Sidney's Last Party: A Narrative Fiction

Green Day’s angry lyrics screaming in my ears. The look of lost motivation was plastered on my face as I rolled my uniform shirt up to expose more of my long legs and ripped tights. I made my way up five flights of stairs and saw all my classmates lying on the floors wearing hoodies that they would later get dress coded for. I sat down and turned the volume up so that no one would bother me. The ball rang out telling us to go to first hour. “Hells Bells” by ACDC was the perfect way to describe the sound. Unmotivated and tired, I managed to get up and walk to physics class. Luz Pro had that nasty look on her face as always. I took my seat in the far corner of the room where I sat in every class. I heard a familiar

The blazing hot spotlights flick on. The theatre is silent, allowing me to hear the pounding of my heart. Heat radiating off of the light panels warms my face. I grin from ear to ear and whisper to myself, “I will remember this.” It was the friday night show of the orchesis concert, Mrs. Good had sat us down to tell us a story about a past student. Her student, Margaret, loved performing and lived for the rush of adrenaline when she stepped foot on stage. During her senior show, she whispered to herself, “I will remember this.” Fast forward three years, Margaret was walking through the quad of her college campus, the sun peered out behind the clouds and the angle the the sun hit her face brought back a rush of emotions and memories. We were all told this because she wanted us to never forget the feeling we got when we performed. “If you are rushing through the dance moves or caught up in the moment, pause and breathe, remember why you are on the stage in the first

From the creation of harmonies to singing to instruments, music has been an abstract form of human expression. Although an auditory collection of pitches and volumes, musicians can manipulate the same notes and bring them alive for their audiences. The true emotion and energy that’s felt in music really comes from the player as feelings are transferred to and through the listener. This interaction between performer and the house is catharsis, the complete release of strong repressed emotions. Thanks to the musician, music has the ability to grasp people and cause them to sense emotions and feelings without lyrics or images even being necessary. Although it’s believed we can only hear with our ears, something about music makes it emotionally if not physically tangible. In James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues,” a narrator certainly unaware of the impact of music invites himself to experience jazz for the first time. Baldwin uses the final scene of his story to argue that music has an effect on those who are able to experience it. Baldwin does this in one single moment by letting the fixed, practical minded, “well-intentioned” narrator experience catharsis from jazz as his growing, free-spirited brother communicates with him through jazz.

The Party is Over by Mike Lofgren goes undercover to reveal what politics is like behind the screen. I believe this book was more for criticizing the GOP and Republicans that the Democrats. The GOP and Republicans are a lot different in politics now than they were decades ago. The book talks about how the Republicans are against the government, how Republicans are anti-science and anti-intellectual, and also how they view religious rights. All of these lead to problems with politics. The Democrats were brought up than the Republicans, but were still mentioned. They too did some damage in today’s politics. This book informs us on how the Republicans went crazy and Democrats became useless, and how it’s become a problem.

After continuously begging me to loosen up, he decided to do something so a erratic that the whole crowd would silence themselves. He picked me up and placed me on top of the bow of the ship and yelled to the small crowd trailing nearby, “You can take the girl out of the port, but eventually she'll earn back that New Orleans flair!” An older man around 60 grabbed onto his hand and as he replied “Laissez les bon temps rouler!” (Let the good times roll!) The life in his eyes gave me a sense of relativity. I quickly realized that everything was fine! The love New Orleans and Mardi Gras was evident. Although, everyone there was different they we all shared a common standpoint. Loose I want to go on my boat was still playing in the background and as I aired out the noise around me and paid attention to the music I realize that the song was more than just a song but it reflected the city of New Orleans: fast, complex, and full of life. Never what I think a song that I've her millions of times before but have such an effect on

The battered barmaid also needs music to insulate her from the perils of her life. She dances to "something black and bouncy" playing on the jukebox, keeps time, smiling, and when she smiles the reader can see both the innocent and joyous little girl she will always be and the woman still struggling for life and dignity, even though these two personalities are hidden underneath the face of a "semi-whore" (412). She is quicksilver when the music plays; there is still life in her that can be coaxed to the surface. She watches the jukebox in the pause between songs, waiting for the music to begin again, to renew her life and energy and hope. Music reveals this woman as she really is, not as she has become, not as her environment has made her. Just as it is for the whistling schoolboy, music for this woman is a small salvation.

It was a day like any other, until Surai hears a piercing screech that slowly fades away. “Hey, did you guys hear that?” says Surai. “Yeah it sounded like a scream” replies Tooler. “I wonder who it was?” questions Mickey. All of them rush to the edge and discover nothing. They all say their goodnights and return to our rooms. They all go to sleep wondering who made that noise. The next day we wake up and find a load of people crowded on the deck. “It’s chaos” Surai says. Tooler goes up and asks Schmedrick what’s wrong. “Schmandon has gone missing, and a bunch of people thought they heard a scream last night” replies Schmedrick. Surai, Mickey, and Tooler then realize that it was Schmandon who made the scream last night. “I think that Schmandon

“We have to evacuate the town immediately!” shouted the mayor. Everyone suddenly went quiet, all eyes on the mayor. Then suddenly there was a loud BANG! And the sound of glass shattering made everyone turn and look towards the door. Then we realized what was happening. The deadly zombies had made it to Leedey and were now invading the building! I grabbed my three closest friends and we all looked at each other frantically with no idea what to do. I noticed an air vent just about big enough for me to fit in it. We all climbed in the small, dingy, vent and crawled around until we found an opening going to the outside of the building. After we checked to make sure the coast was clear, we crawled out and tried not to panic while trying to figure out what to do next. We spotted some four wheelers parked on the side of the building and all quickly jumped on one. The first thing we decided to do is to go get our sisters, who were at the school. We arrived at the school and the zombies hadn’t

Beginning with the late 1960’s counterculture in San Francisco, music and drugs will forever be inter-linked. Hippie bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, and Phish are associated with marijuana, mushrooms, and LSD. Modern electronic “rave” , or club music is associated with MDMA or Ecstasy. When one thinks of rock and roll, sex and drugs immediately come to mind. While the use of drugs is not essential for the creation or performance of all new music, it was certainly in important factor for the counterculture music of the late 1960’s. While some of the most important and influential music was made with the help of psychoactive drugs, it was often to the detriment of the artist. Janis

Music echoed through the club, lights flashing, bodies close together. The two were in total sync that one night. Both were in a good mood; Hyejung had scored a bonus at work and Hyesun snatched herself another sponsorship. She wasn’t the usual type to dance and when she did, Hyesun couldn’t help but gasp at the sight in front of her. Her hips moved smoothly to the beat with a bright smile on her face, she wanted to see more of

     The band had a special meeting planned after we played the music for our church’s Thanksgiving Supper. We showed up to the church on a cold Saturday morning, making our way to the auditorium. We began to discuss the

My body tingles, still feeling the need to be on the dance floor, moving with the music. Everything is soft and a little bit muted around me, and it all seems brighter. Everything is funny, so funny, I can’t stop laughing. I didn’t drink did I? It doesn’t matter, because everything feels so good now. So good, until a

Later on, Pamela’s healing process passed, she became involved with these parties by selling lingerie to acquire additional money, plus she enjoyed the merchandise. Pamela asked if I would drive her one night to the appointment she booked. It was at late night, way out towards Newport Beach, and a good distance away, I did agree to drive. The party was a success, and afterward, she shared a secret and asked to stop at this bar to hear this band. On the detour Pamela began sharing information about the principal singer, she was infatuated with him. Taking a seat at the bar she insisted we keep a space between us, Pamela soon leaves her spot, approached the band to where a position is taken a couple of feet from the stage. Pamela is memorized,

You 're a good girl… The obnoxious music penetrated deep past my ear drum and pumped through me. The stench of sweat and stale foamy beer consumed the air. Blackness engulfed me and all the other one hundred clammy bodies in the room. Their erratic body movements were revealed to the wandering eyes only when the disco ball flashed its blinding lights on them.

I’m back at home in my shower, I’ve always rather enjoyed showers. I’ve never liked the rain or water or snow. But something about feeling water cascade down your body, warming you up as it goes really gets me. I listen as the song “Last Night” by G-Eazy ft. Kyle starts its slow build up. I’ve always liked to listen to music, whether it be the beat and instrumentals of a song, or the meaning of the lyrics, I’ve always had an appreciation for music. There’s something about this