My Choice: Tides of Man: Descent

Well this week's My Choice Blog is another music video. This time the video is Descent(from Destiny) by one of my favorite bands, Tides of Man. Now what I like about this particular song is that its lyrics are a poem with each stanza/verse beginning with one of the letters of the word Descent. I thought that was just so creative. I really do admire that type of ingenuity and cleverness. Here are the lyrics:

D: The Descent from Destiny
By a Dark Deed Done
Was Disclosed in Divination
Death of a Dead man's son
Deranged, Deprived Delivery
Darkened his Decor

E: Ever-loathsome, the Executor's Edict
Estranges he from himself
Evermore

S: So Soon the Service
Sealed his fated Strife
A Sacrifice Seduced
To Save his threatened life

C: And Cowardice nor Commerce
Could Call the Child to Cease
Thought the Cycle of Criminal Commissions
Could never Co-exist with peace
He Could Count only
On the Combustion of his Chamber
As he lay the Child to the floor

E: Ever-loathsome, the Executor's Edict
Estranges he from himself
Evermore

N: Never to Neglect this Night again
As Naught for Nuances extend
Innocuously Numbing him into Nullification

T: Terribly Taken by The Task That Transpired
Tonight a Tantalizing new Testament was acquired
Thundering upon his tormented heart
From Temptation and Treachery
His almighty Teachings Tore him apart



Hooray for alliteration!!

Just because I'm in a sharing mood, I'll share one of my poems that I have written.

Here it is:

Feel

by ~Michael Peak

Stars when you shine you know how I feel.
The fact of the matter is I'm not real.
Breaking illusions, my mirrors shatter.
Do I exist? Am I matter?
I'm strings.
If anything.
Vibrating the music of the soul.
Throughout all which is not whole.
But incomplete.
Near defeat.
Those who need to be lifted.
The broke, the destitute, the gifted.

Wind when you whip, you know how I feel.
When you whistle you distort all that is real.
All that's secure.
All that's endured.
Falls to their knees at the majesty of freedom.
Yet they do not draw away, you intrigue them.
They've not seen one like you, with such a presence and power.
They want to be like you, and yet they cower.
Away from such sights.
And away from such heights.
Because they can not reach them.
Yet, they feel as all of it is beneath them.

Fire when you burn, you know how I feel.
When you ravage the forest or city, you destroy all that's real.
No more security.
You can take their reality.
And make it insanity.
Do you do this for your vanity?
No you burn because it's your purpose.
It's the only reason for this.
This powerful eruption.
Of your corruption.
Of your sovereignty.
And while it doesn't bother me.
It disturbs me in a way.
To know you can't burn every day.
And while I think that you should.
All I know is that when you burn.
I'm feelin' good.

Where'd all the time go? (Mentor Meeting & Connections Blog)

So, this week has taught me a lot about time management and the ability to plan ahead, two things I have been seemingly running around high school without. Unfortunately I did not meet with my mentor this week, but it wasn't her fault. It was mine. I need to come up with a convenient time for both of us to meet but I haven't really taken the initiative to plan this out. Also, I haven't been giving enough time to my research paper, even though, ever since I've changed my research thesis I've been able to get a lot more work done.

SO, I was thinking, if I want my senior project to be a success, I'm going to need to learn how to manage time correctly. I need to learn how to plan things out and stick to them, which is something Mr. Abrams has been trying to teach us all along. I've got a lot on my plate, with quarterlys this week and a history research paper due Friday, but I need to learn how to manage all my work correctly and prepare properly for all the work coming my way.

Meeting with Flood (Sponsor visit #7)

Well, I was starting to think that my Senior Project had reached a screeching halt after Suessical had ended. I had no idea what Mr. Flood and I were going to be doing from now on, but luckily, Mr. Flood was prepared as always. I sat in my latest Mentor Meeting with Mrs. Trip and Mr. Flood eating deliciously decadent Ghiredelli chocolate bars and brainstorming when, Mr. Flood asked me what I was doing the next two weekends. Well I told him, this weekend I had to babysit, but next weekend I was free on Sunday, so then he suggested we go see "Romeo and Juliet" on Sunday at Rowan University.

So, we started planning that trip, and I got really excited, but we started to think that with the plethora of activities going on in the school there's got to be something I can participate in that will further my goals in Senior Project. Then we thought about Mrs Porter's Senior citizen dessert Broadway night, and the fact that Mrs. Trip needs to fill an hours worth of entertainment. So, they decided that I could also help with the planning for this.

Also, Mr. Flood and I finally got approval, so I'll be going to Rowan soon(maybe this week) to go sit in on an actual college theatre course! I'm really excited about that and I think that'll be one of the most enriching parts of Senior Project yet. I can't wait to go.

Before all of these plans were made, I was wondering what the world held in store for me in relation to senior project, but now I can see a bright future ahead of me, as far as Senior project is concerned, and I can't wait to face it.

Mentor Meeting (HALLELUJAH!!)

Well today I met with my mentor, Mrs. Baggs, for the first time in forever. I was very happy to get to meet with her, and today we discussed something very important today, my research paper. Luckily for me, Mrs. Baggs has a lot of experience with research papers, so I was actually able to get a lot of help from her. I have been struggling with my thesis lately, so a lot of the meeting was about that. She also told me how she's been commenting on my blog(which is great!!), and how she is already thinking of ways to help me with my final project.

So, this weeks meeting was very useful. I was able to start a new working thesis and some new questions on Sunday. I was also able to have a mentor meeting which was something I had not yet experienced yet, and I got to say, it's awesome. Mrs. Baggs was ready to work and address any problems I was having. She was so...helpful. It was truly a good day, and I'm glad I picked Mrs. Baggs as my Mentor.

Meeting with Flood (Sponsor visit #6)

So on Wednesday I went to my sponsor to my sponsor meeting with Mr. Flood, and I asked him my question of the week. This weeks question was "What do you teach in a theatre class?" Luckily, I didn't just get information from Mr. Flood, I also got info from our resident theatre guru, Mrs. Trip. Their immediate answer was that theatre teaches life skills. Theatre can teach you how to network yourself and make valuable connections. It also teaches you how to get up in front of people and helps you overcome anxiety and fear.

The list can go on and on, but it would be boring if I just kept listing things. However, I now have a new prospective on my final project. Also, I figured something out. I learned how theatre can inspire empathy because it takes you directly into someone's life and conflicts. Theatre is cathartic and is a very good way for people to work out problems. So now I have two components of my final project, the magic of theatre, and the life skills theatre can teach.

My Choice: MK Ultra is Ultra Fantastic

Muse: MK Ultra

Well, for this weeks my choice blog I decided to take a page out of Jalysa Jones' book, and post a "Video of the Week." This video is from one of my favorite Rock Bands of all time Muse. This is a song off their latest album The Resistance, which in my opinion is an example of a band tackling a brave new world. This song actually has an interesting premise. It is based on Project MKULTRA a top secret CIA experimentation project( if you want to know more click here)

I really enjoy Muse's music because not only are they all very talented musicians, they never stick to the same type of music, they're always trying something different. While all they're songs are distinctively Muse, you can hear bits and pieces of so many genres in their songs. If you ever happen to listen to all 5 Muse albums, you'll end up on a musical journey.

Connections Blog: The Magic of Theatre, the Purpose of my Project

Unfortunately, and fortunately, Lindenwold High School's production of Seussical has ended. It has been a long journey for a lot of us, especially the seniors. It just hit me that this is my last show on the high school stage that will take this much time, and this much effort. This is especially tough for me because I realize that I have grown close with this year's drama department in particular. A lot of them were with me when we performed Stand and Deliver, perhaps the most important show of my high school career, and I've really come to care about all of them. I've made a lot of good friends, and I've met a lot of amazing and talented people who I hope I will continue to know for awhile. Leaving this program is hard for me, and one of the saddest things I will have to do in my life.

However, this is just another chapter in my life that is closing, and I know another one has already begun to open.

That being said, this year's season for the Lindenwold High School Drama Department has inspired me greatly. I'm still thinking about what I would like my senior project to be, but I know what I want people to walk away with from it. I want them to understand the magic of theatre. The purpose of this project is for me to go into a field I find interesting, learn about it, and then be able to do a professional presentation on the project that teaches anyone attending the project about what I learned, and one thing I've learned so far is the magic of theatre, and the ability theatre has to bring people together. I think that is one of the most important things you can learn about theatre and live performance, and I hope it is something I can teach.