Wednesday, April 22, 2020
How to Choose a List of Compare and Contrast Term Paper Topics
How to Choose a List of Compare and Contrast Term Paper TopicsComparing and contrasting term papers is a challenge faced by most students. With so many to choose from, it's usually hard to decide which topic to choose for the assignment.To make this task a little easier, here are some tips on choosing term paper topics. By doing this, you can make it easy for yourself to come up with a good topic, which is one that has been chosen by others and is most likely going to be in demand.Choose a topic title based on your research. This is going to be the main feature of your paper. So you should write about the topic that interests you the most. You should use all your resources like friends and classmates, if possible, to help you out.Researching does not necessarily mean that you need to do exhaustive research. You can just do a bit of background research on your topic. This way, you will come up with information on the topic that will be useful to your paper. In doing this, you will not be intimidated because you won't feel like you're reading endless academic text.After determining which term paper topics are best suited for your needs, you should do some brainstorming. This is a very important part of the process as it will help you identify the topics that will fit your writing style.Through brainstorming, you will be able to come up with new ideas for topics. Your topic list should not only include those topics that have already been considered before. You can also add some topics that you thought of doing research on but weren't really used for writing.There are a lot of online term paper topics to choose from. Using an online template will make your task easier. You can use one to find your topics, and then you can copy the template for each of your projects.Using this process, you can get your term paper topics from a lot of other papers. You can also make it easier for yourself and increase your chances of getting a better grade on your term paper assignme nts.
Short Article Reveals the Undeniable Facts About 2012 Sat Writing Essay and How It Can Affect You
Short Article Reveals the Undeniable Facts About 2012 Sat Writing Essay and How It Can Affect You Have a veterinarian or knowledgeable friend demonstrate how to find the quick. This post gives a personal experience about how college life is an incredibly beautiful part. The college years are the very best time in somebody's life. All levity aside, it is an important time in any person's life. What to Expect From 2012 Sat Writing Essay? There are a number of essay writing services that think they're the very best, and thus don't be cheated and check the authentic collection of the very best. EssayDog can help you determine the elements of a wonderful story that you can then use to create an outstanding essay. The more formulaic that you make your essay, the simpler it is going to be to pump out a superior essay quickly. When searching for help writing an essay it's important to remain honest and prevent plagiarism. You're analyzing the way the rhetor attempts to persuade her or his audience. You're not, but the audience. Lucky for you, here's a guide to achieve your optimum essay score. Therefore, many students and employees decide to acquire cheap essay rather than writing it themselves. Or numerous facets of the response's analysis are unwarranted depending on the text. Organizing the data in grid form will make it far less difficult for you to find the relative strengths and weaknesses of each selection. You may write your topic and we'll teach you which arguments and examples you may choose and to what you need to pay attention whilst writing essays of a particular type. This juxtaposition demonstrates how confusing and subjective the questions can be, making the reader feel a feeling of injustice. The Debate Over 2012 Sat Writing Essay No longer is it at the start of the test. The test was initially utilised in 1926. BUN tests should be done a specific way. It won't be any diff erent than every other blood test you've received. Rhetoric includes the next three aspects, every one of which I'll discuss below. Nor in case you use simple words. The simple fact your LSAT essay is not going to be scored should take a number of the pressure off, but you certainly don't need to ignore this area of the exam. Utilizing real sample college essays that worked will offer you a good idea about what colleges search for. Transition questions are the most frequent on SAT Writing. There's no composite SAT Essay score (the 3 scores aren't added together) and there aren't any percentiles. In the end, make certain you know the most significant grammar rules for SAT Writing. It will be useful for the SAT. The aim of the SAT is to supply a valid method to compare students. This way you will not ever have to think of a spontaneous example during the SAT again. The Basic Facts of 2012 Sat Writing Essay The Writingscore determines the caliber of the student's writing. It's possible for you to come across online writing workshops that cover every part of writing, for every single skill level. Tutoring is a superb option because it permits you one-on-one time with your instructor, so they can offer you all their attention and become acquainted with your writing. Some people today include two supporting paragraphs and a few individuals include three, so it's really your decision. With talented applicants coming from the top rated high schools along with the pressure to be successful from family and friendshelp with sat essays $divdiv The increasing number of essay writing services is totally overwhelming. If you're a worldwide student worrying about your writing skills, there are various helpful resources which are available to you. In addition, a customer may ask the writer to submit part of the job for review and, if needed, ask her or him to make corrections. 2012 Sat Writing Essay - the Conspiracy Cupcakes and organization questions arrive in different kinds. Our team takes each one of your comments and the assignment requirements, demands, and criteria into consideration when composing your paper. You must be sure that you develop your ideas if you would like to score well. There are a few other matters you should know. Follow these 3 steps to do this.
The Power of Sonnet Essay Examples
The Power of Sonnet Essay ExamplesSonnet examples written using the e-Sonnet software are a must for any sonnet or composition students. They are perfect for a wide range of applications, ranging from reading to grammar to essay writing.Essay samples include all of the usual types of compositions, including Subject/Verb, Dative, Direct Object, and Objective, as well as each of the other types that students encounter in regular assignments. Additionally, the type of writing is very interactive, with the ability to preview the work before proceeding to do it yourself.Sonnet samples can be edited for the specific person writing them and allow you to 'read' it over again to get your point across exactly as you would like. Moreover, the format of the essay samples allows you to make the most of the paper, by using your own preferred style, format, and tone.The reason why this software is so helpful is that it helps you see how the whole process works, including all of the components of th e essay, without learning about grammar. Since the Essay Examples are drawn from the same original source material that you see on your computer screen, they come ready-made, and there is no need to retype the writing for the first time.Sonnet students, regardless of their subject matter, will find that the software is essential to improving their scores. It is always useful to receive feedback on a composition, but with an Essay Sample, it becomes easier. You can revise the essay with your teacher, or with a friend.The best part about the software is that the sample essay uses the same sentence structure as you would use on your paper. Also, it makes it easy to highlight the main idea that you want to emphasize on a particular paragraph. All of this is done automatically, so you can sit back and relax while the software does all of the work for you.If you write your own essays, these writings can also be valuable. They are definitely more complex, but if you consider how much more difficult English writing can be, the flexibility that using software has over the traditional method is immeasurable. In other words, if you write a great essay, then why not send it out to the world and make some money at the same time?Good for students and teachers alike, Sonnet is a high quality, excellent essay examples tool. With this powerful, powerful software, any student can create superior essays using the same sound, simple structure and basic educational language.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Red Bulls Market free essay sample
A Bulls Market the marketing of Red Bull energy drink Red Bull, Austrias biggest export since Arnold Schwarzenegger, has methodically created and dominated the energy drink category much in the way players of the board game Risk would defeat their opponents. Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull International, created the highly caffeinated beverage in 1987. Five years later, the drink spread into neighboring countries like Hungary and Slovenia, followed by Germany and Switzerland. In 1997, Red Bull prepared to storm the U. S. market. Today, the slinky 8-3-OZ can has completed its invasion into nearly every cold box in the United States. (Ohio, Tennessee and the Dakotas are among the few states without it. ) In less than three years, Red Bull singlehandedly established and then lifted the booming energy drink category from a base of $12 million in (wholesale) dollar sales to $42 million in 1998 and $75 million in 1999, per Beverage Marketing Corp. We will write a custom essay sample on Red Bulls Market or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Others soon followed, building energy drinks to a $130 million business. Now Coke (KMX) and Anheuser-Busch (180) are jumping in. Last year, Red Bulls market share stood at 65%, while the company reportedly pulled in a cool $1 billion in worldwide sales. Just how Red Bull managed to accomplish so much, so quickly has become the stuff of mythology Some have written off the product by calling it a flash in the pan or derisively note that its handlers got lucky. A closer investigation of the companys strategy however, reveals that luck had little to do with Red Bulls success. The companys consistent battle plan has been to open up a market by securing unusual distribution. When Red Bull initially set up camp in Santa Monica, Calif. , it piggybacked on established distributors. Typically distributors will deliver a number of brands; a Pepsi house will handle Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Mountain Dew, and may even pick up a non-competing rival like Dr Pepper. Sales reps even greased the wheels by paying for their accounts promotional, advertising and sampling costs for three months. But as the drink caught on, the company began taking a more narrow approach. Now, a Red Bull sales rep will contact a small distributor and insist that he or she sell only Red Bull. Otherwise, Red Bull will set up a warehouse and hire kids to load up the vans and deliver product. These start-up distributors can focus their entire energies on getting Red Bull fully stocked in stores with prominent shelf placement. They generally break even within three months and are profitable within six. They buy direct from Red Bull. Theres enough margin and volume to make it work, said one Northeastern distributor. I wish theyd give it to me, but they have the kids with the vans doing it. Im looking forward to getting Snapples Venom [a new energy drink launching June 15] so I can compete with them. Next, the sales team visits key on-premise accounts: hot clubs and trendy bars. When owners begin buying a few cases, they receive a Red Bull branded cooler and other POP items. Thats when we start doing business officially, said Markus Pichler, evp-strategic planning, Red Bull North America. We go to on-premise accounts [vs. retailers] first, because the product gets a lot of visi bility and attention. It goes faster to deal with individual accounts, not big chains and their authorization process. Plus, on-premise provides fertile ground for new drink trends. In clubs, people are open to new things, said Pichler. The most important thing about [Red Bull] is, its working. If you had a tough week and want to dance, the product works. Perhaps a bit too well. Fueling Red Bulls growth is a mystique created by outlandish rumors about its contents: it is liquid Viagra; its secret ingredient is bulls testicles; someone overdosed from the drink because it has drugs in it. (The company shoots down these and other myths in an FAQ section on RedBull. com. Pichler wouldnt talk about Red Bulls natural fit with the speed crowd that frequents raves, taking designer drugs to stay awake for days at a time. Nor does the company endorse the mixing of Red Bull with vodka, Jagermeister or tequila-a ubiquitous bar call whose roots can be traced to Europe. From a sales perspective, Pichler acknowledged, [the mixability] is a nice side effect. Theres more to the guerrilla strategy than building buzz at clubs. Sales teams will open off-premise accounts at convenience stores near colleges, gyms, health-food stores and supermarkets. The company has divided the U. S. into eight decentralized sales units, each of which is handled on a city-by-city basis. One regional office in New York, for example, services Maryland, New Jersey Pennsylvania and Virginia. The Boston office handles the New England states and upstate New York. Each unit is responsible for creating distribution, making sales calls and developing targeted marketing plans. The mission: to find out where the target demo (men and women age 16-29) hangs out and what interests them. Its their job to get the message out to the right clubs and at the right events. While Red Bull relies heavily on bars and night clubs for its sampling events, alternative sports have also proven to be a successful product-trial arena. The company underwrites a number of extreme sports competitions and sponsors about three dozen alterna-athletes. Events include the Red Bull Huckfest, a ski and snowboard freestyle competition held in January in Snowbird, Utah; and the Red Bull Flugtag (German for flying day),premiering in the U. S. this fall. At the latter event, amateur pilots will create exotic flying machines and attempt to soar off the Santa Monica pier. The brand also employs teams of consumer educators, who roam the streets and dangle free samples. With California as its stronghold, Red Bull made its way into Oregon, Settle, Texas and ski resorts in Colorado. It next moved into the Midwest, targeting urban markets like Chicago and its environs. Soon it showed up on the East Coast in Miami and New York. (The Big Apple had a head start: Europe leaked the beverage into the city) Newer markets include the Carolinas, Virginia and Washington, D. C. In the antithesis of any majors marketing plan, Red Bull buys traditional advertising last. Only when a market is deemed mature does the company begin a media push. The idea is to reinforce, not introduce, the brand. Media is not a tool that we use to establish the market, said vp-marketing David Rohdy. It is a critical part. Its just later in the development. Current ads, titled Red Bull gives you wings, focus around an animated bull character. The initial spot is set in the Renaissance era, where an artist is telling the man who commissioned his painting that he has created the perfect piece of art: Red Bull. Itll give you wings, he said. Indeed, in another ad, an energized bull is shown leaping over a city. The ads have begun airing during late-night TV in New York, and radio programs including The Howard Stern Show. A Santa Monica-based shop, Lunch, handles ads and POP materials for the entire U. S. Red Bull typically creates two new TV spots a year and runs them in mature markets. The brand spent $100 million in the U. S. last year, according to the company Measured media spending was only $18. 9 million last year, up from $9 million in 1999, per Competitive Media Reporting. Red Bulls runaway popularity had given it easy entree into mass merchandisers. It is currently the No. 1 product in Store24, where it is now a bigger seller than beer, milk, water and soda. 7-Eleven is experiencing similar results. We have seen double-digit growth [in the non-carbonated segment]. Red Bull tops the list big time, said Jim Jackson, category manager for non-carbonated beverages at 7-Eleven, Dallas. [Their success is due to] their single-product focus, major advertising dollars and distribution. They create demand before they even get it to retail. The picture may yet change, as Red Bull is now facing more than a dozen imitators, most notably Cokes KMX and A-Bs 180. Knockoffs they may be, but distributors say they have been moving extremely well. Weve done a lot of the dirty work for them, Rohdy said. Pichler was a bit more engaging. Were a fan of competition. Its a positive for us, he said. It validates the energy drink category. Red Bull has already experienced the c opycat phenomenon overseas. The company doesnt appear to be concerned, however, having hit the $1 billion worldwide sales mark. Besides, observers have said the also-rans dont have a prayer. Red Bull seems to have a cooler in every bar in every city. The sales force, thats all they do, said one new age beverage executive. The big guys will not put that much energy into it and will lose interest when they dont make any headway. After conquering the U. S. , the Red Bull army plans to move on. It is currently making headway in Brazil and South Africa, though South America and Africa as a whole remain largely untapped. If history repeats itself, it wont be long before everyone on the planet gets their wings.
Friday, March 6, 2020
Behavioural based safety strategy The WritePass Journal
Behavioural based safety strategy Abstract Behavioural based safety strategy ). The safety management systems currently implemented within organisations generally are centred on policies, procedures, objectives, processes such as risk assessment, hazard identification the use of various safety tools such as JSAââ¬â¢s and the wearing of personal protective equipment, or PPE, and focus on measuring compliance against key targets and objectives. This dissertation examines how Behaviour Based Safety, or BBS, aids in the drive to prevent accidents and boost overall employee development (Lebbon, Sigurdsson and Austin, 2012). Qatar holds the position of second smallest country in the Arabian Peninsula after the island state of Bahrain. Qatarââ¬â¢s population currently stands at 2.04 million of Development Planning and Statistics, 94 per cent of which are foreign nationals (Qsa.gov.qa., 2014). Of this 94 per cent the majority is low-paid migrant workers. This number is expected to rise significantly in the coming years primarily due to the coming 2020 World Cup and the need for an influx of foreign labour for the booming construction requirement associated with it (Qsa.gov.qa., 2014). These migrant workers will primarily work on critical construction projects, drastically increasing the need for an effective safety program to be in place. The country has grown in a record breaking manner in the last ten years, to become the wo rldââ¬â¢s highest per capita GDP National (Fromherz, 2013). This achievement is primarily based on the vast resources of oil and gas discovered in the country. As a consequence of this discovery, construction of mega production plants has been the main focus of development in the country. This level of construction indicates an influx of safety challenges requiring an up to date and efficient method of implementation. These projects have historically required vast numbers of multi-cultural and diverse workforces, coming from different parts of the world (Orr, 2008). This being the case there are many challenges and great difficulties in bringing about a consciousness of safe work practices and in instilling a positive safety culture (Fromherz, 2013). The recognition of the need for workplace safety publicly materialized in the work of Mr Heinrich, an Assistant Superintendent of the Engineering and Inspection Division of Travellers Insurance Company during the 1930ââ¬â¢s and 1940ââ¬â¢s (Heinrich, 1959). His position required an investigation into the high and rising rate of supervisor accident reports during the period .This report revolutionized the working world by concluding that 88% of industrial accidents were primarily caused by unsafe, possibly preventable acts (Heinrich, 1959). This transformative moment in safety strategy motivated an entire industry to introduce reform (Fogarty and Shaw, 2010). Prior to these period witnessed steadily decreasing standards of working conditions that led to the need to reform the system. Heinrich (1959) subsequently published his first book in 1931; Industrial Accident Prevention: A Scientific Approach, laying out a more systematic approach to the study of accident data. This indicat ion of a willingness to embrace change was tempered by the overwhelming capacity that big business interests had to keep costs low, creating a volatile safety environment. The modern era has maintained that safety is significant concern for companies, often requiring a considerable fraction of their overall revenue stream (Fromherz, 2013). This drive to increase performance and reduce injury has resulted in many companies showing excellent improvement in the area of safety performance, thereby reducing cost and increasing productivity. The rationale for this research rests on assessing the potential for improvement of HSE performance in the Oil and Gas sector, specifically in the Middle East; through a means of behavioural based safety. The intention of the study is to establish the appropriateness of this hypothesis, whether as a process to be used as a standalone mechanism, or additionally, for the augmentation of an existing HSE management system. Behaviour based safety concept, or BBS, has beenà considered in industry worldwide for around a decade as a means to achieve a positive safety culture and an improved organizational safety performance (M ohr, 2011). An organisations culture can be as influential in achieving good safety results as a safety management system. The positive or negative safety culture of an organisation is directly linked to human factors and the positive behaviour of its workforce (Mohr, 2011). According to Books (1999), the largest influences on safety culture are; 1) the style and management commitment; 2) the involvement of employees; 3)training and competence; 4)ability to communicate at all levels; 5) compliance with procedures; and 6)organisational learning. The current research has affiliation with an earlier study conducted as part of the Post Graduate Diploma award (Turner, 2013). The subject of the previous research was ââ¬Å"Safety Culture or Climate: An Appraisal of Perceptions and Scaleâ⬠. This research sought to measure the health and safety, culture and climate of the researcherââ¬â¢s employer organisation. In this case the researcher determined that there was evidence of a positive safety culture within the XXXX Group of companies. However, this research also illustrated that this positive safety culture has not entirely achieved the expected and desired outcome of zero harm to people. All these factors in themselves do not prevent injuries from continuing to occur within the organisation. The previous study and current research focuses on the Middle East region. In particular to the varying needs and challenges faced by operations based in the region; specifically those that require the engagement of personnel from a vast array of differing backgrounds and cultures and how the principles of behavioural based safety may effectively be used to influence this specific workgroup. To facilitate understanding, it is also important to outline the distinctiveness of the location, (Qatar), the demographics of the workgroup, and the difficulties and challenges related to the management of such a work group within a safe work environment. Based on the above reasoning this affords the researcher the ideal incentive to both address the topic as an area of research for the required dissertation element in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Postgraduate MSc Degree in Health, Safety Risk Management and to make recommendations that will enable XXXX Group to continue its safety culture development journey; that is, towards a more safety aware, proactive and empowered workforce; ultimately leading to an overall improvement in the safety performance results attained 1.2 Aims Objectives This dissertation research focuses on the potential for improvement of HSE performance in the Oil and Gas sector, specifically in the Middle East; through a means of behavioural based safety. It is evident from recent research that traditional methods of safety management, such as safety management systems and risk assessments, do not wholly protect employees from incidents and injuries, as such organisations are looking for an alternative approach to improve performance and eradicate injury from the workplace, therefore the aim of this project is The following aim has been developed in order to meet this goal of this research: Critically evaluate existing research into behavioural based health and safety strategies, programmes and model with a view to identify a best practice model for future implementation. Objectives: The objectives of the research are as follows: 1) To critically analyse available literature and research studies pertaining to behavioural based health and safety. 2) To ascertain employee perceptions. 3) To identify best practices and success rates of behavioural based safety programmes. 4) To evaluate performance improvement. 5) Determine an appropriate behavioural approach for Labour safety in Qatar. 1.3 Research Questions In order to fully develop this dissertation the following questions will be considered by this research: 1) What is behavioural based safety and how does it impact Qatar? 2) Which elements of the behavioural based safety process are suited for Qatar? 3) What is the best method of behavioural based safety implementation for Qatar? 4) How to assess behavioural based safety effectiveness in the workplace? 1.4 Scope of this research This research examines safety perception and behavioural application from 2000 until 2014 in order to ascertain the best possible elements for future implementation. With a national focus on Qatar this research incorporates studies conducted in similar environments and conditions internationally in order to gain insight for these research objectives. 1.5 Structure of the Dissertation This dissertation will consist of an Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology and Analysis, followed by Discussion/Conclusion. 2 Literature review 2.1 Overview ââ¬Å"BBS is about everyoneââ¬â¢s behaviour, not just the frontlineâ⬠(Agnew Ashworth, 2012:1). 3 Methodology / Analysis 4 Discussion/Conclusion 5 References Agnew, J. 2012. Behaviour based Safety.à Performance management magazine, 1 (1), p. 1. Books, H. 2009. Reducing error and influencing behaviour. New York, NY. Fogarty, G. J. and Shaw, A. 2010. Safety climate and the Theory of Planned Behaviour: Towards the prediction of unsafe behaviour.à Accident Analysis \ Prevention, 42 (5), pp. 14551459. Fromherz, A. J. 2013. Qatar: Politics and the Challenges of Development by Matthew Gray (review).à The Middle East Journal, 67 (4), pp. 649651. Greene-Roesel, R., Washington, S., Weir, M., Bhatia, R., Hague, M., Wimple, B. 2013. Benefit cost analysis applied to behavioural and engineering safety countermeasures in San Francisco, California. Heinrich, H. W. 1959.à Industrial accident prevention. New York: McGraw-Hill. Santos-Reyes, J. and Beard, A. N. 2002. Assessing safety management systems.à Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 15 (2), pp. 7795. Lebbon, A., Sigurdsson, S. O. and Austin, J. 2012. Behavioural Safety in the Food Services Industry: Challenges and Outcomes.à Journal of Organizational Behaviour Management, 32 (1), pp. 4457. Mehta, RK.à Agnew, MJ. 2013. Exertion-dependent effects of physical and mental workload on physiological outcomes and task performance.à The IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors,à 1(1), 3-5. Mohr, D. P. 2011.à Fostering sustainable behaviour. Gabriola, B.C.: New Society Publishers. Orr, T. 2008.à Qatar. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. Qsa.gov.qa. 2014.à . Welcome to Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics-Statistics sector website :.. [online] Available at: qsa.gov.qa/eng/index.htm [Accessed: 27 Mar 2014].
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Why was it so hard for the ancient jews to be pure monotheists Essay
Why was it so hard for the ancient jews to be pure monotheists - Essay Example Abraham is the ancestor of Jews, Christians and Muslims; it is therefore these three religions are called as Abrahamic religions. All the three Abrahamic religions strongly believe(d) in the oneness of God. Actually, it is the basic teachings of the above mentioned religions to adopt monotheism i.e. worship one and the only God. Monotheism simply means belief in the unity of Almighty God, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Fashioner, the Omnipotent, the Lord of the Empyrean. The source of spiritual guidance and inspiration i.e. the divine scriptures reached to man through the prophets of God. And these Holy Scriptures including Torah, Bible and Quran clearly reveal that the Jews were instructed to worship only one God according to the sacred Covenant. ââ¬Å"The essence of the Hebrew religion (i.e. Judaism)â⬠, Alan (1993) states, ââ¬Å"was that the Lord had made a covenant with the chosen people, the children of Israel.â⬠And the first term of the covenant was worshipping of the one God (Yahweh). The Torah declares one God as the Creator of the world. In its words: ââ¬Å"In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earthâ⬠. (Genesis: 1:1). The Quran affirms the covenant between the Lord and the Israelites stating the significance of monotheism in these words: ââ¬Å"O Children of Israel! Remember My favor wherewith I favored you, and fulfill your (part of the) covenant, I shall fulfill My (part of the) covenant, and fear Me (only ).â⬠(Al-Quran, 2: 40). Here, fear strongly signifies submission and worshipping. Further, Quran states regarding monotheism among early Judaism in these words: ââ¬Å"And (remember) when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none save Allah (only), and be good to parents and to kindred and to orphans and the needy, and speak kindly to mankind; and establish worship and pay the poor-due. Then, after that, ye slid back, save a few of you, being averse.â⬠(2: 83). It
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
What music means to me. Rock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
What music means to me. Rock - Essay Example 27). I believe this is a thoroughly accurate and insightful comment about the role that music plays in the human experience. If we look around to the different periods and different cultures of the world throughout humankindââ¬â¢s history, we see music as one of the few timeless facts of existence. Music is touching, as Mr. Joel says, because it expresses the inexpressible. In other words, it allows us to connect to concepts, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and the knowledge of other people, just by the simple act of listening. Going from the beginning of my life to the present moment, I can think quite clearly of the defining soundtrack to that progression of events. Starting in the mid- to late-1970s, which was during my childhood years, I can recall bits and pieces of my favorite music. I know that classics like ââ¬Å"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeerâ⬠and other Christmas songs were still very much popular. More generally, however, I remember Schoolhouse Rock! very vividly be ing a big hit at my school and with my parents. Schoolhouse Rock! was a television program that had a number of hit musical recordings for children. I think that the social aspect of Schoolhouse Rock! helps me remember so much about it, partly because it was so incredibly popular with kids my age. I preferred ââ¬Å"Science Rockâ⬠the most, probably because it reflected my young interest in the sciences, particularly space and physics. It would make me feel happy about my love of learning as a young kid in physics class. Also from my childhood, I remember loving Mister Rogers Neighborhood and the songs he would sing to his television audience. His voice is iconic of my time as a young child growing up in front of the television. In my adolescence, between 1984 and 1991, my taste in music started to be influenced by my family and friends. In 1984, at 11, Stevie Wonder was my favorite performer. His song ââ¬Å"I Just Called to Say I Love Youâ⬠struck me for Stevieââ¬â¢s great singing ability and skill as an instrumentalist and lyricist. At about 13, I began to like the music that my friends liked. In 1987, I remember Guns Nââ¬â¢ Rosesââ¬â¢ ââ¬Å"Welcome to the Jungleâ⬠being extremely popular, along with U2ââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"With or Without Youâ⬠. Listening to this music helped me feel connected with others, just like the childrenââ¬â¢s music of the 1970s had the decade before. Nevertheless, this new style of rock music that was emerging did give me an element of rebelliousness that pop music from singers like Whitney Houston and Rick Astley lacked. Accordingly, I tended to like the heavier rock more. My taste for heavy rock continued in that direction for much of the remainder of the 1980s. I bought tape cassettes from Quiet Riot, Def Leppard, and Whitesnake, all of whom really represented the youth of that time. In line with Billy Joelââ¬â¢s insight, I think the music I listened to helped give me a point of contact with other young people at that time. Moving away from the 1980s and toward today, I no longer associate hard rock or metal with comfort. Rather, I find comfort in contemporary R&B music. ââ¬Å"R&Bâ⬠stands for ââ¬Å"rhythm and bluesâ⬠, and refers to music that combines elements of hip-hop, soul, and funk (George, 2003, p. 23). Contemporary R&B is polished with saxophone sounds, drum machine rhythms, and talented vocalists. In terms of finding comfort in music, I usually turn to voices like Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and Jamie Foxx, who all represent that genre of music. When I am feeling disappointment or stress, this music helps me put my problems into perspective. Because much R&B music deals with grander problems, it helps me realize that some of the challenges I face do not compare in size and scope with those being sung about in R&B music.
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