A Look Into My English Life

For my Genius Hour Project, I am satisfied with the outcome, although I could've done better. I liked the fact that everyone I showed the video to enjoyed it. My audience actually noticed the lyrics and the depressing music video, instead of just listening to the melody. My mother didn't understand the lyrics, but she said she almost cried. However, one thing that I would've changed is: I wish I spent more time on the piano composition part and the voice recording, instead of the making of the melody itself. My piano composition came out on a higher pitch than expected, and it's really fast. My original song was slower when I sang it; I felt like this made the song more depressing. The new revisions also made it even harder to breath with the instrumental. The song had to be divided into four sections, and it caused the song to be really disconnected in some parts. The music composition part is probably the most important part in recording a good song. Instead of focusi...

I finished the majority of my Genius Hour Project. The video was filmed on Wednesday fully; I recorded in my house and neighborhood. It was actually easier than I expected. I just had to imagine myself being in the Schizophrenia patient's shoes. Then, I was able to edit it yesterday with my friend Thinzar. It is black and white to make the mood more depressing. Also, the clips at the end are fast and short with it ending with the beginning clip but backward. The purpose of this is to show how the individuals' lives are repetitive, lonely, and scattered. The video is now up on YouTube for the public to view! I was actually debating whether to place it on unlisted or public. However, since it is Schizophrenia "awareness", I chose to open it to everyone, even though I was afraid of criticism. As far as the response, I have been getting positive feedback from my peers, but they acknowledged that it isn't perfect. They really like the chorus, and many of them noticed t...

This is the final week before the Genius Hour Project is due. I have finished creating my song, and I actually chose to add the rap to my song. I have heard some ballads with raps, and so I attempted to place it in my song; I referenced to iKON's Apology for the idea. The rap I created will actually be a flashback of the Schizophrenia patient's past events that stood out to him/her. There is a rhyme scheme to it, and I'm planning to rap to it with no instrumental around the end of the song. Recently, I have also finished the piano composition of my song using the website https://flat.io/score/59178bbc27e2f62fadae3072 . It allowed me to create music sheets, and I loved the fact that it plays the note for me so I can actually hear it. The difficult part of creating the composition was actually finding the notes; I tried to make the melody vary. The timing for each note was also unusual. In addition to this, I am currently trying to sing over the instrumental. The song is roug...

I'm currently at the point in my project in which composing gets a bit difficult. It is frustrating to decide how to continue on from what I've gotten. To learn more about how others dealt with this, for an even longer time than me, I decided to find my primary source now. Since the song Hallelujah was an inspiration that I went off of, I found an interview with Leonard Cohen, the composer. I found it on https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/07/15/leonard-cohen-paul-zollo-creativity/ . Leonard Cohen talks about hard work, inspiration, and the complications in composing with the speaker. The Canadian admitted that he actually takes a long time to create a final song; he creates many versions of one to find the perfect choice. He takes from a month to more than two years. The inspiration that he finds to make music is the fact that the lyrics can make others relate. Despite the numbers, there will always be at least one person that understands what he is trying to get though. With t...

Now that I'm done with The Madman's Daughter , I can focus on my Genius Hour Project fully. As far as research goes, I was able to find another account that seems reliable and more descriptive. The source is https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/article/32/2/209/1899556/Kurt-Snyder-s-Personal-Experience-with . Kurt Snyder experienced symptoms of Schizophrenia starting when he was 19-years-old, and it fully developed when he was 28-years-old. It began when he learned about fractals and infinity in school; he thought he would be able to make a discovery that the world didn't know. Snyder spent many years trying to decipher the problem that would lead to his success. He literally thought of nothing else, other than this. But, little did his brain realize that this was all a trick. When he turned 22, he began to think that "them" were after him. Thoughts of being watched haunted him. Things like events, police tickets, and security cameras was associated with...

I have just finished The Madman's Daughter , and I'm pretty satisfied with the whole novel in general. Since it is a trilogy, the ending of the first book left me hanging; it was a bit frustrating. Overall, the plot was addressing the problem of Juliet's dad and his "creations". Juliet's father, Henry Moreau, used to live in England. However, he was accused of butchery; he performed vivisections on animals, in hopes of turning them into humans. Moreau was then labeled a criminal, so he ran away to an isolated island close to Australia along with Montgomery, his servant boy. His daughter, then, discovered that he was alive and went after her father-- not knowing what was waiting for her. She wanted to know the real truth behind the figure who called himself her dad. Juliet still trusted him. When she got there, she was really oblivious. The creations just looked like villagers to her. That was until she saw her own dad performing the surgery in his laboratory o...

I have actually started searching up some first- and second-hand accounts of those with Schizophrenia. One article that I found was https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/diary-of-a-high-function/ . It contains an interview with Elyn Saks, a law professor that has Schizophrenia. She has had it to a less degree during her childhood years, but her major psychosis came during her first two years of graduate school. She described it as a "waking nightmare", "weird", and "bizarre". Delusions, such as killing others to seeing spiders on the wall, was common for her. Saks claimed that work was actually the mediator that helped her forget about her mental illness. The word that she really wanted to get out to others was about forced treatment and self-esteem. Elyn Saks thought that the forced medications and treatments was the most traumatic experiences she has ever had; she was restrained from moving up to 15 hours a day in a span of a few weeks. Although the...

I am currently about halfway done with my independent novel The Madman's Daughter . As the plot continues to unwrap, I am starting to see the fantasy aspect really making its debut. Like, Edward Prince, the second-lead male, was able to survive in the waters alone for twenty days. His ship, the Viola, drowned from a cracked hull. The idea of thriving in the roaring waves is really impossible, especially for more than two weeks! There is also the fact that Juliet Moreau, the main character, has a dad that does vivisections on live animals to create half-human and half-animal creatures of some sort. Even with developing technology and medical knowledge, the different genes and anatomy in humans and animals shows how that these creations are not possible to begin with. The islanders, those who are a product of her father's, even has weird characteristics. There is one blonde islander that resembles a cheetah; some has three toes; and their legs and back bones bend in a weird way. ...

To start off, I have discovered the pacing of my Genius Hour Project. As of now, during the AP testing weeks, I only have around 2 to 3 hours to actually practice the piano. The composing part of the project is flowing more easily; I can think about it during my free time, and I just have to take note of it if I like it. For the song Hallelujah, I have learned the "melody" of the song, since the rest is basically the repetition of the lines with a few changes to create more impact. Instead of just moving on, I have decided to keep practicing the first page to stabilize and perfect the melody. Because of this, I have actually been able to sing when I play it. Last week, it was hard to go along with it, because the keys weren't exactly in sync. However, I, now, know what it should sound like. To me, this is actually a big achievement! For composing, I was able to make a rough outline of my song. One of the first steps of composing, based on my previous source, is to decide ...

This week, we analyzed poems and determined their purposes. Based on the things I learned, I have decided to create my lyrics by writing a narrative free verse poem. I decided on a free verse, because rhyme schemes can ruin the tones. It is best to sing what flows normally, like an address. I am going to do it in the point of view of an individual that has the neurological disorder called Schizophrenia. I have done some research on the disorder, and I have gotten to understand it well, especially in the way it affects those who have it. I used the source https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml . Basically, Schizophrenia is an incurable mental disorder. It causes a person to experience hallucinations, delusions, and negative behavior changes. They start to lose touch of reality as they confuse their imaginations and the real world. My lyrics are going to portray the hardships they have gone through and what they want from those around them. This will open the ey...

Thus far, my Genius Hour Project has been developing really slowly. I have continued my basic studies of notes, and I learned about basic counting, symbols, and shaping and volume of music. It is actually getting a bit difficult around this part, because I have always struggled in rhythms and controlling pressures in my fingers. The electric piano, rather than a real one, has further increased this problem, but I have been working on it slowly. After learning about the last basics lesson, I have began discovering how to compose using the piano. I found the source http://www.davidnevue.com/pianoadvice2.htm , and it has been really useful. I am now planning on creating lyrics, and the fact that we are learning poems in class currently is really amazing! Most lyrics are poems that are embedded into a melody. Hopefully, reading poems can open my mind to possible organizations of my own literature. As far as practicing, I have noticed a continuous issue that has been rising up; I can no...

For the research, I had to learn how to read music before practicing on the piano. I have learned how to play the piano for a year during my 8th grade year, however I have forgotten many things. I found a website called http://datadragon.com/education/reading/ . It teaches the viewers the basics of reading music through short and easy lessons. It doesn't leave out the basics at all. So far, I was able to learn about clefs, time signatures, types of notes, and types of rests. Using this information, I have gained the ability to start reading music. I created flashcards and used websites, such as https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note , to develop recognition of notes faster. I actually had the hardest time with this when I learned the piano; it contributed to my decision to quit. I truly hope this doesn't happen again. In addition, I am also worried about my time limit. Will I be able to learn it in time? How will the music turn out? My motivation will definitely be to carry...

Signposts: -Again & Again- (Page 132-136) In this whole section, Santiago talked about his "heart" a lot.  He claimed that his heart told him a lot of stories and tales, and how it has started to hurt a lot recently after leaving the oasis. Basically, his heart expresses his feelings, but it helps him through many difficult times as well. Once the heart hid the rifle that the boy stole from his dad, just in case the boy inflicts pain on himself in the future. The Alchemist told the boy to continue to listen to the heart's remarks; it will help with an unanticipated blow--since suffering earlier lessens the pain later on. After listening for a while, Santiago was able to understand the purpose of his heart; it is there to be Santiago's friend and guardian. It knows what he wants, and it comes from the Soul of the World. It even taught him how to speak the Language of the World. To say, the heart, generally, is in charge of guiding their human through their Person...

Signposts: -Contrasts and Contradictions- (Page 119) During this part of the section, Santiago visits the Alchemist as he was told to do after the tribesman incident. The Alchemist claimed that he would guide the boy on the right direction to his Personal Legend. At that moment, Santiago considered leaving behind his fate; he already found a lot of treasures along the way so far. Earlier, he was ready to go through the obstacles to get to the Pyramids, yet the gifts he got made him want to turn around. The Spaniard was content with Fatima, his new wife, and the money he earned from the glass shop and the oasis. He knew that with what he got, he would live a good life in his home country. After working so hard, something so simple was able to become one of his biggest internal conflicts along his journey. As time goes on, this dilemma will continue to hinder him from his real goals as good fortunes are handed to him. Like the Alchemist said, none of the good things were from the Pyrami...

Signposts: -Words of the Wiser- In this section, Santiago decided to pursue his Personal Legend and joined a caravan. There, he met and conversed with a lot of older and wiser men. One of these people was the camel driver, who he told stories to. When news of tribal wars spread, the man stayed calm, since he's only living in the moment. He proclaimed that you must live in the "present" to be happy. If you worry about unnecessary things, you are just stuck there, with no progress. This struck to the boy really well. Throughout Santiago's journey, he was always aware of the future and the present. He thought about his sheep, the thief, and the future walls; this only discouraged him to continue on his path. By being told these words, he can pay more attention to the jewels around him--just like the story about the wisest man and true happiness. If he only worries about one important thing, he won't have time to view the spectacular wonders in the world. A person mu...

Signposts: -Again & Again-  In part one of  The Alchemist , the repetitive use of the word "sheep" clearly showed a different, deeper meaning behind it. To Santiago, his herd of sheep is considered to be a chore in his life. When he first began talking about them as a "shepherd", he claimed they were ignorant; all they cared about was food and water. Santiago had to do all the nourishing and decisions. Yet, as it goes on, the young boy clearly recognizes their larger roles in his life. The sheep were a replacement for him as friends. Human relationships are too complicated once you notice the flaw in others. The flock was always beside him, and he can talk to them about anything. Once he became an "adventurer" instead, the time Santiago had with his animal friends taught him a lot about survival tactics and certain omens. Like, a bird might mean a snake is nearby. He begins to miss them, and sometimes, these memories make him want to go back. By menti...