"Inspiration Information" // Shuggie Otis

• The song feels very sunny, upbeat, and funky.
• The use of organ and the classic funk-style guitar helps to create a very happy feeling. The rhythm of the drums adds the upbeat feeling.
• The musician chose to play a distinct style of guitar to achieve the essential funk sound. If he had chosen to play the guitar using constant down-strokes or distortion, the overall feeling the song produced would be much different.

"Semeadores"

Subject: Labor

Occasion: Early 20th century Mexico

Audience: Laborers or Mexicans

Purpose: To convey the plight of the Mexican workers

Speaker: Someone who understands the hardships of these laborers

Tone: Sympathetic

The idea that Rivera is trying to get across is that the laborers of Mexico are bound to their work, and they unable to rise above their class level. He emphasizes the fact that they're bound to the work by using the same organic lines of the hills to shape the workers. The fact that they are faceless helps to show that this is the plight of many people, not just a couple.

Creative Process

Wilco's process for writing a song consisted of coming up with the ideas for a song as a group and then deconstructing that into something completely different. My creative process for writing involves brainstorming ideas on the topic and forming a mental outline. I then use these ideas to write my piece.

Nostalgia

• Nostalgia is a sense of fond remembrance of a time that you enjoyed.
• The first song that played, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock", gives me a mental image of men in quintessential 60's suits and women wearing nice dresses all dancing together. The next one, "Sixteen Candles", makes me picture a scene with a romantic dinner between a young couple on the girl's birthday.
• My childhood is filled with images of countless cartoons, video games, and junk food. I can vividly taste the Oreos that I so desperately devoured. I can still smell the distinct aroma of my grandparents' house. I can practically see the screen while playing Chip's Challenge or a round of JezzBall. I also still remember the tunes to every hit The Cars put out.

"The Pinch of Poverty"

• Poverty can be caused by many of the following situations: lack of job opportunities, being born into poverty, only one source of income, being unemployed, etc.
• The artist portrays poverty in a negative light by using dull, gloomy neutral colors and solemn looks on the faces of the family members.
• The message may be that poverty is bondage, but that optimism can help one to become liberated.
• One element that backs this message up is the contrast between the dull colors and the bright yellow of the flowers. The little girl holding the flowers - presumably to sell them - appears more hopeful about the family's current predicament. The placement of the bars behind the rest of the family seems to display that these people will remain imprisoned by poverty, but the girl has no bars behind her and appears to be stepping out of the situation, out of the poverty.

Reading Response 1

"Live Free and Starve"
In this article, Chitra Divakaruni makes the assertion that the bill to stop the import of goods into the U.S. produced by child labor is a bad thing. She makes the argument that this will cause many child laborers to lose their only source of income. Even though she understands that the life of a child laborer is less than favorable, she strongly believes that child labor is necessary for these children to survive. She states, "It seems conceivable to us that someone could actually prefer bread to freedom." Although I do see her point, I still strongly support the passing of this bill. As Americans, our ethics dictate that freedom is important over all. If we were to suppress our own moral beliefs when dealing with child labor, we would lose what little integrity we still cling to. I am biased, however, because I can only see this situation from the perspective of an American, having never actually witnessed child labor.

"The Singer Solution to World Poverty"
In this article, Peter Singer explains his reasoning about the morality of donations to charities, and he makes many harsh accusations. His stance is that when we spend money on luxuries, we are using money that could be used to save suffering children, and this is morally wrong. Singer uses many examples that display his ideals concerning charitable donations. Though he makes a few strong arguments, Singer's evaluation of the similarities between the film Central Station and neglecting to donate to charities is questionable to say the least. He even compares those who believe in "follow-the-crowd ethics" to Nazis. Personally, I strongly believe that many of his comparisons and convictions were in bad taste. I would agree that it is important for those of us who are fortunate to help those in need, but he believes that there is an absolute moral obligation to do so. He disagrees that the impersonal nature of donating to charities makes a difference. Even though he is only trying to explain his point, Singer comes off as aggressive and narrow-minded, and I'm confident that this will limit the persuasive effect of the article.

Déjà Entendu ("Round and Round" // Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti)

Today, we listened to the track "Round and Round" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, one that I had already heard a while back, and it is still on my iPod. As far as my personal opinion is concerned, I really enjoy this song because of the poppy hooks and the acknowledgement of aspects from multiple decades of music. The sounds meld together so well with the smooth keyboards and the reverb-laden vocals. I like the balance of the different instruments because it creates a very full sounding song.

Musical facts about the song:

1. There are harmonized vocals.
2. It features the use of synthesizers.

These musical facts I just listed definitely influence my opinion on the song. Though I may listen to a wide variety of genres, I admit that I am partial to the use of synthesizers if done correctly. I also really like when an artist or band chooses to layer multiple vocal tracks into a song. My opinion and what I picked out are related in the way that they were both decided by what I immediately noticed about the song. The most obvious parts of a song are usually what determine my opinion. When I am presented with certain musical facts, I form an opinion based on how I feel about these facts, and this is often different that the opinions of others. Because of all of this, I would say that I do have a bias.