Beethoven free essay sample

Research Paper While many men and women throughout history have made significant, valuable and lasting contributions to society, Ludwig Van Beethoven is an especially remarkable figure worthy of special note because he embraced and devoted his whole life to music. Born to a drunkard father and an unhappy mother, the young Beethoven was exposed to a brutal training in music at the hands of his father, who hoped that the young boy would prove to be another prodigy like Mozart.Ludwig Van Beethovens music set the 18th century Traditions and were shaped and molded because of the great composers Mozart and Haydn, who taught and raised him up in his musical capabilities (Ludwig Beethoven). Beethovens success was measured by his devotion, Beethoven dropped out of grade school by the age of ten to study music full time with Christian Gotten Neff. March 26, 1778 Beethoven performed his first piano recital at the age of seven: at the twelve years of age Beethoven published his iris composition made up of Piano Variations (Ludwig Beethoven). We will write a custom essay sample on Beethoven or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Throughout the years Beethoven began to experiment with different styles and genres of music, the styles changes can be heard in his symphonies, String quartets, and Piano Sonatas. At a young age Beethoven requested to be an assistant court organist, because of his young age Court officials were hesitant but accepted him (Ludwig Van Beethoven). Through his young years of his life, it Is clearly evident to how devoted and passionate he was when it came to music. Through the musical years and impositions of Ludwig Van Beethoven, Beethoven gave opening to his own dramatic musical voice.Through Beethovens adulthood he faced many trials and tribulations. But Beethoven always used his problems as a stepping stool to become stronger and better at whatever he did, and at the same time he was composing his great and memorable works, Beethoven was struggling with the fact that he was going deaf (Ludwig Van Beethoven). In 1801 Beethoven confessed this horrible news to Franz Wiggler, a German physician from Bonn, German; the same place Beethoven as born. He wrote, l must confess that I lead a miserable life for almost two years.I have ceased to attend any social functions, just because I find it impossible to say to people: I am deaf. If I had any other profession, I might be able to cope with my infirmity; but In my profession It Is a terrible handicap (Ludwig Van Beethoven). Miraculously, despite his Increasing deafness, Beethoven continued to compose. From 1803-1812, these years are what is known as his heroic period (Ludwig Van Beethoven). He created so much music, proving people nothing could stop him.He composed an opera, 6 symphonies, 4 solo concerti, 5 string quartets, 6 string sonatas, 7 piano sonatas, 5 sets of piano variations, 4 overtures, 4 trios, 7 sextets, and 72 songs (Beethoven, Ludwig Van). Despite his amazing output of beautiful music, Beethoven or had children (Beethoven, Ludwig Van) and somehow, despite his wild personal life, physical disability, and complete deafness, Beethoven composed his greatest music. String quartet NO. 14 contains 7 linked movements without a break (Ludwig thieve). Beethovens adulthood was a crazy reallocates but in everything he did, he was always dedicated and did everything whole-heartedly. A quote by List, the Arch Romantic, perfectly sums the impact and importance of Ludwig Van Beethoven to not only the music community but also to the history of music itself. To us musicians the work of Beethoven parallels the pillars of smoke and fire which led the Israelites throughout the desert, a pillar of smoke to lead us by day, and a pillar of fire to light the night. Beethoven free essay sample Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany and was baptized December 17th 1770. Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He was an important figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music. His Third Symphony Rejoice was so different from all the music before it that It changed music forever. When Beethoven was young he was forced to play the piano by his father who was a very strict and hard music teacher. By the time he was twelve he as earning a living for his family by playing the organ and composing.Beethoven moved to Vienna 1787 to study with Mozart but had to return to his hometown because of his mothers death. In 1792 he went back to Vienna and began studying lath Franz Joseph Haydn, quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. He was eventually known as the greatest plants of his time playing only for the rich and the famous. We will write a custom essay sample on Beethoven or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In 1800 Beethoven gradually began to lose his hearing but continued to impose but by the last decade of his life he was almost totally deaf.He gave up conducting and performing In public but continued to compose. He composed many of the most famous and admired musical works of all time in this period, such as the Ninth Symphony. Beethoven remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time. His best-known compositions include Symphonies. Beethoven free essay sample As someone who suffers from extreme hearing loss, I am amazed at the great Talent of Ludwig vans Beethoven, who as one of the greatest composers of all time wrote most of his music while he was deaf! It seems Impossible, but what a genius he was. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 16, 1770. HIS mother died while he was a teenager and his father was very abusive and a crazy alcoholic. Beethoven came from a very musical family. HIS grandfather became a conductor and his father played and taught piano and violin.From a very young age, Beethoven was a perfectionist and became emotional and moody when things didnt go well with his music. Beethoven saw his world as all or nothing, If something he was working on wasnt absolutely perfect, he would feel he was a total failure. In Beethovens life, there wasnt room for any compromise. We will write a custom essay sample on Beethoven or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He began to realize that he was losing his hearing when he was 28 and he couldnt hear the church bells ringing. Some people have said that his terrible temper was really his frustration with his music as he became more and more deaf.Beethoven became so sad about his deafness that he considered suicide. He even wrote a seclude letter to his brother to tell him that he planned to kill himself. When he was 50, he was completely deaf. As time went on, Beethoven learned how to cope with his disability. One way Beethoven coped was In order to hear the sounds; he would cut off the legs of the Plano and put it on the floor, so that he could feel the sounds in the floor as he played. Once he learned how to handle this, Beethoven began to write his greatest works.Beethoven as such a perfectionist that he would rework his musical compositions for years until they were perfect. It is incredible that during his life, Beethoven wrote nine symphonies and thirty-two piano sonatas. Because of these problems, Beethoven never had many close friends or happy relationships. The music he created showed this and was almost sad and heavy, It wasnt full of life and fun. Beethoven loved to take walks In the country and enjoy the beauty of nature. It was nature that gave him the Inspiration to write Symphony No. 6.One of Beethovens earliest and most successful works was a religious composition, named Opus 85, in 1803, known as the Hallelujah choir that we all sing on Easter Sunday. In 1823, at the end of his life, Beethoven composed his last symphony, which was Symphony No. 9 in D minor. It was based on a poem the Beethoven loved. The name of the poem was Ode Toys. This was important because Beethoven was completely deaf when he wrote the symphony. He even wanted to be the orchestras conductor, even though he couldnt hear the instruments or the voices!At the end of the symphony, Beethoven didnt even know he was getting applause from the audience until one of the orchestra members went and turned him around to face the audience and see the standing ovation. During the nineteenth century Beethoven was considered one of the most outstanding composers of that time. Since then, composers would admit that Beethoven had an impact on their music. Thousand people were on the street in Vienna for his funeral. Beethoven free essay sample Tersely Hayward Beethoven In this paper I will be talking about the late and great Ludwig Van Beethoven. I will discuss his early life as a music composer and his upcoming. The steps, mentors, and teachings he learned in order to become who he is known to be till this day. Also I will discuss my emotional response to Beethovens fifth symphony and what musical techniques were used in this piece. Ludwig Van Beethoven was born and baptized December 17, 1770 in Bonn Germany. He was the grandson to Allowedly Van Beethoven who was a bass singer at the Elector of Cologne.Beethovens first teacher was his own father Johann van Beethoven who made Beethoven play his first performance at age 6. His father noticed that Beethoven had a gift when he was young and taught him the piano and violin. Beethoven was a hard worker which made him self-involved and Impatient, being that way made him a loner. We will write a custom essay sample on Beethoven or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Beethovens father wasnt the only one who saw Beethovens talent. Christian Gotten Neff who was a German organist become Beethovens mentor. Gotten Neff thought Beethoven was the next Mozart so he sent Beethoven to Vienna to meet him.After being in Vienna for two weeks Beethoven learned his mother was sick so he had to go back home. When he returned home his mother passed away which made his father become an alcoholic. By the time he came back to Vienna Mozart had died so Beethoven sought help from Joseph Haydn. He became Beethovens second mentor and taught him new styles of music. While he was in Vienna In 1792 he learned that his father died. Beethoven at first did not see himself as a composer but rather devoted himself to music study and performance working under Heydays direction.He then wanted to master counter point after that he studied violin under Again Chippings. Antonio Saltier gave Beethoven instructions on Italian vocal composition style. By 1793 Beethoven created a reputation for himself as a improviser in the salons and nobility. He would play preludes and fugues of J. S. Bach Well Tempered Clavier. Beethoven composed his first six stringed quartets between 1798 and 1800. He premiered his first and second symphonies In 1800 and 1803. Beethoven became one of the most Important young composer of his generation right behind Haydn andMozart. In 1796 when Beethoven was 26 he started losing his hearing from a severe form of tinnitus. There was a ringing In his ear that made in difficult for him to hear music properly. He moved to a town outside of Vienna to come to terms with his condition. While there he wrote letters to his brother in those letters he talked about his OFF continuing of living for and through his art of music. Beethoven return to Vienna from Hellishnesss and had a change in musical style which was designated as the start of his middle or heroic period.His first major work using this new style was the Third Symphony in E flat known as Rejoice. This work was longer and larger in scope than any of his previous symphonies. It was premiered in the beginning of 1805 which received a mixed reception. Some listeners didnt like its length or they misunderstood its structure but others viewed it as a masterpiece. Beethovens Symphony No. 5 in C minor was written 1804 to 1808. He first premiered the fifth symphony December 23, 1808 at the mammoth concert at the Theater an deer Wine in Vienna.The concert lasted for more than four hours. He played two symphonies in reverse order the Sixth was played first and the Fifth appeared in the second half. Beethoven dedicated the fifth symphony to his patrons Prince Franz Joseph von Lobotomize and Count Razorbacks. A few years later he became completely deaf even though he was deaf he could still write music. In 1812 he had completed over twelve of his best works and he was known worldwide. After this Beethoven did not release any music for awhile. But in 1817 he began composing again and he did through 1824.In 1824 Beethoven composed two of his most memorable pieces the Ninth Symphony and Ode to Joy. These were two of Beethovens best compositions. The first time Beethoven conducted the Ninth Symphony to the crowd and at the end of it there was a tremendous applause. Beethoven had his back still turned to the podium until one of his soloists turned him around. In 1826 he produce five of his last works but these works did not become that famous because they were too ahead of their time. In 1927 Beethoven got sick with pneumonia and began coughing up blood.After pneumonia Beethoven was struck with many other illnesses which eventually led to his death on March 26, 1827. Beethovens fifth symphony is a great major piece of music with its melodies, harmonies, and dynamic texture. In the beginning of the fifth symphony he starts or with a dynamic texture which make me feel heroic inside. The way he repeats the theme in the beginning of the piece into other parts of the symphony is excellent. After the beginning theme of the piece he changes the mood from a angry feeling to a nice and calm type of feeling. The way Beethoven composed this piece was significant and was probably ahead of its time when it first was played to people. Some techniques Beethoven used/had in this piece was rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamic, color, texture, and color. With those techniques he composed a great symphony which is still used today in movies, TV shows, concerts, and plays. Beethoven used different types of instrument movement of his symphony the piece was played in a calm soothing mood in which the instruments were playing softer notes. Beethoven continued this playing mood through out the 2nd 3rd and 4th movement of the symphony.At the end of the fifth symphony it had a dynamic heroic feeling with the woodwinds playing the final notes. In conclusion Beethoven was a great inspiring music composer to many and was considered a young Mozart. I think Beethoven was a very important person in his and our history he helped change the face of music forever. Beethoven wrote many symphonies, string quartets, and operas that can still be heard and seen today. I believe he inspired many people to become musicians and musical writers. That is why I chose to do my report on Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Russias Economic Crisis essays

Russias Economic Crisis essays In November of 1997 markets fall worldwide, marking the beginning of the worldwide economic recession. On March 23, 1998 Yeltsin sacked his Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and replaced him with not so well known Kiriyenko, the energy minister to Viktor Chernomyrdin. May 12, 1998 coal workers strike over unpaid wages. They block the Trans-Siberian railway. This turns foreign investors off. Stock prices fall in the same month after the passing of a law calling for the removal of all foreign investment in Russia's largest energy company. The IMF pulls back aid, claiming that the government wasn't doing enough to collect taxes. On June 15, Russia asked for more aid from the IMF to stave off financial collapse. After Yeltsin and the Duma fail to compromise on an anti-crisis tax package, property tax was raised. On August 14, Yeltsin reclaims that the ruble will not be devaluated. Three days later Yeltsin devaluated the currency to nine and a half ruble per dollar. August 21, The Duma holds a special session, calling Yeltsin to resign. All world markets down on the news, investors fear of instability. August 23, Yeltsin sacks the Kiriyenko, recalls Chernomyrdin, world markets fall again on the news. Two days later, the ruble fell forty percent, its worst in four years. Yeltsin suspends ruble trading, the rubles officially at 7.9 per U.S. dollar, yet U.S. Dollars on the streets of Moscow go for up to 12 rubles. Later, that week Chernomyrdin was rejected as the premier of Russia. Veteran Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov is appointed Russia's Prime Minister. Yeltsin's choice of the former spymaster and Middle East hand was seen as the best hope of uniting hard-line Communists and Reformers behind an emergency program to deal with an acute financial crisis. These are the causes over one year which led to the collaps...

Consulting Project Plan Part Two Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consulting Project Plan Part Two - Assignment Example In such a meeting, it is possible to determine what the employees strongly believe is not done the right way. Through that, it will be easy to propose a remedy that best solves the issue. On the other hand, status reports are reports that are prepared by the employees showing the status of the jobs. The reports enable close communication and exchange of information about the progress of the job. It will help in rating the contemporary status of Walmatt against the set goals and plans (Mazzei, 2010). For communication to be effective, the frequency must be considered. Discussion should take place more often for easy monitoring of progress and job status. The supervisor should be able to meet their subordinates on the daily basis maybe after close of business. Supervisors should be able to identify the challenges the members had during the day and what should be done. Additionally, there are tools that are necessary in helping meet the commitments that have been put in place. The tools help in ensuring that agreements and duties designated have been achieved. The tools include the following: Holding meetings with the supervisors and employees maybe once a week to identify whether there are challenges in the implementation process. The employees should suggest the suitable solutions and alternatives because it is easier to do what you are part of. I will also make use of a wellness newsletter and calendar which will designate what each employee is required to do, the period and th e reporting structure (Mazzei, 2010). It is recommendable to hold communication after the results and outcome have been evaluated. It involves holding a meeting to outline and give the major problems identified and the proposals suitable to eliminate them. The stakeholders that will attend the meeting will be the management, the supervisors, and the employees at large. I consider having all of them in the meeting because they also have to give

The Goals of the U. S. Defence Department Network Essay

The Goals of the U. S. Defence Department Network - Essay Example The telegraph, radio, and telephone, which were the most commonly used medium of communication the past have been shadowed by the internet. The popularity of the internet has increased so much that it has become a worldwide network that has the capabilities to connect individuals via mobile/computer/smartphones/etc., irrespective of geographic constraints (Odlyzko, 2000, pp.31-56). The growth of internet can be attributed five major factors namely, technology, social, political, academic and commercial.  The Internet has evolved into a widespread information infrastructure but if one traces back its history it will be revealed that its origin is very controversial and complicated. Further, there are many factors that contributed its growth over the years including political, technology, academic, social and commercial. The objective of this study is to critically evaluate the factors that contributed to the growth of internet that consequently led to the development of e-commerce a s a new business practice. In the late 1950s, ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) was formed in the United States whose primary aims was to develop technologies that could endure any nuclear attack. A meeting between the private sector contractors, ARPA university with the representatives of US DOD (Department of Defence) in the year 1967 determined the possible protocols to be used when information exchange would take place via computers. This lead to the development of ARPANET in the year 1969. This network initially connected four sites – Stanford Research Institute, the University of California (in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara), and University of Utah. Most of the 70’s were dedicated by researchers to the development of protocols for moving messages across the system of networks, controlling network connections and also allowing remote access to networks.

Intellectual's in chekov's work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Intellectual's in chekov's work - Essay Example He is modest and quiet, just like a girl!... He's simply wonderful." The memoirs f Maxim Gorky give us a modest and gentle and saintly Chekhov, too good to be true. In fact, not altogether true, according to Donald Rayfield's recent biography f Chekhov. Rayfield gives us the well-known facts--the boy who lived in poverty, whose father was tyrannical, who became the breadwinner f his extended family by working at two vocations (doctor and writer), who at the age f 24 began spitting blood, the first sign f the tuberculosis that would claim his life 20 years later, the doctor who treated poor peasants without receiving pay, who visited penal colonies to heal or console plague victims, the famous writer f short stories and plays--but he also tells us f Chekhov's callousness when he tried to protect his privacy and f Chekhov's many sexual relationships with women (what for many was a surprising finding about the man who had, according to V.S. Pritchett, an unusually low "sexual temperature"). The Rayfield biography gives us a truer, more balanced portrait f a complex man but it doesn't make cool the warm feelings we have toward the writer whose compassion informs his art and whose plays--complex, ambiguous, difficult--continue to be pop ular. What prods me to write about Chekhov is the American Repertory Theater's production, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, f Ivanov, which I saw in January, 2000. Ivanov (1887) is Chekhov's first full-length play--he had already written many oneact farces--written and produced before the four plays that give Chekhov his importance--The Sea Gull (1898), Uncle Vanya (1899), Three Sisters (1901), and The Cherry Orchard (1904). Four plays is a surprisingly modest number f plays on which to sustain so high a reputation; obviously, it's enough. Chekhov worked very hard at his playwriting, which, unlike his writing f short stories, did not come naturally to him. His notebooks and letters are filled with remarks on his struggle. A playful but accurate indication f his attitude toward the two kinds f writing in his comment: "Narrative is my legal wife and drama a flamboyant, rowdy, impudent, exhausting mistress." (This is a variation f his much-quoted statement, "Medicine is my legal wife and literat ure is my mistress.") Chekhov said he didn't recall a single tale f his that took him more than a day to write; he wrote short stories, he said, with haste and carelessness. His mistress, it seems, gave him more trouble and demanded more attention. My focus is Chekhov's mistress. Ivanov was the A.R.T. debut f one f Russia's leading directors, Yuri Yeremin, who is Artistic Director f the Moscow Pushkin Theatre. Because Yeremin is a disciple f the Stanislavsky method f rehearsal and acting, and because Stanislavsky's Moscow Art Theatre was the company that gave life, and took life, from Chekhov's plays, my expectations were high. They were disappointed, although I must admit I never saw a praiseworthy production f the play. Ivanov gave Chekhov much trouble in the writing; he spent many years revising it. During the revising he made many comments about it to his friends, itself a painful experience for a modest man who rarely discussed his work. From these comments we learn that Chekhov wrote the play to satirize a Russian type, whose existential sickness was a Russian disease. Its plot is conventional and melodramatic, what the Russian

Music as a Tool for Learning

Music as a Tool for Learning The teaching of music in Primary Schools is an area of education that has seen dramatic changes in the last few decades. From a situation where music teaching was almost non-existent in some schools, and where in others young children were frequently alienated from music by being banned from choirs or told they were ‘tone-deaf’, music is now strongly represented within the National Curriculum. Current thinking emphasises that there is no such thing as a completely unmusical child, and the curriculum has moved from an emphasis on performance – often for the relatively gifted only – and passive listening to encompass composition, performance and critical appraisal part of the musical education of every child. This study considers music within the broader context of Primary education, considering the benefits of integrating music into other areas of the curriculum, and looking at the implications for learning bearing in mind that music in itself has been linked with improved behaviour and concentration (Glover and Ward 1998: 14), and thus may be considered conducive to a desirable learning environment for all subjects, and, furthermore, to the social and mental well-being of Primary school children. The development of modern Primary music education can be traced back to the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1987, although music at the time was considered low priority, and was not included in the Curriculum until 1991. When the National Curriculum was introduced, many teachers questioned its viability: it moved away from the topic-based teaching which had embraced a number of subjects without specifying distinct areas such as history or music or language. It was felt that by focusing on the topic rather than specific academic subjects, lessons held more interest for children. However, a number of educationalists had criticised the topic-based approach because of its lack of objectives and limited focus on specific achievement, and the National Curriculum sought to address this. Today, best practice is considered to be somewhere between these two approaches: subjects are distinct from each other, but a focus on the links between different disciplines is encouraged, and it is in this environment that incorporating music into cross-curricular activities can be particularly beneficial. The past few decades have seen a significant change in the delivery of music education. The Plowden Report (1967) recognised the importance of ‘non-specialist’ teachers being able to deliver music teaching : â€Å"It is to the musical education of the teacher that attention must first be given†¦ Comparatively few primary schools†¦can, for some time to come, expect to have a music specialist as a full-time member of the staff and it is even doubtful whether a specialist responsible for most of the teaching is desirable. It is the musical education of the non-specialist which, in our view, is the key to the problem.†(Web link: Plowden Report para. 690) It was over two decades before this thinking began to be properly implemented. In the meantime, schools relied on music specialists –teachers who were trained musicians, almost always skilled pianists –and this led, at best, to a detachment of music-teaching from the rest of the curriculum, delivered by the class teacher, and, at worst (where a specialist was unavailable), marginalised or non-existent music education. The development of a National Curriculum for music which is intended to be delivered by classroom teachers without any music specialisation has allowed it to be linked with other work more easily.More significantly still, delivery by the class teacher who, through far more exposure to the class than the ‘once-a-week music teacher’,understands the dynamic of the class and the individual pupils’situations, enables that teacher to deliver music teaching in a way that engages the class more readily and meets their specific needs. In 1991, the National Curriculum for Music was developed quickly,with limited research and, in many areas of music teaching, no accepted‘good practice’ that could be incorporated into the plan. In 2000, anew National Curriculum for Music was introduced that could take account of what had been learnt through the 1990s. The announcement of the government’s Music Manifesto in July 2004 suggested a further commitment to music education, with the aim that every child should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. Although this could be considered a move away from classroom music teaching, with the requirement for peripatetic instrumental teachers and the demands made on limited school time, the potential outcome is a future generation who consider a wide range of music to be part of their culture and experience, rather than something for their more gifted or more affluent classmates. In order to consider how music should be used across the Primary curriculum, some thought should be given to the ways in which children learn. There are various theories of learning: at the extremes are maturation, which suggests children should be left to learn through their own experiences, and behaviourism, which advocates learning through instruction from others. Many theories consider learning to be a combination of the two: Vygotsky’s theories reconcile the two approaches. Jean Piaget’s theories tend towards maturation and have been influential in education, though probably more so in the sciences than the arts. Through many years of observation, Piaget drew the conclusion that children establish a ‘framework’ within which they construct their vision of the world. As they experience something new, they try to explain it from the perspective of the framework (assimilation). Only if they cannot will their framework develop in some way(accommodation). Much of the experience Piaget considers should be self-generated and not instructional from teachers, parents or other authority figures. Piaget proposed four key stages of learning. For primary school teaching, the second and third stage are most relevant, covering the ages of around 2 to 7 (Pre-Operational) and around 7 to 11 (Concrete Operational) respectively. There is a lack of logic and a focus on the self in the Pre-operational stage, while in the Concrete operational stage, childr en are able to apply knowledge logically, manipulate information and understand the concept of others’ perceptions as well as their own. While Piaget’s theories are popular, many educators have reservations about them, particularly with regard to the specific age ranges linked to the stages. It is widely considered that such developments vary greatly in respect of age from child to child .Criticism of the Plowden Report has at times focused on its emphasis onPiagetian approaches (Gillard 2005). However, Piaget’s ideas are applied widely, including in music education, with its frequent focus on working together in ensembles (which helps develop understanding of others’ perspectives), or experimenting with the sounds that different classroom instruments can make (learning by experience). The behaviourist approach has lost favour in education: certainly in music, where it would be characterised by passive listening and instruction, it has been superceded by a more critical and analytical approach. Pavlov, famous for teaching dogs to salivate at the sound sofa bell, was a key figure in the development of behaviourist theory, and it has some place in musical education: for example, historical or cultural context of a piece of music is best explained by the teacher before pupils explore its musical qualities. Vygotsky’s theories, which suggest children learn by a combination of experience and instruction are perhaps more relevant to primary music education. Vygotsky took into account the social and cultural environment, particularly the influence of parents. He proposed that children’s development arose as a result of interactions with others. Vygotsky’s theories provide a link to theories regarding the learning of expression through the spoken word. A number of academic shave researched the area of music as a language which might be learned in a similar way to speech. In Barrett (1996), various research into the learning of oral language is explored to construct a framework in which successful learning of music might take place. Key to it is immersion: just as language is practiced all around the child, so too should music be, with parents demonstrating good practice as well as teachers. This parallels the Suzuki method of instrumental learning,where the parent learns alongside the child and reinforces at home what has been taught. Barrett endorses a method which leans towards maturation – â€Å"the learner is encouraged to assume responsibility for his own learning,with frequent opportunities provided for the continuous practice of skills† (Barrett 1996:72), with â€Å"the teacher available to assist when help is requested† (ibid). Yet there is also an element of behaviourism: â€Å"The experience of explaining, or teaching an item to another is often instrumental in clarifying the issues within the mind of the learner† (ibid: 69). In Mills’ exploration of the development of musical skills in the primary years (Mills 1996), a New Zealand study is discussed which supports Barrett’s theories. Through extensive fieldwork, Roger Bucktonfound that Polynesian children in New Zealand schools sung with moreconsistent vocal accuracy than those from European families. Millsattributes this to the difference in culture: â€Å"[Polynesian] children sing with their families and in church from anearly age. Children of European ethnic background†¦often arrive atschool with little background in singing.† (Mills 1996: 119) As will be seen, these various schools of thought have implications forboth the study of music and of other subjects, and hence forcross-curricular activity too. To consider music’s use across the curriculum, we must first consider its place as a subject in its own right. The National Curriculum addresses the following core areas: Performing skills: controlling sound through singing and playing Composing skills: creating and developing musical ideas Appraising skills: responding to and reviewing music Listening and applying knowledge and understanding. The scope of the National Curriculum for music is broad. By the end ofKey Stage 1, pupils are expected to reach a standard where they arecapable of organising sound, of using symbols to represent music, ofperforming with an awareness of others and of responding to the mood ofmusic. Beyond the practical, they are also expected to learn aboutvarious music from history and around the world – this provides auseful opportunity for cross-curricular work – and to understand thefunctions of music such as for dance, again offering cross-curricularopportunities. This kind of background knowledge continues to form a core part of thecurriculum at Key Stage 2, with the practical element further expandedthrough ICT, with the statutory requirement to â€Å"capture, change andcombine sounds†. Technological developments and greater affordabilitymean this is an area that has been practical to include in thecurriculum only in recent years, and for many teachers unfamiliar withmusic technology, this creates an additional challenge. However, it isagain a practical area to apply cross-curricular teaching in. At Key Stage 2, pupils are expected to develop a sense of musicalexpression along with more advanced ensemble skills. They should alsobe able to evaluate and suggest improvements to pieces of music by thetime they leave Primary School. This corresponds to a time when pupilsare developing their own tastes, influenced by a range of externalfactors such as family (particularly older siblings), or artistsspecifically marketed at ‘tweens’. An awareness of such subcultures canhelp the Primary school teacher to relate elements of the music lessonto them to create a particular resonance with pupils with suchinterests. A 2002 study by a team of researchers from Southampton Roehampton and Keele Universities carried out as part of the QCA’s (Qualifications andCurriculum Authority) Curriculum Development Project in the Arts andMusic Monitoring Programme produced some interesting findings(Hargreaves, Lamont, Marshall and Tarrant 2002). Many of the study’ssubjects were K S2 pupils. Across the study, which used interviews andquestionnaires to look at pupils’ and teachers’ attitudes to andengagement with school music teaching, children responded positively tothe performance aspect of the curriculum. Although many spent a gooddeal of time listening to music outside school (particularly popularmusic on the radio or on walkmans), little reference was made tolistening and appraising music in school music lessons, nor tocomposition. Given the government’s commitment to enabling every child to havethe opportunity to learn an instrument, it is perhaps surprising thatonly 17% of children thought this was something a school should offer,although the majority were learning or wanted to learn an instrument.While instrumental lessons may seem to offer limited scope forcross-curricular activities, and indeed may take up additional teachingtime, their indirect effect on other subjects is positive as thelearning of an instrument helps develop a range of skills includingco-ordination, concentration and self-expression. The Southampton/Keele study noted that a number of teachersexpressed concern over time and financial resources available toimplement a music programme. The time constraints suggest thatcombination of subjects through cross-curricular activity may be anattractive solution if managed appropriately. The study also showed that the use of external music specialists inPrimary music teaching was widespread and, furthermore, help fromspecialists was seen as vital to the success of the music curriculum.The aim that music teaching should be deliverable by non-specialistteachers is still not met entirely: â€Å"Technical demands of the curriculum are mentioned by many teachers:even those with musical qualifications and expertise feel unable tocover the entire spectrum of the music curriculum.† (Hargreaves,Lamont, Marshall and Tarrant 2002: Section 3) This is not expanded on. Teachers responded positively to theschemes of work, particularly as a tool for less musically-experiencedteachers, but it is possible that the breadth of the music curriculumis a challenge for teachers to deliver. The government’s increasedfocus on learning an instrument is likely to maintain this situation.It will be interesting to see whether, in future years, the generationof teachers that has benefited from the National Curriculum for Musicas pupils and who have had more opportunity for learning an instrumentthan previous generations of Primary teachers find it easier to deliverclassroom music lessons. The response from schools in the Southampton/Keele survey wasoverwhelmingly positive and it appears that the National Curriculum hasbrought classroom music teaching out of the margins by demonstratingthe many benefits of musical activity, notably those beyond musicalskills such as the social aspects and positive impact on behaviour andconcentration . In addition to focusing purely on music for a period within thetimetable, many teachers practise combining music teaching with othersubjects. This has roots in pre-National Curriculum teaching, wherelearning was frequently cross-curricular and based on a topic. Incertain situations, it appears that music is highly relevant in theteaching of another subject. This section explores the opportunitiesavailable and shows how there may be significant benefits for learningin all subjects in a cross-curricular lesson. Glover and Ward warn that there is a danger of attempting tocombine subjects in a way that has little benefit. They particularlydraw attention to themed songs which have no musical relevance: â€Å"In a topic on ‘food’†¦young children might be encouraged to sing ‘FoodGlorious Food’†¦ the links with the topic are spurious†¦the song may be apoor musical choice for a class who find difficulty with pitching thedemanding interval leaps.† (Glover and Ward 1998: 153-4) Glover and Ward also draw attention to the practice of linkingcomposition too closely to topic work, so that children are invited tocreate the sound of, for example weather, producing sound effectsrather than an appropriately-structured and thought-out piece of music(Glover and Ward 1998: 154). Bearing these points in mind, how can music teaching be productively combined with other subject areas? History lends itself to an exploration of music from other times. Astudy of the Tudors might incorporate a look at Tudor instruments andmusic, which provides further opportunities to consider Tudor life.Many pieces are dances, and pupils might participate in a dance of theera. Pupils can find out more about the function of the music, aboutwho would have been able to afford the instruments and who would haveplayed them. This might link with study of life for the wealthycontrasted with the majority of the population or of leisure pursuitsof the time. This helps reinforce what has been learnt about life inTudor times, while consideration of the stylistic qualities of themusic benefits musical understanding. Geography provides the chance to consider world music within its socialand cultural context rather than in isolation. Glover and Ward advocateexploring various musical styles from the same geographical area: â€Å"A little research goes a long way towards getting things intoperspective. Children will be interested in the detail and thedifferences between different music within a culture.† (Glover and Ward1998: 160) Through exploration of the elements which go to make a particularmusical style, children can learn about musical devices such as dronesor call-and-response structures. Simultaneously, by understanding therole of a type of music within a particular culture, they gain abroader understanding of different societies. Science lessons can provide a framework for the study of soundproduction. Through a focus on a range of instruments and othermaterials and their sonic properties (the production method of thesound, its qualities and pitch range, for example) causes pupils tofocus on the detail of sound. Composition activities linked toexperiments with sound production are enhanced: pupils consider thescope of their instruments in a broader range of musical parameters.Their scientific understanding of sound also benefits. Maths has particularly strong links with music, and various studieshave established a link between aptitude in maths and musical ability.Rhythm in music has a significant mathematical component: an obviousexample is the US note-naming system, where a crotchet is aquarter-note, a quaver an eighth-note and so on. Musical patterns offerthe opportunity to explore principles of symmetry, by playing a patternin its original form and in reverse. The inversion of a melody can belikened to reflection. A number of composers have incorporatedmathematical concepts into their music: many of these are rathercomplex for consideration at primary level, although the works ofXenakis may be useful for older Primary pupils. The construction of aparabola through a series of overlaid straight lines is visible in someof Xenakis’ scores, with lines performed as a string glissandi (slidesthrough pitch). Xenakis’ involvement with architecture, again using thescience of curves, may also be linked to lessons in this subject area.In addition to obvious connections with mathematics, Xenakis’ scoresare a useful example of how modern composers develop their own notationsystems and graphic scores, which may inspire children in compositionactivities. Literacy also has a close affiliation with music. The inflections inspeech are melodic and it has distinct rhythmic qualities. The settingof text to music draws on these connections. Explorations of languageand words – for example, rhyming words or short poem – can be takenfurther by turning them into chants or songs. A recent trend which underlines the links between language andmusic is the frequency with which children write a ‘rap’ rather than apoem. This could be taken further with a look at rap music payingattention to the dialect, fulfilling the requirement of the NationalCurriculum for English that children understand about language variety.However, any rap music should be selected with care due to subjectmatter and vocabulary in many rap tracks being unsuitable for use inschool. Narratives in literacy can also be explored through music, but itis important that children understand the concept of music without aprogramme and can link musical devices to punctuation: a cadence is afull stop, a musical phrase correlates with a spoken phrase (Glover andWard 1998: 166). The National Curriculum for Physical Education promotes the explorationof music through dance, and schools have a long tradition of music andmovement lessons. Dance and music together are included in thegovernment’s Schemes of Work: â€Å"Unit 31†¦In this unit children focus on popular dance styles ofdifferent eras. They explore a range of dances, using step and gesturepatterns, body shapes, contact work, and contrasts in dynamic andrhythmic patterning. They learn more about both dance style and music.†(Weblink: Schemes of Work: PE/dance) This unit has links to history and possibly geography too, so is truly cross-curricular. Response to music through movement is pertinent throughout our culture(the inclination to tap a foot to the beat, for example), and in youngchildren a physical response to music is common. Ben-Tovim and Boydinclude this as a criterion in a ‘Musicality Test’ to be applied whenconsidering whether a child should learn a musical instrument(Ben-Tovim and Boyd 1995: 18). Possibly the most difficult subject to establish effectivecross-curricular links in is art. While music and art can be seen asclosely connected, they both function in a similar role in terms ofproviding an outlet for self-expression through organisation ofelements, whether visual or aural. The temptation to play a piece ofmusic as an ‘inspiration’ for painting may result in the childinventing a programme for the music which is then represented in apicture. One must question the benefits of this regarding the verylimited extent to which it might benefit musical understanding, andalso its unintentional promotion of the idea that music must beprogrammatic. Also, is the music a background element compromising thechild’s concentration on the art, or vice versa? Overall, there is a wide range of opportunity to combine music withother subjects to the benefit of both curriculum areas concerned. Thepractical applications discussed above also fulfil a balanced model ofinstructional teaching and self-discovery: for example, the teacherpresents a recording of music from another era or land, and providesbackground information, but the pupils are encouraged to explore itscharacteristics for themselves. This promotes a blend of thebehaviourist and maturation theories discussed earlier. The opportunities for mutual support between subjects throughcross-curricular teaching demonstrates the importance of classroomteachers having adequate support and training to incorporate music intoother lessons; it is even more relevant in cross-curricular teachingthan in music lessons. By ensuring this is the case, benefits may beseen across almost all curriculum subjects. In addition to combining music with other subjects in order to teach itdirectly, music has further applications in the curriculum. The connections between language and music have a further benefit thatcan be utilised across various subjects. Text set to music is moreeasily committed to memory, and the use of songs to learn key facts iswidespread – for example, to learn numbers or the alphabet.Number-learning by song is effective, as one SEN teacher using singingin Maths comments: â€Å"Even if pupils don’t understand the concept of numbers, they can sing up to 10†, (Maynard 2004) Colwell’s research with Kindergarten children in the US (Colwell 1994)demonstrated that when children practised a reading text set to music,they read it with greater accuracy than a group who had practised thetext without its musical setting. However, although this researchsupports the findings of previous experiments, it used a sample of only27 subjects. Research undertaken by Dr Frances Rauscher, a former professional’cellist with a Ph.D. in Psychology, and her colleagues suggested alink between playing music to a group of subjects and a simultaneousincrease in their spatial-temporal reasoning abilities (Rauscher, Shawand Ky 1993). Since then, further research has been undertaken whichboth supports and questions these results. A further study in 1997 on preschool children showed a 34% increasein spatial-temporal reasoning tests among children who had receivedprivate piano and singing lessons compared to those who had not –including a group who had received private computer lessons. Theconclusion drawn by the researchers was that learning music was ofbenefit to learning potential in maths and science subjects, and moreso than computer skills. This research raises many questions. Firstly, it is widely thoughtthat the ideal age to begin learning an instrument is no younger than 7: â€Å"the second most common factor in musical failure was starting at thewrong time – too early†¦a six year old who goes on and on about wantingto play a musical instrument is experiencing the promptings of hisdeveloping instinct to make music, but he is not yet ready to do muchabout it.† (Ben-Tovim and Boyd 1995: 20) . It is therefore somewhat surprising that very young children engagedwith their music lessons in a way that increased their more generalmental capabilities. This has clear implications for the government’sMusic Manifesto; could earlier instrumental learning have a greaterbenefit in other subjects? The second issue is the findings themselves: as the computerlessons had little impact on test results while the music lessons madea significant difference, it is clear that private teaching alone isnot the cause of the improvement; rather it is the learning of music.However, it does not necessarily follow that by simply listening tomusic, a child’s academic potential in mathematics or any other subjectis enhanced. Rauscher’s research has created a great deal of interest bothwithin more general media and among psychologists and other academics.It has, to some extent, been mythologised with the label â€Å"The MozartEffect†. Rauscher’s findings have been disputed by a number of academics.Heath and Bangerter (2004) argue that the original 1993 research, oncollege students, showed only a small effect which was not prolonged,and that a number of research projects have failed to replicate theresults. They also demonstrated a link between the level of attainmenti n various states in the US and the amount of local newspaper coveragepromoting the Mozart Effect: the lower the attainment, the morecoverage. Heath and Bangerter attributed this to the recognition of aparticular problem and the possibility of a ‘quick fix’. In a number ofstates local government reflected media endorsement by subsidisingprojects to expose children to Mozart recordings, but it appears therestill needs to be more research in the area Rauscher herself has moved to clarify her research: â€Å"Our results on the effects of listening to Mozarts Sonata for TwoPianos in D Major K. 448 on spatial-temporal task performance, havegenerated much interest but several misconceptions†¦ the most common ofthese [is] that listening to Mozart enhances intelligence. We made nosuch claim. The effect is limited to spatial-temporal tasks involvingmental imagery and temporal ordering.† (Rauscher 1999) However, a number of studies have shown some evidence of a Mozarteffect in various different environments. Most relevant is Ivanov andGeake (2003) which found a Mozart Effect and a Bach Effect on Primaryschool children listening to music while undertaking a paper-foldingtask (again, this is demonstrating spatial-temporal competence ratherthan intelligence). This study also established that general musictraining was not a factor in the results – this suggests that playingmusic has a temporary effect on reasoning, and might not enhancelearning in other subjects subsequently unless music is played on thatoccasion. The Mozart Effect continues to be debated by academics because ofthe conflicting research findings. However, it is notable that limitedresearch has been done on the elements of music which might contributeto the effect, although reference to an unspecified study by Dr WilliamThompson (Weblink: Research relating to the ‘Mozart Effect’ (2)) notesthat the effect is evident when lively classical music, includingMozart and Schubert, is played, but not with slower music by Albinoni. Many teachers report using background music in a variety of situations with positive results: â€Å"For many years I have used music during lessons. It helps youngchildren relax in handwriting lessons, and helps their concentrationduring imaginative writing sessions.† (Hume 2004) It appears that there is certainly some evidence supporting playinglively classical music in a variety of class situations to boostpupils’ performance, and a number of teachers are using backgroundmusic in class and feel it to be beneficial. However, much research isstill needed in this area. Music teaching has a variety of uses within the curriculum for pupilswith special educational needs (SEN). The term SEN is used to refer topupils with special needs arising from a wide range of situations andconditions such as physical disability, emotional and behaviouralproblems, autism, school phobia, a background of abuse or stress ordyslexia. Many of these children may be academically gifted, others mayfind very basic concepts challenging. Music in SEN, as a result,fulfils a range of functions. For all SEN music lessons, there is the potential to cover areasincluded in the National Curriculum: listening and appraising,composing and performing. The nature of SEN teaching means that thesemay have to be adapted according to the needs of pupils. Cross-curricular activity can be useful tool: for example, whilepupils with concentration problems may struggle to sit and listen tomusic, they may be more receptive if asked to draw a picture respondingto music that is playing while they do so, although there can be adifficulty with children focusing on their art and barely noticing themusic. Perry (1995: 56) suggests using a 5 minute excerpt introducedwith a story – thus using literacy – to create an initial engagementbefore moving on to children drawing. Music may also be used as a form of therapy. For younger children,activities undertaken while standing in a circle are of particularbenefit in helping child a child with attention difficulties to engage.An activity might involve passing a teddy around a circle while musicplays until it stops, at which point the child holding the teddy has achance to play briefly on an instrument. The teddy helps those childrenwho might be resistant to the activity to accept it (Weblinks: Becta). For autistic children, music can contribute to establishing aroutine. With songs, for example, for lunchtime, for playtime and forgoing-home time, where the same piece of music is used consistently forthe same activity, singing can help maintain the sense of stability androutine which is particularly important for those with autism (Maynard2004). While musical activities can benefit children with specialeducational needs, care must also be taken not to cause a detrimentaleffect. Packe

Images Of Light And Darkness I :: essays research papers

In his play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare weaves a timeless tale. Although it is over 400 years old, Romeo and Juliet, is as interesting today as it was at its inception and my guess is that its appeal lies in its subject matter. Shakepeare picked a theme that’s been known to cause indigestion and sleep loss for centuries. And yet, regardless of the ills associated with it, it remains a topic of worldwide interest. And that is simply, love. My mother says that love is one of the most overused, misunderstood words in the English language. Over time, I’ve asked friends what they thought â€Å"it† was. I’ve always received differing answers. It’s when he opens the door. It’s when she does the laundry. It’s that thing that causes insanity. It doesn’t exist. It existed only in the middle ages. It’s what everyone is hunting for and no one can find. Forget about it. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Tenth Edition) defines it as: 1. (1): strong affection for another rising out of kinship or personal ties. 2: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion. 3: unselfish loyal and benevolet concern for the good of another. 4: to thrive on. Spiritual masters say that love is all there is. They also say in order to truly know something, one must know it’s opposite. To know hot, one must experience cold. To know sorrow, one must have known joy. To love, one must hate. (Or at least come pretty damned close to it.) Without darkness, one cannot appreciate light. Professors of English say that the greatest writers are those who can â€Å"hook† their readers. Those who can propel a story forward. Divide and contrast. Divide and contrast, they say. Friction produced by opposing forces creates great drama. Shakespeare is a great dramatist. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare opens with a prologue that basically outlines the entire play. After finishing line fourteen, the reader isn’t required to continue reading because he/she knows the outcome. Shakespeare has given the reader the end. There really is no reason to read on. And yet they do. The reader continues because Shakespeare was a genius at creating dramatic tension. In Romeo and Juliet, he uses two main vehicles to do so. One is the theme of love (Romeo and Juliet) versus hate (The Montagues and the Capulets). The other is the theme of darkness and light. For purposes of this paper, I will look briefly at the use of light and dark imagery as it is associated with the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet.

Amazon.com Site

Recently, Amazon. com has enjoyed amazing sales and market share growth. However, Amazon. com is still running under an operating loss. This report will examine the historical strengths and weaknesses of Amazon. com, as well as the current opportunities and threats. The current strategic plan includes expanding into either online auctions or B2B exchanges. It is believed that Amazon. com’s many partnerships, as well as its technical expertise with online web platforms, would make it an instant leader in online auctions and B2B exchanges. After examining these metrics, I have come to the conclusion that Amazon.com should focus on: 1. Increasing its international market share, possibly into the Middle East and China. 2. Increasing market share in current markets in North America and Europe. 3. Delay entrance into online auctions and B2B exchanges until Amazon. com shows a consistent profit and those profits can sustain the large expense of setting up a new business model. Evalua tion of Current Objectives and Current Strategy Amazon. com has always had an objective to sacrifice short-term profits for building long-term growth, market share, and increased shareholder value.Now, Amazon. com is concerned with developing an effective differentiating enterprise-wide strategy, all the while maintaining the desire for expansion. This includes the possibility of moving into online auctions, competing with eBay, and B2B exchanges, optimizing the partnerships Amazon. com already has. Current Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths: †¢ Amazon. com has shown record sales and has reduced its operating loss dramatically and consistently increased market share and expanded product offerings. †¢ Amazon.com has a reputation for being one of the first businesses online and embracing the idea of taking orders through a website – first-mover advantage. †¢ Amazon. com has no physical stores. This creates low overhead which means a bigger profit margin on increa sed sales. †¢ Amazon. com collects payments immediately and floats vendor payments 30-40 days, which generates a large working capital. †¢ Amazon. com has contracts and alliances with many suppliers. †¢ Amazon. com has a large and loyal customer base. †¢ Amazon. com has an online shopping platform that is the envy of the retail shopping world. †¢ Amazon.com has partnerships with other retail companies to cross-sell products. Weaknesses: †¢ Investment in other online companies resulted in a loss of close to $135 million. With the current economy, similar losses could be felt again. †¢ Amazon. com is still maintaining an operating loss. †¢ Shareholder pressure to show a profit is great. Analysis of Current Environmental Threats and Opportunities Threats: †¢ Increased competition. †¢ Overall poor economic environment. †¢ Possible repeal of the sales tax exemption. Opportunities: †¢ Leverage the large customer base in expansion into new market segments.†¢ Use experience of expansion into foreign markets to further expansion into the Middle East and China, with large computer-savvy populations. †¢ Use well-known and easy-to-use platform to expand base of suppliers that use Amazon. com’s website offerings for their own online presence. Stakeholder Analysis †¢ Government agencies are interested in Amazon. com because of its wide reach. Being an international organization and crossing state lines within the United States, Amazon. com’s increase in sales could yield high profits to the countries and states in the form of taxes and permits.International government would also be concerned with an American presence and the affect that has on the people. †¢ Labor unions do not have much of a stake in what happens to Amazon. com because it has very few employees and all of the positions are traditionally not union jobs. †¢ Competing organizations are definitely interested in A mazon. com’s performance. Amazon. com has developed so many partnerships that it is difficult to increase market share and almost impossible to enter the market. If they were to expand into online auctions or B2B exchanges, Amazon.com’s reach may drastically cut into the market share of its competitors. †¢ Employees would be affected by Amazon. com’s performance because of stock options and the viability of the company. †¢ Suppliers would be concerned with Amazon. com offering competitive products at a lower price, similar to Amazon. com’s concern when they set up zStores. They would also be concerned with Amazon. com offering products that are competitive on the same site. †¢ Customers would benefit from an increase in availability of the products they desire on a platform that is well-known, safe, easy, and custom-tailored to meet their needs.†¢ Civic groups may be more interested in the Amazon. com as more products will be more avai lable to the population. †¢ Public interest groups may take a greater interest in Amazon. com in a similar manner to the civic groups. They would also be interested in the working conditions of Amazon. com’s partners. †¢ Stockholders will most definitely be affected by any change in Amazon. com. Being so close to showing a profit rather than an operating loss, shareholders are interested in increasing sales, decreasing cost, and increasing market share. Identifying Current Problems†¢ The first alternative (online auction) encourages email marketing (spam) and television marketing (which has proven not to be cost effective in the past). †¢ Setting up a separate online auction takes the risk of diluting the image of the overall organization. Amazon. com is known for quality, and auctions are known for deep discount shopping. It also goes against the mission of creating one giant organization all under one brand. †¢ Competing with eBay on pricing structu res sets up a price war, which minimizes the draw of Amazon. com’s quality and customer service. †¢ Setting up a B2B exchange could cause a conflict of interest for Amazon.com between existing partners and potential ones, stifling the availability of suppliers available in the exchange. †¢ Creating a B2B exchange that is not specialized waters down some of the impact. Coupled with competition from other exchanges, it could compromise Amazon. com’s existing partnerships. Alternative Strategies †¢ Focusing on maintaining market share in existing markets. †¢ Not expanding into other markets until Amazon. com is showing a healthy profit and is able to finance the expansion with profits. †¢ Expand into other countries, developing even more of a presence, perhaps in the Middle East and China. RecommendationsMy recommendation would be for Amazon. com to focus its finances and energy on increasing its existing market share. Expansion has worked for Ama zon. com all along, but I am concerned that it is becoming too large of a giant, potentially spreading too thin. If Amazon. com focused its efforts on expanding into other markets, like the Middle East and China, doing what it does best, and increasing market share in existing markets, it could show a profit for a while. Then, after the auction industry has settled down, Amazon. com could present itself as a fresh new alternative to the tired, worn-out ways of the likes of eBay and Covisint.

Malcolm X in Mecca and His Conversion to True Islam

Malcolm X in Mecca and His Conversion to True Islam On April 13, 1964, Malcolm X left the United States on a personal and spiritual journey through the Middle East and West Africa. By the time he returned on May 21, he’d visited Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, and Algeria. In Saudi Arabia, he’d experienced what amounted to his second life-changing epiphany as he accomplished the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, and discovered an authentic Islam of universal respect and brotherhood. The experience changed Malcolm’s worldview. Gone was the belief in whites as exclusively evil. Gone was the call for black separatism. His voyage to Mecca helped him discover the atoning power of Islam as a means to unity as well as self-respect: â€Å"In my thirty-nine years on this earth,† he would write in his autobiography, â€Å"the Holy City of Mecca had been the first time I had ever stood before the Creator of All and felt like a complete human being.† It had been a long journey in a brief life. Before Mecca: The Nation of Islam Malcolm’s first epiphany occurred 12 years earlier when he converted to Islam while serving an eight-to-10-year prison sentence for robbery. But back then it was Islam according to Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam- an odd cult whose principles of racial hatred and separatism, and whose strange beliefs about whites being a genetically engineered race of â€Å"devils,† stood it in contrast with Islam’s more orthodox teachings. Malcolm X bought in and rapidly rose in the ranks of the organization, which was more like a neighborhood guild, albeit a disciplined and enthusiastic one, than a â€Å"nation† when Malcolm arrived. Malcolm’s charisma and eventual celebrity built the Nation of Islam into the mass movement and political force it became in the early 1960s. Disillusion and Independence The Nation of Islam’s Elijah Muhammad turned out to be much less than the upstanding moral paragon he pretended to be. He was a hypocritical, serial womanizer who fathered numerous children out of wedlock with his secretaries, a jealous man who resented Malcolm’s stardom, and a violent man who never hesitated to silence or intimidate his critics (through thuggish emissaries). His knowledge of Islam was also relatively slight. â€Å"Imagine, being a Muslim minister, a leader in Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam,† Malcolm wrote, â€Å"and not knowing the prayer ritual.† Elijah Muhammad had never taught it. It took Malcolm’s disillusionment with Muhammad and the Nation finally to break away from the organization and set out on his own, literally and metaphorically, to the authentic heart of Islam. Rediscovering Brotherhood and Equality First in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, then in Jeddah, the Saudi city, Malcolm witnessed what he claims he never saw in the United States: men of all color and nationalities treating each other equally. â€Å"Throngs of people, obviously Muslims from everywhere, bound for the pilgrimage,† he’d begun to notice at the airport terminal before boarding the plane for Cairo in Frankfurt, â€Å"were hugging and embracing. They were of all complexions, the whole atmosphere was of warmth and friendliness. The feeling hit me that there really wasn’t any color problem here. The effect was as though I had just stepped out of a prison.† To enter the state of ihram required of all pilgrims heading for Mecca, Malcolm abandoned his trademark black suit and dark tie for the two-piece white garment pilgrims must drape over their upper and lower bodies. â€Å"Every one of the thousands at the airport, about to leave for Jedda, was dressed this way,† Malcolm wrote. â₠¬Å"You could be a king or a peasant and no one would know.† That, of course, is the point of ihram. As Islam interprets it, it reflects the equality of man before God. Preaching in Saudi Arabia In Saudi Arabia, Malcolm’s journey was held up a few days until authorities could be sure his papers, and his religion, were in order (no non-Muslim is allowed to enter the Grand Mosque in Mecca). As he waited, he learned various Muslim rituals and spoke to men of vastly different backgrounds, most of whom were as star struck with Malcolm as Americans were back home. They knew Malcolm X as the â€Å"Muslim from America.† They plied him with questions; he obliged them with sermons for answers. In everything he said to them, â€Å"they were aware,† in Malcolm’s words, â€Å"of the yardstick that I was using to measure everything- that to me the earth’s most explosive and pernicious evil is racism, the inability of God’s creatures to live as One, especially in the Western world.† Malcolm in Mecca Finally, the actual pilgrimage: â€Å"My vocabulary cannot describe the new mosque [in Mecca] that was being built around the Ka’aba,† he wrote, describing the sacred site as â€Å"a huge black stone house in the middle of the Grand Mosque. It was being circumambulated by thousands upon thousands of praying pilgrims, both sexes, and every size, shape, color, and race in the world. [†¦] My feeling here in the House of God was numbness. My mutawwif (religious guide) led me in the crowd of praying, chanting pilgrims, moving seven times around the Ka’aba. Some were bent and wizened with age; it was a sight that stamped itself on the brain. It was that sight that inspired his famous â€Å"Letters from Abroad†- three letters, one from Saudi Arabia, one from Nigeria and one from Ghana- that began redefining Malcolm X’s philosophy. â€Å"America,† he wrote from Saudi Arabia on April 20, 1964, â€Å"needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases the race problem from its society.† He would later concede that â€Å"the white man is not inherently evil, but America’s racist society influences him to act evilly. A Work in Progress, Cut Down It’s easy to overly romanticize Malcolm’s last period of his life, to misinterpret it as gentler, more amenable to white tastes then (and to some extent still now) so hostile to Malcolm. In reality, he returned to the United States as fiery as ever. His philosophy was taking a new direction. But his critique of liberalism went on unabated. He was willing to take the help of â€Å"sincere whites,† but he was under no illusion that the solution for black Americans would not begin with whites. It would begin and end with blacks. In that regard, whites were better off busying themselves with confronting their own pathological racism. â€Å"Let sincere whites go and teach non-violence to white people,† he said. Malcolm never had the chance to evolve his new philosophy fully. â€Å"I never have felt that I would live to be an old man,† he told Alex Haley, his biographer. On Feb. 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, he was shot by three men as he was preparing to speak to an audience of several hundred. Source X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley. Alex Haley, Attallah Shabazz, Paperback, Reissue edition, Ballantine Books, November 1992.

AV and Semilunar Heart Valves

AV and Semilunar Heart Valves What Are Heart Valves? Valves are flap-like structures that allow blood to flow in one direction. Heart valves are vital to the proper circulation of blood in the body. The heart has two kinds of valves, atrioventricular and semilunar valves. These valves open and close during the cardiac cycle to direct the flow of blood through the heart chambers and out to the rest of the body. Heart valves are formed from elastic connective tissue which provides the flexibility needed to open and close properly. Malfunctioning heart valves inhibit the hearts ability to pump blood and life giving oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the body. Atrioventricular (AV) Valves The atrioventricular valves are thin structures that are composed of endocardium and connective tissue. They are located between the atria and the ventricles. Tricuspid Valve: This heart valve is located between the right atrium and the right ventricle. When closed, it allows oxygen-depleted blood returning to the heart from the venae cavae to fill the right atrium. It also prevents the back flow of blood as it is pumped from the right atrium to the right ventricle. When open, it allows blood from the right atrium to flow into the right ventricle.Mitral Valve:Â  This heart valve is located between the left atrium and left ventricle. When closed, it allows the left atrium to fill with oxygen-rich blood returning to the heart from the pulmonary veins. It opens to allow blood from the left atrium to fill the left ventricle. Semilunar Valves The semilunar valves are flaps of endocardium and connective tissue reinforced by fibers which prevent the valves from turning inside out. They are shaped like a half moon, hence the name semilunar (semi-, -lunar). The semilunar valves are located between the aorta and the left ventricle, and between the pulmonary artery and the right ventricle. Pulmonary Valve: This heart valve is located between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery. When closed, it prevents the back flow of blood as it is pumped from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. When open, it allows oxygen-depleted blood to be pumped from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. This blood goes onto the lungs where it picks up oxygen.Aortic Valve: This heart valve is located between the left ventricle and aorta. When closed, it allows blood from the left atrium to fill the left ventricle and prevents the back flow of blood that is pumped from the left ventricle to the aorta. When open, oxygen-rich blood can flow to the aorta and onto the rest of the body. During the cardiac cycle, blood circulates from the right atrium to the right ventricle, from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery, from the pulmonary artery to the lungs, from the lungs to the pulmonary veins, from the pulmonary veins to the left atrium, from the left atrium to the left ventricle, and from the left ventricle to the aorta and on to the rest of the body. In this cycle, blood passes through the tricuspid valve first, then the pulmonary valve, mitral valve, and finally the aortic valve. During the diastole phase of the cardiac cycle, the atrioventricular valves are open and semilunar valves closed. During the systole phase, the atrioventricular valves close and the semilunar valves open. Heart Sounds The audible sounds that can be heard from the heart are made by the closing of the heart valves. These sounds are referred to as the lub-dupp sounds. The lub sound is made by the contraction of the ventricles and the closing of the atrioventricular valves. The dupp sound is made by the semilunar valves closing. Heart Valve Disease When heart valves become damaged or diseased, they dont function properly. If valves dont open and close properly, blood flow becomes disrupted and body cells dont get the nutrient supply they need. The two most common types of valve dysfunction are valve regurgitation and valve stenosis. These conditions put stress on the heart causing it to have to work much harder to circulate blood. Valve regurgitation occurs when valves dont close correctly allowing blood to flow backward into the heart. In valve stenosis, valve openings become narrow due to enlarged or thickened valve flaps. This narrowing restricts blood flow. A number of complications may result from heart valve disease including blood clots, heart failure, and stroke. Damaged valves can sometimes be repaired or replaced with surgery. Artificial Heart Valves Should heart valves become damaged beyond repair, a valve replacement procedure can be performed. Artificial valves constructed from metal, or biological valves derived from human or animal donors can be used as suitable replacements for damaged valves. Mechanical valves are advantageous because they are durable and dont wear out. However, the transplant recipient is required to take blood thinners for life to prevent blood clot formation due to the tendency of blood to clot on artificial material. Biological valves can be derived from cow, pig, horse, and human valves. Transplant recipients are not required to take blood thinners, but biological valves can wear down over time.

Role of African Americans in Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Role of African Americans in Film - Essay Example As a concluding point this paper will postulate a solution to potentially improve the racial sensitivity of films produced in the future. Without question, Hollywood films have portrayed a number of stereotypes of minorities since the dawn of the motion picture. According to arguments presented by Turner (2011) it is even the case that modern films that focus on addressing racism in America are often are by their nature inherently racist. Turner cited the example of the 2011 film 'The Help' which is based on a novel which was written by a white woman who many commentators believe is incapable of telling such a sensitive story. The very idea of a white person telling the story of black oppression in the American south wherein the stories protagonist is also white could be considered insensitive. In regards to what some of the most common assumptions that Hollywood makes as well as what part minorities play in films, one could argue that there are a wide spectrum of different stereotyp es that have been portrayed over a long period of time. A) Firstly one could make the argument that in some of the earliest motion pictures such as D.W. Griffith 1915 film Birth of a Nation the blacks in the film were portrayed as being incompetent, drunkards who were obsessed with white women.

Management of chronic pain control in cancer Essay

Management of chronic pain control in cancer - Essay Example In one year more than 500 people in 100,000 will be diagnosed with cancer within the United Kingdom (Cancer Research UK, 2012). The same site states that the survival rate for all cancers has now reached 50%, with some types having a very high 5 year survival rate of 95% and with women generally having a higher survival rate than men. Treatment will have included such things as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, all of which play their part in either removing or destroying cancer cells. Such treatment though has its costs and it is a normal experience to have some pain after cancer surgery. Most of this will fade after time, but in some cases pain can persist for months or years, especially if nerves are damaged. After radiation therapy there may be pain which eventually resolves. In some cases though pain can develop a long way down the line. Chemotherapy can also result in pain and numbness. Some people may also find that they are liable to migraines, low back pain and other t ypes of pain ( Cancer.net, 2012). All of these pains require treatment, but often patients are worried about taking large amounts of analgesics, and may not reveal the extent of their problems. Fullen et al( 2006) point within schools of both medicine and nursing the amount of time spent teaching students about pain relief varies considerably, which will contribute to a patchy service when it comes to pain relief, simply because of inadequate training in some areas. This in turn means that more patients suffer to a greater extent than they need do, and also increase time off work and in hospital, at great cost to themselves and to the country’s health service., Chronic pain has been defined as† having pain on a daily basis for more than six months† (Fullen et al, 2006). Cancer is a term used for more than one hundred diseases in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and invade surrounding tissues as well as spreading to other parts of the body through such me ans as the lymphatic and circulatory systems. It affects both organs and mechanisms. This multiplicity of possibilities requires very individualised treatment at every stage from diagnosis on through treatment and into survivorship. The Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (2004) describes how a diagnosis can mean a person feels isolated, anxious, angry and depressed. It might well be assumed that once a cure has been achieved all this could be put behind them, but persistent pain is a very real issue in many cases, as could be psychological issues. Some will feel exalted that they have survived such a major threat, but others may continue to see themselves as a victim, especially if there are long term physical differences, as for example if there is the need for a permanent colostomy, or a man becomes impotent. Within the United Kingdom in 2012 it was declared that treatment for cancer is becoming ever more successful (Department of Health, 2012). The cure is not always the fin al end of pain however. The patient and his family have had to deal with the shock of diagnosis, the progress of the disease and then the joy of the