By Rex Garcia On March 22 and 23, the high school advanced drama team, along with Drama Teacher Mr. Chris Irvin, went to Fullerton College. The group came to the event day one by bus and day two via cars to participate and compete at the Fullerton Theater Festival with and against other high school drama groups. They also had the chance of spending educational and social time with Fullerton College Theater Art Department’s faculty and students through their competitions, workshops and college programs. The activities the students partook in included musical, improv, dramatic, comedic, monologues and scenes, where Advanced Drama got to finals for improv in day two, though did not place for any awards. Together, the team enjoyed this yearly opportunity to join, connect and learn with other drama students and professionals who love drama just as much as they do. At Fullerton, Advanced Drama could explore and interact at the festival which had a more passionate and family friendly setting than any usual competition. “There were people who were literally walking around with signs that said free compliments. People just walking around being friendly to everyone and you don’t even [have to] know someone,” said Junior Hayden Spangler. “You can just walk up to someone, start singing a song from a show that they were dressed to do and they’ll just immediately join in on it with you. The rules are like different.” Even though the group was there to compete against the other schools, the mood of the event remained friendly, encouraging and supportive of each and every individual. “Everyone is super kind and wants to get to know you,” mentioned Senior Gavin Powell. “It’s not really about winning, it’s more just about the experience and getting to perform in front of people that you potentially might be working with in the future.” Even in a competition, all competitors are there to encourage the best for each other, as all who come to the event love performing, no matter who places higher than the other. Mainly, the Advanced Drama who went to Fullerton as well as the others have a passion for drama that goes beyond winning recognition for skills, which represents the true worth, devotion and delightful hard work each individual puts into the drama department.  Advanced Drama’s official group picture at Fullerton. Credit: Diego Cruz When not exploring Fullerton, the Advanced Drama sectioned into separate groups where they all did their own thing in the different categories they were assigned to, where the experiences among each other was diverse from what they did to what they got to witness from other groups and professionals. One of the notable groups was the musical group, where every high school could only pick musical to compete with through the whole competition. “We chose Magic To Do from Pippin and we had to prepare it a month and a half before. We had to get the choreography, and the choreography was done by [Senior] Sam Selaya and [Senior] Isabelle Medina,” Spangler recalled. “We all entered a room and they have certain rounds in the morning [and] in the rounds there’s other groups that come in with you and you guys just all perform in front of the judges and each other, and then you walk out and that’s it.” Even with that, the other categories for other groups encouraged different preparation, such as how the improv team arranged for Fullerton. “We got a list of the improv games and just kept running through them even through normal rehearsals. We’d take the notes that were not only given to us but also to the improv team and we would take those and help [each other] out with it.,” said Senior Diego Cruz. “When we got [to Fullerton] what we ended up doing our own little thing to get our energy boosted up to make sure everybody has their mindset correctly so we can put up the best show we can.” During these competitions the team did not win anything physical, but were instead given the reward of new friends, new drama lessons and an unforgettable battle among fellow drama students. For the future, the Advanced Drama team looks forward to reexperiencing Fullerton as well as picking categories different to the ones they chose this year. In the meantime, Advanced Drama will continue to show booming signs of life in an art form that is somewhat underrated as well as well as being exceptionally more close and personal than that of fixed art forms. As the times encourage recreations of every movie and genre in the entertainment world, the potential for Advanced Drama and those at Fullerton to showcase their passion for drama beyond school and high school competitions may be greater and sooner than anticipated.
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By Summer Folger On March 14, 15, and 16, the dance department, from Beginning to Advanced, was able to turn back time with the revival of the eighties. The theme of the show contained dances that incorporated elements that were able to revive the totally tubular time period. It was held in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at 7PM for the three consecutive nights. In addition to the performances from the show, there was also some behind the scenes work such as the themed set design, lighting, and crew. For this production, students were able to pick the theme of “Totally 80s,” in which Mr. Scott Carey built stage pieces for the production, such as the sign that said “Totally 80s,” boxes for the background and made hanging signs that the AGI*LITY dance group performed with. Along with the set design, there was also the instillation of new lighting so then performances could become more dramatic. From the crew setting up the stage and the lighting, their work allowed the dances to become both energetic as well as dramatic. For the dance numbers, there was a variety of different dance genres besides the eighties, such as lyrical, jazz, tap, modern, and ballet. Throughout the production, a total of seven eighties-themed dances were performed by both Beginning and Advanced dancers. The theme was first portrayed in the opening number titled “Totally 80s,” performed by the Advanced Dance team where the dancers performed a mix of different dance moves and songs. It was later on shown through the beginning dancers in a jazz piece titled “Move,” where performers were able to bring an eighties flare to the piece, showing how the production was able to have all different levels of dance take part in experiencing the eighties. Not only that, but during the first half of the show, there was a lyrical duet by Sophomore Jackie Tat and Junior Hailey Wiltse entitled “The Speed of Light” and a slow hip hop solo performed by Senior Miguel Cruz entitled “Ultra Light Beam.” After intermission, there was a modern dance performed by AGI*LITY entitled “Gray,” in which dancers performed with a hanging set which looked like an art gallery. They would roll under the pieces or hide behind them for part of the dance. During the second half of the show, the Advanced Dance Ladies performed two eighties pieces in which they wore leg warmers and did a jazz piece titled “Cold Hearted” and a tap routine titled “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” In addition, the Intermediate Dance Team performed a dance number from the play “Zoot Suit,” where they wore black and red suits with red and orange lighting to make it more dramatic. For the closing number, it ended the eighties with hip hop style titled “Groove,” which was performed by Advanced Dance. Showing how the dances in the production have a variety of styles and genres from the 1980s to modern, each piece made the performances unique in their own way. Not only was this production enjoyable for the audience to watch, but it also helped students gain more experience in the world of dancing. Cruz talked about how with “this production, it was definitely a rough process creatively. Just putting the chero together, blocking, layering all the chero as in the arrangement of how we are going to be performing and everything,” since Cruz not only performed in the production, but was able to choreograph one of the dance numbers titled “Sunflower,” which was performed by Advanced Dance. Senior Marisa Zorrilla, who performed a lyrical solo titled “Say You Love Me,” explained her experience with practicing for the production, saying, “It was a little rough. It's, like, hard to get, like, a whole bunch of girls and boys together to make everything clean and look good. But I mean, in the end it came together a lot better than I thought it would be,” portraying how even though there were difficult trails during practice, the dancers were able to come together and perform for the production. All in all, through hard work and dedication, the dance department was able to come together and celebrate the revival of the 1980s. As well as showing a variety of different dance genres for the audience to enjoy, it gave the idea that the eighties still influence culture in both modern society and newer generations.
By Kylee Seamans Most applications (apps) created are made with the goal of providing entertainment to those who download them. While there are many apps created for the enjoyment of users, there are also other apps that can be used to help those who have anxiety and other mental disorders. These apps are becoming more common as attention is brought to these disorders.  Prune reminds users to only focus on the important things and to reach towards the sunlight. Prune is an app developed by Joel McDonald which won numerous awards including Best Upcoming Game from the Eleventh International Mobile Gaming Awards, Apple’s Game of the Year award, and The International Magazine of Events (TIME) Magazine Game of the Year award in 2015. The objective of the game is to “cultivate what matters” and to “cut away the rest.” By trimming back the trees, the user allows the tree to get bigger, new growth taking over the previously chopped branches until the tree reaches sunlight where its branches blossom into a bundle of white and yellow flowers. This reminds the player that there is always room to improve after harsh circumstances. “The calming atmosphere helps with stress and anxiety. It helps to calm me down since the entire [game] is based around cutting out the unimportant stuff and focusing on the better aspect of life,” explained Freshman Jasmine Brannon. To further reassure the players, the game uses a soft soundtrack and a monochromatic, simplistic, and minimalistic Japanese-inspired art style to help sooth the player, making it easy to focus on the task at hand as there are few distractions. The app costs $3.99 in the App Store, a small price to pay for its many benefits and high popularity. Calm Harm, however, is a free app created with the hopes to help those struggling with self-harm but can be used to help those suffering from anxiety, depression, and other disorders as well. The app provides a multitude of ways to help “ride” the urge to harm oneself. Ranging from comfort to distractions, the app supplies the player with six activity types all fit to perform different tasks. The user would press on which activity type they would prefer to do and the app supplies a list of activities that a person could use in order to help them. For example, after pressing “Comfort,” the app asks whether or not they should set a timer for five or fifteen minutes, the player then presses their preference and is then given a long list of helpful tasks. If overwhelmed by the number of options, the user could press the random button on the bottom and will then be given a random prompt. These prompts range from grounding oneself, which would be helpful during an anxiety or panic attack, to drawing over the place where a person would want to hurt themselves. Every time a user opens an app, it asks for a password, ensuring the privacy of the individual and does not mention what the app is about until the password is correctly put in. Stem4, the developers of Calm Harm, also created an app called “Clear Fear” which helps an individual manage their anxiety. Clear Fear educates the user on the different types of anxiety and their symptoms and has an “Immediate Help” button for the user to press if their anxiety was becoming unmanageable. The “Safety Net” option allows the user to call a friend or family member from inside the app while the “Gritt Box” holds inspirational quotes as well as a “my positive thoughts” option where the user can add their own personal thoughts to help cheer them up on a future day. By pressing “Clear Your Fear,” the user is asked what they need assistance with and would press the option that best suits them, much like Calm Harm. There, they could quite literally “battle” their negative thoughts by pressing “Combat Negative Thoughts” or organize their worries using “Deal with Worries One Step At A Time.” Both Calm Harm and Clear Fear were created by professionals with the help of some teenagers and is tailored to fit the needs of whoever is in need of help. Although these apps are created to help lessen the effects of anxiety in an individual, they are still only aids. They are not proper treatments but instead are a guide to help reduce the impacts of anxiety. If a person is suffering from constant anxiety or any feeling of being overwhelmed, they should go speak to a professional. There are counselors on and outside of campus who are there to help guide and get help for any individual suffering from anxiety or depression.
By Jillian Flack Creating art can be a useful way for one to express how they feel, which can help one to convey confusing emotions. This can help someone figure out what they will do next when faced with a problem. Along with this, art can also help improve one’s mood, which can lead to a more positive lifestyle.  This drawing by Allison Rousseau depicts her unique art style. Credit: Allison Rousseau Some emotions can be difficult for a myriad of people to explain in word, but creating art has helped an abundance of people express their feelings. Junior Carla Hurtado shared,“I think it’s a way to express myself and I feel like an image is worth a lot more than words so when I paint, . . .I’m able to say more than if I were to write it. . .I can’t find the the right words, but with colors and images, I’m able to express myself better.” Through art, students are able to figure out how they feel about both the positive and the negative events occurring in their life. This can even help them to decide how they will move forward after various situations. The process of creating art does not just help people figure out their feelings, it can help them express their feelings. Junior Allison Rousseau stated, “It helps me express myself in ways that I can’t really express myself in real life and how I feel because some people just can’t tell that stuff.” For many, it can be hard to share how they really feel about something, often due to the fear of being judged. With art, one can express how they feel without being judged for their emotions, which can be quite helpful for a multitude of people. Designing art can improve the mood of both the artist and those who are viewing one’s works. This can help people to stay positive even when something bad is happening. Hurtado said, “I usually try to convey happy emotions so I use bright colors that usually are warm, such as yellow, orange, like, really happy colors.” Making positive artwork can help one to be happier from just seeing the creation, which can help to increase one’s mood and improve one’s mental health overall. Bright colors tend to bring out positivity and energy, while cool colors are inclined to bring calm and relaxation. Rousseau shared, “It helps me, like, escape from problems that I have to deal with and it makes other people happy.” If one can forget their problems for a while, it can help the artist feel more relaxed along with the person who is enjoying the art. The benefits of art are for both the artist and those admiring the art. While the artist was able to express themselves through their art, the admirer of the art can appreciate the talent in the art as well as interpret the art into a meaning that they find fulfilling. Rousseau said,“I try to make more of happy stuff so people can escape the. . .negativity in their life.” When artists express themselves through art, it can help them to calm down from strong emotions they may be feeling, helping them to think more clearly. Art can be a great outlet for expression for artists when they are going through hard times. Devoting time to art can be a valuable way for an artist to analyze and understand the way they are feeling. This can lead to a better understanding of the events taking in their life and the way they feel about them.
By Rex Garcia In the afternoon once school has ended, most students go home, but some artists and athletes stay to improve their performance for the arts and sports. One of these artists, dedicated, happy and passionate, stays long after school to perfect her band work. Senior Noelle Villegas demonstrates consistently that she has what it takes to be a drum leader and advanced member in her band, and especially proves herself beyond school as she is one of the handful of handpicked members of the Gold Drum and Bugle Corps, a highly competitive non-profit corporation that aims to improve the lives of the public via the art of marching music.  Villegas practices on her marimba on the field in her performing gear. Source: Noelle Villegas Before becoming a member of the Gold Drum and Bugle Corps, Villegas would have no idea that she would be one of the eleven people to be accepted to be a part of the drum corps team. She had become one of the mallet percussion players who would play either the marimba or vibraphone and travel to competitions against other drum corps all summer. “I was very nervous and did not expect to get in,” said Villegas, “A lot of people audition and they’re the top open class drum core, but not a lot of people get in.” With this valuable opportunity, she has been able to further embrace her love for band. “I get to spend an entire summer doing something that I am very passionate about and I get to be taught by a lot of really good people. I love it,” expressed Villegas. As she continues to learn from them, her skill and appreciation for band will continue to grow from this honored opportunity to be apart of the Gold Drum and Bugle Corps.  Villegas warms up on her marimba outside with the rest of the percussionists. Source: Noelle Villegas Apart from her new opportunity, being a drum leader allows her to improve her and her bandmates’ skills and be the best role model she can be. “When I was a sophomore, it was really hard for me to understand what’s going on so when the other section leaders would help me. . .it was very helpful,” said Villegas, “I want to help people and help them grow because that’s like how I first started.” When she is not helping her teammates, she is always working to perfect and enjoy her own band music. “I practice one to two hours every day,” explained Villegas, “Technique is very important to me, and having a good attitude and making sure you’re having fun because if other people are not having fun then why are you even there?” As a whole, Villegas’ time in band has ultimately allowed her the pleasure of enjoying her four years in high school. “I know it’s made my whole high school career very memorable and I will always remember it. It’s very fun and you get to meet a lot of cool people here,” Villegas stated. Going forward, the team continues to work on their music, not only growing as a team but also having fun as a family. Villegas has been a part of band most of her life and still to this day finds great enjoyment in the activity. Looking back at her last days in high school, she can agree with herself that her four years were worth the time. With the Gold Drum and Bugle Corps acceptance already encouraging her to pursue her career in the future, Villegas will continue to find delight in her life as being a part of a band will still be in her capabilities. Whether it is finding something to do or wanting to have fun, there is be bound to be something that will satisfy the life of any individual.
By Jillian Flack As an abundance of people have found that singing can be a good outlet for self-expression, many others become interested in pursuing the pastime. For beginning singers, it can be quite difficult to learn how to sing correctly, often due to a wide range of factors. There are several different methods to help spot these mistakes and fix them, along with methods to help improve one’s voice.  Caption: Sophomore Genevieve Tichy exercises her talent by singing at the Holiday Concert on December 6, 2018. Credit: Jillian Flack When it comes to singing, a multitude of people make errors that can affect the way their voice sounds. These mistakes often have simple fixes that can help one to sound better. A common error is that beginners attempt to imitate the singing voices of professional singers. This can cause them to learn how to sing the music incorrectly, which can be difficult to correct. When this happens, one can fix it by having a vocal expert to teach them how to correctly use their voices. Once this problem is solved, singing often comes much more naturally to many. Along with imitating singers, many beginners can also find it difficult to produce the sound they are going for due to singing too loudly. This causes throat muscles to close up, making it much more challenging to sing correctly. If one maintains control of their volume, they can find more success in pursuing their singing passion and have an easier experience singing for longer periods of time. Another mistake that a large number of people often make is working their voices too hard. Senior Janine Cabaguas from Platinum FX said, “I guess, like, using your throat too much [is an issue for beginning singers.] That and straining too much. I guess if you overexert yourself then that just hurts. . .I mean, I guess people always try to, like, keep those high notes, but if you really feel yourself straining, that can hurt.” If one takes their singing training slow, it can help them to improve better than when working too hard. It can be difficult to sing with tired muscles because they can interfere with one’s ability to sing and can make it hard to perform at one’s best. While any of these methods can be helpful, one of the best ways to get better at singing is to stay patient. Cabaguas shared, “Learn some good techniques. Don’t give up. Just keep practicing because you’ll definitely grow in your voice if you keep exercising it.” One cannot become perfect in just a day of practice. Even the best singers had to practice frequently to get where they are today, so one will need to remember that it often takes plenty of time and effort to get better at singing.  One’s singing can be improved through the means of many different methods. Credit: dvci-hry.info Along with tips to correct errors, there are also a myriad of methods to help one improve their voice. Cabaguas stated, “I actually improved a lot by watching YouTube videos on singing. Of course, it depends on who you watch, but yeah, there’s some really good ones out there.” Videos can teach singers how to correctly use their voices, leading them to become better at singing. Junior Nicole Martinez from Platinum FX advised, “Trying to match pitch [is helpful when singing.]” Matching the pitch can help one’s voice to sound both smoother and stronger. This can be done by listening to the music one is singing to learn how they should sound. When this happens, one can sound more professional. Learning to match the pitch can take one a while, but it results in one having a better singing voice. By following set-out steps, one can be led on the path to success in their singing. Even with these methods, one should practice often to make their voices sound stronger. Many find it quite challenging to sing in the beginning, but with plenty of practice, one’s voice can significantly improve.
By Gisel Flores Block’s photographs his friends’ car. Credits: Graham Block Photography is a hobby that numerous individuals, both young and old, find enjoyment in. For many people, photography allows them to have the opportunity to take pictures of things that spark their interest. For one student in particular, photographing and making videos of modified cars is a hobby that he takes much pleasure and pride in. Starting almost two years ago, Senior Graham Block has continued to learn new skills regarding film and photography, while also gaining many new opportunities that he never would have imagined.
Block first got interested in modified cars when he saw some images online which then led him to meet other people who shared this interest with him. Around this time, he also began to get into photography. Block said, “I put two and two together, and it just became a lot of fun.” When he first started his hobby, Block took photos of his friends’ cars and after time he began going to car shows and taking pictures there. Block often attends car shows such as Cars and Coffee, which is typically held every first Sunday of the month. Always making sure he brings his camera to these events, Block often looks for certain cars and modifications to photograph or even film, making sure that the lighting and angles are just right. After Block gets enough photos and videos at car shows, he makes sure to talk to those attending about their cars and any new modifications added since he last saw them. This allows him to meet new people and expand his knowledge of the cars he is interested in. The process for editing each photo usually takes him around fifteen minutes, as it consists of adjusting the brightness and contrast, hues, saturation, and sometimes adding filters onto the picture. However, the process of editing a video takes much longer, as Block explained, “Videos are a little bit more difficult because you actually have to go in and edit music into it and once you’re done with that, it goes through color saturation so videos take up about three to four hours to create a two minute video.” With all the hard work Block has put into his photos and videos, he has gained recognition from the people he looks up to, being featured on some people’s Instagram page. Block stated, “When you find your work on another page, it’s really humbling. . .I know it sounds kind of cliché, but it is really humbling when you put time and effort into something and people are giving you recognition for that. . .it’s really cool.” As far as future projects, Block plans on going on a shoot with a fellow photographer and videographer found who goes by EccentricTV on Instagram. For any person who is interested in starting photography, Block advised that they “always take advice from the people that know more than you because if you don’t, you’ll probably never end up improving. Always try new things, and don’t think that it’s the equipment that makes the picture. . .it’s what you believe you can make out of it.” Block added that he enjoys photography because it allows him to meet professional photographers, which gives him the opportunity to keep on learning about a subject that interests him the most. Photography has opened up the doors of opportunity for many young people around the world. It has not only been a form of self-expression for photographers like Block, but it has allowed him to meet and interact with numerous others who share a common love for the work they do. By Kylee Seamans Argan oil is an antioxidant and dry oil that will absorb into the skin and hair quickly while cleaning out dirt and grime in the process. Credit: www.verywellhealth.com Due to the cold wind of the winter, a large number of people with acne prone skin or seasonal acne break out. If a proper and efficient skin care routine is not kept, the dry air can cause an overproduction of natural oils that will end up clogging the pores or can cause the skin to dry out and crack.
For people with dry skin, the weather often causes even drier skin than it would in the other seasons. Acne for dry skin can be fought with something as simple as a nourishing moisturizer or a sheet mask. In addition, a cleanser with no harsh or drying chemicals can moisturize the skin while cleaning it at the same time. Argan oils and other natural oils provide moisture for the skin and place healthy oils onto the skin, making it so that there are less harmful oils replacing the healthy oils. However, this may not be the case for people with oily skin. The dry weather can cause many people with more oily skin to search stores for any type of oil-fighting cleanser to attack the excess grease. Drying cleansers damage skin more than they help, therefore when people with oily skin using a drying cleanser without also completing a proper routine afterward, their skin can generate more natural oils to try and replace the moisture that was taken out of the skin, leaving a further shiny complexion. If using an oil-combating cleanser, one should follow with a toner and light moisturizer. A product known for its skin benefits is witch hazel. “People use it as a toner but it also clears up acne really well,” said Freshman Sarah Stevers, a makeup artist for the play 1940’s Radio Hour. Witch hazel tightens pores while clearing dirt, bacteria, and excess amounts of oils from the skin. Stevers also recommended using organic products and to avoid using harsh chemicals such as parabens, synthetic colors, and fragrances that may damage a person’s skin. Another product that can be used is apple cider vinegar. One should use light amounts of the vinegar by applying it to the skin via cotton pad and watering down the vinegar to bring down the acidity, as well as coconut oil which a natural moisturizer has antibacterial and antifungal properties that can fight harmful oils and bacteria in the skin. It also helps combat brittle hair by providing healthy oils that are needed in hair. The cold winter air also further dries out hair, taking away its shine and leaving behind frizz. To fight frizzy hair, Senior Alexis Pereira uses argan oil. “I just put a little bit of oil in [my hair] to make sure that it’s nice, smooth, even, and [pressed] down,” she said. Moroccan oil, commonly known as Argan oil or ‘liquid gold,’ treats damaged hair from heat products while also leaving hair smooth and shiny. Hair and facial routines vary for each individual. When attempting to find a routine that works, one should keep in mind that every person has a different skin and hair type and that they react in different ways when it comes to direct contact with a product. For example, while a person with more acne may have to use a harsher product designed to combat against their certain type of acne, the next person may need something more gentle to combat their skin problems, just like a person with curly hair will most likely use something that will aid their curls instead of a hair product made for straight hair. There is no right or wrong skin or hair care routine due to the extensive amount of skin types. Instead, one will need to find what works for them and their skin type. By Jillian Flack Freshman Aieme Apilado and Freshman Aubrey Dawson play UNO, a card game, together. Credit: Jillian Flack As winter break comes near, a great deal of students are looking for things to do during their free time. Having activities to do can help one fight boredom and connect with family and friends. There are countless activities that can be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors.
Indoor activities are usually preferred by students, often due to the cool weather outside. These activities are also enjoyed because many do not want to leave the comforts of their home. Freshman Isabella Herrera stated, “I prefer indoors because. . .it’s more cozy.” An abundance of people like to do activities that are indoors, such as having movie marathons. This can be more enjoyable if one has winter-themed snacks, such as hot chocolate, and holiday movies to watch. Even though movie marathons can be entertaining, baking can be an enjoyable activity that can keep one entertained for hours since it can exhibit the creativity. For many, this can be one of the most entertaining parts of baking with friends and family. Other than baking, playing board games can also keep a multitude of people entertained for hours since many people enjoy board games because they can show their competitive side to friends and family. These indoor activities can help keep a student entertained for several hours. Although indoor activities are often found more entertaining, outdoor activities can be enjoyable for a great deal of people. Some of these activities include ice skating and having bonfires. Ice skating is an enjoyable activity that can keep one entertained for several hours and it can help people to learn a new skill. One nearby ice skating location is in Old Town Temecula, where an ice rink is set up every winter. This year, it is open from December 13 to January 6 and costs twelve dollars for admission and five dollars for rental skates. Ice skating can be a way to get together with others during the holidays. Other than ice skating, having a bonfire can also be an enjoyable and inexpensive experience for a great deal of people. To make bonfires even more enjoyable, snacks, such as s’mores can be roasted over the fire. Additionally, they are also enjoyable because they can be a good way for people to see the nature around them, which can often be explored due to the absence of cold weather. Overall, bonfires are enjoyed and can be a great way to stay entertained. Having activities to do in the winter can prevent boredom since they are often enjoyed and many find them to be entertaining. Winter activities can also strengthen relationships with friends and family, which is often why students enjoy doing them with others. With these activities, people can stay entertained for a while. By Jillian Green Teenagers especially are affected by the music they enjoy. Throughout American history, music has resonated in the souls of people and reflected on the culture of a society. Music is both a reflection of our cultural tastes and a cause of it. As discussed in an interview with world history teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Mohr, music is impacted by culture.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Civil Right’s Movement and economic boom brought about the time of change. These changes were reflected in the music of the decade, while still being a part of their societal standards. R&B and Rock’n’Roll showed the racial tensions erupting from the Civil Right’s Movement. Mohr explains that music is “reflective of a certain time period, a certain genre… if you really look at it, it’s reflective of our people culturally, politically, and economically.” In the 1960’s, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the war in Vietnam, and the continuous procession of the Civil Right’s Movement, American culture changed. The British Invasion aroused when British bands singing covers of popular American songs. When the Vietnam War started to crumble America’s confidence in winning, Folk Rock and Protest Music rose with their concerns. Music changed fairly quickly in the 1960’s as it was a time of change. In the 1970’s to 1980’s, deprecated peoples continued to fight for equality, and many Americans protested the ongoing war in Vietnam. The 1970’s was a time of punk, disco and society wanting to relax. Punk was about the concerns of society, but disco was about having a good time. The 1970’s were a unique time to develop new musical styles. Mohr discusses how music affects people,“There’s something in there that, you know, speaks to them in some kind of way... that’s the beauty of music, everyone can find something that speaks to them, no matter where they’re from or what they’re about.” Then came the 1980’s, with lingering problems in Vietnam, the economic crisis of the nation, and unsettling activity in the Middle East, it is no wonder rock and rap took hold of the music industry while disco slowly faded away. One of the most important influences in the music industry, MTV(Music Television) provided a huge impact on the popularity of certain kinds of music. Besides rap, pop music became extremely popular. Although MTV was reluctant to show music videos of black artists, rap was still able to become mainstream because of how many of its listeners related to the artist’s lyrics. As Mohr mentioned, “people were singing about what they were experiencing, and that became more widespread than people realized.” Rap and pop music still continues to be widespread genres of music even today. From the 1990’s to today, pop, rap, and urban music have reigned at the top of the music industry As said by Mohr, “Well I think it’s obviously driven a lot by the internet and SoundCloud and the variety of ways people can’t get music out there.” Many teenagers take advantage of the opportunity to listen to anything and everything they want but do not realize how certain lyrics affect them negatively. Mohr expresses how music today is“more suggestive, and more violent, and I think that… it has made people very numb to certain things… generally speaking, music is a reflection of who we are as a people.” When considering the impact music has, it's important to see what music is doing to society and to America's culture. |