Thursday 16 August 2012

Review


For the browse and find a blog on the internet that interests you, I have done it on a blog about poverty. I have done it on poverty because I believe that poverty  is a big issue and that it needs to be addressed. In the review I will be stating on why I liked the blog post, whether it was structured clearly and if the blog had features that appealed to me.
The main reason that I liked this blog is that it addressed the point that poverty needed to be taken more seriously. It hit hard when the blog was stating that all human beings deserve a right to be enjoying asylum from other countries and Australia is just turning them away without a care in the world. The first to sentences are also confronting as stated: Another World Refugee Day has come and gone, so are things really changing here in Australia? The 2012 Theme for World Refugee Day was Refugees have no choice. You do.’ This quote is very sad as it points out that we have the power to save these asylum seekers but instead we are turning them away.
The second point is about how well the blog was structured and if the features of the blog had appealed to me in any way. The blog was structured to some degree as it was all in its own column with advertisements on the side and links to other sites and blogs on similar topics. I especially liked that there was a very nice picture of a tree with text saying ‘make a wish to end poverty. What I didn’t like was that the background of the blog was very plain, although it may have been better to leave it like that instead of having a picture that would distract me, but that is my opinion.
Overall this was a very good blog about poverty, stating the on how we as a country have the power to help people.The structure was organised and the features were attractive. I also realized that with blogs you can spread news about topics just like this to tell people on how we can change the world.
Link: http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au/2012/06/27/world-refugee-day-2012/

What it would have been like...


Up until I wrote this blog and started studying about media in English I had not really thought of how music has changed. So I will be going to imagine what it would have been like to listen to music before the invention of computers, radios, television, anything that can play music with the use of technology.
In the early 1750’s, where the only way I could listen to music was to go out on the streets and go see a performing act or bards on the street who would play music for a living. I can imagine many people crowding around this one person who would hold a violin and play a song that had everyone smiling and clapping their hands to the beat. If I wanted to share this to my friends and family I could not just download the song and show them, I would have to tell them to come along later and hope that the performer was still playing or wait for travelling performers to come to town and play us some tunes.
If there were computers available then it would have been so  much more easier to  share music with other people but thinking about having a great time with friends and family, I might have preferred to just go outside and listen to someone perform for us.
Although I can imagine listening to music but not being able to share it with ease like now, I feel that live performances are better, which is true. It is the reason that people go to concerts for their favourite band. It’s not to always see their favourite artists up close but to also experience the music live, with more feeling and having that atmosphere that can only come with live concerts.

Music's Evolution


Music has evolved a lot in the past hundred years. In the 1750’s there was a style of music called Baroque Music, more commonly known as classical music nowadays. This style of music was one of the only and popular styles and the musicians who performed them would have performed at courts for Kings and Queens or other important figures of a nation. 
Later on, in the 1900’s, music began to expand exponentially with the creation of blues, ragtime and jazz. This was from between 1900-1930 (around then) and was very popular. The creation of these styles of music are the reason that they call the 1920’s ’The Roaring Twenties’. Many people were celebrating the end of the World War and jazz was able to express that feeling more so than the classical style. 
After this rock, hip hop, punk and a lot more was created. There were many artists from this period that became very famous. These styles became very popular, maybe because it was new and people wanted to try out new things. Some of the artists were The Beatles, Elvis Presley, ACDC, Chuck Berry, Iron Maiden and Metallica. (I added all the Rock and Roll artists because I’m a big fan of rock J). Music had definitely begun to expand at this point but it was not finished. 
Music was still developing, even after this huge outburst of genres. However, with the advancement of technology, the new styles now involved less of the traditional guitars, drums and bass and involved the use of technology. Some examples of these would be electronic, dubstep, Party music, pop , and various other styles. Although I like some of the new styles, I still believe that the music from the 60’s-80’s had the more talented musicians. Granted there are still many artists who use guitars and bands who have the usual setup but there are many of the mainstream music that are not to my taste. (1 Direction and Justin Bieber mainly).
The Evolution of Music is extraordinary as it started from one style and then evolved into hundreds, possibly thousands, of different genres and styles that are shared to the world.

My experience with Music


In my previous blog I stated that Music had a big impact on my life. In this post I will be going to go more in depth about what impact music has had on my life and how it has affected me ever since.

My first real experience with music, when I had an actual band that I really liked, was when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I had been visiting my friends in Sydney and he was showing me some music from Linkin Park. I absolutely loved rock music and since then and to this day I really like rock music.

About two years after that my school friends had introduced me to a band called Pendulum. Pendulum was a band that made sort of eccentric, drum and bass type of music but was very popular in England. I loved it instantly. During that time it was all I listened to and I pretty much refused to listen to anything else. My favourite songs that they had made were called Propane Nightmares and The Island (Part 1). These songs were my favourite because they had a very catchy tune that is really awesome.

Nowadays, I realized how stupid it is to only listen to one genre of music. I now listen to some of the mainstream music and also some underground artists on YouTube and other music websites. My favourite type of music now is probably electro/drum and bass style of music.

 I have also started to listen to foreign music, such as Japanese Rock and Korean pop, which are awesome. Listening to music in another language is sometimes very confusing but through music, you don’t really need to understand the words to find the meaning behind them. Music has had a big impact on my life as it helped me to realize that by keeping an open mind on things, you are able to experience the best.
                                                         Propane Nightmares

Why is Music entertaining?


Why is music so entertaining? Music has had a big impact on my life as I’m sure it has on other people’s lives. I believe that the reason that music is so appealing to a lot of people is because there are so many different styles and genres it is very hard to not like some of them. Music can be played pretty much anywhere, anytime with friends, family and by yourself. It is a great way to relax and brings happiness and meaning to life.

Music has been a way of life for generations, dating back to even the early Egyptians (maybe further but I don’t know). Music is a major part of culture, being forms of entertainment and also part of traditional dances. Music defines cultures, people and places and creates different atmospheres. A good example of this is a funeral, where sad music is played, whereas at a concert lively music is played to pump up the crowd.

I love music for this reason, that there is always a song that can fit the mood and be able to lift up your spirits. Music can take you back to places, relive memories or just make you feel better. Music can make you feel in your comfort zone and relaxing as you listen to music. What makes music very interesting is that music creates groups of people, although not always so defined. One example of this is that most gangsters listen to RnB. I find it amazing that music can bring people together, everyone sharing their love for music.

 I believe that this is why people find music so appealing, because the song they like can take them to almost to another world and there is always a song that fits the mood, no matter how joyful or sad.
                                                         A song that best describe Music :)