Too be honest, this week was not a good week in consideration of my Curation Website. I continued to research my topic, however, I could not find any new useful information. I don't know if it was because I cannot think of the next step to Improvisation, but finding new information was very tough.
When I think of a step, I continue to find flaws in them and decide to think of a new one. I don't know if it's because I am over analyzing everything. Maybe for this coming week I should just shoot for anything that pops up in my head. After I come up with an idea, then I should work on top of it rather than getting a step perfectly at the first attempt
I know in my last post, I said that I wanted to overcome my obstacles and think of the next steps without making mistakes of skipping a step. However, this time, I couldn't even come up with a step. I guess in a way, this week's obstacle was getting over last week's obstacles. Constantly, I researched, but everything I found did not help me all too much.
However, I did find additional information for my previous steps such as videos from Youtube. I found a couple, but I don't know which one would be the most of helpful because all of these videos are with the guitar or piano. I need to find a video that can help people with any instrument, not just specifics.
For next week, I am hoping to be more creative in my thinking. I want to think in different approaches to come up with more and more steps opposed to hitting a wall, coming up with nothing. I need to find my own style and flow to make my blog unique; I want my blog to be one of a kind that everyone talks about. I want to help the future musicians.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Curation Progress Report: Week 2
This week, as usual, I continued to research on the steps to be an amazing improviser on any instrument. Last week, I put "Knowledge" as my first step to improvising; and I said knowledge of the scales is the most important thing before learning how to improvise. However, after researching this week, I realized knowledge of the scales is not the first step. The first step is knowledge, but a different kind of knowledge.
The actual first step is the knowledge of notes! Before I even began my curation website, I wanted something that was easy and simple to help my viewers to take improvisation one baby step at a time. But I realized that I jumped the gun and I assumed that each viewer already knew all of the notes and can play scales right away. So this week I knew I had to take a step back for my viewers.
For my curation website, the biggest obstacle I am facing is to finding the next step. I constantly have an "ah hah" moment, but then once I start to build on top of it, I realize it's wrong. There's always a step I skip and miss, which is not good because I need to provide that information to my viewers who are trying to learn.
However, regardless of these obstacles, I know there will be more and I have to overcome them. So my next three steps I want to take is to find my next two steps by next week. I want to be able to move on to my next two steps of the improvisation process without moving backwards. Secondly, I want to find some good videos of tutorials that can help my viewers have a visual. Third, I want to make my website more appealing. I feel like it's kind of dull, but I have to learn how to catch more of the viewers' eyes.
One thing i can do to make the project run more smoothly is by not doing my research on a million sources at once. While I do my research, I have at least fifteen tabs on my internet browser and it's overwhelming and I just get drained and have more trouble concentrating. This week I want to find one reliable source and put forth all of my concentration and absorb all of the information I need to make my curation site the best site for future improvising musicians!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Curation Progress Report: Week 1
Throughout all of the research I've done to find how to become a create improviser on any instrument, there is one thing I found to be the foundation of improvising: Scales. Regardless of what instrument one plays, one needs knowledge before becoming a great musician. On almost all of the websites I have come across, learning the scales was one of the first steps so I decided that this is the first thing I should address on my curation website.
In the aspect of organizing my curation website, I wanted to keep it simple and straight to the point. So to start off my site, I simply wrote two small paragraphs as an introduction to explain to my readers that knowledge is the first thing required before learning to improvise. With a little bit of explanation in my own words, I also provided a site that explains better than I could about scales to get my readers started.
Because my first point referred to the significance of knowledge, I set my background as bunch of shelves of books. It may be cliche, but I thought it suited my topic very well. Once I learn a little bit more throughout the process, I will be adjusting the design quite often.
Overall, I did not do a whole lot to my curation website, but it is a start. I wanted to just kick off with a simple and easy introduction to get my readers started. The reason I want to pursue simplicity is because when I attempted to learn how to improvise, my teacher overwhelmed me with a vast sea of information on music theory and it just ate away my motivation to learn. Rather than becoming a hassle, I want my readers to take baby steps and take in the information little by little.
In the aspect of organizing my curation website, I wanted to keep it simple and straight to the point. So to start off my site, I simply wrote two small paragraphs as an introduction to explain to my readers that knowledge is the first thing required before learning to improvise. With a little bit of explanation in my own words, I also provided a site that explains better than I could about scales to get my readers started.
Because my first point referred to the significance of knowledge, I set my background as bunch of shelves of books. It may be cliche, but I thought it suited my topic very well. Once I learn a little bit more throughout the process, I will be adjusting the design quite often.
Overall, I did not do a whole lot to my curation website, but it is a start. I wanted to just kick off with a simple and easy introduction to get my readers started. The reason I want to pursue simplicity is because when I attempted to learn how to improvise, my teacher overwhelmed me with a vast sea of information on music theory and it just ate away my motivation to learn. Rather than becoming a hassle, I want my readers to take baby steps and take in the information little by little.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Dialectics: Body Art Vs. Street Art
Body art has been used for thousands of years. History has shown that it has been used for religion and cultural purposes. However, in the 21st century, body art has stretched beyond the realms of religion and culture. Now, body art is seen everywhere as a form of expression. There's even a vast selection of colors one can choose from.
Street art, in comparison to body art, is very similar. Graffiti has been around since ancient times as well. Artists like to walk around with cans of spray paint and leave their marks for the world to see. No different from tattoos, street art varies from pictures to words and black and white to colors. It's a form of expression many people today use, especially in the more urban areas.
Although body art and street art have many similarities in aspects of designs and color arrangements, there are much more similarities that are much deeper in meaning. Both forms of art is a form of expression with hidden meanings. Many street artists and people with tattoos have symbols or phrases that have a rooted meaning in their lives. Some represent death of loved ones or one's life motto. In essence, both have hidden secrets of their lives. Many works of these forms of art can look bizarre and odd, but to the street artist and to the person with the tattoo, it goes beyond the factor of appearance and how "cool" it looks.
These two forms of art share the idea of expressing one's feelings and emotions, but however they also share the idea of being looked down upon - sometimes even ridiculed for. Street art has always had its enemies due to the fact that it is vandalism! Street artists are usually viewed as hoodlums.
Just as the street artists are viewed as thugs, people with tattoos all around their body are viewed as people who are being stupid and young. When parents, especially some cultures like Korean cultures, see people with tattoos all around, they scoff at them. Body art is being slowly accepted, but mainly from the younger generation of the 21st century.
However, regardless of if they are looked down upon, with their share of enemies comes the share of fans. Society is slowly beginning to open up to street art and body art. Street art has been less viewed as a crime, but more as a public museum for everyone to view. Tattoos are being viewed as cool and meaningful symbols of each unique individuals. Even though the fans are more directed towards the younger crowd, the younger generation is the future. So eventually, and hopefully, society will see the kids walking around with spray cans as artists; I'm also crossing my fingers that society will view these people with tattoos as individuals and that they see there body art as a sign of freedom of expression and beauty.
Street art, in comparison to body art, is very similar. Graffiti has been around since ancient times as well. Artists like to walk around with cans of spray paint and leave their marks for the world to see. No different from tattoos, street art varies from pictures to words and black and white to colors. It's a form of expression many people today use, especially in the more urban areas.
Although body art and street art have many similarities in aspects of designs and color arrangements, there are much more similarities that are much deeper in meaning. Both forms of art is a form of expression with hidden meanings. Many street artists and people with tattoos have symbols or phrases that have a rooted meaning in their lives. Some represent death of loved ones or one's life motto. In essence, both have hidden secrets of their lives. Many works of these forms of art can look bizarre and odd, but to the street artist and to the person with the tattoo, it goes beyond the factor of appearance and how "cool" it looks.
These two forms of art share the idea of expressing one's feelings and emotions, but however they also share the idea of being looked down upon - sometimes even ridiculed for. Street art has always had its enemies due to the fact that it is vandalism! Street artists are usually viewed as hoodlums.
Just as the street artists are viewed as thugs, people with tattoos all around their body are viewed as people who are being stupid and young. When parents, especially some cultures like Korean cultures, see people with tattoos all around, they scoff at them. Body art is being slowly accepted, but mainly from the younger generation of the 21st century.
However, regardless of if they are looked down upon, with their share of enemies comes the share of fans. Society is slowly beginning to open up to street art and body art. Street art has been less viewed as a crime, but more as a public museum for everyone to view. Tattoos are being viewed as cool and meaningful symbols of each unique individuals. Even though the fans are more directed towards the younger crowd, the younger generation is the future. So eventually, and hopefully, society will see the kids walking around with spray cans as artists; I'm also crossing my fingers that society will view these people with tattoos as individuals and that they see there body art as a sign of freedom of expression and beauty.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Metacognition: the Mashup Process
Throughout the Mashup project, one specific thought of process I had was "what's next?" After I decided what to do on one of the steps, I asked my self how I should transition to the next step in one voice. During this time of questioning, too be honest, I did not do as much as I should have. I tried to almost force out any knowledge I could think of. However, all of my ideas just did not seem to work. I grew frustrated.
My dynamics of thinking were very poor in the beginning. I wasn't thinking out of the box. All I did was to jog up any memories of the curriculum since August, and it did nothing. Then it hit me. Realizing that the answers won't just come up in my head, I actually began to search.
I began to search through previous novels and excerpts we read earlier this year. This is where I found most of my information. Utilizing quotes from Sophie's World and Letter from a Birmingham Jail, my mashup began to form. Slowly, I constructed more ideas on top of this foundation of quotes.
What really surprised me about my thinking was how my mind worked in general throughout the project. When I really got in the zone while working on this, my mind began to go on cruise control. Browsing through quotes and the mashup and rearranging the different steps, I did many things almost at once.
What was the most surprising to me was how the mashup actually turned out. I was almost in disbelief at how I, Danny Kang, actually made such a project on my own. I doubted myself at first, but after seeing the results, it was a very rewarding feeling.
One thing I wish I did better was to utilize more pictures. Although I was very content with out the mashup turned out, I realized that there were very few visuals. Personally, visuals make a project much more interesting to a viewer. I only hope that the other aspects of the mashup really makes up for the lack of visuals. Hopefully the context of it will make the point I wished to get through.
My dynamics of thinking were very poor in the beginning. I wasn't thinking out of the box. All I did was to jog up any memories of the curriculum since August, and it did nothing. Then it hit me. Realizing that the answers won't just come up in my head, I actually began to search.
I began to search through previous novels and excerpts we read earlier this year. This is where I found most of my information. Utilizing quotes from Sophie's World and Letter from a Birmingham Jail, my mashup began to form. Slowly, I constructed more ideas on top of this foundation of quotes.
What really surprised me about my thinking was how my mind worked in general throughout the project. When I really got in the zone while working on this, my mind began to go on cruise control. Browsing through quotes and the mashup and rearranging the different steps, I did many things almost at once.
What was the most surprising to me was how the mashup actually turned out. I was almost in disbelief at how I, Danny Kang, actually made such a project on my own. I doubted myself at first, but after seeing the results, it was a very rewarding feeling.
One thing I wish I did better was to utilize more pictures. Although I was very content with out the mashup turned out, I realized that there were very few visuals. Personally, visuals make a project much more interesting to a viewer. I only hope that the other aspects of the mashup really makes up for the lack of visuals. Hopefully the context of it will make the point I wished to get through.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Letters to a Young Poet Mashup: Patience Grasshopper
Patience is a virtue.
1.
2. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.
3. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved
4. You are so young, so much before all beginning, and I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart
5. Through it all
6. That is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation.
7. Patience is the key to life. Rather than searching for all of the answers, one must love and live the questions of life. However, the answers will come throughout your entire journey through life, eventually, so one must not be anxious and lose discipline.
8. It's not a silly question if you can't answer it.
9. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. Perhaps you do carry within you the possibility of creating and forming, as an especially blessed and pure way of living
10.
11. When you realize there is something you don't understand, then you're gradually on the right path to understanding all kinds of things.
12. In order for personal growth to occur, one needs to not look for answers outside, but within. It may take a while, but be patient. You will find all the answers to all your questions inside you. No one can help you, but yourself. You are your only source of help and growth. Keep searching.
13. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple "I must," then build your life in accordance with this necessity
14. But it comes only to those who are patient, who are there as if eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly silent and vast. I learn it every day of my life, learn it with pain I am grateful for: patience is everything.
15. After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
16. Most experiences are unsayable, they happen in a space that no word has ever entered, and more unsayable than all other things are works of art, those mysterious existences, whose life endure beside our own small, transitory life.
17. The difficulties in life is when people receive the most benefits as a person. Our hardships in life help you grow. Taking the easy route only displays laziness and lack of passion.
18. Hardships may take you into a time of darkness and sorrow. However, you must not shut out the sicknesses and negative experiences in life. So rather than asking why, just be patient and endure. Let these phases of sickness take over and embrace them. Accept them. At first you might not realize it, but the things you learn as a result shapes you into a better you.
19. But more than that, it leads them to places they never expected to see and enables them to accomplish things that surprise them and satisfy them.
20. Instead of expressing every single emotion that comes to mind, from the vast sea of emotions you have, pick out your true feelings. Do not let all of these emotions clash. Through the process of growth, you have to also stick with some of your friends, but also let some go. Whatever emotion and whoever you choose, make sure you love life through everything you do.
Works Cited
1. "The Testimony of Modern Art" Humanities Website
2. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
3. Bible: Matthew 24:13
4. Rilke, Rainer Maria, and Franz Xaver Kappus. Letters to a Young Poet. New York: Norton, 1954 Print. (34)
5. Hillsong United. "Through it All"
6. Rilke, Rainer. (68)
7. Personal Reflection
8. Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie's World. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1994. (203)
9. Rilke, Rainer. (34-35)
10. Ghandi. Google Search.
11. Gaarder, Joestine. "The Solitaire Mystery"
12. Personal Reflection
13. Rilke, Rainer. (6)
14. Rilke, Rainer. (24-25)
15. Nelson Mandela. "Long Walk to Freedom"
16. Rilke, Rainer. (4)
17. Personal Reflection
18. Personal Reflection
19. Alan Alda. "Pass the Plate, Mr. Feynman"
20.Personal Reflection
1.
2. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.
3. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved
4. You are so young, so much before all beginning, and I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart
5. Through it all
6. That is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation.
7. Patience is the key to life. Rather than searching for all of the answers, one must love and live the questions of life. However, the answers will come throughout your entire journey through life, eventually, so one must not be anxious and lose discipline.
8. It's not a silly question if you can't answer it.
9. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. Perhaps you do carry within you the possibility of creating and forming, as an especially blessed and pure way of living
10.
11. When you realize there is something you don't understand, then you're gradually on the right path to understanding all kinds of things.
12. In order for personal growth to occur, one needs to not look for answers outside, but within. It may take a while, but be patient. You will find all the answers to all your questions inside you. No one can help you, but yourself. You are your only source of help and growth. Keep searching.
13. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple "I must," then build your life in accordance with this necessity
14. But it comes only to those who are patient, who are there as if eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly silent and vast. I learn it every day of my life, learn it with pain I am grateful for: patience is everything.
15. After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
16. Most experiences are unsayable, they happen in a space that no word has ever entered, and more unsayable than all other things are works of art, those mysterious existences, whose life endure beside our own small, transitory life.
17. The difficulties in life is when people receive the most benefits as a person. Our hardships in life help you grow. Taking the easy route only displays laziness and lack of passion.
18. Hardships may take you into a time of darkness and sorrow. However, you must not shut out the sicknesses and negative experiences in life. So rather than asking why, just be patient and endure. Let these phases of sickness take over and embrace them. Accept them. At first you might not realize it, but the things you learn as a result shapes you into a better you.
19. But more than that, it leads them to places they never expected to see and enables them to accomplish things that surprise them and satisfy them.
20. Instead of expressing every single emotion that comes to mind, from the vast sea of emotions you have, pick out your true feelings. Do not let all of these emotions clash. Through the process of growth, you have to also stick with some of your friends, but also let some go. Whatever emotion and whoever you choose, make sure you love life through everything you do.
Works Cited
1. "The Testimony of Modern Art" Humanities Website
2. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
3. Bible: Matthew 24:13
4. Rilke, Rainer Maria, and Franz Xaver Kappus. Letters to a Young Poet. New York: Norton, 1954 Print. (34)
5. Hillsong United. "Through it All"
6. Rilke, Rainer. (68)
7. Personal Reflection
8. Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie's World. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1994. (203)
9. Rilke, Rainer. (34-35)
10. Ghandi. Google Search.
11. Gaarder, Joestine. "The Solitaire Mystery"
12. Personal Reflection
13. Rilke, Rainer. (6)
14. Rilke, Rainer. (24-25)
15. Nelson Mandela. "Long Walk to Freedom"
16. Rilke, Rainer. (4)
17. Personal Reflection
18. Personal Reflection
19. Alan Alda. "Pass the Plate, Mr. Feynman"
20.Personal Reflection
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Captured Thought: Starting
Throughout senior year and what we've discussed, one main idea that stuck to me was "starting is the hardest part." When we first talked about that concept, for some reason I was so caught up with how true it was. Upon reflection of my past experiences, especially dealing with academics, the greatest struggles I've had with big projects or assignments was starting! Even starting this blog took a lot of initiative. This got me thinking.
When we began to watch the video about Frank Gehry, he too, talked about how starting was very difficult to him. However, once he gets started on a big project he asks himself, "what's the big deal?" Too be honest that's when I stopped concentrating on the movie because I began to brainstorm - what is the big deal? Why is starting so hard for everyone? Why does it take so much will power and effort to start?
Eventually, I realized why it's so hard to start, for me at least. Whenever I have an essay or project coming up, I expect everything I do to be top notch quality. Regardless if it's the first draft, I expect too much out of my works, especially from my brainstorm sketches, which is contradictory. However, I remembered something. When we discussed Ernest Hemingway in class, too be honest, I remember one thing about him. And that thing is when he said that "the first draft of anything is shit."
At first, my reaction was that his remark is too blunt; but it's true! First drafts of all my works are terrible, but the key to starting is realizing it's terrible. After you understand it's awful, and it's meant to be awful, it's easy to start. Having the mindset that it doesn't have to be perfect and it's okay for it to be bad helps. That's when I understood why Frank Gehry is so amazing at what he does.
Frank Gehry's works are admired by our country because they're so unique and modern. The reason he is able to do that is with his sketches. I don't know if you have ever seen his sketches, but they are mere scribbles. When I saw them I had no clue what they were, but somehow the final draft always ends up taking my breathe away. If one of the world's greatest architect's rough drafts look like that, than I have no need to worry. Rough drafts are supposed to look like that so you can only make progress, rather than digress. That's my opinion at least.
When we began to watch the video about Frank Gehry, he too, talked about how starting was very difficult to him. However, once he gets started on a big project he asks himself, "what's the big deal?" Too be honest that's when I stopped concentrating on the movie because I began to brainstorm - what is the big deal? Why is starting so hard for everyone? Why does it take so much will power and effort to start?
Eventually, I realized why it's so hard to start, for me at least. Whenever I have an essay or project coming up, I expect everything I do to be top notch quality. Regardless if it's the first draft, I expect too much out of my works, especially from my brainstorm sketches, which is contradictory. However, I remembered something. When we discussed Ernest Hemingway in class, too be honest, I remember one thing about him. And that thing is when he said that "the first draft of anything is shit."
At first, my reaction was that his remark is too blunt; but it's true! First drafts of all my works are terrible, but the key to starting is realizing it's terrible. After you understand it's awful, and it's meant to be awful, it's easy to start. Having the mindset that it doesn't have to be perfect and it's okay for it to be bad helps. That's when I understood why Frank Gehry is so amazing at what he does.
Frank Gehry's works are admired by our country because they're so unique and modern. The reason he is able to do that is with his sketches. I don't know if you have ever seen his sketches, but they are mere scribbles. When I saw them I had no clue what they were, but somehow the final draft always ends up taking my breathe away. If one of the world's greatest architect's rough drafts look like that, than I have no need to worry. Rough drafts are supposed to look like that so you can only make progress, rather than digress. That's my opinion at least.
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