Monday, November 25, 2013

The Music I Make

The dictionary defines value as the worth or cost of something. However, what if the worth of something is infinite? How is value defined then? I think, like many others, that the value of something can become so great that it is priceless, that money no longer has any affect on the giving of something so valuable. But what has so much value that it could be considered priceless? I think the best way to find out would be to find something priceless, but we would have to find something priced.
Ever since I was in the 6th grade I have played the Tenor Saxophone as my main instrument, and I have always loved it. It is still a shiny golden color and I use it in the school’s concert band. It has a great sound and I like using it in jazz pieces and I love playing with the band, and playing it brightens up my day. I consider my tenor saxophone an item of worth, and very important to me. I (and by I, I mean my mother) recently bought it for around $900, and is by far my most expensive instrument. It is priced because it is replaceable, although for $900 I would rather not. I like it but there are things that are worth much more to me.
Finding something thats priceless is a little more difficult, but still doable, and priceless things vary much more from person to person. One of the things that I consider priceless is my music, actually sometimes the music I make with my saxophone. I always liked music, and getting to play and make music is one of the best experiences that I have, and I get to do it almost every day. I have always had an interest in the arts, and even though I like sports, I have always been much more interested in the arts. Acting and music are my favorite things to do. What I like about music is that it is so diverse and distinct and can have such feeling and emotion that it is never the same. Music has the power to make people feel emotions without talking, and the can be happy or sad, angry or calm. I like to play music because, first, I like to be with other musicians who like to play music like I do and who understand the impact music has in some peoples lives and how music is good for people. Second, I like to play for people to make them feel happy and sometimes sad, or at least make them feel something because that is the beauty of music, that it can make you feel. No amount of money is able to replace making music because making music with people who understand why music is so great is one of the best things to do and for those who have never gotten to make music, I would surely recommend it.
There are usually differences between items of different values, but there are usually similarities too, even between priced and priceless items or experiences. While one be touched and one cannot, and one is real and one isn’t, both my tenor saxophone and my music make me happy, they are things that make make me happy. I prefer to think that happiness is the true determination of worth.


So what if you don’t think making music is priceless? Or have never thought of an instrument of something of value? Well then first off I’m guessing you probably have never made music or played an instrument. If you have and still aren’t convinced then I suggest you do try and find something priceless if you haven’t already, because every time you find something priceless, money becomes less and less important and understanding that money is not the most critical piece of a good lifestyle is something a lot of people could use.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Speak Final Assessment

Speak Final Assessment

    1.One time, I was at lunch, about to go sit with my friends in some time around 4th Grade and I was pretty new to the idea of popularity. Some of the more popular kids wanted me to sit at their table, even though I was about to sit with my friends (the friends I had already). My inner voice told me to sit with my friends and ignore them because they were probably jerks anyway. I wanted to walk away, but I my outer voice couldn’t say no to them because I looked up to them, and I sat them. So I ended up sitting with the popular kids over my friends and they turned out to be really cool and nice. For some reason I thought my friends would be be super angry, I mean hey, I was young, I didn’t know how my friends would react to this. Obviously my friends didn’t mind and now some of the kids I actually sat with are now my friends too so while sometimes inner and outer voice conflicts go badly, I was lucky enough to have had everything work out.I made some new friends and with no harm to me or my old friends.

    2. I was playing baseball earlier this year, and I was playing against a fairly tough team and I was up to bat with men on second and first base. I got two strikes and ball and the man at first got picked off so that now there were two outs. I had to get a hit. I knew in my head that I had to swing or I would get out, he was going to throw a strike. So I got ready as he drew his arm back to throw. I could see it coming down the middle. I reared back, ready to hit it. I got my arms around and made contact for a long double into left field. The man that was on second scored and I was so fast I could have almost made it to third. I had done well because I had listened to my inner voice’s instincts. If I had let that ball go by, I would have let down the team and myself. The moral of this story is trust yourself and listen to the voice inside your head because it is the most important voice you hear and you have to be with it your entire life.

    3A. “ I just want to sleep. The whole point of not talking about it, of silencing the memory, is to make it go away. It won’t (81). This is inner and outer voice discord. Her outer voice says she doesn’t want to talk about what happened and hide away. She says that going to sleep will solve her problems. But her inner voice actually does want her to talk with somebody, that she needs to get her feelings off her chest. She doesn’t want to admit it, but she is emotionally damaged and needs to let it go by learning to speak.