Patti Smith

influential people in the punk rock scene is Patti Smith. Born in Chicago in 1946 she grew up in what many would call the ‘ghetto’. As a young girl, she had problems with gender confusion. She was a very big tomboy and frankly wasn’t very attractive. She eventually moved to New York after her dreams of being an Art Teacher fell through. While living in New York, she met an artist by the name of Robert Mapplethorpe. He eventually came out as homosexual, but they kept a close friendship. She was a very great poet. She chose poetry as her medium of art. She eventually went on to create a successful poetry book. Now that we have an overview of her early life, lets take a look at her musical contribution. Her overall largest musical…

Patti Smith, is mainly known for being an American singer, songwriter, poet, and visual artist, some people even call her the godmother of punk. She is not only an artist but also a longtime activist, where her writings and words were inspiring and revolutionary. He lyrics showed the relationship between rock music and political lyrics, which focused on change that wasn’t very accepted. Her songs were motivation by a sense of injustice and explored ideas that were absent from a lot of music…

A skinny black man sits on a pedestal, a platform mounted precariously high resting on a beam of worn wood which decreases in width as our eyes travel upward. The subject is curled, his legs clutched tightly to his chest and his spine bulging from beneath his skin. This is the image that greets us when looking at Robert Mapplethorpe’s Untitled (Phillip on a Pedestal), the photo could be described as beautiful or disturbing, or more likely both. One feels the need to ogle over the awkward bones…

What is protest music? In general, most people would say protest music is songs connected to current or previous events. According to Salamishah Tillet, “Young musicians, some famous, others grassroots, are finding their role in today’s social movements through a simultaneous revival and redefinition of the protest song tradition.” I agree with Salamishah Tillet that musicians are trying to find their role in life by exploring life. (I like how you put your own personal feelings you have towards…

The End of 5th Grade He's the best teacher I've ever had. He was like a uncle to me, he means so much to me. I could tell him anything. That's why the tears won't stop raining down as I hear the news. I didn't see this coming. No. People have to know the joy of having him as a teacher or just having him you're life. No. Everyone needs to know how outstanding he is. He's the blue to the sky, no wonder the sky is gray now. It'll be overcast for a while. Today is the end of my life, so in other…

Introduction The popular television show “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” first aired on September 10th, 1990 (IMDb, 2016). The television show grew in popularity and lasted until May 20th, 1996, consisting of six seasons and 148 episodes (IMDb, 2016). The protagonist of the sitcom, Will Smith, is a young Black street-smart teenager born and raised in a working class neighbourhood who is forced to move to his affluent Aunt and Uncle's house in Bel-Air, California. Will's Mother forces him to move as a…

This past Thursday I visited the Smith Academy for Excellence and was surprised at how the school worked to help the boys learn best. We learned that most of the boys come from a poverty stricken neighborhood with many family problems. Along with this, a majority of the students were African American but there were also a few Caucasians and Latinos. The age/grade range of the boys is from second grade up until twelfth. They are extremely proud that this is the first year they will have a…

How does one achieve a status of pure happiness? Is it having all the money in the world to spend? Is it being able to spend time with friends, family, and loved ones? Is it winning a championship title game? There is no one true answer that could possibly answer this ideal question. However, in the 2006 biographical drama film, The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabriele Muccino, happiness is practically non-existent for the case of salesman, Chris Gardner (played by Oscar nominated…

Considering how much influence it had on my family, I wondered what has influenced the music itself and the influence alternative music has had as a whole? While interviewing my mother, I found that the alternative music of the 80’s, preferably “The Smiths” and “The Cure”, have had a large impact upon her childhood. With this being said, I hope to learn about the history, sounds,…

I feel as if his role is too portray the average, or typical African-American male. Although, I did not come to this accusation until I dug deeper into the show that millions love and adore. Will smith is a goofy, charismatic, high school stud athlete whom maintains his aura as if he is still back in his hometown. He comes from a single parent home in which is also similar to my situation. I feel as if some of the traits mentioned follow a certain image that I see almost every day in my life.…