Louis Armstrong: What a Tragic Wonderful World
By Lucas Varela
Louis Armstrong was able to play ever so heavenly, but are you aware that he was brought up in a living hell? Despite his challenges, he is one of the greatest trumpet players, if not the greatest trumpet player of all time. He grew up poor in the sad slums of New Orleans, yet became a greatly recognized jazz player in our modern society. His inspiring story is something that gives hope to people born in lesser conditions to strive for greatness.
He was born in a dangerous impoverished area around 1901 in New Orleans LA, into a very poor family. His Mother was a local prostitute and his father was unknown, yet the mother loved him dearly. He was known to his peers at school as a trouble maker, and had dropped out of school at the age of 11, and sadly as a way to maintain rent for their bungalow he sang for chump change in the streets. However, he ended up in the “New Orleans Home for Colored Delinquents”, while there he learned to play the cornet, an instrument similar to the trumpet, and after he was released from the boys home, he worked hauling coal during the day and practicing during the night.
He continued to play throughout the 1910’s and it wasn't until 1922 where he met his role model King Oliver, who allowed him to join his Creole jazz band in Chicago. Eventually he branched out and became more and more famous throughout the decade with his new techniques such as scat singing and different ways of playing. He became a legend not only for his playing abilities but also for his unique voice with such a gravelly voice. Gathering and playing alongside the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sidney Bichet, he became a powerhouse in the musical industry.
It is unfortunate however with how little his early life is known. In a recent survey with the people within the Pecos Highschool only a few 8% out of 25 people actually know what Louis’ early life was like. That's only two people out of the 25 that I have interviewed such as Adrissa Cordova-Prieto, who commented “Well in band we talked about him along with Ms. Cordova, and it is sad how he was raised, but if it weren't for that, he wouldn't be as influential as he is today.”
After all the fame and all the success, he unfortunately passed away in his sleep on July 6th 1971. He was, and still remains to this day, an enormous giant in the music industry, with his influence inspiring people. From living in a ghetto, to being a role model for people to look up to in our lives. His musical talents are unmatched, but with the inspiration he gives us, he allows us to look up to him and say “I want to accomplish my dreams, and even though I may fall, I WILL DO IT!” It only requires will.
By Lucas Varela
Louis Armstrong was able to play ever so heavenly, but are you aware that he was brought up in a living hell? Despite his challenges, he is one of the greatest trumpet players, if not the greatest trumpet player of all time. He grew up poor in the sad slums of New Orleans, yet became a greatly recognized jazz player in our modern society. His inspiring story is something that gives hope to people born in lesser conditions to strive for greatness.
He was born in a dangerous impoverished area around 1901 in New Orleans LA, into a very poor family. His Mother was a local prostitute and his father was unknown, yet the mother loved him dearly. He was known to his peers at school as a trouble maker, and had dropped out of school at the age of 11, and sadly as a way to maintain rent for their bungalow he sang for chump change in the streets. However, he ended up in the “New Orleans Home for Colored Delinquents”, while there he learned to play the cornet, an instrument similar to the trumpet, and after he was released from the boys home, he worked hauling coal during the day and practicing during the night.
He continued to play throughout the 1910’s and it wasn't until 1922 where he met his role model King Oliver, who allowed him to join his Creole jazz band in Chicago. Eventually he branched out and became more and more famous throughout the decade with his new techniques such as scat singing and different ways of playing. He became a legend not only for his playing abilities but also for his unique voice with such a gravelly voice. Gathering and playing alongside the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sidney Bichet, he became a powerhouse in the musical industry.
It is unfortunate however with how little his early life is known. In a recent survey with the people within the Pecos Highschool only a few 8% out of 25 people actually know what Louis’ early life was like. That's only two people out of the 25 that I have interviewed such as Adrissa Cordova-Prieto, who commented “Well in band we talked about him along with Ms. Cordova, and it is sad how he was raised, but if it weren't for that, he wouldn't be as influential as he is today.”
After all the fame and all the success, he unfortunately passed away in his sleep on July 6th 1971. He was, and still remains to this day, an enormous giant in the music industry, with his influence inspiring people. From living in a ghetto, to being a role model for people to look up to in our lives. His musical talents are unmatched, but with the inspiration he gives us, he allows us to look up to him and say “I want to accomplish my dreams, and even though I may fall, I WILL DO IT!” It only requires will.
Artwork & Writing Contest!
If you have artwork or writing that you would like to enter into the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, please check with Mr. Faunt for details on how to submit your work.
If you have artwork or writing that you would like to enter into the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, please check with Mr. Faunt for details on how to submit your work.
Why Is Music So Important for Your Motivation?
By Carlos Ortiz
Have you ever been motivated by listening to music? What I have found out over the years is that there is so much music that can motivate you or just impact you in so many ways. I have many different kinds of music which give me motivation, or just change my Perception.
Does music motivate you when competing? I usually go to music for motivation when I'm competing in a wrestling tournament. What I have found is that there are a lot of people that go to music for motivation when they are competing in anything. I asked some people what music they listen to when they are getting ready for any type of Competition. 75% of them said they would listen to light pop music with a good beat to get ready and the remaining 35% said they would listen to light rock music to get ready for their Competition.
What music do you listen to for motivation? I listen to all different kinds of music to get motivated. The first type of music I go to is like up-beat music and I usually listen to this kind of music when I'm working out, but I will also throw in some rap music and light rock music at times during a workout. When I'm getting ready for competition, I will mainly only listen to light rock music so I can get in the right State of Mind.
How can music change your perception? For me, when I'm looking to get my perception changed or looking at a different side of things, I usually go to rap music because there are so many rap artists that put things in so many different ways. They can just blow your mind and change your whole thought process on everything!
So does music motivate you? I would say yes, if you know the right music that motivates you. The good thing about that is there is so much music out there. I recommend that you go to out and find what motivates you best!
The Smile Behind The Picture
By Ashley Rodriguez
There have been many famous art pieces whose names have been recognized and remembered for centuries. Some being The Last Supper, The Creation of Adam, The Starry Night, Girl with Pearl Earrings, American Gothic, and plenty more. The Mona Lisa is a famous piece of artwork that is well known and well recognized across the globe. Yet, many people don’t know the scandalous history of this famous painting. That is exactly what this article is going to explain: The Smile Behind The Picture. Or can you even call it a smile? More on that in later paragraphs. This article is going to explain what the Mona Lisa is, who painted her, the inspiration behind the Mona Lisa, the scandals behind the Mona Lisa, what a Mandela effect is, and the Mandela effect that Mona Lisa has. I conducted a survey and interviewed two fellow peers to decipher what people thought about the Mona Lisa and what lingering questions they had regarding the art piece.
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What is the Mona Lisa? As stated before, many people don’t know the history behind the Mona Lisa. I surveyed my fellow peers and my parents and asked, "Do you know what the Mona Lisa is?" 70% said yes, they do know what the Mona Lisa is and 30% said they only kind of knew. Next, I asked students Aleah Tanuz and Kristina Ragland the following question: Do you know how old the Mona Lisa is? Aleah responded, "I want to say that it is about 530 years old, if not close to that year.” Kristina replied, “I honestly don't know how old Mona Lisa is.” My third question was: Do you know who made the Mona Lisa? 60% said they knew who made the Mona Lisa and 40% they didn’t know. The Mona Lisa is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. He made this painting sometime between 1503 and 1519. The Mona Lisa is about 517 years old. The painting consists of a half-body portrait of a woman and a beautiful landscape behind her. The woman was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo and her name was Lisa del Giocondo. The true inspiration behind the Mona Lisa is not fully clear but historians believe that it was made for the celebration of Lisa del Giocondo’s pregnancy. It remains unclear why DaVinci never gave the portrait to the Giocondo family. In 1519, after Leonardo da Vinci died, all of his artwork went into the possession of King Francis I. It became a part of the royal collection but soon after that, the rebels from the French Revolution claimed the collection which led to the portrait hanging in Napoleon’s bedroom. Until finally in the 19th century it was installed in the Louvre Museum but not until 1911.
What scandal does the Mona Lisa have? There have been a few scandals with the Mona Lisa but the one I am going to be discussing is the 1911 theft. On August 21, 1911 three Italian men came running out of the Louvre. It was believed that the three men, who were in a sober mind-set, spent the night in the art closet of the museum. Once it hit daylight, the three men stripped off the frame and took the Mona Lisa. There is a positive side to the theft, though. Once the three men took the painting, it took 28 hours until anyone realized the Mona Lisa was missing. Soon after the museum announced the artwork was stolen, it gained fame and popularity overnight. After a week-long shut down, the museum opened back up and there was a mob of people waiting to see the empty space where the painting used to be. The three Italian men were Vincenzo Perugia, who was the ringleader, and Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti, who were brothers. Pergugia hoped to sell the painting but due to its popularity, it would have been too risky. After two years of the Mona Lisa being missing, it was finally found. The ringleader tried to sell the artwork to a local art dealer. The art dealer was suspicious of the artwork and hired the head of an Italian art gallery to look at it. Soon after that, they arrested the three men and sentenced them to eight months in prison.
What is the Mandela Effect? In the same survey, I asked: Do you know what the Mandela Effect is? The results were that 30% said yes, 20% said kind of, 20% said no, and 30% said they had heard of it but don't know about it. I also asked Kristina and Aleah the same question. Aleah responded with, “No, I don't know much about what it means. I have heard of it but nothing more.” Kristina replied, “The Mandela effect is an odd occurrence when anything different from how it happened is recalled by a wide number of people. Conspiracy theories claim this is indicative of a parallel reality, although it is seen by certain physicians as an example of how often imperfect recollection can be.” In other words, the Mandela effect is an unusual phenomenon where a large group of people remember something differently than how it occurred. Some examples of the Mandela effect are like the brand KitKat, many people remember a dash between the words Kit and Kat. Another example is the famous words from Star Wars when Darth Vader is talking to Luke Skywalker. Many people swear the quote was,” LUKE, I am your father” but the quote was actually, “No, I am your father.” This pertains to the Mona Lisa because many people claim that she never had a smile. So I conducted my own research with the survey and the results were shocking. The question was: Does the Mona Lisa have a smile? 25% said yes, 25% said they think so, 25% said no, and 25% said they don’t remember. The results were cut into 4 even separate groups. The Mona Lisa has a smile but many remember her with her blank, unexpressive, and enigmatic face.
The Mona Lisa is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci and is about 517 years old. The inspiration for the artwork was to celebrate the pregnancy of Lisa del Giocondo but it was unclear why Da Vinci didn’t give the artwork to the Giocondo family. After Leonardo died, his artwork went into King Francis I possession but was soon stolen by the rebellion from the renaissance which led it to be hanged in Napoleon's bedroom. Then, it was hanging in the Louvre Museum until 1911 when it was stolen by three Italian men. Then two years later, it was back in the museum. Finally, the Mendela effect is an unusual phenomenon where a large group of people remember something differently than how it occurred. There have been many Mandela Effects, like the KitKat and Star Wars example. That pertains to the Mona Lisa because many people remember her without a smile and just a blank, unexpressive and enigmatic face but in reality, the Mona Lisa has a smile. So much history lies within "The Smile Behind the Picture."
What scandal does the Mona Lisa have? There have been a few scandals with the Mona Lisa but the one I am going to be discussing is the 1911 theft. On August 21, 1911 three Italian men came running out of the Louvre. It was believed that the three men, who were in a sober mind-set, spent the night in the art closet of the museum. Once it hit daylight, the three men stripped off the frame and took the Mona Lisa. There is a positive side to the theft, though. Once the three men took the painting, it took 28 hours until anyone realized the Mona Lisa was missing. Soon after the museum announced the artwork was stolen, it gained fame and popularity overnight. After a week-long shut down, the museum opened back up and there was a mob of people waiting to see the empty space where the painting used to be. The three Italian men were Vincenzo Perugia, who was the ringleader, and Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti, who were brothers. Pergugia hoped to sell the painting but due to its popularity, it would have been too risky. After two years of the Mona Lisa being missing, it was finally found. The ringleader tried to sell the artwork to a local art dealer. The art dealer was suspicious of the artwork and hired the head of an Italian art gallery to look at it. Soon after that, they arrested the three men and sentenced them to eight months in prison.
What is the Mandela Effect? In the same survey, I asked: Do you know what the Mandela Effect is? The results were that 30% said yes, 20% said kind of, 20% said no, and 30% said they had heard of it but don't know about it. I also asked Kristina and Aleah the same question. Aleah responded with, “No, I don't know much about what it means. I have heard of it but nothing more.” Kristina replied, “The Mandela effect is an odd occurrence when anything different from how it happened is recalled by a wide number of people. Conspiracy theories claim this is indicative of a parallel reality, although it is seen by certain physicians as an example of how often imperfect recollection can be.” In other words, the Mandela effect is an unusual phenomenon where a large group of people remember something differently than how it occurred. Some examples of the Mandela effect are like the brand KitKat, many people remember a dash between the words Kit and Kat. Another example is the famous words from Star Wars when Darth Vader is talking to Luke Skywalker. Many people swear the quote was,” LUKE, I am your father” but the quote was actually, “No, I am your father.” This pertains to the Mona Lisa because many people claim that she never had a smile. So I conducted my own research with the survey and the results were shocking. The question was: Does the Mona Lisa have a smile? 25% said yes, 25% said they think so, 25% said no, and 25% said they don’t remember. The results were cut into 4 even separate groups. The Mona Lisa has a smile but many remember her with her blank, unexpressive, and enigmatic face.
The Mona Lisa is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci and is about 517 years old. The inspiration for the artwork was to celebrate the pregnancy of Lisa del Giocondo but it was unclear why Da Vinci didn’t give the artwork to the Giocondo family. After Leonardo died, his artwork went into King Francis I possession but was soon stolen by the rebellion from the renaissance which led it to be hanged in Napoleon's bedroom. Then, it was hanging in the Louvre Museum until 1911 when it was stolen by three Italian men. Then two years later, it was back in the museum. Finally, the Mendela effect is an unusual phenomenon where a large group of people remember something differently than how it occurred. There have been many Mandela Effects, like the KitKat and Star Wars example. That pertains to the Mona Lisa because many people remember her without a smile and just a blank, unexpressive and enigmatic face but in reality, the Mona Lisa has a smile. So much history lies within "The Smile Behind the Picture."
Meow Wolf and How It Came To Be
By Kaylee Herrera
Flashing lights, neon paint, ecstatic faces, and a twisted and unimaginable mansion is what you are greeted with as soon as you step foot into Meow Wolf. The immense, nationally-known attraction we now recognize as Meow Wolf first began as two nouns pulled from a hat. How much improvement has the attraction made since? Where does the attraction stand today? How does it appeal to the public eye? In February of 2008, Meow Wolf was created by “a group of young residents hoping to supply Santa Fe with an alternative art and music venue” as an Artist Collective. The concept of Meow Wolf has remained the same, the desire for alternative, different, and new perceived art to be introduced into the traditional state of New Mexico. Although, the contents inside have changed drastically over the course of the decade. Projects created by Meow Wolf include "Biome Neuro Norb" (2008) a Sci-Fi inspired project. Auto Wolf" (2009) a project centered around the destruction and reuse of a donated car. "The Moon is to Live On", a multimedia theatrical play. "Geodecadent I" and "Geodecadent II" (both 2010) a series of projects based on geodesic domes. "The Due Return" (2011) a project consisting of a 70-foot long ship with two levels. It was not until 2015 that the idea of “The House of Eternal Return” arose. Famous author of Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin, put down $2.7 million to lease an abandoned bowling alley to create what is now Meow Wolf. It was then that Meow Wolf’s “House of Eternal Return” was opened on March 17, 2016. Presently, Meow Wolf is temporarily closed due to Covid-19. Tickets are not for sale, and a way to reopen their exhibit with the safest precautions available are taking place. According to Meow Wolf’s official website, “Implementing safety practices and protocols to combat the spread of coronavirus is our first priority and highest concern, but we are also taking this time to install new upgrades to the exhibit, including installations from guest artists like Corinne Loperfido, Paolo Puck, Obsidiopolis, and more. When you are able to visit us again there will be a lot of new art to see and explore!” A perfect example of how Meow Wolf is consistently improving and adding more art from a variety of artists. As far as we know, next time Meow Wolf’s door is opened to the public, it could be a far different environment! It is evident that Meow Wolf’s art is unique, colorful, and naturally appealing to the public eye. A survey was conducted in order to get a better look at how local New Mexicans see the tourist attraction. When asked to describe Meow Wolf in one word, some anonymous responses included: “Peculiar”, “Colorful”, “Mythical”, “Abstract”, “Cool”, “Trippy”, and “Creative”. Out of all 24 survey respondents, only 8.33% have not visited Meow Wolf, but said they would like to. This proves how much of a widely known and common attraction Meow Wolf is to New Mexico. I conducted an interview with Charley Halbert, an artist in her city of Bainbridge, Washington, to see how Meow Wolf is perceived by out-of-staters. I asked her what her initial feelings were towards Meow Wolf when |
The House of Eternal ReturnBiome neuro norb, 2008she first visited, to see what emotions she experienced personally. In response, she said she felt like it was exciting and unpredictable. When asked if she’s invested more into traditional art or exotic art, to ensure her answers were open-minded, she responded, “I’m equally invested with both exotic/new art as I am with traditional and cultural artwork. I think they both contribute to society well and create a nice balance.” I asked if she felt like the incorporation of a mystery and live concerts were innovative touches, or a stray away from traditionalism, because I know there is some controversy surrounding. She responded, “I think the incorporation of mystery and concerts were very innovative and helps make the experience unique and memorable.” She added, “I think it does stray from more traditional exhibits but I think it does so in a cool and different way.”
In conclusion, Meow Wolf has come a long and great way, working on new exhibits as you read this. It has also left many tourists both in state and out of state, opinionated on art. |