Tuesday, January 21, 2020

War Promotes Nation Building :: Papers

War Promotes Nation Building War can promote nation building in various aspects. Politically, war can modernize the political system of a country; economically, war can encourage a huge number of industrial developments of a country; morally, war can destroy the evil ideas of the world. For the propose of this assignment, the following definition of nation building is provided: Nation building is the development or modernization of a country in political, economical, and/or social aspect(s). First of all, war can modernize the political system of a country. When a country was defeated in a territory, the regime would be replaced by another regime with a different form of government, and a different kind of political system. For instance, after the World War II (WW II), the Germany had turned from a dictatorship to a democracy. Japan had also become a democracy, while the mainland China became a communist. On the other hand, attack by foreigners can promote nationalism. Taking the period of the French Revolution as an example, while Napoleon built up a large army in Europe and conquered other countries, the Europeans was then turned to nationalism. The Europeans began to strengthen their countries, both in political and economical structure. These encouraged growth in their countries. China is another example, during the WWII, when China conquered by foreigners, the Chinese came together and fought against the invaders. Since then, the Chinese had built up a more powerful and modernized country. Since conflicts between nations make native to build up, modernize and improve their nations, including the political system. As a result, war promotes nation building. Economically, war can encourage the economic development of a nation. It is because war requires a huge number of government expenses for the army. For example, the wages for soldiers, the expenses for modernize the equipment and strengthen the army. These force the monarch or government of the nation to increase the income of the government first.

Monday, January 13, 2020

The Bluest Esyes

?Latishia Taylor 5th Hour AP English The House, the blue eyes, the marigolds†¦. Oh My! In the novel The Bluest Eye, there were a lot of roles of symbolism. Symbolism is the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships. The title by itself starts off one of the many symbols in the novel. Seeing the novel uses the singular form of the word â€Å"eye† to express many of the characters’ sad isolation. The symbols in this novel symbolize different meanings for each character. Some of the symbols are the bluest eyes, the house, the marigolds. The novels begins with a prologue, beginning with a sentence from a Dick-and-Jane narrative: â€Å"Here is the house(3). † The homes in this novel do not only indicate the social economic status , but they also symbolize the emotional situations and values of the characters who inhabit them. For instance the Breedlove’s storefront apartments despicable and aged, suffering from Mrs. Breedlove’s preference for her employer’s home over her own. This symbolizes the misery of the Breedlove family. Their home lacks positive symbols such as the couch being thought of as a comfort provider or the loving that has been conducted upon it, a bed being defined by someone giving birth in it. Just as the family has an ironic name; they do the total opposite of their name; the few household objects that they do possess: a ripped couch, a cold stove, are symbols of suffering and degradation rather than of a home. The Breedlove’s apartment not only is considered ugly on their part but the community recognizes this also. The ugliness of the abandoned storefront and its defiance to blend in with the other buildings that surround it. This symbolizes the hideousness of the Breedlove’s story; a story not only about the ugliness they create but also about the ugliness brought out against them. Just as the storefront has now been abandoned, they have also been abandoned by the world around them. Unlike the Breedlove’s â€Å"home†; the MacTeer’s is drafty and dark, but it is carefully tended by Mrs. MacTeer and. According to Claudia it is also filled with love, symbolizing their family’s comparative cohesion. There is a young girl in this novel that goes a lot of complications. Her name is Pecola and she is the daughter of Mr. nd Mrs. Breedlove. Where she has one wish and that is to have the bluest eyes. When her parents get into arguments she lies in bed imaging that all her body parts are dissolving except for her eyes. †Please,God,† she whispered in the palm of her hand. â€Å"Please make me dissappear(45). † She hates her ugliness and for a long time she hoped and prayed for blue eyes, which will make her beautiful and change all the evil in her life to good. To Pecola, the blue eyes symbolize the beauty and happiness that she associates with the white middle-class world. They also symbolize her own blindness, for she gains blue eyes only at the cost of her sanity. Pecola decides that if she had beautiful eyes, her life would magically right itself. She wants blue eyes for two reasons; so that she can change what she sees, and so that she can change how others see her. For Pecola, these reasons are interchangeable because she believes that how people see her; as ugly, creates what she see; hurtful behavior. At the end of the novel Pecola goes mad, believing that she has gotten the blue eyes that she has been wishing for. She also imagines up a n imaginary friend. Pecola can not stop admiring her eyes she claims that now she can even look at the sun without blinking. Rather than granting Pecola insight into the world around her and providing a compensating connection with other people, these eyes are a form of blindness. Pecola can no longer accurately perceive the outside world, and she has become more invisible to others. He new friendship is only imagined and does not protect her from old suffering and insecurity. Even though she granted her wish of blue eyes, she still has scars deep down on the inside that won’t seem to just disappear. During the novel Pecola is also raped and impregnated by her father. The community thought she should be taken out of school and hoping that the baby doent's not live. â€Å"I thought about the baby that everybody wanted dead(190). † When Claudia and Frieda heard about Pecola being impregnated by her father that felt the need to help her. At first they just thought to pray and ask God to let the baby live, but then they thought that wasn’t enough so they decided to give up the bicycle they wanted, bury the money and plant the marigolds seeds. we’ll bury the money over by her house so we can’t go back and dig it up, and we’ll plant the seeds out back of our house so we can watch over them. And when they come up, we’ll know everything is all right. All right(192)? † To Claudia an Frieda, they associated the marigolds with the safety and well-being of Pecola’s baby. Their ceremonial offering of money and the remaining unsold marigol ds seeds represent an honest sacrifice on their part. They believed that if the marigolds they had planted grew, then Pecola’s baby would be all right. To Claudia’ s and Frieda’s disliking the flowers did not bloom and Pecola’s baby died when it was prematurely born. From there forth on, they avoided Pecola Breedlove. In a more general sense, marigolds represent the constant renewal of nature. In Pecola’s case, this cycle of renewal is perverted by her father’s rape of her. This novel consisted of a lot of symbolism. Most of which all were involved with Pecola. In some shape, way, or form Pecola was affected by all the symbols in the novel. Some good effects, some bad effects, some had a little bit of the both effects.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Cultural Clash Between Indian And English - 1447 Words

The theme I will be covering in this first unit paper is Cultural Clash. The cultural clash between Indian and English. The settlers were coming over from Europe and hoping to find new life and opportunity, but little did they know, their culture would clash and the differences would be too great. â€Å"But, for the most part, when the British started to explore, the East — not the West — attracted Europeans. Wealthy Europeans developed a taste for luxury goods from Asia and Africa, and merchants competed to satisfy that desire. As Europeans traded with the East and with one another, they acquired new information about the world they inhabited. A few people — sailors, merchants, and aristocrats — took the risks of exploring beyond the limits of the world known to Europeans. Those risks could be deadly, but sometimes they paid off in new information, new opportunities, and eventually the discovery of a world entirely new to Europeans (Roark, The American P romise, page 26).† The new opportunities they were looking for was to practice their own religion, freedom, better pay, self-rule, etc. The British settlers would overcome a lot of challenges, especially when they settle over to the new world. A lot of different people with different religion’s, cultures, etc. were mixing and trying to figure out their place in the new world that they desired. The Native American’s helped the settlers in the first winter when they came over to the new world. But, after that, the settlersShow MoreRelatedEssay on Arts of the Contact Zone by Mary Louise Pratt532 Words   |  3 Pagescultures meet, clash, and grapple each other, often in highly asymmetrical relations of domination and subordination†. Pratt aims to highlight these relations between the colonizer and the colonized â€Å"in terms of copresence, interaction, interlocking understandings and practices†. There often are conflicts of views and ideas; the very concept of existence maybe apprehended differently by the two involved subjects in the â€Å"contact zone†.The inability of the colonizer to comprehend the cultural sentimentsRead MoreRelationship Between Europeans And American Indians1229 Words   |  5 PagesZain Alvi Explain how mutual understandings and cultural interactions affected the relationship between Europeans and American Indians. How did these groups eventually adapt to each other? Confine your answer to pre Columbian society to 1607. At the beginning of this time period, European settlers were attracted to the Americas in hopes of gaining land and spreading Christianity. Initially, the settlers established a friendly relationship with the natives, relying on them to learn skills like farmingRead MoreLethal Encounters Englishmen And Indians During Colonial Virginia By Alfred Cave1474 Words   |  6 PagesEnglishmen and Indians in Colonial Virginia by Alfred Cave is a book that extensively describe Britain’s and Spain’s initial colonization of America. The book mainly focuses on the facts and primary entries of Native Americans and pioneers, and their initial thoughts thoughts about each other. Albert Caves book, Lethal Encounters Englishmen and Indians in Colonial Virginia, discussed many issues between those indigenous to America and the pioneers, including; racism, imperialism, culture clash, religionRead MoreMass Marketing and Cultural Appropriation Essay1722 Words   |  7 PagesThe term â₠¬Å"cultural appropriation† is vaguely known in today’s society. That is a major contradiction due to the fact that, many people are perpetrators of it. 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They are takingRead MoreCompare and Contrast He American and British Views Regarding the French and Indian War.604 Words   |  3 PagesThe French and Indian War, was a war fought between France and Britain. The war was the product of an imperial struggle, a clash between the French and English over colonial territory and wealth. Great Britain claimed that the French provoked war by building forts along the Ohio River Valley. Virginia’s governor sent a militia to the French and Native American allies. The war started out badly for Great Britain, about 2,000 British and colonial troops were defeated by the French and Native AmericansRead MoreWar Dances By Sherman Alexie995 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican identity through a deprecating tone which illustrate a divide between generations. Traditions and old teachings are essential to Native American culture; however growing up in the modern west creates a distance and ignorance about one’s identity. In the beginning, the narrator is in the hospital while as his father lies on his death bed, when he than encounters fellow Native Americans. One of these men talks about an elderly Indian Scholar who paradoxically discussed identity, â€Å"She had taken nostalgiaRead MoreEthnocentrism Across Cultures: Film Analysis of Bride and Prejudice827 Words   |  3 Pagesdirector of Indian descent Gurinder Chadha and stars American, British, and Indian actors and actresses, including Miss World 1994 and the Bollywood top star Aishwarya Rai. The plot takes place in several cities, including Los Angeles, New York, London, Bombay, and Amritsar, and addresses such questions as pride, prejudice, ethnocentrism, cultural imperialism, and love. This is an adaptation of Jane Austins famous novel with a Bollywood approach and style though the film was made in English. It tellsRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Midnight s Children, The God Of Small Things, And The White Tiger 1331 Words   |  6 PagesMany a writers of Indian Diaspora have expressed their true emotions and fear through their writing in multifaceted ways. For the non resident Indian writers the struggle is everywhere, whereas the Indians trapped in the cultural conflict in their country itself endure a constant struggle which ends nowhere leads nowhere. The Man Booker prize winning Indian works Midnight’s Children, The God of Small Things, The Inheritance of Loss, and The White Tiger are written with an intention to discuss theRead MoreCultural Interactions between the British and the Native Characters1012 Words   |  5 PagesA passage to India, Forster tries to bring to light the cultural interactions between the native Indians and their colonialists th e British. It considers if there may be a possibility of personal relationships between the natives the British so as to develop a mutual satisfaction. In this novel he, tries to consider if the natives can be able to connect with the British, and vice versa (Forster, 1979: 26). The novel explores the Anglo-Indian friendship, paying attention to describing the two societies

Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Cask of Amontillado - Montresor’s Untrustworthiness...

The Cask of Amontillado - Montresor’s untrustworthiness and mental instability The cask of amontillado is a short story that Edgar Allen Poe wrote in 1846. Poe has written this particular story to be told in a first person point of view. Since Montresor is the narrator this concludes the fact that he is telling the story from his point of view. From the beginning it is clear that Montresor is an unreliable narrator. Throughout the story it is quite noticeable that Montresor is not trustworthy as a narrator, and that he has a mental instability. The very first sentence it shows that this story is going to be told by Montresor (from a first person point of view). In the first sentence of the first paragraph Montresor claims Fortunato†¦show more content†¦This alone shows that Montresor is trying to get the unknown person whom he is speaking with to sympathize with him. Montresor antagonizes Fortunado through the whole story with the allure of the Amontillado. There are at least three occasions that Montresor talks of finding Lushesi instead of Fortunado to try the wine to authenticate it. Montresor obviously knew that it irritated Fortunado when he spoke of having Luchesi come to authenticate the wine. This was almost like a slap in the face for Fortunado and made him want to come to the tombs even more. This move by Montressor shows how desperate he is to keep Fortunado interested in coming to the tombs. It shows how he has calculated his plan of revenge and is trying to execute his master plan. In the very last paragraph, second to last sentence Montresor states: â€Å"For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them.† This sentence is referring to the tomb where he has entombed Fortunado to die, as well as the tomb of his other ancestors. Half of a century is at least fifty years, thus Montresor is stating that it has been over fifty years since the incident thus he could have easily forgotten what actually happened in the tomb. Mo st people can not even remember what happened a year ago one hundred percent accurately, much less fifty years later. In conclusion Montresor is a very unreliable narrator. Not only has it been over fifty years since the event, but

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Personal Narrative My Horse - 2617 Words

Some people think of them as animals. Some people think of them as objects. Some people think of them as friends. Then there are the few who think of them as family. Horses have always been like family to humans, except sometimes closer. There are many benefits to owning or being around horses. They come in many different colors. There is a multitude of breeds, also. Additionally, they have a long history with humans. Horses have unique behaviors. Showing horses has been the past-time or even career of many people. Furthermore, caring for horses can be a handful, but is definitely rewarding. Finally, riding horses is not just a hobby or a sport, but an action of your heart. Horses are wondrous creatures that have lived with man or†¦show more content†¦There are also several patterns. Some of them are dappled (pattern of rings) bay, black, or gray, chestnut or liver chestnut with a flaxen mane mane and tail, and surprisingly, being born a dark color and turning gray in the pr ime (this most often occurs in Arabians and Lipizzaners, and is not early aging, but merely a pattern). There are also many different markings a horse can have. Some occur on the face and some on the legs and the eel (or dorsal) stripe even appears on the back! Socks (white hair below the toe joint) and stockings (white hair below the ankle joint) are the most common leg markings. There are also tiger stripes, dark stripes on the legs. This is a very primitive marking, like the eel stripe and the colors dun and buckskin. Sometimes you can also see speckles of the horses main color in socks or stockings. The hoof can have different markings, too, such as the blue (black) hoof, white hoof, and striped hoof (a mix of the two). There are also many facial markings. Some include blazes (long, wide stripe down the face), stripes (long, narrow stripe down the face), lanterns (completely white face), snips (small white mark on the nose), stars (small white mark on the forehead),Show MoreRela tedContagious : Why Things Catch On By Jonah Berger979 Words   |  4 Pageslike Trojan Horses, carrying morals and lessons under the guise of word of mouth. STEPPS provides the foundations to recreate these ideas into messages, integral to the human narrative that people cannot tell its story without it. Amazing, Jonah Berger provides stories to better understand what each mnemonic part of STEPPS can do and how purposeful and effective it can be in real world narratives. The most eye-opening and compelling conversation that struck me is the Trojan horse analogy. WhatRead MoreEavan Boland Essay1375 Words   |  6 PagesEavan Boland is my favourite modern poet. There are many reasons for my positive response to her poems. What I love about Boland’s work is how revolutionary it is. Jody Allen Randolph, the American critic, once said that Boland â€Å"single-handedly challenged what was a heavily male-dominated profession†. What really appeals to me about Boland’s work is how she offers me fresh insight on old topics. In particular I like her reflections on love and relationships, the polemical/political dimension to herRead MoreSlaves : Animals Or Humans?1501 Words   |  7 Pagesmankind† (Garrison), evidence from the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave proves this when Frederick Douglass discussed when his master died and all of the property was left to his only son Andrew, and daughter, Lucretia. Douglass had to return to the plantation to be divided and valued. â€Å"We were all ranked together at the valuation. Men and women, old and young, married and single, were ranked with horses, sheep and swine. There were horses and men, cattle and women, pigs andRead MoreFaith, Food, And Captivity : Mary Rowlandson s Account Of Survival And Courage1554 Words   |  7 Pages Faith, Food, and Captivity: Mary Rowlandson s Account of Survival and Courage The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson is a personal account that was written by Mary Rowlandson in 1682. It is her account of what her experience in captivity was like. Her narrative about her captivity grew popular with American and English literature. Rowlandson lost everything when there was an attack orchestrated by Indians on her town Lancaster, Massachusetts in 1675; where she wasRead MoreI Lay Dying By William Faulkner837 Words   |  4 Pagesacts like a selfish teenager. The author, Faulkner, published many books using the stream of consciousness method. He â€Å"explor[ed] the depths of different characters’ inner conflict through disjointed, unpunctuated narrative† (Huang). He used punctuation and grammar differences to show personal voice. He wrote the Bundren’s narration exactly how they would talk, as poor and uneducated farmers from Mississippi in the 1920s. For example, after Addie, in her casket, falls down the r iver, Vardaman yells toRead MoreRichard Wright and William Faulkner both examine the psychologies of excluded members of society.1500 Words   |  6 Pagesbecomes the function of their characters’ minds in relation to one another, and to reality. Through different approaches, both Wright and Faulkner conduct modernist explorations of the social outcast’s interiority. To accomplish this, each author’s narrative voice traverses the gradient from realism to experimental fragmentation, Wright constructing a vertical consciousness, articulate and omniscient regarding Bigger’s psychological world, and Faulkner accessing a horizontal one, mostly illustratingRead MoreRobert Frost Explication Analysis1266 Words   |  6 Pagesputs it, the surface-level events display â€Å"†¦ the pretended simplicity of the narrative,† suggesting that Frost intends a deeper meaning (Ciardi 14). This poem is perhaps the most interesting to dissect; its sparking of po larizing arguments, lack of explanation by Frost, and worldwide familiarity allow for an entertaining analysis. Before determining the underlying meaning of the poem, one must first investigate the personal experiences of Robert Frost, whose life was riddled with adversity. His fatherRead MoreAlice Munro s Boys And Girls And Jamaica Kincaid s Girl1524 Words   |  7 PagesThe narrative voice is intriguing when choosing a literacy technique when applied to Alice Munro s â€Å"Boys and Girls† and Jamaica Kincaid s â€Å"Girl† because it highlights the significance of women s role during the 1960 s. The story of Boys and Girls is in third person narration describing an eleven- year old girl. This story was published in 1968, a time when the second wave of feminism movement occurred. This story gives information about adult gender roles. The setting of the story is in CanadaRead MoreAnalysis Of Blood Wedding By Federico Garcia Lorca And Translated By Jo Clifford1499 Words   |  6 Pagesand temporal context against which it was written. Women portray arguably the most significan t roles and interpretation, with the female roles are largely constructing the recurring themes of tradition and tension. It is via this process that the narrative progresses, resulting in movement through our understanding of the traditional values underpinning Spanish life and culture at the time of writing. Throughout, emphasis is placed upon traditional religious values such as arranged marriage, particularlyRead MoreThe Last Duchess By Robert Browning865 Words   |  4 Pagesmore than just the image of his former wife in the painting. To him the painting represents his control and power and tells the tale of his former wife in the way he speaks of the painting. An analysis of the poem â€Å"My Last Duchess† will reveal how the Duke uses art to further the narrative of this poem through symbolism, reveal the relationship with his former wife and control others. The writer of this poem Robert Browning is a master at captivating the potential of the dramatic monologue, here art

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Cultural Anthropology Essay Example For Students

Cultural Anthropology Essay There are lots of areas of study out there but the one field that intrigues peoples and civilizations is the actual study of themselves and how they interact with other human cultures. I dont think that I would have enrolled for this class if it hadnt been for the minor requirement in my business major. Although this class started early in the morning and required a lot from me, I am glad that I took it. I grew up in two cultures simultaneously and the experiences I incurred have made me the person I am today. I think that it is important to familiarize yourself with other cultures not just in business but it will aid in smoother business transactions. In the following paragraphs I will discuss the breadth of Cultural Anthropology Essay. Anthropology and the vast fields that are included in the study cannot be summarized in one paper. I will attempt to cover as much as I can in the following pages. I will also relate Anthropology to college students today and explain the importance of understanding other cultures. Finally I will elaborate on some of the presentations that I liked the most and offer helpful hints and comments on those groups. The discipline of anthropology studies humankind in the cultures of the world, both past and present. This study includes humankinds physical development and the wide diversity of lifestyles people have created. The main goal of Anthropology is to understand objectively the reasons for both similarities and differences among humans, their behaviors and ideas. Using the central concept of culture, a system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and material objects that members of a society use to cope with their world, anthropologists investigate and gather data on the human condition. Cultural anthropology is a broad subject and not only includes different ethic cultures but social economic cultures as well. Cultural Anthropology seeks to understand and describe each culture in its own perspective and in comparative perspective. Cultural anthropologists gather data through first-hand field study in other cultures and do cross-cultural comparative studies which provide insight and understanding of the modes and patterns of human life. In the group presentations, the group that did the Italian Mafia intrigued me and got me thinking about subcultures within cultures. It showed how deep cultural anthropology really is. Studying about Italian immigrants and their way of life is interesting as it is, but including a subgroup, a group that was not mentioned in official textbooks is amazing. The Mafia, which stands for family was originally practiced in Italy as a way of helping people and neighborhoods out. I remember seeing the video that the Mafia group did and the interview with one of the group members fathers. He had the stereotypical New York accent and spoke very highly of the original beliefs of the Mafia. He did however note that he did not endorse or condone the illegal actions of the Mafia. I think this group did a very good job in their presentation. Their layout was very smooth and the topic of the Italian Mafia is always an attention grabber simply because of the nature of the topic. I think that the overall breadth of anthropology is meaningful to me because I think that the more a person knows about a topic the less they are to prejudge someone or something before getting to know about it. The presentations were an excellent way to introduce each groups topics and cultures in an entertaining and informative way. I dont think that I would have ever known anything about Hindu Marriages or Single Family African American Homes if it werent for the presentations. I think that prejudice would be lessened if people were more educated with the cultures and traditions of other races. This would prevent possible ethnic clashes when hard times arise, for instance the LA riots. During the LA riots in South Central LA, African Americans destroyed Korean businesses using the Rodney King verdict as an excuse. A few months earlier, a black male entered a Korean owned convenience store and walked out with a case of beer without paying for it. The clerk, who was a family member shot .

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Johns Interesting Career Essay Example For Students

Johns Interesting Career Essay John Perreault is a musician who lives in Upstate, NY. He started appreciating music at an early age. Banging on pots-and-pans, singing. His grandfather, who was a professional musician, and my supportive parents, drove his interest in music. He was always in chorus. Then when the time came, he took up the bass in fourth grade. He quit the bass playing after three years and didnt do anything musical. He took a few music classes, but played nothing on the side. Then his grandfather passed away in 94. After his funeral, he felt like he had let him down. This event was the turning point in his life. He took up guitar later that year and wasnt too sure of the future. Its every young musicians dream to be famous to some degree; the only problem is finding your niche. His father, the following Christmas, gave him a mandolin. It sat in his room for several months and collected dust. And in the following years, he picked up a bass, sitar, didgeridoo, and some other instruments. It wasnt until his War and Civilization class that his career as a musician started. He had to do a Civil War music presentation. With the help of Mike Yates, a family friend, who reenacts Civil War music. Following the presentation, Mike Yates asked him if he was interested in working with his band The NYS 77th Regimental Balladeers. He agreed and its been a wild time. The groups goal is the reproduction of the music of the era and the history of the Civil War. The group consisted of John Quinn and Mike. They liked the idea of having a multi-instrumentalist on board, especially a mandolinist. He spent two weeks learning the instrument, and now he was hired because of it. Two months went by and they had our first show at Caf Lenas, where a young Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthurie, and several other famous musicians had once played. It went well, although he was nervous the whole time. They played to a full house; people were standing along the back wall and by the stairwell. He was starting to wonder why all these people came. They added a violinist a few months later and recorded their first album, Somebodys Darling. They toured that summer promoting it and ended up playing in Gettysburg, P.A., under contract from the U.S. Park Service. They played in several museums, auditoriums, small venues, and reenactments in New York that summer. Another nice thing was the paychecks. The following year was even more hectic. He played in Proctors Theater in Schenectady, NY, which was incredible. The crowd was about 1500 people and they were on the front page of the Times Union. His grandfather had played there before, so it was an emotional experience for him. They cut another album in May and June. This took so much time and energy. He spent up to eight hours in the studio. They had a lot of problems with this album, but in the end of June, Reflections was released. It had a more professional sound then our first album and cost about several thousand more. They toured to support i t through the whole summer, playing in New York mainly, but also in Pennsylvania and Virginia. It was almost the rock and roll experience, with all expenses paid and nice hotel rooms, but the road takes a lot out of you. He prefers to stay close to home. The future of the 77th is being planned now. They recorded a live album in Windham, NY, for release this spring, and theyre also planning a tour of Ireland and England for 2002. It has been only 3 years now with them, but after this last album and tour, it feels like more years have passed. Hes looking forward to the nice five-month break. This isnt his only group, just the one that pays the bills. Hes currently in three other groups that perform in the Capital region. Chicos Groove, is a humorous funk/metal band that gets together a few months a year. It was my high school band that didnt really do much. in terms of gigs. They appeared on a compilation CD, Happily Ever After: Benefit for Childrens Cancer Research.Pluvialus, a world /neo-baroque/avant-garde trio, showcases original compositions by its members. They perform covers of classical pieces and also an avant-garde rendition of Edgar Allen Poes Pit and the Pendulum.His other group is Cold Harbor, a Celtic/folk group. This group is composed of the Civil War band members minus one. He also performed with The Gypsy Rose Theater Company over the summer for their performance of As you like it. In addition, he does sessions and fills in for various groups when needed. Its fun to be a hired gun, although its not for long term usually. Being a musician isnt always great. The pay is about $25+ per hour. Union members and more popular groups start much higher. Jobs arent always available and the competition is fierce. Being versatile and proficient on several instruments is helpful. The more styles you can play, the more jobs youll get. Like being an artist or an actor, you have got to be able to stick out from others in the crowd. Patience, skill, and determinat ion are a must in this field. In reality, musicians all have day jobs. Hes a college student when hes not on the road, working on a degree in history/secondary education with music minor. Hes constantly practicing scales, composing, and learning new material to better his playing. You can never practice too much; he doesnt practice enough. What keeps him going is his love of music; hes determined to do something he loves regardless of the pay. Hes just looking for another job to pay for his career. Bibliography: