A Look Into My English Life

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...