Arts & Culture

The Calendar is certainly very important in our daily lives. The first calendar dates back to 11,000 years ago and was on a stone. Now, it has been modernized from a stone to the Julian Calendar, which was the calendar that was established 46 years before the birth of Christ; after that came the Gregorian Calendar, about 1,628 years later.

The calendar changes mainly happened in Europe, with most South-Eastern & South-Western African countries not using the Gregorian Calendar and having little exposure to it. This resulted in the Ge-ez Calendar, which is similar to the Julian Calendar due to the Romans occupying modern-day Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, giving exposure to them back then. But now, they have made their calendar 7-8 years behind our calendar. However, it is extremely impressive to invent such a calendar, and the fact that the Roman Empire sought power from modern-day Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco is genuinely amazing.

However, what were India and China doing with their calendars? India had the Vikram Samvat (invented during the Vikrama era which evolved later to the Gregorian Calendar, along with the Saka Calendar. The Chinese invented the Lunar Calendar, which is used all over the world now as a very important aspect of studying the moon and its stages, and the Chinese Calendar, which in the Gregorian Calendar starts around the end of January and the beginning of February. However, they did invent a baseline for the 365-day calendar to start with a 365 1/4.  And that's the Calendar.

Do you ever listen to country music? Country music is a genre of music. This is a style of music that is kind of like old-timey and even now kind of like country vibes. Country music is most popular in Nashville, Tennessee. In Nashville, Tennessee, everybody pretty much listens to country music. Country music is an important part of some people's lives.  Country music can also be defined as a music genre about life and kind of the story of Life. Multiple songs I've listened to are like 'what it's like when you're younger' or 'what's it's going to be like when you have kids,' and this all can relate back to the main idea of country music.

Country music is a style of music. As Jordan Davis said "Country music is you using your traditional voice And you're focusing on your traditional with the theme of your working class. For one example, the song Old Dominion Memory Lane, says, “If I could buy a house on memory lane I put my money down, And I sign my name."  These lyrics are signifying what this person would do if they could buy a house and how they would have a memory at this house. In the song  "By Dirt" by Jordan Davis, he says, "Watch their pencil marks in the grass in the yard all grow up. 'Cuz the truth about it is, they grow up so quickly. These lyrics signify how when you have kids, they're going to draw mud on their face, have a long young childhood, and then they're going to grow up so fast, so you should take in the moments with your kid."

Overall, country music is a great genre to listen to. It can calm your nerves, Give you perspective on life,and teach you so much.

Introduction

When you write music, it is important to know the structures, themes, and harmonies. Here are some examples:

Themes

Themes are very important in music; themes are what make the song sound right; without a theme, songs are very long (ex, Bruckner Symphony No. 7) .  If you write a multi-song piece (like a concerto or a symphony), you should have a theme. The movements should not have the same tempo or beat, but it should have a coincidence to it’s other movements. Themes are in almost every piece of music. The next time you listen to music, try to recognize the theme.

Structures

When I say structure, I mean medium, slow, fast, allegro, largo, or presto. In Concerti the structure usually starts with a theme that is really long and is used in different ways in every movement. In the middle, there is a slow and lyrical movement, and then with a choppy march that is a little fast (ex: Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5). Symphonies usually go medium, slow, active, and then finale. There are too many exceptions to say that is always the structure. The next time you listen to one of these examples, try to recognize the structure.

Harmonies 

Harmonies are great in music; they kind of add some gracefulness if major dramaticness if minor. They add a feeling to the song. Harmonies happen when two or more notes are heard playing together. Almost every song has harmonies, my favorite example is (ex: Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique) (it is also one of my favorite symphonies. Listen to this song, and you’ll hear the harmonies.

I hope you found this hopeful; I have used these techniques in my songs. 

If you are interested in playing the violin, this will cover the difficulties and challenges so you can decide to play it yourself. I will also share my story about playing the violin!

Let's start with the violin design. The violin is a string instrument that is largely considered to be one of the hardest instruments out there. Now, let's go to the violin's difficulties and challenges. 

1. Finger Placement

Finger placement is essential for making a good sound. If you misplace your fingers on the fingerboard, it will sound funny. You will not notice at first, but when your hearing gets better, you will notice the small changes in the sound when you slightly misplace your finger. Many teachers put tape on the fingerboard to build muscle memory, then remove the tape. But even still, when you have tape and slightly misplace your finger, it will sound wrong.

2. Holding the Bow

At first, you will think that using the bow is pretty straightforward; move the bow side to side while playing notes! But sadly, it's not that easy. If you don't know, there is a specific way to hold the bow and where to position the bow. Plus, you even have to account for the weight of the bow; you heard me right, you have to account for the weight of the bow. Suddenly, using a bow sounds difficult, huh? Don't worry; you will get over it soon enough.

3. Posture 

Posture is very important for playing the violin like a professional. It makes you look nice while you play and makes your playing nicer. Playing with good posture also amplifies the sound because the holes where the sound comes from face the audience. While posture may look easy, it is not. Remember to play and account for the bow's weight, read the notes with the correct finger placement, and more. Plus, proper posture causes serious muscle strain.

By the end of a 30-minute session, my back, arm, fingers, and legs were sore. You can either stand up or sit down. Sitting down is a bit easier because you can rest your legs; on the other hand, standing up is harder because you need to lock your legs in the standing position.

4. Reading the notes

Reading the notes is a whole other battle. According to the sheet music, you must know what finger and note to play. There are also different playing styles, like fast, slow, loud, soft, soft to loud, and many more. If you already know a different instrument, you probably already know the notes, and let me tell you, that is a huge perk when learning how to play the violin.

5. Multi-tasking

Now, keep in mind that you will be doing everything I just said together. You will be reading the notes, accounting for the bow weight, placing your fingers, alternating strings, and playing loud or soft, all while getting exponentially sore from the posture the entire time.

But fear not, my friends. We can counter all of these by showing perseverance! You have no idea how much never giving up helps! It may be hard at first, but you will get it after some practice and perseverance! The key is to practice and never give up, and I guarantee you will get it.

In June we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. What can we learn from the Sacred Heart?

"In the Sacred Heart, every treasure of wisdom and knowledge is hidden. In that divine heart beats God’s infinite love for everyone and for each of us as individuals."

– St. John Paul II