BLOGPOST 4: "Punks gone Good"

I asked, my friend what punk means to him. He said that "Sila ung mga naka-converse, my black ung mata at mga rebelde." The punk portrays a bad image to the society and media. But they don't know what does really a punk is. Just by seeing them dressed up like that, it doesn't mean they're bad people. We just don't understand how they dress and express their selves. I believe that they're good people.

In addition to that, I read an article entitled "Punk Pop Riot" from the site theguardian.com by Joe Strummer. Stated that, on the cover was a 1976 photo of the Clash, punk band, to mark 35th anniversary of punk's explosion in London. It's about the Clash's revolutionary tub-thumping of 1976 and the events that went were not fine. The interview tells about the boredom that they live on with their parents, job, and society. Also the band describe the facts of being young, like being broke and bored in London but it did not have any changes much since their days. They also tried to show a change in society by speaking what is outspoken because nowadays the people are mute to the things that are not right. We just let go of them and not taking a stand. They try to show that they can be a good influence to people. We shouldn't judge them just because their music is like this and their appearance is like that. That doesn't mean they are no longer part of this world. 

Joe Strummer said, "I think people ought to know that we're anti-fascist, we're anti-violence, we're anti-racist and we're procreative. We're against ignorance, I don't have to get drunk every night and go around kicking people and smashing up phone boxes, We're dealing with subjects we really believe to matter. We're hoping to educate any kid who comes to listen to us." See they're good people, maybe it just depends on some punks that made the Punk appearance look bad. We just don't understand how they think and how they express their selves because we are not punks. We should look deeper in a wider picture and not just what we see outside because it is wrong to judge people. They just want to change their image to be different in all the rest because they are fighting for what they believe in. The only thing that we can do is just to understand in how they express their selves in the society and media.

In another article I read entitled, "Punk Rock alive and kicking" from the site theguardian.com by Fathun Karib. Stated that, In different countries - Indonesia, Burma, and Iraq. There are also different opinions for punks because of what they know about them. But in the past, being a punk can be a harm because you can be attacked in the street, a ban in your records, and the difficulty in finding a place to play. But now, if you pushed your love for punk you can experience oppression in a brutal way - torture, imprisonment and death. And then there are different kinds of punk: a poser punk and a community punk. The poser punk,mainly street kids, they adopt the fashion and especially they are the ones who commit petty crimes. While the community punk,they're the ones who are opposite of poser punk. They have good moral in living their lives. But the government and society thinks if you have a Mohawk and boots,you are a punk and all punks are the same. 

Fathun Karib said, "It's simply an expression of freedom. It has those do-it-yourself values. And it's always opposed to the dominant culture. That's why people like it." By the differences of people it's hard to understand one another. But if you just look closer and see what's inside them you'll be able to understand what they're going through. Because they're just ordinary humans who tries to express their selves in an unique way. They tend to look an outlet for them to release what's inside them so that they will see what they can change for them to find their selves.

BLOGPOST 3: "We found Art in a Heavy Metal Music"

I remembered when I am still a kid my cousin used to watched MTV Channel. He watches music videos with bands that sings from the top of their lungs. Strange voices that creeps into your mind and making you deaf. Thus, this made me wonder. It made me think that, is this music? or do you call this music? Because with the way they sing and they way they play the instruments is weird. Also, with their appearance is scary. It's like they will sing in a Halloween Party or they will have their Trick or Treat.

But I was dumbfounded, I found out that it's a kind of Metal Music. It is a Heavy Metal Music. The term "Heavy Metal" used in a musical in the '60s song "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf when they referred to "heavy metal thunder." But they're debates with the experts that the most consider groups like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to be the first heavy metal bands. This style developed and branched out into many different subgenres. In addition to that, I read an article entitled "Heavy Metal as a Art and Culture" from the site anus.com. Alex Birtch, stated that we prefer symbols because it makes us feel certain for everything that it will turn out just fine.

Heavy Metal contradicts to our dominant symbols, but it doesn't create negative ones. It gives a different view of the world where all of our fears become hopes, and all of our false hopes become fears. It is a popular music movement that awakens our desire for power, stepping aside all of our fears, and seizing life by our throats, screaming all the way to the end, so that we can experience it safely and ambiguously.

In another article I read entitled "The Categorization of Death Metal" from the site metalstorm.net. Stated that Death Metal's characteristics are heavy growling, screeching distorted guitar, intense bass and head banging drumming. With these kind of sounds they make. They are attracting many people to listen to their music. By being different in their lyrics. The chances of the attention that they may get are high in the creativity department.

BreadGod explains structure of Death Metal is very intense unlike any other genres. It is full of emotions that you can really feel it. The singer puts his/her heart in singing through heavy growls. It is very unique because this is only the genre that the singer growls in high or low pitch and sings until his/her vocal chords came out.

Brian Woody said "Just listening to it made me feel better" and "It made it easier to cope. It gave me a release for all that anger." from the article "Death Metal comes alive" from the site articles.sun-sentinel.com. For him, it helps him to express his emotions and feelings in situations that he doesn't know what to do.

By hearing it on his brother's cassette, made him feel better. He knew right at that moment that he wants Death Metal because of what he's experiencing. He needed an outlet to release all the emotions that he's keeping inside that's why it made him feel better. 

This genre of music is an art because it tries to spice up and makes a song interesting. It's in your perspective in how you will understand Death Metal because we don't have the same minds and thinking. Some say that this kind of genre is not good but I believe that this genre of music helps some people to express they're emotions because some are finding it hard in expressing what they truly feel. This just serves an outlet for everyone. We should appreciate them for creating an art that is unique and enables people to express and release what's keeping them inside.

BLOGPOST 2: "Backmasking"

Have you ever wondered to play a song backwards? It's kinda weird right? But have you thought that when a song played backwards you will hear something? Like a lyrics or a message? I have experienced this kind of stuff like listening to music that is played backwards. It's kinda creepy because of the lyrics that I am hearing. It's different from the original lyrics when you played it back.

Back Masking is a technique of playing a song backwards that is meant to be played forward. In the process, there is a possibility that you will encounter or hear messages in the reversal that maybe unintentional or intentional. In addition to that, I read an article entitled "Article about backmasking" from the site paranormalknowledge.com. John, the author of the article, Stated that it is a controversial topic because it is a type of a subliminal message. Subliminal messages enters in our mind consciously but it affects some parts of the subconscious mind.

Ever since, the artists used Back Masking for some artistic and comedic purposes for both analog and digital recordings. It is used to review words for clean versions of the songs. They making sure that it is safe to listen to or it is free from bad subliminal messages. They use this so that they can check up on artist if they are writing good lyrics or not.

It began with Thomas Alva Edison. After inventing the phonograph in 1877, Thomas noticed that music in reverse sounded "novel and sweet but altogether different." In the early 1950's, experimental musicians began including the difference into their compositions. They ran reel-to-reel tape recorders backwards and boom - the unsettling sound sucking up a melody and lyric. In 1966, it was popularized by the Beatles who used backward vocals on the album Revolver.

In another article I read entitled, "History of Back Masking" from the site mentalfloss.com. A book entitled "Backward Masking Unmasked" written in 1983 by Jacob Aranza . His book is an unintentionally hilarious attempt to expose the backward messages of rock music. He found a backward messages from a southern California group that he thought of them was they were a bad person because of the backward messaged that he had found.

He blast subliminal messages that encourage everything from homosexuality to marijuana use, he mentions the usual suspects – Zeppelin, Stones, Sabbath – as well as Hall & Oates. He thought of them was that they exploit to people bad influences. He believed that they intentionally wrote songs for people to do crazy stuff.

So think, can a songwriter write a song that scan forwards and backwards? And does the brain understands the subliminal messages? Big no to the first because David John says that our subconscious mind can understand the reversal, there is no proof that it can, or that person's behavior can be influenced in any way, if it could. It's up to the person in how he/she will react to this.

Jeff Milmer, the author of the article "backmasking" from the site seattletimes.com said that, "People have a natural curiosity for hidden messages and the unknown," and "People like being in on the secret." Maybe some artists intentionally they wrote songs that has subliminal messages and some are not. But we are really not sure if they use it against people because they are merely humans and maybe they don't know what's going on with their song.

It's up to us in understanding if the artists use it against us. We have a choice in every situation. One thing for sure is that you can play a song backwards but it's your responsibility on how you will react to what will you going to hear. Many videos are being shown but we are humans, our brains are wired and it will look for something according to some rules. So we will not be surprised when everybody  agrees on when something weird is they are hearing about. Even though it was not intended to be there.

We should be responsible and careful enough on songs that we will be listening to. Again, their are no proofs that it can really affect our minds. It's up to the person on how he will take it and understand it. We should be responsible and mature enough to understand this kind of situations. My point here is that it's okay to listen to songs even though it is rock, pop, or R&B because we don't have any right to judge the artists. They are just humans who sings and write songs and maybe they are not aware on what's happening with their songs.

BLOGPOST 1: "Classical Music Affects the Brain"

The trending genres of music today are Rock, Pop, R&B, Bossa Nova and so many more. But have you ever tried listening to Classical Music? Maybe yes, maybe no. Mostly, people say that it's boring or it's for intelligent people only. But do you know the story behind them? On what it can do to us?

 Nowadays, Classical Music was not given much attention like any other genres because of people's taste. But they didn't know the essence of a Classical Music that can do to us. Its popularity is  on   going unlike any other music. Trending today and gone tomorrow. But Classical Music is not like that .It's spanning for 700 years until now. It's commonly found in music theaters and opera houses. Basically, Classical Music lasts forever.

But what does Classical Music can do? Are they sang as the tune of Royals? Or maybe Blurred lines? Certainly, not. Classical Music is a  music that affects our brain and it has are well-known composers.

In addition to that, I read an article entitled "The Influence of Music on Neurons" from the site serendip.brynmawr.edu. Anisha Chirmule the author of the article, Stated that music affects the brain by letting the brain sense happiness or sorrow. Depending on what we hear, the tempo or rhythm of the music makes our brain work and think what kind of emotion we should be feeling. Relations to classical music, Classical music is very relaxing since different instruments are being played. It makes our mind cool down. After hearing classical music or any kind of music, we tend to relax and the outputs of our body movement is also relaxed since our mind is thinking like that.

Classical Music is around us. It affects us, not just our brains. But it affects us emotionally. Our brains have the ability to sense the happiness and the sadness of music. When the tone and tempo of the music is changed, different portions of our brain are stimulated which have neural connections that detect the feelings and emotions of the song. Certain areas of our brain become active whenever different types of music are played such as classical,  jazz, rock, pop, and so on. Understanding music is a process that involves the breaking down of its components so that the different areas in the brain could process it.

In another article I have read entitled, "Playing classical music to your child can improve their listening skills later on in life" from the site dailymail.co.uk. Sarah Harris said that the children can enhance their listening and social skills. Because when you actually play classical music to them, there is a certain way of connection. Not only you are socializing with them but they actually improve their listening skills. They will also learn to appreciate classical music that will help widen their range of thought towards music. It also stated that musicians are more likely to have sharper minds and less likely to suffer mental decline. Learning instruments thoroughly may enhance a person's ability to easily determine mistakes and find a solution quickly.

Classical Music is a great advantage for children because it helps them to improve their intelligence. Although, they may not see it but it helps them to develop their minds. Through Classical Music, children develops their concentration and self-discipline. It is very important for them to developed this kind of characteristics because it will help them through out their lives. Not only it helps their selves it also gives them knowledge about the composers of Classical Music. Because nowadays, children are not aware of the composers in the Classical Period.

Anisha Chirmule Luciano Pavarotti, the author of the article said that, "If children are not introduced to music at an early age, I believe something fundamental is actually being taken from them" means that, music is already a part of our life. From the day we were born, we have already heard music, but may be in a different way. Hearing musics from the past makes us remember what memories we had.

First, it enhances Spatial IQ. Spatial refers to our visual intelligence. It sees the world correctly in forming mental images of physical objects. It helps the brain to improve it's  short and long term memory. Mostly, these are the artistic people like an Architect, Graphic Designer, Engineer or Photographer.

And Second, Classical music reduces pain and anxiety in our brains. Because it slows down pulse and heart rate, it lowers the blood pressure, and decreases the levels of stress hormones. It's helpful to old people who have sickness. It helps them to have a good health and have a stress free life. But also it is not only applicable to old people. It can be to young people too, because I believe they feel pain  and  they experienced anxiety.

                                

Basically, Classical Music helps us in our everyday living especially it affects our brain. Even if your an adult or a teen. It benefits us in improving ourselves to become an intelligent and a healthy person. We should try to dedicate time in listening to Classical Music instead of other genres that doesn't help us. I am not saying that it is wrong to listen to them. What I mean is it's much better to spend time to things that we can benefit from than things that we can get any. We should know the value of classical music because the composers worked hard for it. That's why we should not waste it. Mostly, the successful persons listens to classical music. Like Einstein, Thomas Jefferson and Conan Doyle. Classical Music helped them to get knowledge in being successful in their lives. They are musicians too. Most of them play instruments as time passes by. They are most likely experiencing performing works faster and have lesser mistake. The advantage of playing an instrument is that it helps our mental abilities to be healthier and avoids the weakening of our brain cells. So, Classical Music plays a big role in our lives. We should be more aware on what can it do to us so that we will know the importance of it and we will value it.