Music and Our Life

            Music today is thought of as useless sounds coming out of Ipods and listened to 24/7 by teenagers like me. Or so parents think. Apparently, it's distracting, time wasting, and addictive. It also causes children to sing loudly randomly, turn on the music radio, and fall into the hands of immense fangirling. Basically a nuisance. But, in reality, music is of high importance among teenagers. For the reasons of entertainment, discussion, or people to look up to.

            If you look at the statistics, music is a huge part of a teenagers life. It is shown by the New York Times, that teens listen to an average of 2.5 hours of music each day. Some studies have even shown they can have the earplugs stuck in their ears for up to 3-4 hours. That time can go buy quickly by hearing a couple of songs on the radio in the car, or a few on iTunes while on the computer while typing an essay, or searching new songs. The most popular ways of getting to music are iTunes, youtube, music apps, and the radio.

           Music, in my opinion has more pros than cons . Music and artists are inspirations for teenagers all over the world. They are on the front cover of popular magazines, they make lots of money, and are therefore successful, most of the time. The lyrics itself in a song can be very meaningful and convey a powerful message. But unfortunately, sometimes, lyrics and the artist can also convey bad messages. Some songs revolve around drugs and other bad influences. The singers themselves can also be performing drugs and teenagers who want to be just like them may do the same. The music they listen to, often makes them who they are. Also, teenagers who want to produce music, express themselves through the music they make. The write music based on their feelings and experiences. It can also be a way of relaxing and escaping reality for a short while.

            Music is like an outlet to people, not only teenagers. The tough teenage years just require a need to let out more steam than other age groups. Music provides a whole new world, where anything is possible and bridges the gaps of our cultural world.

Wild Roses

                                             

           So I recently read a very good book that I stumbled upon called Wild Roses by Deb Calleti. The plot was very interesting and the characters intrigued me. Read the summary I wrote and tell me what you think!

           17 year old Cassie lives with her mother and step-father. After her mother and father divorced, her mother soon re-married a renowned violinist by the name of Dino Cavalli. Dino is a true genius when it comes to playing and composing and is very dedicated to this form of art. As the day of his important concert approaches, Dino stops taking his pills, as he claims they stop him from composing. Although already on the brink of genius into insanity, Dino everyday becomes more paranoid, disturbed, and suspicious. Cassie dealt not only with a problematic step-father, but also with her longing father, stalker of a friend, and unreachable crush Ian, a student of Dino's. Follow Cassie on her roller coaster life as she realizes the true depths of love and genius.

           I enjoyed reading this book very much because of it's great plot, characters, and emotions. Cassie, Ian, Dino were only some of the important characters that had their strong feelings showed throughout the story. Cassie was a supportive family member and friend, but also realized it was her life and she could make her own decisions. Ian was determined to achieve his spot in a prestigious college for music. Dino showed although he had hardships in his life, he could accomplish great things. And the book was very well written, which wouldn't let me put it down and start something else. So in my opinion, I think this book is definitely worth the read!

Are Advertisements Really Worth It?

          "Nationwide is on your side." An ever popular jingle stuck in peoples heads. Everywhere you look you see advertisements. Whether it's by drinking orange juice for breakfast and looking at the carton or seeing some Got Milk? ad watching the annual Super Bowl, we spot them daily during our lives. But do they really affect consumers as a whole? Do silly commercials really make you want to get up from your couch on a lazy day and buy Colgate toothpaste? Or make you remember that brand when buying your next t.v? In my opinion, sometimes yes and sometimes no. It depends on the type of advertisement.

          Printing media such as newspapers and fliers used to be popular and used a lot and is also cheaper, however the Internet is more often used nowadays. Billboards can be seen throughout the city with bright colors and flashy lights trying to catch the consumers eye. Radio advertising using adds such as Sleep Train are aired in between songs or interviews. Celebrity advertisement is also used massively as the audience would be persuaded to buy a product based on other celebrities "choices." Televised commercials are seen all the time between t.v. serials and episodes. Whether for Burger King or that vacuum cleaner no one wants. There are billions of types advertising techniques used from the ones listed above or to even coffee cup advertising.

           I think the least effective means of advertisement are billboards on the freeway. I don't think it's worth the amount of money (tens of thousands of dollars) paid for the add to be there. You may simply dismiss them without a second thought or just don't see them at all. And in the dark, at, night, without light shining on them, they would appear to be useless. But also, the most effective way of getting to an audience would be social media or online advertisement. Social media carries information about some brand or restaurant from friend to friend. Either by Twitter or Instagram social media really takes things far. Just a simple friend, for example, posting a photo of her wearing TOMS could make her friends want a pair too. Or a famous actor declaring his love for, say, Taco Bell, could encourage fans worldwide to eat there. So all together, I think advertisements, for the most part, make a huge difference in what the world wants.