americans to listen and participate in Hip-Hop? No. Hip-Hop is a beautiful art form that everyone should be able to enjoy. It offers unique views that help widen one’s perspective, no matter one’s race. It should be said however, white listeners and producers of Hip-Hop, such as myself, need to acknowledge the fact that we have an entitlement in regards to this genre as we have appropriated it from black culture. The black struggle that is emulated so often in Hip-Hop can be greatly appreciated and sympathized by a white listener, but at the end of the day a white listener can never experience those struggles for themselves. This gives white listeners an entitlement as they can just “take off” the Hip-Hop mask they chose to wear that society sees, a mask that represents violence, crime, and oppression.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Whites should not stop listening to or making Hip-Hop, they just need to realize it is a genre that was “stolen” in a sense from African-Americans. Hip-hop does offer great things to all listeners. I have discovered a way in which I can express myself through Hip-Hop, and I am grateful for that. Urban schools around the country are implementing Hip-Hop Based Education (HHBE) which “has resulted in many positive educational outcomes, ranging from teaching academic skills to teaching critical reflection at secondary levels.” (Love) Hip-Hop is becoming more integrated into society every day, and it should not stop now. It can be used as a tool for further desegregation, and a voice for those who are still not treated equally. That’s really HIP if you ask me.

 PS, here is my soundcloud if you would like to listen to any of the Hip-Hop music I have created: https://soundcloud.com/user-359210046-362701858/sets/m-a-d-middle-age-dad

   References

Kajikawa, Loren. "Hip Hop History in the Age of Color-Blindness." Journal of Music History Pedagogy 5.1, 2014, 117-23. Print.

Wheeler, Darby, director. Hip Hop Evolution . 2016, www.netflix.com/title/80141782.

Clift, Robert A., and Kanopy. Blacking up : Hip-hop's Remix of Race and Identity.

Wright, Kristine. "Rise Up Hip Hop Nation: From Deconstructing Racial Politics to Building Positive Solutions." Socialism and Democracy 18.2 (2004): 9-20. Print.

Love, Bettina. "What Is Hip-Hop-Based Education Doing in Nice Fields Such as Early Childhood and Elementary Education?" Urban Education 50.1 (2015): 106-31. Print.

N.p., n.d. DRAKE Web.

N.p., n.d. NWA Web.