Stephen works hard when it comes to music and it would not have happened without his mother or father’s support. The bonding of the Nakane family came from their passionate love for music. Stephen turns out to be the most interested and becomes so attached to music that he has grown more famous than his father. However, his love for music then disconnects him from his family. By the end of the book, Stephen seems to have given up on his Japanese culture and has detached himself from the language; due to the influence of Aunt Emily.
Now these are Sonny’s blues” (Baldwin 174). This is the very moment of the story where the reader is presented with a feeling that the brothers have gone through a transformation that they helped experience together. Even though the narrator sees in Sonny’s face that he is free, he still senses from his music what Sonny has been through and will continue to go through. “I heard what he had gone through, and would continue to go through until he came to rest in earth” (Baldwin 174). The narrator came to the realization that Sonny’s music produced special memories in each of the brother’s lives.
These hardships, including his mother’s death and a disastrous marriage, were transformed into the motivation that helped to evolve his musical thought. Generations of musicians are fortunate he continued his musical endeavors as the musical community can appreciate his struggles. His dedication and commitment are character traits I strive for in every aspect of my life. I feel influenced by each of his works whenever I perform them, and understand how difficult it must have been to create pieces of this magnitude. As I relate to his dreams through music, it influences me greatly.
Joe the main character of the story is a young boy living with his parents and much of his extended family in a small house in Brooklyn. At the beginning of the movie Joe says “In those days, the radio was constantly playing at my house” at all times someone in his family would be listening to something on the radio. They all had their favorite shows that would be on at certain times and it was a great way for people to pass the time in those days. Joe even recalls his own favorite show called “The Masked Avenger” this was a person Joe saw as someone who was “a cross between Superman and Cary Grant”. During that time period in life they had a radio program for people of everyone no matter whom or what you liked.
Growing up with a musically talented family gave me the perspective that music was life. I always loved and respected it, but I never found my niche in it. Until one night when I attended the John Mayer concert. The concert completely dumbfounded me. I could not believe that a person was able to play the guitar with such perfection.
This song hit home to be because one of the first concerts my fiancée and I ever went to was for an artist that Luke Bryan opened up for. He was a no name back then, but this was his hit song at the time. My fiancée and I sang the song, off key, at the top of our lungs, and just laughed the entire time. It was a great night for the both of us. After that song he sang his biggest hits which made the crown erupt in hoots and hollers.
Music is often in the background as “noise.” Something to make the store sound busier; a less awkward silence. As described in Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin. “All I know about music is that not many people every really hear it.” (p330) Do we ever go home and say, “Awe my gosh, that music playing in Hy-Vee today was so heart wrenching?” If so you might be the first. However music is not only there to make “noise.” Music can inspire us, encourage us, and even remind us of our greatest profound tragedies. That is only if we actually listen.
The video, “Philosopher of Freedom”, describes the life of Jefferson and tells of his many accomplishments. Jefferson was well educated. His father made sure that all of his children were tutored at an early age. In addition to his studies he also learned music, it was one of his passions. Patrick Henry, a fellow violinist, became close friends with Jefferson despise their opposite
Clark believes that sorrow is turned into pure emotion and Sonny's music becomes an expression of history (31). The most obvious part of that statement is that Sonny does turn his music into his emotions. This is how his music seems so real to his brother. As his brother pointed out, while he sat and listened to Sonny at the club, he made it his own. As Sonny took control the other musicians gathered around him and they seemed to be encouraging him on, saying amen every now and then, as if he were speaking some words they desperately believed in.
Children in poverty have not been able to have a normal childhood instead of living in a good neighborhood with a good education and having time to play and enjoy life are being forced to live a places where before it was used to be a dumpster near railroad tracks and have no toys to play with. “At first it was a trash dump, the police often came to remove us. We would rebuild and made sure they didn’t remove us. When we arrive to sector 2 of the tracks, our first shacks weren’t even shacks they were simply made from plastic scraps, they were like toy houses” (ATD study poverty 24). They are forced to live in very crowded places for example some are forced to live in a place where ten people are living in at the same time giving them no privacy to do their necessities.