Hi, my name is Kathleen, and I am going to be blogging about music! I really love music and it has impacted my life in so many ways that I would have never imagined such a broad, yet general, yet subjective matter could cover it all! I think that music is something that everyone can enjoy. It has something for everyone and there are so many ways to access it that honestly, sometimes I wonder how people do not know more about it. For example, you do not even have to look for the most popular music, or the “coolest” artist. Even just humming your own tune is like connecting to other people through a collective creativity. This is beautiful because we do not all need to listen to the popular stuff, the cool stuff, or emulate the cool rock stars, the “popular” kids, or the “indie” kids, etc. I do not like those stereotypes because I believe that they keep people outside of the music community by saying that you must enjoy a certain type of music to be interesting and recognized within the community. While it is somewhat true that you need to be famous or successful in order to make a living from music, you need to be able to be different and stand out. I think that people should not feel pressure to be famous and make an abundance of money. Music can be your livelihood and pay your bills, as for famous people. But it can also be a hobby or a passion, too. And there’s nothing wrong with keeping a passion to yourself. So, if you feel pressured to be famous and have all this luck and success from your music, I believe you do not need to feel that way. I am saying that from firsthand experience… During the pandemic, while I was in online school, I went through a patch of hyper-fixating on those super successful, young musicians. They were the same age as me! I was honestly jealous of them. But over time, I realized that they also had a spur of luck. I told myself that their luck was going to be mine—that all I was missing was that luck. I was going to do everything in my power to get that luck and get to that place where they were. And maybe I was hazy from online school taking up my life, or maybe it was also childish behavior that fed into these ideas. But I also think that if you’re a musician and have a passion for music, you will probably feel the pressure of success at some point. And I feel for people who feel that way because it is not just for music. It is for anything. People feel that their only salvation is to be famous. If you are trying to pay the bills, that may be true. But you can still perform even if it can’t fully support you financially. You can still meet new people and grow your passion without it having to be your full-time job. There is another side of music, the more wholesome side, wherein you make music and participate in the music community just for the sake of doing it. And this is the idea I want to cultivate with this blog, starting with a conversation about one of my favorite bands, Vulfpeck. A while ago, my band teacher told me that he was playing in a church later that week and that he was performing a song by a funk band called Vulfpeck. He played me one of the songs by the band, and I was immediately intrigued. I had never heard of this band before nor heard the song, and it was amazing. The song was called “Christmas in L.A.,” with the lead singer being Theo Katzman. I was blown away by the tightness of the band. They were so connected and well-coordinated. Vulfpeck really emulates the wholesomeness of the music community. They add so many intricate details, for instance—in one song—bells, to make each song intriguing. Their music is a dreamy and upbeat escape that snaps you into a haven of funk. I have been opened to a whole world of their music filled with impactful, slow, meaningful, emotional and all-around beautiful songs. And there are also some songs—songs that are almost humorous like one called “Funky Duck,” or one called “It Gets Funkier.” Their humorous attitude towards their playing is also really inspiring. In the music video for one of their songs, “Birds of a Feather,” their band leader, Jack Stratton, is playing pancakes and hitting them with spatulas instead of drumsticks. It is hilarious! You can tell that they have a lighthearted attitude towards their music, and this is something I want to emulate. The songs are a great escape when I am feeling down or if I want to celebrate my happiness. I do not think I will stop listening to them anytime soon—they’re great! I hope that my discussion of some of the aspects of the music community as well as the band Vulfpeck has inspired something in you, or changed your perspective, or introduced you to something new. Please enjoy this video of me playing a cover of the song I mentioned, “Christmas in L.A.,” and have a great day!
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Schooling in the Midst of a Global Pandemic: Thoughts of an 11-Year-Old
“Returning to school is a privilege.” These were the first words I remember hearing when I stepped into the school building this August after more than a year of online school. Like millions of children and adolescents around the country, my sister and I returned to in person school this fall. With the delta variant of the coronavirus surging, especially among the unvaccinated, and many kids in my school still not eligible for the vaccine, I am confused about how these decisions make sense. Perhaps we are being told that returning to school is a privilege to make us feel grateful for the opportunity to learn in school again. However, returning to school is not a privilege. It is a right and it is the law of the land. What if me, my sister, or my friends get COVID? Will children be okay and get better? What if there is an outbreak? Will we go back to online school again? How will it all work out? How are we being sent back to school without having a proper plan? Every now and then kids have colds and coughs, especially during the fall and winter seasons. Will they need to be away from school? How will the constant disruption affect our education? My teachers do not seem to have satisfying answers to these questions. This makes me even more disturbed and anxious than I already am. To be fair, my teachers probably agree with my sentiments and may not have had much say in these decisions. My feelings of anxiousness are mixed with curious observations of my classmates’ behaviors. Adults are always saying that “kids need to socialize.” It seems to me that most kids are not interested in socializing when they have the opportunity to do so. Most kids are glued to their phones or Chromebooks at lunchtime when they are sitting right next to each other. Even during class, I see my classmates distracted with video games or checking their phones under the table. There is scarcely any socializing. Being one of the few 6th graders who does not have a phone and has no interest in having one, I am dismayed. My friends are missing their childhood and adolescence. I wonder what their memories of middle school will be when they grow up and grow old. Will they remember losing their tooth and getting excited about it and sharing it with others? Will they remember their friends’ laughter and smiles? Will they remember long conversations and walks around the school grounds? There is so much to life beyond these screens. I hope I am never so absorbed in these screens that I forget to see the life around me. Despite my anxiousness, anger, and dismay, I am very fortunate to have friends who think like me. We take walks around the school’s outdoor garden and have lunch in the midst of blooming flowers. We observe the squirrels, spiders, and butterflies. We observe other students and the strange racial, ethnic, and gender segregation in middle school. We are glad not to feel as if we have to be in this box or that category. We get to know more about each other with each passing day, check each other’s homework, and discuss all of our ideas for after school clubs. So much seems possible! Even though everything seems messed up and uncertain, I am thankful for the opportunity to meet new people in 6th grade, make new friends, and have the chance to talk to old friends as well. My mom says I look happier now that I have returned to school. I have so much to report each afternoon, which contrasts with the severely limited experiences in online school. My mom is delighted to hear my stories. I didn’t even see my classmates’ faces on zoom because so many kept their cameras off. Now, of course, half our faces are covered with our masks. I have forgotten some of my friends’ faces. Still, I think I am happier, too. I think it is because I have something more than the four walls of my room and a screen to experience. I am stunned to think about how limited my world has been for the past year and a half. As the pandemic goes on relentlessly, I hear platitudes like “…everything will be ok…. we are resilient…. we will stop COVID from spreading in the school….we should hold on to hope…” My heart wants to believe that everything will be okay, but my mind resists. For now, I stop myself from thinking about the future and dwelling on the past. I just accept my situation.
Relocating, by Diya, 12
Diya Chakrabarti, 12 (Cupertino, CA) Hello, it’s Diya again! Today, I wanted to keep this write-up short and simple. I recently moved to the Bay Area in California, as one of my parents moved jobs. My family and I relocated from Portland, Oregon, and I would like to share a few of my thoughts about moving. At first, when I got the news that my family was moving, it didn’t seem like as much of a deal. The following day was just another typical day, going to school, doing homework, playing outside, etc. The same routine as always. But with each moving box being packed up, I felt a stone in my heart drop, making my stomach churn, and I sighed, knowing the house would soon be empty. Sometimes I would stare at a room, noticing even the most insignificant detail, and imagining in my head how it would look without our chairs, rugs, desks, and our favorite stuff, and soon all would be packed away and moved to our new abode. But on the other hand, I had a few exciting things to look forward to. One of our closest friends lived there, the weather was much more pleasant, and we would get to experience new things. Going to a new place can sometimes feel like taking a fresh breath of air. But, this was not a vacation, we were moving! That meant our family had to adapt to a new place, new surroundings, even if we did not like it in the beginning as change always creates some imbalances. A couple of weeks passed by, and a team of movers packed up the bulky furniture, also packing the small boxes we packed along with it. We had to be confined to one room since the workers were buzzing around like bees in a hive! It felt fun, being able to connect with my family and my little sister, and I got a lot more screen time, although my mom was not too happy with that. Fast forward a couple of days, and we were spending our last night in Portland, Oregon. I had mixed emotions; my heart was heavy, yet I was looking forward to moving to California. The entire house was empty and it felt surreal. The next day, the entire family said our farewells to our neighbors—which was very hard—got the car ready, and looked around the house for stuff that we might have forgotten to pack. Walking around the house, I saw each room, completely empty and spacious. Every room felt like it was missing something, and it was. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would have to say goodbye to our beloved home so soon. Soon, It was finally time to lock the door from behind, this time for the last time. To this very day, it still somewhat feels like we are on summer vacation. California is a state I’ve heard a lot about and visited several times in the past, but to really know more, I must experience living here myself.
