Simi Strings Orchestra Essay

The “Fall Choral Concert” was held in Pasadena City College, on Friday November 4, 2016 at 8pm. The concert was an hour and half long and was performed in the Westerbeck Recital Hall (CA 140). The performs of this concert were mostly students of Pasadena City College, whom according to their teacher and conductor Mr. Guerrero managed to put an amazing performance in only 6 weeks.

“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke sparks differing opinions within the minds of many. Roethke was influenced greatly by his experiences as a young boy. For instance, his uncle and father both died when he was the age of fourteen. “My Papa’s Waltz” is written in remembrance of his father after this dreadful occurrence. The author’s use of imagery brings light to the his adoration for his father. Notably, his way of stringing together ideas reinforces the fond memories they shared. Roethke’s captivating choice of words supports his purpose to make known the love he has for this man. While the subject of “My Papa’s Waltz” has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Theodore Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” to bring attention to the loving relationship he had with his father.

Every day millions of Americans turn on their radios, IPods, or some other device which allows them to listen to their favorite musicians and have no idea that there is a union standing guard to ensure the rights of those very musicians. The average American may think their favorite musicians are rolling “dough” and not realize that for the past hundred and fourteen years the American Federation of Musicians, aka AFM, has worked to improve the professional lives of musicians across North America. (American Federation of Musicians, 2010) AFM attracts its members with a mission to unite professional musicians which states, “We can live and work in dignity; Our work will be fulfilling and compensated fairly; We will have a meaningful voice

This poem describes the playful relationship between a father and a child as they romp around the house together. In the last stanza, Roethke writes, “you beat time on my head / With a palm caked hard by dirt, / then waltzed me off to bed / still clinging to your shirt” (Roethke 935). This uses imagery in order to show that even though the father had a long day at work, demonstrated by the dirt on his hand, he still found the time to play with his child and make memories. This shows the love he has for his child is very strong, and contributes the unbreakable bond they have. The dirt is symbolic of the strength and roughness the father possesses, which he uses both in his work and while playing with his child. The waltz is a metaphor for their playing and how they are not just walking, but making it into a complicated dance. Comparing their playing and romping around to a waltz shows that their playing is affectionate, while using the imagery of the father’s dirty hands adds to the idea that they are still rough with each other. This proves the unbreakable bond exists between these two because it shows that even after a long, hard day, and even after he had been drinking, the father still wants to be with his child. While they are playing, they get so rough that they begin to

This poetic syntax helps carry the speaker’s anxious voice throughout and sets an uncanny tone of what the boy really endured in the kitchen that day. Rhyming the last words of every other line helps highlight key terms to draw a more concise conclusion of the overall message the speaker wants to convey. Although, a true Waltz only takes five minutes or less to complete; the pace of the poem indicates time moving very quickly and when the father, “beat(s) time on [the son’s] head” (13), it solidifies the Waltz representing a guised metaphor for a quick and senseless beating. Life’s’ struggles are easier to endure when they are masked with a positive element.

The concert I attended was called the Faculty and Student Recital, which took place in the Cisco Auditorium on April 11, 2017. The music that was on the program was mostly what is called “classical” music, as well as a Chinese Folk Song, an electronic composition, and variations on an Indian Tala. In the classical pieces, the instruments that were used were the violin, the piano, the cello, and the oboe. In the electronic composition, the computer was used to make music. In the Chinese Folk Song, the piccolo was used to imitate the unique timbre of a Chinese flute. In the Indian tala, drums from Ghana were used to imitate the rhythm and sound of Indian drums. The piano, the violin, the cello, and the piccolo all originate

In “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, we can interpret many themes, however the one theme that seems apparent is the meaning of hope and admiration. Often as a child, we adore our loved ones, no matter what situation we are in. As humans, we tend to make excuses for the ones we love most. In this poem, a man looks back on his childhood and explains his relationship with his father as a dance, as if he didn’t quite understand their connection. By analyzing this poem’s metaphors, language and imagery, it is evident that this small boy is going through an abusive situation, but we can comprehend that no matter what conflict people go through, they can still have veneration and a sense of hope.

Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz” illustrates a nightly ritual between a working-class father and his young son. In the first stanza a young boy holds tightly to his father. The second stanza describes a playful roughhousing between father and son. The fourth stanza shows again the boy’s unwillingness to let go of his father. Roethke’s AB rhyming scheme and waltz-like meter set a light and joyful cadence. The music of the waltz comes through in the reading and with it a carefree and innocent tone for the telling of the short amount of time between a hard-working father arriving home and the time when his son must go to bed.

The poem "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke is a moving representation of childhood spent in a working middle class family. The speaker of this poem is a man recalling his childhood, his father and his mother through the means of a waltz. The following essay will present a detailed analysis of the dramatic situation and speaker through the explanations of the various poetic tools used in this poem such as similes, choice of words and style.

The Planets was composed from 1914-1916. It was the time of the World War I. Adrian Boult did not conduct it until 1918 in a private concert for Henry Balfour Gardiner, who helped Holst earlier on with his composing career. It was not until 1920 that Albert Coates performed it in its entirety to Queen’s Hall. It is an orchestral piece arranged into seven movements. Each movement dedicates itself to the planets known at the time besides Earth. “Holst considered each movement a progression of life.” (Taylor)

Never could I have thought that my first concert experience was going to be in a college class, performed by various composers of classical music. During the concert, I got to listen to four performances. First, the Oxycotton was played by Tim Sanchez. Second, Samantha Post played Acht Stucke on flute, followed by Nicholas Gledhill, playing Blues and Variations for Monk on horn. Finally, the CSU Graduate Brass Quintet performed a piece named Misty. In this essay, I will share my personal experience of the concert and discuss the different elements of music seen in the different performances.

Pearls is a mystically enchanting piece of music composed by Andrew Hale with powerful lyrics written by singer Sade Adu of the band Sade. The song is extremely relevant to the existing political and social climate in which we are found because of its plainly presented message. The text is counterpointed against the spacious G minor melody giving an uneasy feeling of emptiness. The lyric tells the story of a Somali mother who is struggling to feed her young daughter. Their situation is so dire that she is scrambling to collect rice that has fallen off a relief truck travelling through her village. The importance of the text is reared in the repeated ending phrase of the chorus “it hurts like brand new shoes”. This biting statement gives a

I have never been personally a fan of the romantic orchestra music but going to listen to a concert live is breathtaking. I attended the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Masterpieces concert with music director Fouad Fakhouri performing Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No.1 in D major. There was a full stage of musicians and a complete choir to back it up.

Who is the composer (full name and dates)? List three points about his life and environment.

String section and basso continuo central to the orchestra. Other instruments are occasional additions. Standard group of four sections: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Different instruments treated individually.