Change of Mind: Renaissance Music

As we listened to Renaissance music in Class, I realized how different the music was compared to today. The music style and the way people danced was very funny and it was not my style. I thought it was too old style compared to today's art. Then I began to think about how different Renaissance art was compared to the 21st century art. If music was so different, then the paintings and drawings would be different too. So I went to Google to research different artists and their works from the Renaissance time. I noticed I knew some artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt van Rijn. I was most familiar with Rembrandt's works because I have been into his house during my art trip to Europe. I was very excited to see them again!

As I was comparing the art from the Renaissance to contemporary art, I noticed one thing. Of course, the style was very different from each other. But one thing I noticed was that works from Renaissance time was almost all landscapes and people. Compared to that, contemporary art was about being unique and different. The portraits of people from Renaissance was so exact and still. However, the portraits of people from the contemporary art varied from using photo shops to deform people's faces to drawing stick figures. The idea that art is always changing came into my mind. I realized how much art changed from the Renaissance times. The clothes people wear, music we listen to, paintings, drawings, sculptures, all have changed so much over the years.

Change of Mind: Sophie's World

Before reading Sophie's World, I didn't know what philosophy was. I knew what philosophy was so I never really paid attention to philosophy. About two years ago, my friend John, who is all into philosophy, tried to get me interested in philosophy. He tried to explain to me what philosophy was and how fun philosophy could be once you are into it. However, back then, I found philosophy the most boring subject. Even worse than math and science.

After reading Sophie's World, I learned so many new things about Philosophy. The most interesting thing was how philosophy was formed. Reading through a novel was so much better than listening to John. At first, Sophie's stories drew me to the book. Sophie's World was not a book where it was only about philosophy but the little stories in between philosophy made it enjoyable for me. Sophie's World made it easier for me to understand and become interested in philosophy!

Best of Today: J.S. Bach's Chaconne in D Minor

In class, we listened to J.S. Bach's Chaconne in D Minor. While I was listening to it, I noticed that a work of art such as painting or drawing is similar to music. Before hearing this music and having a classroom discussion, I thought a painting and music were very different things. After today, I realized that those two things go together.

Both a painting drawn by someone and music composed by someone makes you think a lot. It takes you to a level you never experienced before. The things you miss out could be found again through music and a painting. Also, both of those art works provide different perspectives. There are so many perspectives that could be seen even through only one art work. Not only that, every time we look at an art work, we always see something different. I finally understood this time when Mr. Allen was telling the class that every time he listens, he hears some thing new. In the beginning of humanities, I wasn't able to understand what he meant but through this activity, I realized what he meant.

iMedia: Hofesh Shechter

Hofesh Shechter is one of the most famous young choreographers in United Kingdom. They compose their own music to dance to. They are modern day dancers. Hofesh Shechter striked me with their dance. The way they dance is so much different from dancers on televisions shows or performers for street dance. Through their dance, they tell a story and express the words in to movements. I was only used to seeing dances such as break dancing or dances in music videos. Hofesh Shechter's dance was very different. Their dances were not made to amuse people or brag about how many difficult dance moves they could do. Instead, they match their dance to their music and makes their performance as one thing. The movement is also different. They move in groups so there is a lot of movement going on for the audiences to see.

Dances for break dancing or hip hop does not make me think. However, the dance performance Hofesh Shechter did made me think. If I was watching a hip hop performance, I would be amazed at all the different style and difficult moves the dancers were doing. At the end of the show, I would been entertained. However, if I was watching Hofesh Shechter's performance, their dance would leave me with some thing to think about. I would question such things like what was the theme of that first part? Why were they standing in big groups? What was the thing they wanted the audience to understand?

When I went to go see a dance group that was similar to Hofesh Shechter in Korea, I found it boring in the beginning. They were not very good at dancing and I was expecting a dance show with head spins, moon walks, and crip walks. When the dance show was over, I was left with all kinds of questions. It was my first time to go see a dance show like that one. I was very confused. However, the more I read about them, I began to understand the modern day dances.