It’s good to see you guys again! I had a very big struggle when I tried to think a good idea for my new article. The last couple weeks, I was so busy at my exams and team projects that I didn’t have time to think about my new topic. Hope you guys are all doing well. Also, I really want to save the Halloween one till next week—now you know what the next article about. Thank goodness, my ipod gave me an idea this morning: Music.
My first view of American music started from my residence hall last year. By coincidence, I was put in to Visual Performing Arts Learning Community. However, I don’t play any music. After the first couple weeks I found out almost everyone in my hall was a musician. My roommate Jacob had played piano for eight years and guitar for five years. Brock and Andy, my hall mates, played electric instruments. Alex and Spencer played guitar, Aaron played keyboard and Uzi played the cello… all in all, there could have been a couple bands in my hall. They taught me how to play guitar and piano and even wrote songs about me. We have lots of good memories to look back on.
I’m always jealous about Americans’ fantastic high school lives. My memory of high school is studying, studying, and studying. In China, we have more than seven times the population of America, but we have less than half the number of colleges. It means not everyone can get into college. For those top 10 colleges, only 1 percent of high school senior students can apply. Also, because of the score based on the grading system, we have to study a lot and try to get a higher score in exams than anyone else. I spent so much time on studying that I didn’t have time to learn other skills such as instrumental and computer skills.
After I started my new life here I think I got more chances to touch music, which I didn’t do too much back in China. I still remember that night when my friends and I went to my first concert in Calumet. Josh was so mad at me because he had to wake me up every 10 minutes. “Miles, you can’t just sleep in a concert in the front row!” he yelled at me when the concert was over. I feel so embarrassed that music always makes me sleepy (maybe because I couldn’t understand it or I’m not interest in it). Soon after that, I got another opportunity to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert last Christmas. This time, the band had a much bigger moveable stage and way more awesome laser lights and fireworks. That might be the biggest reason that I stayed awake from the beginning of the show to the end. It was too loud to fall asleep!
I went to a couple concerts at my hometown before. But they were just personal concerts instead of rock bands. When I told my friends I like pop, they thought I was an idiot. After that Christmas, I started collecting music from my friends. I begin to get used to American style songs after I tried almost all kinds of music. I do have some songs and bands that are my favorite. For example, AFI’s songs can help me stay awake and feel full of energy. If you walk by the Wads dish room, you can hear it from the front window. It’s also a dish room song.
I’m planning to learn guitar this year. Anyone interested to teach me?