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“Bobby McFerrin – Don’t Worry Be Happy”
Week 4 Discussion
“Bobby McFerrin – Don’t Worry Be Happy”
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The song “Don’t Worry Be Happy” was written in 1988 by a renowned American artist Bobby McFerrin. At the time, he was only 38 years old. The song is intended for when one is going through many pressure or problems; this song calms down the listener and motivates to smile. The artist’s intention to calm the listener is clear from the beginning wherein the first verse he sings, “Here’s a little song I wrote. You might want to sing it note for note. Don’t Worry, Be Happy. In every life, we have some trouble. But when you worry, you make it double” (Bobby Mc Ferrin, n.d.). After listening to this song, the overall feeling and mood are expected to be more peaceful and less problematic. He also encourages one to mind people around so as not to spread the low mood,” ‘Cause when you worry your face will frown. And that will bring everybody down. So don’t worry, be happy” (Genius, n.d.). The song went ahead to win the coveted Grammy Awards for “Best Song of The Year,” 1988, while the album to which the song belongs won Album of the Year (Harrington, 1989).
References
Bobby Mc Ferrin (a). (n.d.). http://bobbymcferrin.com/dont-worry-be-bobby/Genius. (n.d.). Don’t Worry, be Happy. https://genius.com/Bobby-mcferrin-dont-worry-be-happy-lyricsHarrington, R. (1989, February 23). McFerrin Wins 4 Grammys. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1989/02/23/mcferrin-wins-4-grammys/83ffc3cb-48c4-4cfe-9e8c-3bb7d65c6e4f/
How I endured a rape
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Rape
At one time in a human’s life, one can undergo a very traumatizing experience that can end up having an irreversible effect on the person. The traumatizing experience can be as result of the death of a very close friend or relative. Seeing a horrible accident scene, or surviving a ghastly accident but ending up losing a limb in the process. Many people undergo traumatizing experiences in their line of duty almost on a daily basis. Doctors at times watch some of their patients die right in front of them. Although these cases are traumatizing, they are used to them because they have been trained to handle such situations. As a young girl, I endured a rape ordeal that marked the turning point in my life. My painful experience and the appreciation that people have a lot going on in their lives inspired me to join and enjoy volunteering work.
In the early 1980s, a fierce famine was experienced in Ethiopia. Thousands of people were dying because of the lack of food. A journalist managed to take of a photo of a child being trailed by a vulture waiting for the child to drop dead so that it could feast on him. The photo motivated the whole world to give whatever they could to help the people in Ethiopia, Unfortunately, the journalist who took the photo later committed suicide owing to the psychological torment he endured in Africa. This is incident is a good illustration of my drive to volunteering work.
There is nothing more traumatizing for a woman or a little girl than being raped. Most women never recover from such an experience, but are haunted them for the rest of their lives. When I was 16 years old, I was raped! For a girl of that age, it had both emotional and physical effects. Instead of running to my parents, I chose to handle the experience alone. The reason why I did that was to beat the notion that whoever raped satisfied his ego by destroying my spirit. I was stronger than he thought! For four years, I kept the issue to myself and made a resolve to make the best of the situation, instead of feeling sorry for myself.
Men who rape women want the woman to feel inferior or awful. I decided not to stoop that low and made a resolution to become a much stronger, industrious and compassionate person. Instead of waiting to be helped I set out to help others who are in desperate need of rescue. The experience helped me realize that some people undergo much traumatizing situations than mine, but they still pick up the pieces and move on.
With each passing year, I become a stronger and better person. I realized that no matter how hard I cried, the situation would not change. I saw it fit not to let the experience drag me behind and that is when I chose to volunteer at a hospital to help others go through their experiences in the best way possible. I was able to focus on the goals that I had set in life and made a personal promise achieve them no matter what challenges may arise. Eventually, after four long years, I managed to tell people about my rape ordeal, not that I wanted people to feel sorry for me but to learn from my experience.
Conclusion
An experience can make a person either miserable or stronger; however, the most important thing is how one reacts to the situation or the experience. I chose not to let the experience of being raped hinder me from achieving the goals that I had set in life. I knew that if one resolves to make the best out of a situation, it can be done. On the contrary, people decide to feel miserable, the experiences will affect them for the rest of their lives.
How I became a ballerina
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How I became a ballerina
I used to watch it in movies, cartoons and wondered if it were real and whether one day I could be able to practice and become a ballerina. A ballerina is a person that trains in dancing on the art of classical ballet. My mum told me I was dancing in her womb any time would hear music. When I became 2years I would dance around the house and when she would put aerobics discs on the television, I would watch her and do the moves with her. She saw it being odd that I could pick up a choreography. I went to Chisholm Trail Elementary School that encouraged children on working on their talents. This was the only school that was putting on a school wide production to emphasize diversity. I trained in school only on club days and got more interested to do ballet at my free time at home.
By the time I attained 10 years I had already enrolled to ballet class which happened on a daily basis including the weekends. I practiced ballet, jazz and modern dance. I also trained at school to complement my ballet training. I knew I wanted to be a ballerina from as early as I can remember. It has been pretty cool to have the same drive and passion for all this years. Being a ballerina did not choose one‘s gender but one had a hierarchy and strict gender roles. It required great extensive training and appropriate techniques to become a professional ballerina.
When I was 10, my coach, Vanessa Pidel realized I had a passion to become a dancer. She was the organizer of the Ballet Royale Institute of Chicago. She was so impressed and she asked me if I wanted to become a professional ballerina. I nod my head though I knew I would only do this as a part time task. She took charge of training me since I was 11 until I became a professional dancer at age 15. My dream to become a ballerina has been characterized by hard work and never-ending desire to prosper in ballet dancing. I would not have achieved what I am today without my role model Johnny Pidel and adequate practice. Through training and continued efforts of practicing, I have enhanced my balance as well as continuing with my academics.
My parents have always wanted me to perform academically and become a great person in life. I went to a national high school, and I was always dedicated to my academics. In our home every one puts education as the first priority before any other career. Hence, there was no excuse for evading school, even with a busy schedule. My mother is a lecturer at Howard University and my dad holds a PhD in Doctorate.
I would get up early to practice work outs in the morning on my own then go to school from 7:00 a.m. until 2 p.m. From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. I would train in private lessons. I never had social life since all holiday breaks I spent on training, however I loved my dream and never felt like I missed out on anything. I made friends who were dancers too and we encouraged each other’s as we flirted to one another on having great skill.
I started attending competitions programs and I remember I spent all my summers in New York City attending to dancing competition programs. I joined a national youth club called MYSA in Chicago which went all around the world helping and encouraging young people to join productive associations. The youths need to engage in positive programs to prevent them from having pressure on drugs intake and other destructions. I took the SATs, but I was hoping to get a contract for youth’s empowerment. I would train small children how to become ballerinas and help them on their balance. As a ballerina, one has to start when he/she is very young. By the time one is 21years, she should be well on the way to one’s career.
During my last year in high school, my private teachers invited me to New York City in order to take a class with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Instead of being in a formal audition, ballet companies prefer to hold open classes that people tend to take when invited. This helps the person performing to be noticed. Hence the teachers would invite me and I would do my best in the performance. One day they invited me day for class and the founder Arthur Mitchell was present. He is one of the biggest dancing icons, so I was thrilled just imagining am in the same room with him. After classes, he took me aside and corrected me and invited me in the junior company. He said, “Hey you are pretty cool in your moves, could you come and perform in our summer academy, in case they like your performance they will pick you up”. I got my first trophy for being the best ballerina from my county.
All I wanted is to start working as a ballerina trainer since I had trained almost all my life. Hence I wasn’t so interested but I said its okay. After some weeks I had attended Dance Theatre of Harlem and surprising enough Mr. Arthur was a master class teacher here. He saw me and we had a chat. He asked for my contact and he left. The next day he called me and offered me a position in the company like an apprentice which was an entry level job for a professional dancer.
I was only 16 and this was the beginning of my senior year of high school. I moved to New York City for the job as well as finished my classes through correspondence with the Professional Children’s School. My uncle lived there, so I had a family there, which made it easier for me transit. I lived with my uncle and cousins for three months, then moved-in into a housing facility near Columbia University offered by the college. When I was 17 I moved in with a roommate into an apartment. Being an apprentice dancer, it was the most bottom offer and most people see it as a peanut paying job. Despite all that I promised myself to do my best to honor and perform my job. This was a very fortunate time for work when there were new upcoming choreographers in Dance Theatre of Harlem.
This was magic to me since I had a chance to be noticed. Whenever a choreographer likes you, they would take you regardless of your ranking in your company. I worked as an apprentice for 6months and got promoted as a core member. This brought up more opportunities for bigger positions and I got more money. I changed all my academic classes to be part time so as to work since the hours were contradicting. For a dancer’s the work schedule is a little different, I would start my day. For a two-hour company class at 10 a.m., this focused on conditioning, technique and strength. I would arrive by 9 a.m. to do stretches, yoga, study videos, and do physical therapy. Then I would attend rehearsals from afternoon till 6p.m and finally I would attend my academic classes from 7p.m to 9p.m.
The physicality of the job together with travel and injuries is hard to endure at times. I’ve had a lot of injuries through my career. I find it a blessing and a curse. I have a very flexible body, which is wonderful for dance, but it makes my body more unstable and susceptible to injury. i had one foot surgery at one point made me differ my classes and job for a year. I had swelling in my foot from time to time, however this does not kill my passion to work as a ballerina. I was 18years after being recognized within the dance world. I got amazing reviews in New York Times, and people recognized me all around.
Coming to my academics, I love to read and I know am a decent writer. In school I had an internship in the marketing department. I started branding and advertising, and got a sponsorship and philanthropic giving. Most of the firms that I worked with gave a lot to arts organizations and arts education. They sponsored me to all my remaining academic sessions. In 2012 I prolonged a full-time offer upon graduation, and I accepted it.
I’m now doing this course and I have learned to truly convey an interest in learning and teaching ballerina to my classmates. I would wish to help my classmates discover their talents and those who don’t have some teach them ballerina. It has been 3years since I went ballerina classes but I still love dancing. I attend dancing clubs during my free time. I still have my ballerina skills on, though currently I have put all my efforts on education. When you really love something, it stays in your heart as ballerina will always be.