... I started playing the piano. It was during my piano playing lessons as a young child that I discovered the power of passion. My desire to learn the songs I heard in the scores of movies I loved began from watching The Pianist. I remember the first time I heard "Nocturne in C Sharp minor" by Chopin performed by Wladyslaw Szpilman in the film. I admired Szpilman's passion and perseverance throughout the movie as he struggled ... was his drive to live and play music, his only sole comfort and passion, that influenced me to ask my mom to enroll me in piano and music theory lessons. I still ...

• Word Count: 506
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

An Unexpected Life Lesson Although the main characters of "Sonny's Blues," a short story by James Baldwin, are brothers, they have chosen very different lifestyles. Sonny is a drug-addicted product of Harlem who runs the streets chasing after the be-bop subculture, quite possibly the only aspect of his life that is keeping his head above the water. Sonny's older brother, the narrator of the story, whose name is never ... boundaries they were all experiencing. While Sonny was playing the narrator asked the barmaid to send drinks to the bandstand. When the barmaid delivered the drinks, she plac...

• Word Count: 1866
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... a concert one night, Willie The Lion' Smith gave Duke an impromptu lesson on harmony. Throughout their musical career, they continued to compliment each other in their songs. (Jones 47) Duke's first composition was a song called "Soda Fountain Rag-. He wrote it while working in the Poodle Dog Café. He was fourteen years old. One night at a tavern, the piano player had taken ill. Duke ... few players: Otto Harwick, on bass and saxophone, Arthur Whetsel on trumpet, Elmer Snowden on banjo, Sonny Greer on drums, and Duke on piano. To receive publicity, Duke had the idea to put an advertise...

• Word Count: 1581
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... difficulty. Music education may have a few downsides, but overall, music has a lot more benefits. Music is an integral part of everyone. Weather someone plays the piano, sings in the shower, composes a piece, or simply listens to music while doing a job. It's all around the world and has become a major function in mankind's lives. It would be hard to imagine what ... respected life lessons. According to a study over the benefits of music, "The most heavily reported life preparation skill was self-discipline, with respondents acknowledging that the hard work and dedication that are integ...

• Word Count: 3372
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... that continually break down the joy and importance of music. My love of music was not as strong as it is now. Sure, in the beginning, I liked music, but I wanted to go into the field of Marine Biology. Then I taught my first saxophone lesson and I was ... hooked. I started to wonder, "Okay, what else can I do with music?" I started out slowly and I began to learn all the instruments available to me. By the time college started, I had learned the clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, piano, and ... trumpet. I wanted to learn more and I acted like a sponge in Music Theory. That is where I found t...

• Word Count: 1250
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School