A couple of weeks ago in STAC, we started to plan out STAC Live. After discussion we took our ideas to the wall outside and started to connect our ideas to 3 themes: Fun, Alternatives, and Maximum Use of Passion.
While I thought this was a great idea because it made it easier for us to branch off of each other and create new ideas based on others, to me this held something more.
I tend to think about the future a lot. I've always been interested, and maybe even worried about what is next in my life. Lately, I've been thinking about college and what I really want to do when I graduate. Granted, I still have 2 and a half years of high school left, but like I've mentioned many times before, I'm a pretty proactive person.
Lately I've been thinking about what life is going to be like once I graduate, and how I'm still going to be remembered at a school that I will remember for a long time. Every time I think about this, I get back to the STAC walls outside of the STAC room.
This year, I've written my thoughts, ideas, and passions on the STAC wall twice. I've come to realize that no matter how many times that the wall gets painted over, my words will still be there. Under layers and layers of paint, things that I've written, memories that I've had will still be there. To me, that means a lot. It comforts me to know that years from now, my permanent words will still be etched into that wall. It doesn't matter if it's seen or not, because I'll know that it's there.
This may seem corny, and cheesy, and lame, but it means a lot to me. I'm bad with change, which sometimes makes accepting reality hard for me. But knowing that my words will never change on that wall gives me comfort. Knowing that they'll always be there.
Sometimes, they make me worry less about the future, because I'll always know that there's still a part of me left in high school. A part of me still left with STAC. A part of me left with something that has truly changed my life, and made me who I am today.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Expansion
Last week in STAC we watched a movie called The Army of the 12 Monkeys. Usually, STAC movies are a challenge for me. I always try to find underlying meanings, reasons why, and answers to unanswered questions. As I've mentioned before, movies used to just be something to pass the time for me. Now, because of STAC, I'm slowly starting to see movies in a completely different way.
When Luke started the movie, I was honestly a little disappointed. The beginning just seemed totally stupid and unrealistic to me. As the movie continued however, I started to become more intrigued. The plot became pretty interesting, and I really started to understand what was going on, which was a huge change for me.
At the end of the movie, I still didn't know what to take from it, but I understood it, which is a big step for me.
At the end of Hanna, I had absolutely no idea whatsoever what was going on, and everything went right over my head. It made absolutely no sense to me, I didn't get any of the jokes that everyone else found funny, and I didn't like it at all.
This movie was different though. I started to understand the jokes, and the plot, and why the director chose the shots that he did. I started to pick up why certain clips were shown more than once, and what relevance they had to the outcome of the entire movie.
Although the movie left me a little depressed and dumbfounded on how they could possibly end on that note, I still was impressed with myself for understanding it and partially enjoying it. Granted, The Army of the 12 Monkeys is not my top favorite movie in the entire world, but I didn't hate it at all and I completely appreciated it and was happy that I saw it. And (though this may sound a tad bit repetitive) I think that's a huge step forward for me.
I know that I am no where close to done with expanding my brain and thoughts, and I know that the huge expansion I made first quarter will be hard to beat, but I think I'm still working toward understanding everything and answering all of the unanswered questions in art. And though that may seem trivial to some, I'm pretty proud of that.
When Luke started the movie, I was honestly a little disappointed. The beginning just seemed totally stupid and unrealistic to me. As the movie continued however, I started to become more intrigued. The plot became pretty interesting, and I really started to understand what was going on, which was a huge change for me.
At the end of the movie, I still didn't know what to take from it, but I understood it, which is a big step for me.
At the end of Hanna, I had absolutely no idea whatsoever what was going on, and everything went right over my head. It made absolutely no sense to me, I didn't get any of the jokes that everyone else found funny, and I didn't like it at all.
This movie was different though. I started to understand the jokes, and the plot, and why the director chose the shots that he did. I started to pick up why certain clips were shown more than once, and what relevance they had to the outcome of the entire movie.
Although the movie left me a little depressed and dumbfounded on how they could possibly end on that note, I still was impressed with myself for understanding it and partially enjoying it. Granted, The Army of the 12 Monkeys is not my top favorite movie in the entire world, but I didn't hate it at all and I completely appreciated it and was happy that I saw it. And (though this may sound a tad bit repetitive) I think that's a huge step forward for me.
I know that I am no where close to done with expanding my brain and thoughts, and I know that the huge expansion I made first quarter will be hard to beat, but I think I'm still working toward understanding everything and answering all of the unanswered questions in art. And though that may seem trivial to some, I'm pretty proud of that.
Pressure Performer
I'm starting to realize how well I work under pressure. All my life, I've always tried to be organized and tried not to procrastinate. I've always tried to be perfect in rehearsal, rather than just waiting until the performance. But sometimes, right after things go wrong or right as I walk on stage is when I get my best work done.
For example, this week we filmed our STAC Live commercial. In this commercial, Sarah is in a box, and pops up in various classrooms and yells "come to STAC Live!" and then gets back into the box and leaves. For about a week, our group had planned to meet with different teachers on different periods so that we could get the shooting done.
The day of shooting however, was a complete disaster. The box was breaking and all of the teachers that we had planned to meet with were nowhere to be found. We were completely distraught on what to do. Finally, we decided to just run around and see what happened. And that's when everything really started to fall into place.
Our end product (as of now) is a whole lot better than the ideas that we started with. I think the randomness and crazyness of the shoot let us really be free with the idea, and just go with the flow. It gave the commercial more of an easygoing mood.
I don't know how the commercial is going to come out, since we haven't finished editing, but I'm pretty proud of how well we all worked together to get it done.
A lot of times, the same scenario happens to me. Being asked to perform at the worst moments possible. Without any practice or any knowledge of what is even going on.
I can't begin to explain how many dance competitions and shows I've been in where 5 minutes before I stepped onto the stage I was given different directions or different blocking. And every single time, I've hit that last minute change.
Granted, for someone who is as stressed out as I am, pressure performing may not be the greatest thing to deal with before a show. But, I feel like it's the only way I really get things done perfectly.
Sometimes before shows and recitals, I completely forget everything. All of the steps, my lines, my blocking, everything, seconds before I'm about to go on stage. And then suddenly, once I actually step into the spotlight, it's like it all comes flooding back. The pressure of performance brings it all back.
It's a really stressful thing to think about, but thankfully it always works for me. Of course, I absolutely don't want to rely on it, because maybe someday I'll stop being a pressure performer. But for now, I'm glad to have that net of security under me every time I stress out about a show.
It's a kind of funny thing, pressure performing. Because you really never know what's going to happen next. Just when everything seems like it's falling apart, it suddenly all starts to go right. So for now, I'm going to take my pressure performing and expand on it. And maybe, it'll just get that much easier and that much better.
For example, this week we filmed our STAC Live commercial. In this commercial, Sarah is in a box, and pops up in various classrooms and yells "come to STAC Live!" and then gets back into the box and leaves. For about a week, our group had planned to meet with different teachers on different periods so that we could get the shooting done.
The day of shooting however, was a complete disaster. The box was breaking and all of the teachers that we had planned to meet with were nowhere to be found. We were completely distraught on what to do. Finally, we decided to just run around and see what happened. And that's when everything really started to fall into place.
Our end product (as of now) is a whole lot better than the ideas that we started with. I think the randomness and crazyness of the shoot let us really be free with the idea, and just go with the flow. It gave the commercial more of an easygoing mood.
I don't know how the commercial is going to come out, since we haven't finished editing, but I'm pretty proud of how well we all worked together to get it done.
A lot of times, the same scenario happens to me. Being asked to perform at the worst moments possible. Without any practice or any knowledge of what is even going on.
I can't begin to explain how many dance competitions and shows I've been in where 5 minutes before I stepped onto the stage I was given different directions or different blocking. And every single time, I've hit that last minute change.
Granted, for someone who is as stressed out as I am, pressure performing may not be the greatest thing to deal with before a show. But, I feel like it's the only way I really get things done perfectly.
Sometimes before shows and recitals, I completely forget everything. All of the steps, my lines, my blocking, everything, seconds before I'm about to go on stage. And then suddenly, once I actually step into the spotlight, it's like it all comes flooding back. The pressure of performance brings it all back.
It's a really stressful thing to think about, but thankfully it always works for me. Of course, I absolutely don't want to rely on it, because maybe someday I'll stop being a pressure performer. But for now, I'm glad to have that net of security under me every time I stress out about a show.
It's a kind of funny thing, pressure performing. Because you really never know what's going to happen next. Just when everything seems like it's falling apart, it suddenly all starts to go right. So for now, I'm going to take my pressure performing and expand on it. And maybe, it'll just get that much easier and that much better.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Constructive Criticism
Last Friday in STAC we presented our power projects to the class. The girls of sophomore dance were all pretty nervous, considering that we finished our dance only the day before the presentation. We were afraid that people weren't going to understand our dance, or maybe think that it wasn't really that good.
Before we started, Luke discussed with us how to deliver constructive criticism. I liked his idea about it a lot. He told us that when watching or viewing a piece that is a work in progress, respond to it by asking questions. I liked that. In past experiences, constructive criticism consisted of telling people other things they should do with their piece. Not compliment it or help the performer understand it. With Luke's method, the criticism makes the performer understand what is unclear, and why. I think that works a whole lot better.
After our discussion, we finally performed it. And despite the nerves, I think we all did really well. A lot of people seemed to enjoy our dance, and most of the class understood the storyline. There were a few misconceptions here and there, and we now know what they are and are able to fix them.
I can't wait to get back to work on our project. I'm eager to fix the problem spots and make our dance better then it already is. I have a feeling that by the end of the year, our group will become really strong. And I'm glad to say, we're really close to getting there!
Before we started, Luke discussed with us how to deliver constructive criticism. I liked his idea about it a lot. He told us that when watching or viewing a piece that is a work in progress, respond to it by asking questions. I liked that. In past experiences, constructive criticism consisted of telling people other things they should do with their piece. Not compliment it or help the performer understand it. With Luke's method, the criticism makes the performer understand what is unclear, and why. I think that works a whole lot better.
After our discussion, we finally performed it. And despite the nerves, I think we all did really well. A lot of people seemed to enjoy our dance, and most of the class understood the storyline. There were a few misconceptions here and there, and we now know what they are and are able to fix them.
I can't wait to get back to work on our project. I'm eager to fix the problem spots and make our dance better then it already is. I have a feeling that by the end of the year, our group will become really strong. And I'm glad to say, we're really close to getting there!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Little Time, Pretty Big Changes
Over the past couple of months, my approaches to creativity have changed. I have learned so much more about culture, art, and myself that it is surprising. I have completely changed many of my habits in the different disciplines, and my way of thinking about things.
One good example is when we watched the movie Hanna in class. Before STAC, watching movies to me was just something to do to pass the time. I didn't really pull a movie apart, or look for a true meaning, or watch it extremely intently. I just watched it, laughed when it was funny, ate my popcorn, and left the theater. And maybe if it was good, bought it on DVD. But one thing that completely boggled my mind in class was when we completely tore apart Hanna.
For starters, while watching the movie, I was just a little flustered. My usual movies consist of corny romantic comedies where Jennifer Aniston falls in love with yet another handsome actor in the end. Hanna was not that kind of movie. Hanna was deep, and left you wincing and wanting to know what was going on. I had honestly never experienced a movie like that before.
When I left the classroom the day we watched the movie, I honestly wasn't very pleased. I was torn with myself that everyone else got the jokes, and I didn't. That everyone else enjoyed the movie, and I had no idea what to take from it. It really bugged me all night long. I just wanted to know how everyone else could think that way and I couldn't.
A day later however, my problem was solved. Once we started to pick apart the scenes and look for deeper meanings in the movie, it all started to make sense to me. Before our discussion, I would have never picked up that it was like a take off of Snow White. I would have never picked up all of the characterization and what was back story and what wasn't.
Watching some clips again the next day to prove points really made me change my outlook on Hanna. I felt like I was finally starting to get everything that everything else was getting. It made me feel more at ease, and since then I haven't been thinking the way I did before STAC.
Lately, I'm starting to take everything I see - commercials, movies, people on the sidewalk or in the hallways, television shows - and rip them apart. Find a creative base that no one else would be able to see at a glance in that one small thing. It's almost become habit. I like this new way of thinking, because everything you see truly changes around you.
Another example is when we went to MoMA on the second STAC trip. On the first trip, all of the museums I went to (before I got sick) really made no sense to me at all. I didn't get why those things could be considered art.
And granted, some of the things in MoMA I still didn't understand. But honestly, what if they aren't meant for comprehension? What if the artist makes them so that you don't get it? I mean, if you see a stick in a museum, you're going to think about it, right? Think about how stupid that is, how your dog could do that, etc. But no matter what the circumstance, you're still thinking about it. It affected you. And lately, that's what I've been thinking about when I see things like that.
I've been finding the underlying cause. The point that no one has brought up. Something no one would see if they just took a careless glance. And I can honestly say that it was all because of STAC.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Two Weeks of STAC in a Post
STAC has been pretty interesting over the past week or two. We've done and seen a lot of new stuff, had more in depth discussions about art, and even went on a field trip. So, naturally, I have a lot to write about.
Last week we watched a movie called Hanna. It was pretty interesting. While I was watching, to be perfectly honest, I was so lost. I felt like I was the only one in the class who didn't get it. After we started to tear it apart the next couple of days however, it started to make a little more sense. Like Luke said, we need to learn to watch movies differently. Before STAC, to me movies were just fun pastimes. Now I'm slowly learning how to take things from movies, and how to be a good audience through them.
After watching Hanna, we had to do an assignment as a group. Luke gave each of us four index cards with parts of the plot at random, and we had to go outside and tape them all up on the wall in chronological order. At first, the people who usually take charge tried to do that, only it didn't work. For a while, we had no idea what to do. 36 kids with 4 index cards each that had to go up onto a wall in two periods. That is not easy. We managed to finally pull it all together when everyone broke into groups and started taping their index cards in chronological order on different parts of the wall. And soon it all came together as one movie plot.
We also started to look at different ways to film different parts of movies, using Hanna and many other short clips from other movies as examples. We learned about all different kinds of shots, and I thought it was really cool. Now while I'm watching TV, I start to notice these kinds of shots, or even think about why the director chose to use a certain angle or something. By tearing apart a movie or a movie clip, I realized that you really look at all filmography a completely different way. And I like that new way a lot.
We had STAC art and STACting as well in the duration of these two weeks. In STAC art we started working on futurism. At first, when Mr. Ganes was explaining it and showing examples, I had no idea what I was going to do. He said that futurism should show some type of movement. So, for a good 10 minutes I sat there, looking at my blank piece of paper, thinking of what I should do. I started to think of music, and how most people don't see that music can be movement. So, I finally decided that I was going to draw piano keys with the music moving and floating out of them. I'm really happy with the way that it's turning out. I can't wait to work on my piece again this week.
In STACting, we started with miming, and ended with arguing. It was a really interesting class for me because when we were arguing with each other, I found myself starting to get really angry about the silliest things. Like, if we should not get off of a spaceship on a planet filled with vampires who would kill us. It was stupid little arguments that weren't even real, but I found myself getting kind of angry. I'm not sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign, but it surprised me.
We also continued with working on our projects. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I'm in dance once again, with the same group. As a group, we all have fantastic chemistry, so things were going great. We took Luke's advice and started from nothing, and soon, it actually became an organized dance that we started to put together.
Then sometime last week, Luke gave the entire class the same advice he gave us on our first day of working. So, things started to get kind of confusing for us. We felt as if we had already passed that stage, and we didn't need to repeat it. Most of us agreed, some did not. So, a couple of minor problems started to formulate with ideas. Thankfully though, we managed to finally agree that what we had seemed good, and that we needed to work from what we had. And we did, and we got a ton more ideas to add into our general outline. I think we're on the right track, and that we're going to have a phenomenal final product.
And lastly, our field trip. We went to the city again, and made our first stop at MoMA. Truthfully, that was my first time at MoMA and I liked it. I thought some stuff in MoMA was a little weird, and I was thinking a lot about how it actually made its way into the museum, but I liked a lot of stuff as well. The de Kooning exhibit was a little to abstract for my taste, but I really enjoyed the photography exhibit and the video art exhibits. I thought those were very cool.
Next we went off on our own, and I had a ton of fun. Since I got sick on the first STAC trip, I missed the part where we could stroll around the city. Friday was my first time, and it was probably one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.
At night we went to a show called "Bill Bowers: Beyond Words." I really enjoyed the show a lot. I thought that Bill was extremely talented in miming, and his story was really beautiful and fun to watch. I was amazed at how well of a mime he was and how he was so not afraid to say anything and everything. As an audience member, I felt completely connected to him and felt like I was in his story, because he told it so well.
As a performer, I really enjoyed the way the theatre was set up (the audience being super close to the stage), because it really broke the fourth wall. I love being downstage because I'm closer to the audience. That makes it feel more real to me, so I liked that a lot.
All in all, these past two weeks in STAC have been (as usual) a ton of fun, and I can't wait to see what we're going to do this week!
Last week we watched a movie called Hanna. It was pretty interesting. While I was watching, to be perfectly honest, I was so lost. I felt like I was the only one in the class who didn't get it. After we started to tear it apart the next couple of days however, it started to make a little more sense. Like Luke said, we need to learn to watch movies differently. Before STAC, to me movies were just fun pastimes. Now I'm slowly learning how to take things from movies, and how to be a good audience through them.
After watching Hanna, we had to do an assignment as a group. Luke gave each of us four index cards with parts of the plot at random, and we had to go outside and tape them all up on the wall in chronological order. At first, the people who usually take charge tried to do that, only it didn't work. For a while, we had no idea what to do. 36 kids with 4 index cards each that had to go up onto a wall in two periods. That is not easy. We managed to finally pull it all together when everyone broke into groups and started taping their index cards in chronological order on different parts of the wall. And soon it all came together as one movie plot.
We also started to look at different ways to film different parts of movies, using Hanna and many other short clips from other movies as examples. We learned about all different kinds of shots, and I thought it was really cool. Now while I'm watching TV, I start to notice these kinds of shots, or even think about why the director chose to use a certain angle or something. By tearing apart a movie or a movie clip, I realized that you really look at all filmography a completely different way. And I like that new way a lot.
We had STAC art and STACting as well in the duration of these two weeks. In STAC art we started working on futurism. At first, when Mr. Ganes was explaining it and showing examples, I had no idea what I was going to do. He said that futurism should show some type of movement. So, for a good 10 minutes I sat there, looking at my blank piece of paper, thinking of what I should do. I started to think of music, and how most people don't see that music can be movement. So, I finally decided that I was going to draw piano keys with the music moving and floating out of them. I'm really happy with the way that it's turning out. I can't wait to work on my piece again this week.
In STACting, we started with miming, and ended with arguing. It was a really interesting class for me because when we were arguing with each other, I found myself starting to get really angry about the silliest things. Like, if we should not get off of a spaceship on a planet filled with vampires who would kill us. It was stupid little arguments that weren't even real, but I found myself getting kind of angry. I'm not sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign, but it surprised me.
We also continued with working on our projects. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I'm in dance once again, with the same group. As a group, we all have fantastic chemistry, so things were going great. We took Luke's advice and started from nothing, and soon, it actually became an organized dance that we started to put together.
Then sometime last week, Luke gave the entire class the same advice he gave us on our first day of working. So, things started to get kind of confusing for us. We felt as if we had already passed that stage, and we didn't need to repeat it. Most of us agreed, some did not. So, a couple of minor problems started to formulate with ideas. Thankfully though, we managed to finally agree that what we had seemed good, and that we needed to work from what we had. And we did, and we got a ton more ideas to add into our general outline. I think we're on the right track, and that we're going to have a phenomenal final product.
And lastly, our field trip. We went to the city again, and made our first stop at MoMA. Truthfully, that was my first time at MoMA and I liked it. I thought some stuff in MoMA was a little weird, and I was thinking a lot about how it actually made its way into the museum, but I liked a lot of stuff as well. The de Kooning exhibit was a little to abstract for my taste, but I really enjoyed the photography exhibit and the video art exhibits. I thought those were very cool.
Next we went off on our own, and I had a ton of fun. Since I got sick on the first STAC trip, I missed the part where we could stroll around the city. Friday was my first time, and it was probably one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.
At night we went to a show called "Bill Bowers: Beyond Words." I really enjoyed the show a lot. I thought that Bill was extremely talented in miming, and his story was really beautiful and fun to watch. I was amazed at how well of a mime he was and how he was so not afraid to say anything and everything. As an audience member, I felt completely connected to him and felt like I was in his story, because he told it so well.
As a performer, I really enjoyed the way the theatre was set up (the audience being super close to the stage), because it really broke the fourth wall. I love being downstage because I'm closer to the audience. That makes it feel more real to me, so I liked that a lot.
All in all, these past two weeks in STAC have been (as usual) a ton of fun, and I can't wait to see what we're going to do this week!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Families Fight Too, And My Week In Review
Wow, I haven't blogged in a while! A lot has happened since I last blogged in STAC.
Tuesday we picked our t-shirt design. Although mine wasn't voted the t-shirt, I was still proud of what I accomplished, and I absolutely adore both designs that got chosen. I would love for either to be the STAC 2011-2012 t-shirt! I can't wait to see which one it is!
Thursday people from the country (not the state, but the country) of Georgia came to film us all day in STAC. I felt like a Kardashian! No, totally kidding, forget that reference. But in all honesty, it was fun. Or at least, to me, and my group.
We were all split up by grades to start working on new projects focusing on power. As a sophomore, I was placed in the sophomore group (which makes sense, obviously). All of the sophomores in STAC happened to all be girls! An even funnier coincidence is that half of the sophomore girls are under the art discipline, while the other half are music and dance disciplines. So, naturally, we got split up by that. In my group, it was all 4 dance girls, and Ellen, who was said to compose original music for us to dance to for this project.
To be perfectly honest, we all worked together really well. Most of us had worked together for Dada dance in September, so we all knew each others dance backgrounds and ideas from last time. That made it a little easier to work together. Also, we are the same age, all of us are friends outside of STAC, and we've all been going to school together since 6th grade. So, it worked out really well. We all considered Thursday a huge success, and we were all excited to see what was going to come on Friday.
... And Friday was pretty interesting. We started out with defining what art was to us. I really liked that conversation because it really opened my eyes to a lot of aspects of art that I never really thought of before. I really hope we have more conversations like "What Is Art?" because it gets you to think a lot. Like Luke said during the conversation, "this entire lecture/conversation is a gift." And it really was. It got me thinking all weekend what art really was. It made me think about how I can go around saying "I love the arts, they're my passion," and yet not have a personal definition for them. So, as a result, I'm working on my definition of art, and what it means to me. I'll blog what it is when I get to it, I promise.
Anyway, after a while the conversation escalated into the subject of power, which brought us to our projects. I was excited to share with the class how well we were doing, and excited to hear how everyone else was doing too. But, let's just say things didn't work as great as they did for us, for everyone else.
The freshmen and the seniors both said that they had a ton of problems, and things started to get really intense. The seniors said how they were fighting amongst themselves, and soon the fights became a part of the discussion. Of course, no one picked sides, because no one was right and no one was wrong. It was just a matter of them having to work together, and work things out.
There was a lot of what felt like hatred in the room when I left on Friday, and everyone was tense. You could tell that people were mad at each other. And that's okay. People who love each other fight, it's healthy, it's human nature, and it'll resolve, I'm sure of it. I really want to see how this resolves and what the final product is in their project (because we've seen the process that it took to reach that).
Today we worked on dance again. I can honestly say, we've made a ton of progress. I don't wanna post any ideas yet, because they're changing by the minute, but once we're sure of what we're doing, I can't wait to blog about it. And I most defiantly cannot wait to show what we have to the class because I think it'll be something really great. Even better then Dada Dance!
Next Friday we have a field trip and I'm like, super excited. I can't wait to stay for the entire field trip this time and enjoy the entire thing! It's going to be a ton of fun, I know it!
Tomorrow we're rotating between STAC Art and STACting and I'm excited for both (as usual). I can't wait to get back into the general swing of things in STAC and start working on my acting again, and learn a new type of art form. This week should be a good one, but then again, what week isn't good in STAC?
Tuesday we picked our t-shirt design. Although mine wasn't voted the t-shirt, I was still proud of what I accomplished, and I absolutely adore both designs that got chosen. I would love for either to be the STAC 2011-2012 t-shirt! I can't wait to see which one it is!
Thursday people from the country (not the state, but the country) of Georgia came to film us all day in STAC. I felt like a Kardashian! No, totally kidding, forget that reference. But in all honesty, it was fun. Or at least, to me, and my group.
We were all split up by grades to start working on new projects focusing on power. As a sophomore, I was placed in the sophomore group (which makes sense, obviously). All of the sophomores in STAC happened to all be girls! An even funnier coincidence is that half of the sophomore girls are under the art discipline, while the other half are music and dance disciplines. So, naturally, we got split up by that. In my group, it was all 4 dance girls, and Ellen, who was said to compose original music for us to dance to for this project.
To be perfectly honest, we all worked together really well. Most of us had worked together for Dada dance in September, so we all knew each others dance backgrounds and ideas from last time. That made it a little easier to work together. Also, we are the same age, all of us are friends outside of STAC, and we've all been going to school together since 6th grade. So, it worked out really well. We all considered Thursday a huge success, and we were all excited to see what was going to come on Friday.
... And Friday was pretty interesting. We started out with defining what art was to us. I really liked that conversation because it really opened my eyes to a lot of aspects of art that I never really thought of before. I really hope we have more conversations like "What Is Art?" because it gets you to think a lot. Like Luke said during the conversation, "this entire lecture/conversation is a gift." And it really was. It got me thinking all weekend what art really was. It made me think about how I can go around saying "I love the arts, they're my passion," and yet not have a personal definition for them. So, as a result, I'm working on my definition of art, and what it means to me. I'll blog what it is when I get to it, I promise.
Anyway, after a while the conversation escalated into the subject of power, which brought us to our projects. I was excited to share with the class how well we were doing, and excited to hear how everyone else was doing too. But, let's just say things didn't work as great as they did for us, for everyone else.
The freshmen and the seniors both said that they had a ton of problems, and things started to get really intense. The seniors said how they were fighting amongst themselves, and soon the fights became a part of the discussion. Of course, no one picked sides, because no one was right and no one was wrong. It was just a matter of them having to work together, and work things out.
There was a lot of what felt like hatred in the room when I left on Friday, and everyone was tense. You could tell that people were mad at each other. And that's okay. People who love each other fight, it's healthy, it's human nature, and it'll resolve, I'm sure of it. I really want to see how this resolves and what the final product is in their project (because we've seen the process that it took to reach that).
Today we worked on dance again. I can honestly say, we've made a ton of progress. I don't wanna post any ideas yet, because they're changing by the minute, but once we're sure of what we're doing, I can't wait to blog about it. And I most defiantly cannot wait to show what we have to the class because I think it'll be something really great. Even better then Dada Dance!
Next Friday we have a field trip and I'm like, super excited. I can't wait to stay for the entire field trip this time and enjoy the entire thing! It's going to be a ton of fun, I know it!
Tomorrow we're rotating between STAC Art and STACting and I'm excited for both (as usual). I can't wait to get back into the general swing of things in STAC and start working on my acting again, and learn a new type of art form. This week should be a good one, but then again, what week isn't good in STAC?
Monday, October 10, 2011
Be Kind, Rewind
Be Kind, Rewind. Those three words mean a lot. In some ways, they mean a learning experience. In other ways, they can possibly mean a work out. In some ways, they can mean just pure insanity. In some ways, they can mean rushing. So, you can pretty much say that Be Kind, Rewind means a hell of a lot of things. Especially to me.
A "Be Kind Rewind" is a film in which is shot in only one take. No rewinds. No retakes. What you have is what you have, and that's it. If you mess up, it's part of your film. Rule number one of a "Be Kind Rewind," don't try to outsmart the system and be perfect, because you'll look a whole lot worse if you do.
When Luke first said that this week we were working on "Be Kind Rewinds" the entire STAC room erupted into cheers. I just looked around thinking "Am I really the only one here who has no idea what the hell a Be Kind Rewind is?" Once Luke explained it, to be honest, it still didn't make much sense to me. What were we supposed to learn from this? It seemed like just a fun activity, nothing more.
Once we actually started to get to work on our films, it made a lot more sense, and it became a lot of fun. The day of filming had to be the best part. We only had 1 hour to shoot our entire movie, so naturally, we were all running around the school, in our various costumes, trying to get from place to place. This taught a lot of discipline, and it taught that shooting a movie in an hour even with mistakes can actually look pretty good.
I honestly think the best part about this entire experience was the looks we got from people in the hallways. They looked at us like we were insane. It was the funniest thing ever.
Our film was a little out there, but then again, so was everyone elses, and I think that's what made it fun. In all honesty, did I think that the idea of an OCD germaphobic serial killer was insane? Of course I did. But it was just fun to film, and to watch.
I think that watching all of them at the end of the filming was the most rewarding part. Watching 2 minute long videos that seemed so effortless, but in reality took much more effort then anyone could ever imagine.
The Be Kind Rewinds kind remind me of our mural on the first or second week of school. In the beginning, Luke told us that the mural had to be "Factory" and perfect, but after we finished we realized that it was really "Laboratory" and a learning experience. I feel like it didn't even matter what the Be Kind Rewinds looked like, so long as we learned something from them. And I think that I did learn a lot from them. I think we all did. And I can't wait for the chance to make another one.
A "Be Kind Rewind" is a film in which is shot in only one take. No rewinds. No retakes. What you have is what you have, and that's it. If you mess up, it's part of your film. Rule number one of a "Be Kind Rewind," don't try to outsmart the system and be perfect, because you'll look a whole lot worse if you do.
When Luke first said that this week we were working on "Be Kind Rewinds" the entire STAC room erupted into cheers. I just looked around thinking "Am I really the only one here who has no idea what the hell a Be Kind Rewind is?" Once Luke explained it, to be honest, it still didn't make much sense to me. What were we supposed to learn from this? It seemed like just a fun activity, nothing more.
Once we actually started to get to work on our films, it made a lot more sense, and it became a lot of fun. The day of filming had to be the best part. We only had 1 hour to shoot our entire movie, so naturally, we were all running around the school, in our various costumes, trying to get from place to place. This taught a lot of discipline, and it taught that shooting a movie in an hour even with mistakes can actually look pretty good.
I honestly think the best part about this entire experience was the looks we got from people in the hallways. They looked at us like we were insane. It was the funniest thing ever.
Our film was a little out there, but then again, so was everyone elses, and I think that's what made it fun. In all honesty, did I think that the idea of an OCD germaphobic serial killer was insane? Of course I did. But it was just fun to film, and to watch.
I think that watching all of them at the end of the filming was the most rewarding part. Watching 2 minute long videos that seemed so effortless, but in reality took much more effort then anyone could ever imagine.
The Be Kind Rewinds kind remind me of our mural on the first or second week of school. In the beginning, Luke told us that the mural had to be "Factory" and perfect, but after we finished we realized that it was really "Laboratory" and a learning experience. I feel like it didn't even matter what the Be Kind Rewinds looked like, so long as we learned something from them. And I think that I did learn a lot from them. I think we all did. And I can't wait for the chance to make another one.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Elements and T-Shirts
Yesterday in STAC Art we started to work on our designs for the STAC 2011-2012 T-Shirt. Mr. Ganes told us to reinvent what the STAC t-shirt means and to make the STAC t-shirt something that everyone will start to look forward to designing in the coming years.
As of right now, the t-shirt idea that I had in mind is kind of a secret, but after the voting I'll post pictures to the blog (just like I do with 99% of my STAC Art projects). I'm really excited to present it to the class and really really really proud of it!! Even if it doesn't get voted as the t-shirt, I'll still be proud of my hard work, and maybe even bring it back next year!
Acting. Today was completely different then acting ever was before. Usually I'm a little timid and embarrassed when Luke tells us to do some things (for example, walking around like primal apes), but today I really wasn't. For the most part I wasn't embarrassed at all. I was just having a good time and let myself really feel. And that totally made the difference.
Today had to do a lot with movement. Luke told us to move as if we were different elements (Fire, Water, Air, etc.) That was really interesting for me.
At first, I was kind of shy and timid but after a while all of it just came out. It was almost scary in a way because I didn't know I could feel that much while acting. It really opened up a lot of things for me. And I think I have Dada to thank for that.
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, Dada really taught me to be myself and to be free, and I think that the Dadaism concept was subconsciously applied to acting today. I just didn't feel afraid to express myself and be myself. It made everything so much easier.
I'm really excited for acting next week because of the great progress I made this week. I can't wait to see what we will tackle next and how we can approach feeling things differently. These classes have honestly made a difference in my acting, and I'm so glad. They're really helping and they're really fun! Next week should be awesome, and I can't wait!
As of right now, the t-shirt idea that I had in mind is kind of a secret, but after the voting I'll post pictures to the blog (just like I do with 99% of my STAC Art projects). I'm really excited to present it to the class and really really really proud of it!! Even if it doesn't get voted as the t-shirt, I'll still be proud of my hard work, and maybe even bring it back next year!
Acting. Today was completely different then acting ever was before. Usually I'm a little timid and embarrassed when Luke tells us to do some things (for example, walking around like primal apes), but today I really wasn't. For the most part I wasn't embarrassed at all. I was just having a good time and let myself really feel. And that totally made the difference.
Today had to do a lot with movement. Luke told us to move as if we were different elements (Fire, Water, Air, etc.) That was really interesting for me.
At first, I was kind of shy and timid but after a while all of it just came out. It was almost scary in a way because I didn't know I could feel that much while acting. It really opened up a lot of things for me. And I think I have Dada to thank for that.
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, Dada really taught me to be myself and to be free, and I think that the Dadaism concept was subconsciously applied to acting today. I just didn't feel afraid to express myself and be myself. It made everything so much easier.
I'm really excited for acting next week because of the great progress I made this week. I can't wait to see what we will tackle next and how we can approach feeling things differently. These classes have honestly made a difference in my acting, and I'm so glad. They're really helping and they're really fun! Next week should be awesome, and I can't wait!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Field Trips, Dancing, and Dada
These past two weeks have been extremely interesting in STAC. A lot of things have happened recently for the better, and I'm really excited to see where that takes us.
Last Friday we went on a field trip to NYC. We went to Sculpture Center, MoMA PS 1, and the Whitney. There was also a show, but due to my unexpected illness, I missed it and had to go home instead. That being said however, the part that I went on was awesome and I cannot wait to go on another trip and have a better experience!
My favorite museum we went to on the trip would probably have to be the Sculpture Center. I didn't love everything there, but there were some exhibits that I really thought were cool. For example, the broken mirrors in the shapes of stars reflected onto the walls. I thought that looked really awesome and was really clever. And the bare tree outside of the Sculpture Center was really cool too.
Another thing I liked during the trip was the music room in MoMA PS 1. It was just a plain white room filled with speakers that played all different notes. As you walked around the perimeter of the room, you could hear the individual voice parts. If you walked into the center of the room, you heard one combined song. It was really interesting. That was my favorite exhibit of the day.
And as insignificant as this may sound, I learned how to be weather prepared on this field trip! Walking through a monsoon (literally, a monsoon) in NYC really makes you appreciate things like Hunter rain boots and rain coats. So sure it sounds stupid, but this trip really made me appreciate all of that stuff.
Dada dance. Like I mentioned in an earlier blog post, Luke gave us Dada assignments based on our disciplines. He told us to create Dada. And well, I think dance really did a great job of creating Dada.
Due to time constraints and music classes, it was hard to find time to get together as a whole and work on the choreography. But, after a while of worrying, we finally found time, and finished our piece. It was certainly not what we expected at all.
At first, we wanted our piece to be about self-expression, and to incorporate tap and ballet and hip hop to "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. We also wanted to do something where we wore one ballet shoe and one tap shoe. And we had another idea where we flip flopped music and dance genres and mixed it up. But all of that soon changed.
We ended up using the song "Dance In The Dark" by Lady Gaga with some of her other hits ("Money Honey," "Bad Romance," "Teeth," and "Born This Way") mixed in and "Welcome To The Jungle" by Guns n Roses. Clips of "Blow" by Ke$ha and "Freewill" by Rush were also used throughout the number.
What started off as a dance about "self-expression" soon became a dance about human nature, power of women, suicide, and reincarnation. Did we ever expect it to be that way? Well, hell no. But that's Dada.
The girls wore tribal face paint and feathers while the one boy of our group wore a bandanna. It probably symbolized something subconsciously, but to us, it just made it look better. I think the costuming was a huge part in this piece. It really showed some of the main ideas in this dance. And it looked weird in the beginning, which made it Dada.
I am honestly extremely proud of how this dance turned out. We all worked so hard on this choreography and I am so proud to say that our hard work paid off.
I think I've learned a lot from Dada. Dada really taught me to be free, not just with dance, but with art and life.
Dadaists have it kind of easy in a way. Aside from being sneered upon by some, dadaists can be who they want to be and get away with it. And call it art. No matter how you express yourself, while using Dada, it's art.
With dance, it would sometimes be hard for me to just let go, given the fact that all my life I've been told to have perfect posture, pointed toes, and technique.
In Dada, flexed feet is not "illegal," perfect posture is not "mandatory," and technique can be applied in many different ways. It gave me a completely different outlook on dance, art, and life itself. And I'm honestly really glad that it did.
Last Friday we went on a field trip to NYC. We went to Sculpture Center, MoMA PS 1, and the Whitney. There was also a show, but due to my unexpected illness, I missed it and had to go home instead. That being said however, the part that I went on was awesome and I cannot wait to go on another trip and have a better experience!
My favorite museum we went to on the trip would probably have to be the Sculpture Center. I didn't love everything there, but there were some exhibits that I really thought were cool. For example, the broken mirrors in the shapes of stars reflected onto the walls. I thought that looked really awesome and was really clever. And the bare tree outside of the Sculpture Center was really cool too.
Another thing I liked during the trip was the music room in MoMA PS 1. It was just a plain white room filled with speakers that played all different notes. As you walked around the perimeter of the room, you could hear the individual voice parts. If you walked into the center of the room, you heard one combined song. It was really interesting. That was my favorite exhibit of the day.
And as insignificant as this may sound, I learned how to be weather prepared on this field trip! Walking through a monsoon (literally, a monsoon) in NYC really makes you appreciate things like Hunter rain boots and rain coats. So sure it sounds stupid, but this trip really made me appreciate all of that stuff.
Dada dance. Like I mentioned in an earlier blog post, Luke gave us Dada assignments based on our disciplines. He told us to create Dada. And well, I think dance really did a great job of creating Dada.
Due to time constraints and music classes, it was hard to find time to get together as a whole and work on the choreography. But, after a while of worrying, we finally found time, and finished our piece. It was certainly not what we expected at all.
At first, we wanted our piece to be about self-expression, and to incorporate tap and ballet and hip hop to "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. We also wanted to do something where we wore one ballet shoe and one tap shoe. And we had another idea where we flip flopped music and dance genres and mixed it up. But all of that soon changed.
We ended up using the song "Dance In The Dark" by Lady Gaga with some of her other hits ("Money Honey," "Bad Romance," "Teeth," and "Born This Way") mixed in and "Welcome To The Jungle" by Guns n Roses. Clips of "Blow" by Ke$ha and "Freewill" by Rush were also used throughout the number.
What started off as a dance about "self-expression" soon became a dance about human nature, power of women, suicide, and reincarnation. Did we ever expect it to be that way? Well, hell no. But that's Dada.
The girls wore tribal face paint and feathers while the one boy of our group wore a bandanna. It probably symbolized something subconsciously, but to us, it just made it look better. I think the costuming was a huge part in this piece. It really showed some of the main ideas in this dance. And it looked weird in the beginning, which made it Dada.
I am honestly extremely proud of how this dance turned out. We all worked so hard on this choreography and I am so proud to say that our hard work paid off.
I think I've learned a lot from Dada. Dada really taught me to be free, not just with dance, but with art and life.
Dadaists have it kind of easy in a way. Aside from being sneered upon by some, dadaists can be who they want to be and get away with it. And call it art. No matter how you express yourself, while using Dada, it's art.
With dance, it would sometimes be hard for me to just let go, given the fact that all my life I've been told to have perfect posture, pointed toes, and technique.
In Dada, flexed feet is not "illegal," perfect posture is not "mandatory," and technique can be applied in many different ways. It gave me a completely different outlook on dance, art, and life itself. And I'm honestly really glad that it did.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Acting, Splattering, and Inspirations
Today in STAC we continued with our weekly acting classes. Last week, I blogged about how I "just wanted to be right" and how "not getting the right answer frustrates me." Today I learned something that changed all of that. In acting, most of the time, there is never a right or wrong answer. When Luke said that, it made me realize that everything that I got worked up over last week, was really for nothing. Wanting to be right. Well, what is right? To me, right is doing the right thing. To me the right thing is being truthful and honest. And by doing something that is morally correct even if it isn't the "cool" thing to do. Is that what "right" is to someone else? Not necessarily. To someone else, right could be a completely different thing. So really, in acting, when you're picturing real life experiences or real things (like we've been learning to do), the right answer is what is right to you.
We did a ton of exercises today, and I was catching myself off guard a lot. In one exercise, we had to picture that we were holding our phones, and a cold glass of water. Then we had pretend to set it down on the floor. After all of that was finished, Luke told us to start walking again, and I almost bent down and picked up my "glass of water" before I left. That was really interesting to me.
I started to feel a lot more this class. Last class, I was too hung up on other things. This class, I felt everything Luke was telling us to feel. I felt the gravel we had to "walk on." I felt the cold glass of water in my hand. I felt that string pulling me in the right direction. When Luke told us to picture something that made you angry, I honestly felt straight up angry. Everything became real today, and I was so happy that it did. Seeing and feeling everything probably means that I'm on the right track to becoming a better actress, and I cannot wait to see where these classes will take me.
Yesterday in STAC we finished up our Dada pieces. Last week I blogged about how I wanted to "take my work and make it more Dada then it already is," and I really think I did that successfully.
I started the period with this, and no idea what to do next.
After a spontaneous thought, this came about. And I love it!
After I was finally finished splattering my work in the back parking lot, Mr. Ganes told me that my next Dada project, should be something different. He said "If music is freedom, then what is not freedom?" This took a ton of thought. I decided to just start with the colors and background and see where it took me. This is what it looked like when I first started:
Soon enough, it turned into this:
I love the way this came out. The wave pattern coming out of the corners symbolizes the secrets slowly unfurling into empty space. Did I intend it to be that way? No, I just needed a place holder. But as I started to analyze it, that's exactly what I saw.
Art was really awesome for me these past two weeks. I've come a long way in just two classes. I came into STAC believing that I was not someone who was good at art. And I'm coming out of this week realizing that I can do art. And if I try really hard, I can do a pretty good job.
Lastly, this week I was inspired. By my little sister, Mary. Before I continue, let me just say that no matter how many times she makes me want to pull my hair out, Mary is a wonderful girl with a heart of gold, and I know for a fact that she is going to grow up and do amazing things.
Today, she came home from school, and told us all about how she decided to spend recess today playing with a student from the STRIDE program (special education program in her school). She went on, saying that she was put in the school "golden book" (a "good deed" book) and how she played with this little kid, not because she wanted to be in the golden book, but because she knew it would be a nice thing to do.
Now, all I need to say is, can't we all learn something from her? In society today, some people are so twisted. It is no doubt that to some people, all society values is fame and money. Where is everyones compassion sometimes? Where are people's morals sometimes? Doing the right thing voluntarily, because you know in your heart that it's the right thing to do or the nice thing to do, is something that society has lost over the years.
But when Mary told me that she played with this STRIDE kid, just because she knew in her heart, that it was a nice thing to do, I saw she was one person, changing the world. She was making a difference. I'm sure, that she inspired other kids on the playground this afternoon to do the right thing. And those kids might just grow up and change society one day. One person makes a difference. Today, my sister made a difference. Not just on the playground, but to me too.
She inspired me. Granted, I always try and do the right thing, but still, what she said meant a lot. And I reflected on it all night long. I want to take what she did and spread it. I want to inspire others with her story today. And I'm starting with this blog.
Spread.
We did a ton of exercises today, and I was catching myself off guard a lot. In one exercise, we had to picture that we were holding our phones, and a cold glass of water. Then we had pretend to set it down on the floor. After all of that was finished, Luke told us to start walking again, and I almost bent down and picked up my "glass of water" before I left. That was really interesting to me.
I started to feel a lot more this class. Last class, I was too hung up on other things. This class, I felt everything Luke was telling us to feel. I felt the gravel we had to "walk on." I felt the cold glass of water in my hand. I felt that string pulling me in the right direction. When Luke told us to picture something that made you angry, I honestly felt straight up angry. Everything became real today, and I was so happy that it did. Seeing and feeling everything probably means that I'm on the right track to becoming a better actress, and I cannot wait to see where these classes will take me.
Yesterday in STAC we finished up our Dada pieces. Last week I blogged about how I wanted to "take my work and make it more Dada then it already is," and I really think I did that successfully.
I started the period with this, and no idea what to do next.
After a spontaneous thought, this came about. And I love it!
After I was finally finished splattering my work in the back parking lot, Mr. Ganes told me that my next Dada project, should be something different. He said "If music is freedom, then what is not freedom?" This took a ton of thought. I decided to just start with the colors and background and see where it took me. This is what it looked like when I first started:
Soon enough, it turned into this:
I love the way this came out. The wave pattern coming out of the corners symbolizes the secrets slowly unfurling into empty space. Did I intend it to be that way? No, I just needed a place holder. But as I started to analyze it, that's exactly what I saw.
Art was really awesome for me these past two weeks. I've come a long way in just two classes. I came into STAC believing that I was not someone who was good at art. And I'm coming out of this week realizing that I can do art. And if I try really hard, I can do a pretty good job.
Lastly, this week I was inspired. By my little sister, Mary. Before I continue, let me just say that no matter how many times she makes me want to pull my hair out, Mary is a wonderful girl with a heart of gold, and I know for a fact that she is going to grow up and do amazing things.
Today, she came home from school, and told us all about how she decided to spend recess today playing with a student from the STRIDE program (special education program in her school). She went on, saying that she was put in the school "golden book" (a "good deed" book) and how she played with this little kid, not because she wanted to be in the golden book, but because she knew it would be a nice thing to do.
Now, all I need to say is, can't we all learn something from her? In society today, some people are so twisted. It is no doubt that to some people, all society values is fame and money. Where is everyones compassion sometimes? Where are people's morals sometimes? Doing the right thing voluntarily, because you know in your heart that it's the right thing to do or the nice thing to do, is something that society has lost over the years.
But when Mary told me that she played with this STRIDE kid, just because she knew in her heart, that it was a nice thing to do, I saw she was one person, changing the world. She was making a difference. I'm sure, that she inspired other kids on the playground this afternoon to do the right thing. And those kids might just grow up and change society one day. One person makes a difference. Today, my sister made a difference. Not just on the playground, but to me too.
She inspired me. Granted, I always try and do the right thing, but still, what she said meant a lot. And I reflected on it all night long. I want to take what she did and spread it. I want to inspire others with her story today. And I'm starting with this blog.
Spread.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
This Is Life Before You Know Who You're Gonna Be, You're Fifteen...
Yesterday was my fifteenth birthday, and I can honestly say, it was probably the best one yet.
I'm not a materialistic kind of person, but my present from my parents was one in which will completely change my life. This year, my parents bought me an interface, microphone, and keyboard and pedal for recording purposes. Up until yesterday, I've been using Garage Band on my Mac to record all of my music that I've written. All of this new equipment will completely bring it to the next level. Professionalism. Or at least, as professional as you can get as a fifteen year old in your basement with a pink interface. I'm really excited to start using all of this new stuff and to bring all of my music to the next level.
Also, the song "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift meant a lot yesterday too. Sure, it sounds cheesey, but the first thing I did yesterday morning was watch the music video again. But when you're a girl and you love Taylor Swift, things like that just sort of have to be done.
That song has been played exactly 102 times on my iPod, but when I listened to it yesterday it sounded different. That 103rd time was different. And I really don't know how, but it was. Maybe because for the first time I could actually relate to it? I don't know. But, it was interesting to see how things that as a young girl were just songs change into works of poetry and art once you start to grow up and understand them more.
And the video was different too. I saw myself in Taylor, as the girl walking around in a dress, looking everywhere, taking it all in, and whispering to her best friend in class. Back in middle school, I was too afraid to wear a dress to school or to talk to some of the people that I consider friends now. Growing up can really change things.
If younger Sarah could see all the things that older Sarah has accomplished today, she wouldn't believe it. I did not expect to be where I am today 5 years ago. And to be here, and be happy with my life, and excited for what's to come, feels exhillirating.
Taylor Swift - Fifteen Music Video
And lastly, the fifteen candles and strawberry shortcake. Well, what could honestly be better than that? Spending my birthday with the people I love was fantastic, and I can't wait to make fifteen the best year yet.
I'm not a materialistic kind of person, but my present from my parents was one in which will completely change my life. This year, my parents bought me an interface, microphone, and keyboard and pedal for recording purposes. Up until yesterday, I've been using Garage Band on my Mac to record all of my music that I've written. All of this new equipment will completely bring it to the next level. Professionalism. Or at least, as professional as you can get as a fifteen year old in your basement with a pink interface. I'm really excited to start using all of this new stuff and to bring all of my music to the next level.
Also, the song "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift meant a lot yesterday too. Sure, it sounds cheesey, but the first thing I did yesterday morning was watch the music video again. But when you're a girl and you love Taylor Swift, things like that just sort of have to be done.
That song has been played exactly 102 times on my iPod, but when I listened to it yesterday it sounded different. That 103rd time was different. And I really don't know how, but it was. Maybe because for the first time I could actually relate to it? I don't know. But, it was interesting to see how things that as a young girl were just songs change into works of poetry and art once you start to grow up and understand them more.
And the video was different too. I saw myself in Taylor, as the girl walking around in a dress, looking everywhere, taking it all in, and whispering to her best friend in class. Back in middle school, I was too afraid to wear a dress to school or to talk to some of the people that I consider friends now. Growing up can really change things.
If younger Sarah could see all the things that older Sarah has accomplished today, she wouldn't believe it. I did not expect to be where I am today 5 years ago. And to be here, and be happy with my life, and excited for what's to come, feels exhillirating.
Taylor Swift - Fifteen Music Video
And lastly, the fifteen candles and strawberry shortcake. Well, what could honestly be better than that? Spending my birthday with the people I love was fantastic, and I can't wait to make fifteen the best year yet.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Pasteling, Acting, and Dada, Oh My.
Dada. That word has become the focus of my week in so many ways. Before Monday, I had absolutely no idea what the hell Dada even was. But now that I know, I can't get it out of my head.
So, I guess, I'll start with art. Today with Mr. Ganes we started STAC Art in the form of Dada. It was such an interesting experience for me. To take something you love and all of the ideas in your head and to just, create. With no rules, no rhyme, no reason. Because that's what Dada is, to me at least. No rules, no rhyme, no reason. Anti-art.
At first, I got kind of uneasy, because art isn't my best subject to begin with. Anti-art? All I could think was "How the hell am I going to do this?" Well, I really don't know how, but I did. After a couple of minutes of just thinking, it finally just all came out. The time flew by and before I knew it, 3 periods were over, and I was almost finished with something that at first I thought I never could have accomplished. And I am really proud of how it's coming out so far. I can't wait to work on it again next week and see where it takes me.
My work on my Dada Art so far. Feeling really accomplished, and cannot wait to make it even more Dada then it currently is.
Acting. For a while, I've loved everything about acting. And I still do. Now, granted, I have a ton to learn, and I am so thankful that we are going to be having these weekly acting classes.
Before this class, in my head, when you acted, you became another person. That was like the unspoken rule to me. But now, after what Luke told us, I realized, to act you don't need to become another person. Not only that, but even if you think you are becoming another person, you're not. Deep down inside, no matter who I'm playing, I will still always be Sarah. Every character I play will always have a little bit of Sarah in them. And that is what acting is, or at least, that's what I got from the lesson.
Next, we started to walk around the stage. Because as Luke said, 90% of the time that you are on stage, you're either standing, walking, or moving. Not saying a line. So, we just walked. It may seem to some that walking is just trivial and that it doesn't help us act. But believe me, that was the most intense thing I ever had to do in an acting class. Well, besides steal the hat, but we'll get to that later.
As we walked Luke would call us out and ask questions about the first thing that came to our minds or what we were feeling or he would give us scenarios. For example, he told us to imagine someone who has really made us angry at some point in time. And to just visualize yourself walking up to them, and telling them everything that made you mad.
After I pictured it in my head, my jaw tightened and I stood straigher and walked faster. Just by picturing a personal experience, all of the emotions I had felt in that moment all came flooding back. And for a while after the exercize, the anger still lingered. Not for just me, but for a lot of people. Some, even sadness.
The walking exercises were extermely powerful. All night long all I could think about was that one person, that one scenario. And it really amazed me that one acting exercise could do that.
And then came, the hat. That damn, cheap cowboy hat. The hat that made all of us crazy. At first, the assignment seemed simple. Just pretend that you're walking in, stealing the hat, and leaving. Easy, right? Absolutely not. Stealing the hat had become the hardest thing I did that entire class.
When we picture stealing, or sneaking, we picture someone looking around constantly and being sly and suspicious. But, that's overacting. Actually, from what I understood, it isn't even acting at all. And a lot of us (and myself) struggled with that aspect. Everything we knew about sneaking had become fake. We had to take sneaking and make it real. Which is honestly a lot harder then you think it is.
So after countless (and yes, I mean countless) trial and error, I finally started to get the idea (though I never did actually get to bring that damn hat offstage). But it frustrated me. I just wanted to get the hat correctly. I just wanted to be right. But thankfully, Luke pushed me until I got it. If he hadn't pushed me, I wouldn't have learned half as much. At the time, sure, I was frustrated that I couldn't get it. But, I'm happy that I messed up, because I learned so much through my mistake. I'm really excited to go to acting again next week. I'm really open for a whole lot more knowledge and exercises, and I want to use the corrections that Luke gave me to improve.
And lastly, the Dada Dance Project. We all got split into groups based on our discipline (in this particular instance I was put into dance) and were told that we needed to create a Dada project with our discipline. Well, all I can say is how excited I am to start our Dada Dance Project. There's really not a ton of details now, we're still working, but once we have them, I cannot wait to blog all about it.
This second week in STAC has been amazing and has made me even more excited for the rest of the year. I honestly cannot wait to tackle more projects and to become a better actress and artist. So by the end of the year, I intend to be
Drawing, Singing, Acting, Dancing, Oh My.
So, I guess, I'll start with art. Today with Mr. Ganes we started STAC Art in the form of Dada. It was such an interesting experience for me. To take something you love and all of the ideas in your head and to just, create. With no rules, no rhyme, no reason. Because that's what Dada is, to me at least. No rules, no rhyme, no reason. Anti-art.
At first, I got kind of uneasy, because art isn't my best subject to begin with. Anti-art? All I could think was "How the hell am I going to do this?" Well, I really don't know how, but I did. After a couple of minutes of just thinking, it finally just all came out. The time flew by and before I knew it, 3 periods were over, and I was almost finished with something that at first I thought I never could have accomplished. And I am really proud of how it's coming out so far. I can't wait to work on it again next week and see where it takes me.
My work on my Dada Art so far. Feeling really accomplished, and cannot wait to make it even more Dada then it currently is.
Acting. For a while, I've loved everything about acting. And I still do. Now, granted, I have a ton to learn, and I am so thankful that we are going to be having these weekly acting classes.
Before this class, in my head, when you acted, you became another person. That was like the unspoken rule to me. But now, after what Luke told us, I realized, to act you don't need to become another person. Not only that, but even if you think you are becoming another person, you're not. Deep down inside, no matter who I'm playing, I will still always be Sarah. Every character I play will always have a little bit of Sarah in them. And that is what acting is, or at least, that's what I got from the lesson.
Next, we started to walk around the stage. Because as Luke said, 90% of the time that you are on stage, you're either standing, walking, or moving. Not saying a line. So, we just walked. It may seem to some that walking is just trivial and that it doesn't help us act. But believe me, that was the most intense thing I ever had to do in an acting class. Well, besides steal the hat, but we'll get to that later.
As we walked Luke would call us out and ask questions about the first thing that came to our minds or what we were feeling or he would give us scenarios. For example, he told us to imagine someone who has really made us angry at some point in time. And to just visualize yourself walking up to them, and telling them everything that made you mad.
After I pictured it in my head, my jaw tightened and I stood straigher and walked faster. Just by picturing a personal experience, all of the emotions I had felt in that moment all came flooding back. And for a while after the exercize, the anger still lingered. Not for just me, but for a lot of people. Some, even sadness.
The walking exercises were extermely powerful. All night long all I could think about was that one person, that one scenario. And it really amazed me that one acting exercise could do that.
And then came, the hat. That damn, cheap cowboy hat. The hat that made all of us crazy. At first, the assignment seemed simple. Just pretend that you're walking in, stealing the hat, and leaving. Easy, right? Absolutely not. Stealing the hat had become the hardest thing I did that entire class.
When we picture stealing, or sneaking, we picture someone looking around constantly and being sly and suspicious. But, that's overacting. Actually, from what I understood, it isn't even acting at all. And a lot of us (and myself) struggled with that aspect. Everything we knew about sneaking had become fake. We had to take sneaking and make it real. Which is honestly a lot harder then you think it is.
So after countless (and yes, I mean countless) trial and error, I finally started to get the idea (though I never did actually get to bring that damn hat offstage). But it frustrated me. I just wanted to get the hat correctly. I just wanted to be right. But thankfully, Luke pushed me until I got it. If he hadn't pushed me, I wouldn't have learned half as much. At the time, sure, I was frustrated that I couldn't get it. But, I'm happy that I messed up, because I learned so much through my mistake. I'm really excited to go to acting again next week. I'm really open for a whole lot more knowledge and exercises, and I want to use the corrections that Luke gave me to improve.
And lastly, the Dada Dance Project. We all got split into groups based on our discipline (in this particular instance I was put into dance) and were told that we needed to create a Dada project with our discipline. Well, all I can say is how excited I am to start our Dada Dance Project. There's really not a ton of details now, we're still working, but once we have them, I cannot wait to blog all about it.
This second week in STAC has been amazing and has made me even more excited for the rest of the year. I honestly cannot wait to tackle more projects and to become a better actress and artist. So by the end of the year, I intend to be
Drawing, Singing, Acting, Dancing, Oh My.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Writing On Walls...
Today we did the coolest thing ever. We created a mural on the wall outside of the STAC room intertwining all of the things we love.
When Luke first described the task, I expected it to be pictures all around our work and colors and abstract, things like that. But, it was the complete opposite. And honestly, I like it a whole lot better then my first vision of our mural.
We started with our names in the center. Every word had to be parallel to the floor and capital, and we needed straight lines that connected the words. We wrote things that we love, connected to our names, branched out all over the wall.
So for example, the first thing I wrote was family. After family, I needed to write what I love about family, which was love. Then I needed to write what I loved about love, which was security. And so on and so forth.
Things started to get really interesting once we all started attaching to each others sections of the mural. We began finding ties in our interests, and loves.
While creating my own section of the mural, I watched others in the class create theirs as well. By doing this, we learned a ton about ourselves and about each other.
I honestly think that this was such a smart thing to do today. Not only does it look absolutely amazing and really creative, but it also was a great way to start off the STAC year. For the past two first days of school, we haven't really gotten out of the STAC room at all, and it was mostly talking. Today was really fun to just get out into the hallway and create.
I honestly did not expect the wall to become a huge web of passion. Because that's what it is to me, a huge web of passions and loves. I love the way it turned out, and how different it looks. Most murals in my experiences have been pictures or paintings, and this is really different. Which already says a lot about STAC. Being different. And I really love that aspect of the class. This wall shows that we can all be different and still interconnected.
This particular activity really brightened my day by a lot, and I left school with an open mind. I haven't felt that way in a long time. I felt really relaxed and at ease when I got home, and that was such a change from the past two days of school. I guess creating does that to me, and if so, then I cannot wait to create some more.
Our whole portion of the wall, and all of our webs interconnected.
My personal portion of the wall/web.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Starting STAC And All About Me!
Hey Internet! This is the first time I've ever written on or kept a blog (other then the two months in 5th grade when we used one, which I don't really think counts all that much) and I'm excited to see where I go with this. I have a feeling that it will actually be pretty fun.
So, a little about myself. My name is Sarah, and I love everything that has to do with music, acting, dancing, or writing of any kind. I'm absolutely in love with musical theatre, and become attached to just about any musical/play that I see (attached to the point where I'm trying to figure out which character I could play in the rarity that it would be run at our school). Singing and dancing are like second nature to me, and I find myself subconsciously doing both, just about anywhere. Literally, anywhere, anytime. My life is like a High School Musical movie, but I honestly love it and wouldn't have it any other way. And over the past couple of years, I've come to appreciate and love acting a lot more then I did when I was a kid. The idea of playing someone else, becoming that one character, and performing as them, and not yourself, has become something that I find absolutely interesting. All of that being said, I honestly think I'm almost addicted to performing. Being on stage, in front of any audience, is probably the greatest gift you could ever possibly give me (and my birthday is a week from Saturday, just saying...) The stage feels like home to me, and that is where I want to be all the time, 24 hours a day. I've also come to love writing over the past year, and wrote a full length novel for one of my electives last year. That was a fantastic experience for me as well. Once it was finished, it was almost surreal. I was amazed at myself that I had actually finished a full length novel. As you can tell, the arts mean the world to me, and I aspire to do something with any of them some day in the future.
That is why I think STAC is perfect for me, and so far it's going great! It's fun to be in a room surrounded by people who are passionate about the same things as you. Although I've only been in for two days, it seems to me that STAC is a group of people who all share the same love, and want to share that with the rest of our school. And believe me, I'm so glad that I'm officially a part of that.
So, a little about myself. My name is Sarah, and I love everything that has to do with music, acting, dancing, or writing of any kind. I'm absolutely in love with musical theatre, and become attached to just about any musical/play that I see (attached to the point where I'm trying to figure out which character I could play in the rarity that it would be run at our school). Singing and dancing are like second nature to me, and I find myself subconsciously doing both, just about anywhere. Literally, anywhere, anytime. My life is like a High School Musical movie, but I honestly love it and wouldn't have it any other way. And over the past couple of years, I've come to appreciate and love acting a lot more then I did when I was a kid. The idea of playing someone else, becoming that one character, and performing as them, and not yourself, has become something that I find absolutely interesting. All of that being said, I honestly think I'm almost addicted to performing. Being on stage, in front of any audience, is probably the greatest gift you could ever possibly give me (and my birthday is a week from Saturday, just saying...) The stage feels like home to me, and that is where I want to be all the time, 24 hours a day. I've also come to love writing over the past year, and wrote a full length novel for one of my electives last year. That was a fantastic experience for me as well. Once it was finished, it was almost surreal. I was amazed at myself that I had actually finished a full length novel. As you can tell, the arts mean the world to me, and I aspire to do something with any of them some day in the future.
That is why I think STAC is perfect for me, and so far it's going great! It's fun to be in a room surrounded by people who are passionate about the same things as you. Although I've only been in for two days, it seems to me that STAC is a group of people who all share the same love, and want to share that with the rest of our school. And believe me, I'm so glad that I'm officially a part of that.
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