John Sousa Essays - John Philip Sousa, Music Of Washington, D.C.

John Sousa Artists do not create in a vacuum. They reflect their times or at the very least are affected by the lives they lead which are also influenced by the public sphere. The term for this reflection is "Zeitgeist." It literally means"spirit of the times." John Philip Sousa and his works can be classified under this term of "Zeitgeist." Most of Sousa's music was composed during a period known as the gilded age. This period is known for its gross materialism and blatant political corruption in the United States. However, Sousa's music does not seem to reflect this corruption, but rather it reflects a way to deal with the corruption and mishaps of the times. John Philip Sousa, also known as the "March King," was born on November 6,1854, in Washington D.C., near the marine barracks where his father, Antonio, was a musician in the marine band. He received his grammar school education in Washington and for several of his school years enrolled in a private conservatory of music operated by John Esputa, Jr. . There he studied piano and most of the orchestral instruments, but his main passion was the violin. He became very good at the violin, and at age 13 he was almost persuaded to join a circus band . As a young boy, the martial music of army bands in the streets of Washington during and immediately following the Civil War had a profound effect on him. When he was not yet fourteen he enlisted in the Marine Corps and succeeded in becoming a member of the marine band . This is where he picked up a liking for marches. After being discharged from the Marine Corps, Sousa toured with several traveling theater orchestras and in 1876 moved to Philadelphia. There he worked as an arranger, composer, and proofreader for publishing houses . While on tour with an opera company in St. Louis, he received a telegram offering him leadership of the Marine Band in Washington. He accepted and reported for duty on October 1, 1880, becoming the band's 17th leader . The marine band was Sousa's first experience conducting a military band, and he approached it unlike most of his predecessors. Rehearsals became exceptionally strict, and he shaped his musicians into the country's premiere band . The military was important to Sousa's music style. His main musical compositions were marches, which were the most widely used form of music in the military. His first two marches that he wrote as leader of the band, "The Gladiator" and "Semper Fidelis," were received with great acclaim in military band circles and from that time on he received ever-increasing attention and respect as a composer . Both of these marches were high-spirited and uplifting, just the thing to raise moral among the troops as well as promote nationalism within the states. In 1889, Sousa wrote a march called "The Washington Post" march, which was soon adapted and identified with the new dance called the two-step. Right after this march was written, a British band journalist remarked that since Johann Strauss, Jr. was called "The Waltz King," that American bandmaster Sousa should be called the "March King." With this Sousa's regal title was coined and has remained ever since . Sousa lived most of his life during a time known as the gilded age, named after the famous book by Mark Twain. The gilded age was a time of gross material interest among the American people and blatant corruption among the politicians . Within congress the Senate generally overshadowed the House of Representatives. Some critics even called the Senate a "rich man's club." The House was one of the most disorderly and inefficient legislative bodies in the world. As a result of the civil war, the division between the Democrats and the Republicans was even more sectional than ever . In this case it is very hard to find the "Zeitgeist" in Sousa's compositions of this time. In fact they even seem to contradict the spirit of that era. All of the marches that Sousa wrote during the gilded age were extremely upbeat and energetic, while the time was corrupt and backhanded. This is because Sousa was responding to the negative messages being sent out by the political society by helping Americans realize how great their nation is. All of his musical pieces expressed a certain proud nationalism that helped the people cope with the harsh times. Sousa's most famous march, "The Stars and Stripes Forever," was written, in 1896, by Sousa on a boat ride

Free Essays on Being Afraid

Have you ever been afraid? Does a thunder and lightning storm make your heart beat fast? Maybe your mouth goes dry when your teacher announces a pop quiz, or your palms sweat when it's your turn to give your book report in front of the class. Perhaps you get butterflies in your tummy when you see that cute someone. I am afraid of being alone in a large, dark house with multiple levels because you will never know who is around the corner. You will never know who is hiding in a closet and you will never know who is on the opposite side of the house. And you may never know. My whole life I have been surrounded with numerous family members constantly in and out of the house. There was always so much going on that I never really had the time to be afraid of my own house. After much thought, when I was 11 years old, my parents decided that we needed a bigger house. They put forth the effort to build a gigantic house that is now too big for the amount of people that live there. Never did I experience the fear that I have of being afraid in a large house until I was much older. This is interesting isn’t it? Most people would assume that the prime time for being afraid is when you are of a younger age. But then again we all are afraid from time to time. That’s true no matter how big we are or brave we can be. I suddenly became some sort of an only child at the age of 13. My siblings moved out and off to college which left me home alone to experience my biggest fear. It wasn’t until my freshman year when I realized that I was afraid of my very own house. Have you ever wondered why being scared causes your heart to beat faster and breaths to become quicker? It all began one fall evening when I caught a ride home from volleyball with a friend because my mother was in the library for mutual that evening. It was starting to get darker earlier and a little bit colder outside. As I entered my home my hands were full of bags. I could... Free Essays on Being Afraid Free Essays on Being Afraid Have you ever been afraid? Does a thunder and lightning storm make your heart beat fast? Maybe your mouth goes dry when your teacher announces a pop quiz, or your palms sweat when it's your turn to give your book report in front of the class. Perhaps you get butterflies in your tummy when you see that cute someone. I am afraid of being alone in a large, dark house with multiple levels because you will never know who is around the corner. You will never know who is hiding in a closet and you will never know who is on the opposite side of the house. And you may never know. My whole life I have been surrounded with numerous family members constantly in and out of the house. There was always so much going on that I never really had the time to be afraid of my own house. After much thought, when I was 11 years old, my parents decided that we needed a bigger house. They put forth the effort to build a gigantic house that is now too big for the amount of people that live there. Never did I experience the fear that I have of being afraid in a large house until I was much older. This is interesting isn’t it? Most people would assume that the prime time for being afraid is when you are of a younger age. But then again we all are afraid from time to time. That’s true no matter how big we are or brave we can be. I suddenly became some sort of an only child at the age of 13. My siblings moved out and off to college which left me home alone to experience my biggest fear. It wasn’t until my freshman year when I realized that I was afraid of my very own house. Have you ever wondered why being scared causes your heart to beat faster and breaths to become quicker? It all began one fall evening when I caught a ride home from volleyball with a friend because my mother was in the library for mutual that evening. It was starting to get darker earlier and a little bit colder outside. As I entered my home my hands were full of bags. I could...

Julius Caesar and the Battle of Munda

Julius Caesar and the Battle of Munda Date Conflict: The Battle of Munda was part of Julius Caesars Civil War (49 BC-45 BC) and took place on March 17, 45 BC. Armies Commanders: Populares Gaius Julius CaesarMarcus Agrippa40,000 men Optimates Titus LabienusPublius Attius VarusGnaeus Pompeius70,000 men Battle of Munda - Background: In the wake of their defeats at Pharsalus (48 BC) and Thapsus (46 BC), the Optimates and supporters of the late Pompey the Great were contained in Hispania (modern Spain) by Julius Caesar. In Hispania, Gnaeus and Sextus Pompeius, Pompeys sons, worked with General Titus Labienus to raise a new army. Moving quickly, they subjugated much of Hispania Ulterior and the colonies of Italica and Corduba. Outnumbered, Caesars generals in the region, Quintus Fabius Maximus and Quintus Pedius, elected to avoid battle and requested assistance from Rome. Battle of Munda - Caesar Moves: Answering their call, Caesar marched west with several legions, including the veteran X Equestris and V Alaudae. Arriving in early December, Caesar was able to surprise local Optimate forces and quickly relieved Ulipia. Pressing on to Corduba, he found that that he was not able to take the city which was guarded by troops under Sextus Pompeius. Though he outnumbered Caesar, Gnaeus was advised by Labienus to avoid a major battle and instead compelled Caesar to embark upon a winter campaign. Gnaeus attitude began to change following the loss of Ategua. The capture of the city by Caesar badly shook the confidence of Gnaeus native troops and some began to defect. Unable to continue delaying battle, Gnaeus and Labienus formed their army of thirteen legions and 6,000 cavalry on a gentle hill approximately four miles from the town of Munda on March 17. Arriving on the field with eight legions and 8,000 cavalry, Caesar unsuccessfully attempted to trick the Optimates into moving off the hill. Having failed, Caesar ordered his men forward in a frontal assault. Clashing, the two armies battled for several hours without an advantage being gained. Battle of Munda - Caesar Triumphs: Moving to the right wing, Caesar personally took command of X Legion and drove it forward. In heavy fighting, it began to push back the enemy. Seeing this, Gnaeus moved a legion from his own right to reinforce his failing left. This weakening of the Optimate right allowed Caesars cavalry to gain a decisive advantage. Storming forward, they were able to drive back Gnaeus men. With Gnaeus line under extreme pressure, one of Caesars allies, King Bogud of Mauritania, moved around the enemys rear with cavalry to attack the Optimate camp. In an effort to block this, Labienus led the Optimate cavalry back towards their camp. This maneuver was misinterpreted by Gnaeus legions who believed that Labienus men were retreating. Beginning their own retreat, the legions soon crumbled and were routed by Caesars men. Battle of Munda - Aftermath: The Optimate army effectively ceased to exist after the battle and all thirteen standards of Gnaeus legions were taken by Caesars men. Casualties for the Optimate army are estimated at around 30,000 as opposed to only 1,000 for Caesar. Following the battle, Caesars commanders reclaimed all of Hispania and no further military challenges were mounted by the Optimates. Returning to Rome, Caesar became dictator for life until his murder the following year. Selected Sources UNRV: Battle of MundaBBC: Julius Caesar

A literature review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A literature review - Research Paper Example In this essay, the implications of the theory with respect to person, health, nursing and environment will be discussed through review of a peer review article "A comparative analysis of Orem's self-care model and Peplau's interpersonal theory". As a nursing theorist and educator, Dorothea's first book came out in the year 1959 as a government publication and it was called "Guides for Developing Curricula for the Education of Practical Nurses." Dorothea then went on to receive a Doctorate on her theory from the Georgetown University. The book, "Nursing Concepts of Practice" was published in the year 1971 (Comley, 1994). From then on, series of the theory were being published, the last edition being in 1999. The Orem's self-care model of Nursing incorporates 3 subtheories: self-care deficit, self-care and nursing systems (Comley, 1994). According to the self-care deficit subtheory, "individuals may experience self-care limitations related to their health state and may benefit from nur sing provision of this care or augmentation of their own self-care efforts" (Comley, 1994) The theory considers care of one-self and that of dependents as a type of learned behavior which causes regulation of the structural integrity, development and functioning of the humans. The nursing system ensues at that point of time when the nurse intervenes with the patient either to prescribe medication or to provide care that is intended to take care of self-care deficit and regulate his or her own capabilities of self-care (Orem, 1985; cited in Comley, 1994). Dorothea Orem considered all human beings as basically biopsychosocial beings with capabilities and willingness to take care of themselves and also be dependent on others. It is through these capabilities that human beings live and maintain health. The ultimate aim of these capabilities is to meet 3 groups of needs, which are known as 'self-care requisites' and they are universal, developmental and health deviation (Orem, 1985; cite d in Comley, 1994 ). The requisites of universal self-care mainly address needs which are necessary for physiological and functional aspects of a human being and include maintenance of food, shelter, air, water, rest, solitude, activity, rest, interaction in a social perspective, prevention of hazards and facilitate various functions of the human being (Comley, 1994 ). On the other hands requisites pertaining to developmental aspects are those which are essential to sustain through the life cycle of human beings and include environmental and other conditions which facilitate growth and development. The last requisite, the health deviation self care needs mainly addresses the rise in demands which ensue following experience of illness or disease (Orem, 1985, cited in Comley,

Nick DB 2 His Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nick DB 2 His - Assignment Example One of the schools is Pythagoreanism which offered a solution to overcoming basic problems in mathematics, Sophism relates to a form of philosophy that was devoted to the teaching of the nobility and the key statesmen. The Platonism school of thought came up with the theory of forms that offered explanations transcendent and archetypes. The Stoicism school of thought which was developed by Zeno of Citium offered an explanation on the goal of life as being in line with nature. This school of thought has been applied in a number of circumstances as it advocates for the development of self-control as a means of overcoming destructive emotions that arises due to life challenges. The earlier Greeks majored on the philosophy as it offered a means through which people could steady themselves during the Hellenistic period. The period saw the emergence new group of philosophers who had different approaches from Plato and Aristotle. The philosophies that were developed at the time were easily learned and portable so that they could assist people with the fortunes and misfortunes that marked their everyday

Shakespeares Othello - The Character of Iago :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Character of Iago in Othello  Ã‚      One of the most intriguing characters in the tragic play "Othello," by William Shakespeare, is Othello's "friend" Iago. At first glance, Iago seems to have no motive for the destruction he is causing. However, despite Iago's unquestionable malignancy, the motivation behind his actions lie more in Iago's quest for personal gain, as opposed to just being evil for evil's sake. In order to achieve his personal gain Iago manipulates Rodrigo, Cassio and, most importantly, Othello. Iago's main interest is the destruction of Othello. The reason being that Othello has chosen another man, Cassio, as his second-in-command, preferring him to Iago. This resentment, accompanied by Iago's fabricated accusations of adultery and his blatant racism, cause Iago to despise Othello, and shortly thereafter, begin to conspire against him. Instead of just killing Othello, Iago proceeds to attack him emotionally. Iago begins to manipulate the people around him in order to hurt Othello and make him think that his wife, Desdimona, and Cassio are having an affair. The first to fall victim to Iago's manipulation, is Rodrigo. Iago knows Rodrigo has feelings Desdemona, and would do anything to make her his own. Iago tells Rodrigo that the only way to win Desdemona's love, is to make money to procure gifts for her. "...put money in thy purse.." (Act 1, Scene 3, Line 339). However, Iago is just taking those gifts intended for Desdemona and keeping them for himself, and in doing so, making a substantial profit. "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse" (Act 1, Scene 3, Line 376). Rodrigo eventually starts to question Iago's honesty. When faced with this accusation, Iago simply offers that killing Cassio will aid his cause and the gullible Rodrigo falls for it. "I have no great devotion to the deed and yet he has given me satisfying reason," (Act 5, Scene 1, Line 8). In doing this, Iago keeps Rodrigo in the dark and continues to profit from him monetarily. Cassio, like Rodrigo, follows Iago blindly, thinking the whole time that Iago is trying to aid him , when in-fact, Iago, motivated by his lust for power, is attempting to depose Cassio of his position as lieutenant. Iago does this by getting Cassio drunk and causing him to get in a fight and disturb Othello, Othello then demotes Cassio of his rank as second-in-command thus securing the position for Iago.

Gender Roles and relationships within families Essay

Gender Roles and relationships within families. Different sociologists have had different views to whether conjugal roles have become equal. Researchers have measured different aspects of equality in conjugal roles. Some have focused on the division of labour in the home. They have examined the allocation of responsibility for housework between husband and wife and the amount of time spent by spouses on particular tasks. Others have tried to measure the distribution of power within marriage. Willmott and Young, and Gillian Dunne are amongst those who have argued that conjugal roles are equal. However many sociologists such as Ann Oakley, have carried out research into the area of conjugal roles and have found little evidence that couples share equal division of domestic tasks. Willmott and Young tend to agree that conjugal roles have become more equal. During the 70’s they announced the arrival of the symmetrical family, a family where husbands and wives were similar in their roles. In the home the couple ‘shared their work and shared their time’. Husbands were thought to be helping with the housework, childcare and decision making more often. Willmott and Young discovered that 72% of husbands helped with these household tasks. They thought that the change from separate to joint roles resulted mainly from the withdrawal of the wife from her relationships with female kin, and the drawing of the husband into the family circle. Ann Oakley is one sociologist who criticises this view of Willmott and Young. In 1974 Oakley pointed out that included in this 72% figure were husbands who did very little, only had to perform one household chore a week. During the 1970’s she collected information on 40 married women who had one child or more under the age of 5 and were themselves aged between 20 and 30. Half of her sample was working class and half was middle class. She found greater equality for domestic tasks in the middle class than in the working class. However in both classes few men had a high level of participation in housework and childcare. She found that most wives saw these jobs as their own responsibility, where only 15% of men in marriages participated in them at a high level. Sociologists such as Ann Oakley have argued that women have increasingly been taking on a dual burden: they have retained primary responsibility for household tasks while also being expected to have paid employment. Jonathan Gershuny agrees with Ann Oakley and disagrees with the statement that conjugal roles have become equal. He points out that dual burden could lead to increased inequality between husbands and wives as a rising proportion of women suffer from it. He believes that dual burden is a result of lagged adaptation where there is a time lag between women taking up paid employment and men adapting to this by increasing their contribution to domestic labour. In 1992 Gershuny studied the changes in hours worked by men and women over time, analysing data from 1974/5 to 1987. It showed a gradual increase in the amount of domestic labour performed by men. This increase was greatest when wives were in full-time employment. Husbands whose wives worked full time doubled the amount of time they spent cooking and cleaning. Gershuny concluded that though women still bear the main burden of domestic labour, there is a gradual trend towards greater equality. However it is still a long way off from becoming equal. In conclusion from the evidence presented it is clear that there is little support to Willmott and Young’s study that conjugal roles have become equal. Gillian Dunne however suggests that household tasks and childcare in single sex relationships have become equal, but haven’t in heterosexual relationships. There is though a trend towards greater equality. Gershuny’s research into childcare all suggests this trend. Therefore it appears that conjugal roles have not become equal, but evidence shows they are becoming more equal.