Dakota Banas Essay

As a child growing up, I was always into art and music. I would draw on all my notebooks for school, often find myself lost in my own lyrical world, always looking up new artists to listen to and probably download over 40-50 songs a month, maybe more. Back then, I was just doing it for fun though until I was about nine or ten years old. My love for the harmonizing sounds went from a small crush to the love of my life. My dad and I was driving around the city that I will one day leave a mark in, the city of Jacksonville, when my dad put on the one song I will forever dedicate to changing my life, Find A Way by A Tribe Called Quest. Now understand that this was the first time I have ever heard this song and it put a flame in my soul, like my

In the first grade, I picked up a clarinet. It was my sister’s, collecting dust while waiting for me to play it. From the moment I produced my first sound, an ear-piercing squeal that frightened my dog, the path of my life took a turn for the better. I began teaching myself for the following three years, along with learning from my sister how to properly play the beautiful instrument. The music pushed me out of my comfort zone: concerts that forced me onstage, tests that made me play difficult songs, and teachers that pushed me to be an exceptional player. From the shy elementary school student I used to be to the outgoing band member I take joy in being today, music has shaped my everyday life.

From the day we’re in our mother's stomachs, to the day we die, we have always been listening to music. For me, listening to music all my life helped me develop a passion for it. When I was around the age of 6 my dad introduced me into the world of Rock. The very first band I remember listening to was System of a Down and ever since then, I fell in love with rock music and all its possible variations; for a long time this was all I listened to. It wasn’t until high school that I started listening to all sorts of genres and realized that I wanted to have a career in the music industry. That's when I learned about producing music.

Music was my entrance into the world of writing. When I didn’t have access to books, listening to songs such as Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” and Raven-Symone’s “This Is My Time” helped me get through the many days in middle school where I was bullied and isolated myself from everyone. My social isolation led to my first bout with depression. As I kept to myself, I wrote my own songs, pouring my heart into each and every word. However, fully perfecting the craft was difficult because I did not know how to perform the music I created. Fortunately, there are organizations that enable children to learn how to play instruments, and one of those organizations is Hungry For Music.

If not selected as a member of the Executive Committee, would you be interested in being a morale captain? Yes X No (Remember that Morale Captain Applications will be available next semester)

Music has always been integral in my life. During my childhood, when I was four years old, I pressed my fingers on an oven handle like a piano. Throughout my childhood years I listened to my mom’s old-school mix CD’s, along with the Pandora music app on my old Kindle. In fifth grade, I picked up the piano. My alto saxophone studies began in seventh grade. When high school arrived, I turned my focus to guitar and voice. The more knowledge I absorbed, the more knowledge I craved. My decision to pursue music was also influenced by the inspirations I’ve encountered on my journey so far.

Once i got to highschool i started to take my music a little more serious. I feel like i can express myself in music, just speak my mind. I’ve been writing since i was 10 years old, and started realizing recently that i feel something different when it comes to music. I just write about anything, whether its a dream, what i’m feeling or even things going on in the world. When we look at people we dont look deep enough, This is who i

The biggest issue that Hollywood currently is facing is its lack of diversity both in front of and behind the camera. Very few opportunities are offered to minorities in the entertainment industry, so it needs to be celebrated when someone who lacks the same chances as a white male is able to make their voice heard. Director Ava DuVernay is one of those artist who refused to be silenced. Ava is a black female director, screenwriter, film marketer, and film distributer. The majority of her narrative films feature black female characters that are navigating their way through life and learn about themselves as they go along. She began her film career with a music documentary and worked

As a child most of us were raised to believe that jail consists of all "bad people". We did not think much about the system that incarcerated people. I think it is fair to say that the United States is filled with "children" who do not know the realities of how society works and treats black people. These people are colorblind. In the film, Ava DuVernay talks about systematic racism and the injustice in prison systems. She addresses the problem of Americas prison growing. DuVernay states, “It’s a long time coming for me, just being really affected by police interactions". She then goes on and talks about her experiences with the prison system and police. She grew up in the atmosphere that prison was always present. As a child she remembers

As a child I frequently made up little songs, and there seemed to be a constant stream of music in my head. I could see myself in the children she was observing and like them I didn’t have a framework for my experience – it was just my life. Whether it was singing while playing, tapping out some rhythm, singing at the top of my lungs to a favorite song, or goosebumps from hearing “Hall of the Mountain King”, it all felt familiar and warming. It has also made me aware of the musicking I continue to make every day in small ways here and

From a young age we are thought to do what we love, as it will make everything you do easier. While contemplating the topic for this paper I remembered that old wise advice that we are always thought. What do I love? Grunge music. It was a no brainer and after listening to various bands from the grunge music era it was a no brainer. So, now that we have the topic laid out, what exactly is grunge? Grunge music, which is a sub-genre of alternative rock and punk rock is music which is known for heavily distorted guitars and loud angry vocalists. Some of the most famous grunge bands include: Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam just to name a few. So, what exactly makes grunge, grunge? What

For six years music has been a huge part of my life. As a sixth grader in middle school I decided to learn how to play the violin without ever thinking I would love the violin but I fell in love the first time I played a song. I poured my soul into everything I played. Music was a way for me to express my thoughts and my feelings. When I finished my beginning class, I was placed in the advanced class for seventh grade. I was very proud that I had skipped the intermediate level. In eighth grade I was very thrilled to be able to have played in Washington DC in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the Cherry Blossom Festival. With each trip and each song my love grew for the music I played. For the last three years I’ve been a part of the

The time I’ve spent over the summer I listened to a lot of music and its was mostly hip-hop and R&B and rap, but I liked pop as well as a genre in music and while I was sulking over my old life in Wallingford school I developed a close attachment to music to deal with the emotional tension that was going on within myself. At the time school at Branford had started and I didn’t know it exactly at that time but this was the point where I was started to write music I was hooked on all the music from over the summer I guess my mind started translating beats and words and I can recall these beats and words because these became my first song ever written while I came to Branford. The periods I spent over the course of the first year at Branford had been socially and emotionally traumatic for me I cannot lie; the people there were nice some friendly and some not and I found myself alone most of the time. At these point in school I started to question myself and my social skills with others and my self-esteem continued to drop.The epiphany I had happened when I felt as though I wasn’t important anymore and when that happened I started to write songs to express these feeling inside of me;I hadn’t said anything about my days at school to anyone besides my mother, but even with her she couldn’t fully understand what I as in my situation was going

There are times when I think “There is so much competition in the music industry" and "Is music really going to provide financial stability?” When I think about my career in music, I always attempt to maneuver it to a specific instrument, or try to fit my creativity into a certain genre. The reality of my dilemma is, there are no boundaries when it comes to my creativity as a musician and perfection is only a fictitious stepping stone. There is no finality to innovation and there is not a single speck of stability in the face of virtuosity. I decided that no matter where the reshaping nature of life launches me, and even if I am catapulted into an unyielding lifestyle with finances and staggering adulthood, I will constantly remain engulfed in music.

Ever since I was born, there’s something about music that takes me away and focuses my mind on the music and lyric you could say it traditional, contemporary or anything. I used to imagine it’s impossible for me to become a musician because of where I am from and of my age but there’s something that pushes me to