Don't Let Yourself be that Caged Bird!

Freedom has been searched for
Forever
Think of an eagle, for example
Caged up, it's like a prisoner
But when set free, it soars across the sky
Just like if you open your mind
You will see
so many new things
The world will be brighter
full of opportunities
Set your mind free
let your imagination run wild
You'll see some things
in a completely different way

Losing Myself

When I feel stressed, I sit down and draw.
It lets me express myself into art, being creative and honest.

If I feel emotional, I turn on the computer and start writing
I can throw all my anger or sadness or inspiration into a piece.

I read books when I get bored or just in my free time.
Losing myself in a good book is an amazing feeling to me.

A Musical Experience

Author's Note: This essay was an assignment for band class after our spring concert. The assignment was to write an evaluation essay in the point of view of a music critic. 

On Wednesday, March 6th, 2013, the 7th and 8th grade Asa Clark Middle school bands performed. The performance took place in the Pewaukee High School auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Beautiful music was played that night, and it was very moving and sent a clear message. There were some trip-ups, but both bands powered through and kept playing. Overall, the bands performed very well, and there was great expression and professionalism throughout. 

The 7th grade band performed first. They looked very professional through their whole performance, and I enjoyed it very much. In their first piece, the tone was a bit off, but they picked it up and played nicely in the second piece with the recognizable dynamics and flow. The third piece was nice, because the articulation made a big difference in how the piece sounded. I thought the fourth piece was very creative with the clapping rhythm, and the fifth piece was my favorite with the time signature and tempo changes. 

After the 7th grade band, the 8th grade band came up to the stage to fill the auditorium with music. Their performance was magical, because the pieces really communicated the messages they were supposed to. For example, in the first piece, the message was "war" and the band really showed that with their dynamics and expression. The second piece was definitely my favorite piece, because the story behind it was about a locomotive chase, and the band made it sound like there was an actual train in the auditorium! The flutes made a train whistle noise by bending flat, and the snare drums really sounded like a steam engine moving and speeding up. The rest of the performance was great, with good dynamics and expression.

Both performances were amazing, with any mistakes being forgotten by the musicality of each piece. The bands obviously worked very hard to perfect their performances, with a great conductor to pull it all together. The bands acted professional through their entire performance; not one student was out of line. I enjoyed the performance very much. 

Winter Needs to End

Author's note: I felt the need to rant because I am so tired of winter right now!

It's March, but the temperature outside makes you want to not get out of bed.

It's almost spring, yet it still snows nearly every day.

Earlier in winter, I was excited for tubing, skiing, ice skating.

Now it just seems like gray skies and white ground.

Every morning, I freeze outside waiting for the bus to come.

Even with a heavy winter coat and gloves, I still feel like a human popsicle. 

Rides in the car aren't fun anymore, either.

The snow turns into slush that makes the car slip and slide, not to mention it slows down traffic.

Wisconsin makes me want to hurl it into the sun sometimes.

Fahrenheit 451 Quote

"Five, six, seven days. And then, Clarisse was gone."

I think this line is meaningful because it makes you wonder what happened to Clarisse in those seven days. She was a character that really influenced Montag with her questions about if he is happy with his life. She wasn't necessarily brainwashed like most of the characters; that's what made her different. That means she could have had the brains to run away, or commit suicide.