Breeze

Reading Response (Quarter 3)

Summary (Ch. 14-20) :
The main events of this section are Dar reaching Toreg’s camp, finding his great uncle Seelan and getting and using his spear thrower from Toreg. After Dar’s long journey, he stays in a cave with Seelan and also learns how to carve well, hoping to eventually make another spear thrower. Dar also makes the trade with Toreg, his sunstone for the spear thrower. Dar practices a lot to try to get the technique of throwing because he isn’t very good at it, and he wants to be able to use the spear thrower well. Finally, at the end of these chapters, Dar leaves Toreg’s camp and sets off on his journey.

Connection:
My connection is a Text to Self connection (T-S). When Dar was practicing with his spear thrower and he couldn’t hit the tree and bush, he felt frustrated, the same feeling I have when I first think I can do something easily and then it turns out it’s really hard and aches. One example is the Sit and Reach test in PE. It looks so easy to do well when I see my other classmates do it, but when I try, it is really hard for me and I don’t do well.

A Poem About Dar:

D aring, disobeying Kenok when he was only a child.

A wed, clearly inspired by the spear thrower and set out to trade for it

R eally determined because although he almost died, he made it past Bone Lake

In Art, we worked with acrylics to paint a tiger using warm/cool colors on canvas. The background had to be the opposite color of the tiger. My tiger was painted with warm colors and my background was painted with cool colors.

I learned a lot of new things and techniques working with acrylic paint. When you blend, you can’t mix the two colors together too much, or else they will not look good and smear. Blending is great because it enhances the look of your object and isn’t just a plain color. You also should try to avoid clumps or clusters of paint on your painting because it will be lumpy and look ugly. You also need to use the correct amount of paint because if you use too much, it will be thick and if you use too little, you can see the color of the canvas in the background and the colors will not stand out that much. You can also add a little water to the paint so that it gets a special look and isn’t so dry. Then it is easier to use. Too much water will make your painting look runny and not have the characteristics of acrylic paint.

In this project, I liked blending acrylics and experimenting with new colors most. It was fun to change plain orange to light orange with streaks of yellow and red. It really enhanced the look of my painting and I loved doing this part. The choices of colors were also awesome and there were many color combinations that I could use. I also liked playing around with the color choices for the background, blending diverse colors and choosing shades to put on the canvas.

I am proud of my finished painting. I think I did the best I could and it looks very nice to me. The colors compliment each other and the tiger stands out from the background. It is one of my favorite pieces of art I have done. ;D

CD Listening Project

Compared to other pieces, this piece of work isn’t the best one ever, but the history behind this piece is amazing.

Title of CD: Mozart Collection
Title of Piece: Symphony No. 1 in E flat major, KV. 16
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performing Artist(s): Berlin Philharmonic (Karl Bohm)

This is my last piece for my CD listening project, and I had a choice to do any type of music. I was wondering what to do when my violin tutor told me about Mozart’s first symphony, one that he composed when he was only eight or nine years old. I thought it would be interesting to listen to his music composed at such a young age. It is actually extraordinarily wonderful since he composed it at only eight/nine years old.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the most well-known composers of all time. He was born in Salzburg, Austria on January 27, 1756. He had composed many styles of music and he had many notable works. Mozart was a child prodigy that started playing a clavichord at the age of three and performed his first public concert at the age of five. Mozart became very famous and toured many countries, giving successful concerts. A random but interesting fact I found out about him is that at the age of seven,  he picked up a violin and sight-read the second part of a work with complete accuracy, despite his never having had a violin lesson. Mozart died young on December 5, 1791, at the age of 34 years old.

In this piece, there are three main sections; Molto Allegro (4/4), Andante (2/4) and Presto (3/8). The first section is a quick piece, alternating from slow legato notes to fast staccato notes. It sounds quite lively and I like the way the first and second violin parts accompany each other really well.

The second section is slower and it is constantly accompanied by sixteenth notes in the background. I like the way it sounds quiet and peaceful and smooth. It is very different from the first section. It stays soft and sometimes leads up to a crescendo and plays the end of the part.

The last section is very fast and energetic. There are lots of crescendos and decrescendos in this piece and it is played very obviously. This part has a lot of character and is exciting  to listen to because it makes you wonder whether there is going to be a big crescendo or decrescendo next.

I enjoyed hearing this piece and it is very fun to listen to a piece composed by a young child. I have heard Mozart’s later works and it is cool to see his development in his compositions. I suggest that you should listen to many of Mozart’s symphonies and see the changes in his style. It is actually quite fascinating. Enjoy!

Quarter 2:

~ If you had to leave your home unexpectedly, what five objects would you bring and why?

I skipped home after school and into my neighborhood. Something seemed wrong though, because the air was still and every house seemed deserted. I turned open my doorknob and entered my house, dumping my school bag on the ground, like I always did. All of a sudden, my mom rushed toward me, looking panicky and then tightly gripped my arm and cried, as if she didn’t believe it,
“We’re leaving Shanghai. Right now.”
“WHAT?” I gasped, stunned.
“No questions, come on! We’re being evacuated, and each of us is only allowed to bring five objects,” my mom practically shrieked. I pushed past my mom and climbed up the stairs. Dashing to my room, I tried to decide what to bring, knowing that we’d get the basic necessities such as food, water and shelter. I realized that I should pack objects of entertainment or things that I valued most. I grabbed my bulky wallet, filled with my lifetime savings from birthdays, special occasions and my meager amount of pocket money because it was something I valued and would like to have with me for all times, just in case something bad happens. I also brought my backpack to store my items so that I didn’t have to carry everything by hand. I shoved in my laptop for entertainment in case my family had a long layover somewhere. Then, I snatched my old, battered phone lying on my desk because my parents and I had passports of different nationalities and if we were to be evacuated to our home country (the one on your passport), we would be separated and I could call them so we could arrange to meet up. Then I hesitated for a second, knowing that I was only allowed to bring one more object.
“Melisa, ready yet?” my mom hollered from downstairs.
“Almost, almost” I murmured, trying to think of a final object to bring. Then something bright, placed at the corner of my room, caught my eye. It was a toy I had had ever since I was born. I gently picked it up and placed it in my backpack. Finally, I gave one last sweeping look around my room and gently closed the door, hoping that someday I’d be able to return home. I closed my eyes, made a wish, and then descended down the stairs to meet my unknown fate.

PS. (for cindee) This is a journal entry which is fiction and I wrote it using the prompt.

CD Listening Project

This piece is one of my favorite orchestra pieces and it is energetic and lively.

Title of CD: Franz Liszt
Title of Piece: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6
Composer: Franz Liszt
Performing Artist(s): Nuremburg Symphony

Franz Liszt is a composer of the 19th century. He was born in Hungary on October 22, 1811. He began learning at the age of six and performed in many concerts and recitals. As a well known composer and Romantic pianist, Liszt died on July 31, 1886 in Bayreuth.

The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 is part of the 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies composed by Franz Liszt. They were written for piano and then were arranged for orchestra. The Rhapsodies are based on Hungarian art music once played by gypsy musicians. Rhapsody No. 6 is in D-flat major. This piece used a gypsy scale which is a scale used in Gypsy music. The Hungarian Gypsy scale can be made by raising the fourth degree of the harmonic minor scale. (see below)

This piece is divided into three main sections. The first one is the introduction, the second is called Lassan and the final section is Friska. In the introduction, it is very slow-paced and the melody is played low. It sounds quite peaceful. The second section is livelier and the melody is on the violin and is high. Then there is a big decrescendo and becomes very silent. The very last section is energetic and loud (forte) most of the time but halfway between this section is is very soft and sweet. Finally, towards the end, it gets loud and a trumpet plays along. The piece ends by returning the same style as in the beginning and ends very extravagantly. In this piece, a band accompanies the strings orchestra and they play in harmony.

I enjoy the way the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 is split up into three main parts and I like the different dynamics used in this piece. This piece has made me appreciate the style of music and I want to listen to the other Hungarian Rhapsodies! This piece is excellent and you should listen to Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6, if not all of them!

CD Listening Project

This is a well-known Strauss waltz that is very beautiful and flowing.

Title of CD: Strauss Waltzes
Title of Piece: On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Op. 314
Composer: Johann Strauss Jr.
Performing Artist(s): Vienna Opera Orchestra

Born on October 25, 1825 in Vienna,  Johann Strauss Jr. was an Austrian composer. He composed lots of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles and other types of dance music. He also composed several operettas and a ballet. He was known as “The Waltz King” during his lifetime and was responsible for the popularity of the waltz in Vienna during the 19th century. Strauss died of double pneumonia on June 3, 1899.

A waltz is a popular ballroom dance,
especially in the 19th century. It is in 3/4 time.

The most famous piece that Strauss composed is this piece, On the Beautiful Blue Danube. Just like it’s name, this waltz is very beautiful and each part flows into the next. There are two characters in this piece. One is very lively and exciting, and another one is sweet, beautiful and flowing. In the piece, it alternates between both characters. At the beginning, it starts out soft and the flute plays a nice accompaniment to the strings in the and compliments the main tune. Then the same, wonderful tune melody is played a few times, in different variations, and gets louder and louder. In the middle, it gets more exciting and louder and is lively. The brass section is used a bit in this part. Then, towards the end, it gets louder and louder, repeating the same tune as the one in the beginning, then all of a sudden gets really soft (piano). Then it ends grandly and loudly (forte).

In this piece, I like the part in the background that keeps the 3/4  waltz beat. It makes the tune sound very much like a waltz and I can just picture the people dancing to this song. This is quite a long song but it is very wonderful and it is one of my favorite string songs.

CD Listening Project

This is a lively piece that will keep you awake.

Title of CD: Concert Encores!
Title of Piece: Overture to Lohengrin
Composer: Richard Wagner
Performing Artist(s): London Festival Orchestra

Richard Wagner is a 19th century composer and a poet, born on May 22, 1813 in Leipzig, Germany. He mainly composes operas, which he is famous for. He also is known for excerpts from his operas such as preludes and overtures, like this one. Wagner passed away in Venice on February 13, 1883 of a heart attack. The London Festival Orchestra is British. It was established as the ‘house orchestra’ for Decca Records in 1950. It was incorporated as an independent performing orchestra in 1980 and made a big impact in UK and abroad.

This piece is very lively with a mix of brass and strings. The beginning starts out loud so you know it is going to be a fast-paced song. The strings part is very high and the brass plays the melody most of the time. At about the middle of the piece there is a big decrescendo and the piece gets more beautiful and relaxing. Finally, for the end, it gets livelier and has a big crescendo and ends with a nice, extravagant “bang”. I really like the way the mood of the piece changes in the middle and becomes nice and sweet, then goes back to being lively and fast-paced. This is a piece with excellent character and feeling. It is definitely a wonderful piece to listen to and I really recommend it.

CD Listening Project

This is a famous piece that I enjoy. It is very exciting and energizing.

Title of CD: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
Title of Piece: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Composer: Ludwig Van Beethoven
Performing Artist(s): Ljubljana Radio Symphony

Ludwig Van Beethoven was born on December 15, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He was a very talented performer and composer and composed music even when he was deaf. Beethoven died in 1827 in Vienna at the age of 56. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is very famous all around the world. The Ljubljana’s most popular piece they’ve performed is this piece, Beethoven’s Symphony No.5.

There are four movements in this piece, Allegro con brio, Andante con boto, Allegro (attacca) and Allegro. In this piece, you can hear the loud sound of the orchestra. The first movement is very fast paced and action packed with many accents and crescendos. The first movement is also the most famous movement in the piece. I like how there are many crescendos and decrescendos that add to the character of the piece. In this movement, it has a loud and active part, then slows down and is slow for a bit. Then it has a big crescendo and gets very loud again. There is a little brass in the background that sometimes accompanies the strings.

The second movement is a little similar to the first, but it sounds happier, more grand and majestic. The third movement is more mysterious and slow in the beginning, but it sometimes (more towards the end) gets loud (forte) and is very vivacious and lively. The final movement is also very famous and very lively and loud and is a very energetic piece. My favorite movement is the first one because it is extremely lively and I really enjoyed the accents and crescendos. This is a very exciting piece that will wake you up. I liked the way this piece has a big character that is loud and brings out the full sound of the notes and emphasizes on crescendos and forte markings. Overall, this piece is very wonderful and grand sounding. I enjoyed it a lot, and if you have free time, you should try to listen to it too.

Reflection

Today in Science class we had to practice filming ourselves showing the water cycle using a green screen. It was quite hard and the background kept moving so the quality was bad. I knew my information really well though and I was well rehearsed so I am confident that when I do my final recording, my information will be good. The only thing I am concerned about is that the background will mess up. Let’s hope technology will work with me on that day!

Just take a second to think about this picture. Which way is up? (:

~melisa