Current Events Analytic Response

The CD is one of the most controversial issues in music today. While almost all professional musicians still use them, sales of CDs have been rapidly declining for years. This is primarily due to the rise of Internet sites that allow for free downloading of music. People usually will not go out and buy a CD when they can obtain the exact same material for free from their own home. There is debate over whether or not this is actually hurting artists, as more people will hear their music, which could help to build a strong fanbase. Regardless, these new forms of downloading music are changing the industry, for better of for worse. Now that most people buy just one song off iTunes, or download only the tracks that they want to hear, the idea of a concept album will be much more rare. It will still happen, just as some people still buy records, but it will not be attemped as often. While most mainstream musicians suffer greatly from the lack of CD sales, underground bands have not had as much of a problem keeping their sales up. Generally, the less mainstream a band is, the more devoted their fans will be, although there are less fans. While those who argue that CDs aren't dead and/or dying point out that CDs make up 3/4 of all music sold, they don't give any tmeframe for that, and probably have no way of knowing exactly how much music is downloaded illegally from many interenet sites, so this statistic is flawed. They do make a good point when they say that CDs aren't completely done, they are just becomnig more and more difficult to sell. It is possible that CDs will come back if the methods of CD sale are completely revamped to keep up with the changing times. For now, we know that the music industry is changing, we just don'tknow where its going.

"What Am I Doing Blogging?"

In reading this blog and power point presentation, I feel that I have gained some perspective on religion's effect on education, and the underlying reason for both viewpoints on integrated religion on school. Many argue that religion should be taught separately from academics, and the government has made it clear that they will teach evolution and not creationism. I think that this is the right call, because creationism has already been proven wrong, and I don't understand how people still support. In her blog, Val used a political cartoon to portray the effect that teaching creationism would have on academics. To me it seems like a step down intellectually from what we have now, considering where science is today. I agree with her ideas on the subject: "No teacher should be pressing ideas or beliefs on another. If a student wants to learn about his or her religion, he or she can find time to do so outside of school." This entire belief is backed up by the basic ideas of being an American. Freedom of religion is a guaranteed right, and I don't see how this freedom doesn't apply to schools. It makes no sense that people feel that they have the right to override this freedom, just because they want to force their beliefs on others.

Chronicles of the Chosen One

Carl's Blog was focused on Hispanic immigrants to the United States, and it covered a very large spectrum of their situations, ways to fix them, and ways people have already tried to fix them. The presentation is laid out in a very clear, easy to understand way that covers the entire issue. He talked about their lack of education, and how there is a cycle that is keeping Hispanic immigrants down, forcing them to keep low paying jobs. Carl also wrote about this issue from the point of view of a short story by Thomas Rivera. I also learned about civil rights leaders, like Cesar Chavez, who fought for illegal immigrant's rights by forming the American Farm Workers Association. The statistics used to back up his information were very effective too, showing not only the tiny amount of money that immigrants make, but the way that it ruins the economy. His message on what it means to be an American also spoke to me, as it showed how Hispanic immigrants have no opportunities, while many others do.

The CD is Not Obsolete

This opposing article point out that while many mainstream artists have suffered the effects of music pirating and downloading on CD sales, music retailers that cater to customers with specific tastes and carry specialized selections have not been hit by the dwindling CD sales of major label artists. Also online retailers like Amazon have continued to sell CDs. "It is the old methods of selling CDs that are dying off, not the CD itself—at least for a long time." This article also point out that CDs make up 3/4 of all music sold. While they believe that CDs are still alive, they see that it is becoming more and more difficult to sell CDs.

Daniel Gross. "The CD Is Not Obsolete." At Issue: What Is the Future of the Music Industry?. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 11 Feb. 2010 .

The CD is Obsolete

"The hard copy, album-form compact disc will die. It is happening," says Don Gorter, chair of the Music Business Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In this artice, it is stated that a fundamental change in the conception of music, and the way it is bought and sold, is not only on its way, but already here. We see this in technological advancements like iTunes and other internet sites that allow for free, and often illegal, ways of obtaining music. The recording industry as we know it is completely reinventing itself, as not only ways of buying and selling music are being completely changed, but ways of recording it as well. While in the past musicians have had to go into studios to get a high quality recording, it is easier than ever to get this quality in any home studio.

The record industry is also allowing people to purchase or download one song, as opposed to entire albums as it was in the past. This will completely change the future of music, and in my opinion, it is for the worse. Many older albums from bands like The Beatles, and Pink Floyd were concept albums, where the entire album was one piece of work composed of different songs that tell one larger story. This gave a more intimate connection between the listener and the music, which is something I've always enjoyed. The CD is becoming more and more obselete, and while it is inevitable because of the changing record industry, I think that it will have a negative impact on music to come.

Daniel B. Wood. "The CD Is Obsolete." At Issue: What Is the Future of the Music Industry?. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 11 Feb. 2010 .

Literary Analytic Response

"Sonny's Blues," was a short story written by James Baldwin. It tells a story of two brothers who lived in Harlem. While the older of the two was a teacher, the younger aspired to be a jazz pianist. The story is told from the perspective of the older brother. The younger brother's name is Sonny, and his older brother doesn't think that playing jazz is a good idea. This is representative of how music affected American History, as Sonny strived for some form of success in life, and couldnt obtain it the way that the already wealthy white people could. Music was his only option if he wanted to get out of Harlem. Eventually, the narrator decides to give Sonny a chance, and lets him live with his wife, because she has a piano. Sonny practices the piano nonstop when he lives there, from the time when he gets home from school, which he actually never went to very often because he was playing jazz and doing drugs with his "jazz friends" in Greenwich Village. The way that he played, without stopping at all for whenever he was home until everyone went to sleep, was representative of his attempt to escape from Harlem. He eventually is arrested in a heroin bust, after being kicked out of his school for not attending class. After getting out of rehab, Sonny meets his brother, who recently lost his two year old daughter, giving him some insight to Sonny's problem. Sonny goes back to Greenwich Village to play with his old jazz friends in concert. The narrator goes to see Sonny play for the first time. He sees that Sonny is highly revered for his musical talent.

Later Jazz to Modern Jazz

As swing music grew into the most popular form of music in America, musicians became more and more likely to play jazz and experiment with the style of music. With rapid and diverse population growth and concentration of people in cities, along with the introduction of the mass media, it became easier for the music to become widespread. Big band leaders like Duke Ellington were the first to become famous. He directed his big band from the time he started it in the mid 1920's until his death in 1974. Throughout this entire time period, he managed to maintain popularity with his innovative swing music. In the 1940's and 50's, a new form of jazz, called bebop, emerged. This style was generally played by smaller combos as opposed to big bands. Musicians like Charlie Parker and John Coltrane pioneered this complex, demanding, style of jazz. The improvisation became more difficult than ever, as they experimented with constantly changing harmonic variations and rhythms. Not only did they push the boundries of music at the time, but they pushed the boundries of their social standings, as many bebop musicians also were very involved in the civil rights movement.

"jazz." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 9 Feb. 2010. .