March 9

performed a miracle. The day before, she used her family’s last cask of wine for the poor, and her father in law found the empty bottle. She took her husband and father in law to the cellar, turned the spigot on the empty cask, and out poured wine. After this, her husband and father in law were accepting of her calling and fully supported her. Saint Frances is the patron saint of automobile drivers, because of a legend that says an angel always lighted her path to keep her safe from harm’s way. She is also the patron saint of oblates, or people of the middle class and under because of her charity work. Lastly, she is the patron saint of widows, because she was widowed herself, and took good care of her dying husband. Her feast day is March 9th. A prayer associated with Saint Frances is “Loving God, you are our protection, and our light among life’s journey. Through the intercession of your beloved daughter, St. Frances of Rome, please grant safety to all who travel our roads. She herself was given the grace of angelic protection in all her travels; we ask this same grace that our Guardian Angels may be our constant help and defense. Lord, we ask that through the care of St. Frances of Rome, You may inspire all who drive to do so with utmost care. May they soberly realize that the great caution that must be used to guard their own safety, the safety of those they transport, and the safety of all others who share the road with them. May special graces be given to new young…

9 is a very complex and diverse piece. The dynamics in the song are as wide ranging as it gets, containing moments of very loud burst using forte, mezzo forte, and fortissimo. What makes it very interesting though is that it also contains many sections with very soft and medium parts. It is not contained to one tempo either, although most of the time it stays around a moderate tempo. It contains uses of articulation such as staccato and accents. In the song it uses an orchestra, from listening I…

period to help create more concrete conclusions about mainstream society. My texts were Education for Leisure by Carol Ann Duffy, Sad Joke on a Marae by Apirana Taylor, District 9 directed by Neill Blomkamp and Barton Fink directed by Joel Coen. I expected all of my texts to be able to reflect one another as they were all from a similar time period. In particular, I expected District 9 and Sad Joke on a Marae to draw similar points as they are both texts that illustrate alienation towards…

In the film District 9 by Neill Blomkamp, Prawns, known as aliens, come to our planet looking for a new place to call home, for their planet was dying . Unfortunately, the Prawns don't realize that their planet may have been the safer option compared to nesting on Earth . The government in South America is scared of the Prawns and contain the Aliens in projects on the outskirts of the city . The government created the MNU as a force to be able to control the Prawns in case they were a threat to…

While cheerful and bright melodies are used to represent Mozart’s early years in his short lives, the prelude of the opera “Don Giovanni” composed by Mozart after the death of Leopold Mozart – Mozart’s father – indicates the relationship between Mozart and Leopold and shows the process how Salieri set his scheme foreshadowing the death of Mozart. First of all, the opera “Don Giovanni” suggests the abnormal relationship between Mozart and his father. In the film, Mozart is illustrated as a…

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Artist-Faculty Recital Series at the Fairchild Theatre on MSU 's Campus. The concert featured a multitude of pieces ranging from the Baroque and Classical music periods to modern day compositions. Several of the pieces were played in a piano-trombone basso continuo and the last piece was played by a trombone choir with two featured soloists. Going into the concert I did not know what to expect. I had listened to classical music in my MUS…

Imperialism has been a prominent force in the world for centuries and centuries, shaping the way the world looks today. Imperialism is a system of control where the minority completely dominants the majority through the extraction and exploitation of the land and its inhabitants. Through a corrupt system of control, MNU, the film District 9 reveals the prominent downfalls of imperialism highlighting the subjugation of the “inferior”, personal benefit, and national oppression. Subjugation of…

Everyone loves a good robot fight, and that is exactly what Director Neil Blomkamp had in mind when he brought Grant Hulley on to stunt coordinate Chappie. Set in South Africa, the film takes place in the future where crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force. Chappie, a robot, gets stolen and reprogrammed. The result is a robot who can think and feel for himself. You have now worked with Director Neill Blomkamp twice. What is it like working with him? Does he have any…

A ray of light in a world filled with darkness--that is what NYCB is. And on every occasion the company presents Jerome Robbins' sublime, majestic The Goldberg Variations that light shines even brighter. Especially if the work is as lovingly performed as it was on Saturday evening by Ashley Bouder, Sterling Hyltin, and Sara Mearns (from all three of whom I have been accustomed to expect efforts of the highest caliber); Lauren Lovette, Emilie Gerrity, Anthony Huxley, Taylor Stanley, Daniel…

his audiences. As Senici put it quite bluntly, “Rossini’s music was repeated because it was repetitive” and the audience’s positive receival of Rossini’s repetition continued to inform and influence its presence in future works (Senici, 2013, p.253). Rossini’s accountability to his audience greatly influenced the qualities for which he was often criticised. While Rossini’s music was often deemed as somewhat superficial and lacking of greater meaning, it had to be enjoyable and understandable at…