iMedia: Holst's The Planets

Being a relative of the famous composer Gustav Holst (he dropped the von off of his last name), his powerful music has always been of high importance in my family. In his most known work, The Planets, the Jupiter movement in this link is truly inspiring in our everyday lives.

This movement progresses through many different stages, each one bringing new feelings and emotions. The piece starts off very bold with all sections of the orchestra blaring. Towards the middle (around minute three on the link) of this movement we hear calmness and tranquility. Smooth rhythms and slurred notes allow the audience to feel at ease. Yet the piece ends with a bang (around minute six), bringing back the power of the horns and strings. This can most definitely be considered an emotional roller coaster.

The planet of Jupiter itself is one of raw power, with its enormous size and breathtaking color. It is frequently viewed in the night sky, its light casting all the way down to earth. It may be difficult to relate to something as vast as Jupiter, but the emotions the piece creates are more important than the reference to the planet. The Jupiter movement matters because it illustrates our lives today. As humans, we experience many different things, each creating their own set of emotions. They greatly vary, as we see in the movement of Jupiter.

People today often underestimate the power of classical music and prefer the modern sounds of today's pop culture. Yet classical music has always been there, inspiring the many generations that have been lucky enough to hear it. Sometimes its nice to take a step back from the rush of today and simply listen to the sounds of the past and let your mind wander.

Connection: King Lear and King Triton

The king of the sea in The Little Mermaid and the king of Britain possess many of the same qualities. The contexts of the two might seem hard to compare, but the relationships with these leaders and their daughters can put things in a new perspective.

Both kings have great power and both want the very best for their daughters. Yet with this power comes many rules, rules that can easily be broken by rebellious daughters, in this case both Cordelia and Ariel. In The Little Mermaid, Ariel disobeys her father when interacting with the humans, something forbidden for the merpeople. In King Lear, Cordelia rebels against her father by refusing to express her love to him merely for the purpose of inheriting his wealth.

Despite the actions of these daughters, both Kings still have love in their hearts. These relationships matter because by examining the fatherly side of these powerful leaders, we can better understand their actions, which will ultimately help us comprehend the whole story. Triton is willing to give his life for his daughter despite her actions because of love. Lear feels immense regret from his rude actions towards Cordelia because of love. Even the power of being a king cannot harm the father and daughter relationships of King Lear and King Triton.

When we compare King Lear and King Triton, we can see that the unrealistic situations in The Little Mermaid show how unreal and abstract the events are in King Lear. The rash actions and decisions of the characters in King Lear can be hard to imagine, but when we consider the similarities to those of children's stories, it gives some meaning and reason behind them. Actions like this include when Gloucester's eyes are actually pulled out of his head, when Kent is willing to disguise himself to retain a relationship with Lear, and when Edmund betrays his brother and turns him into a beggar.

Despite this being my second Disney blog post, the characters in their films are full of problems that can be compared with the problems of characters in almost anything, including Shakespeare. They give an abstracted view of reality, which is often the very subject of great pieces of literature.

360 Degrees: Party in the U.S.A.

Party in the U.S.A. is currently the number two song on iTunes, and has been for quite a while now. The play count for this song is currently 129 on my computer. It's on every girl's iPod. It's played at every party. But why is a teeny bopper song like this dominating the radio? What makes this song so special?

People constantly criticize Miley Cyrus for her inappropriate and trashy behavior, myself included. Maybe some people are drawn in by this, wanting to make fun and laugh her. They use her songs as an outlet for frustration and disgust. I am guilty of this too, for one can always find something to laugh at in her music videos or shows. If you just read some of the iTunes comments on Party in the U.S.A., you can find plenty of examples of this.

It is difficult to take anything Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus seriously. Listen to some of the lyrics:

So I put my hands up
They’re playing my song,
And the butterflies fly away
Noddin’ my head like yeah
Moving my hips like yeah

What does "like yeah" even mean? And how can you rhyme with the same word? If this is what music has become, then that is pretty sad on our part. What does this say about our society?

I am curious about the other perspectives of this song. As I listen to it right now, I realize that it has a catchy beat. It can put you in a good mood, pump you up for a party, or simply make you want to dance. This is why it has become so popular.

This song can be viewed as a sad representation of the youth, a feel good pop tune, just another Miley song, or anything in between. These views relate because they represent different people and different moods. They show how people both blend and clash. I'm not saying that life can be viewed as a Miley Cyrus song, god no. How you view it is your own choice, your own perspective. And that's all that anyone can ever do.