With music we can express the feelings that are hard to express with everyday language. An example of this is Bessie Smith’s song, “Thinking Blues. ” (McClary). In the song she is singing about how much she misses and wants her man to take her back, how she will do just about anything to take her back. However at first sight of the lyrics, I thought the meaning of the song was completely different. I thought it was about how she does not want to be deprived of singing blues just because she is a woman, and it was not popular for a woman to sing blues during that time.
It can also just be a simple general love song without much meaning to someone else. Therefore, although music is very similar to language, it proves that it is not universal. We do not all perceive music the same way. Another form of communication and expression in art. Art is a form of expression that is also not universal, but very ambiguous. In our core Friday lecture, Presentation by UC Merced Hip Hop Movement, we learn about the art of hip hop. The different forms of hip hop expression come in, poetry, rapping, graffiti art, DJing, and break dancing.
These are all ways of expression and even communication. Communication no longer only comes in the form of language and written word. Although some of us still may not see it as art, we can see how passionate others are about it, and therefore understand that they are trying to send a message through their art. Another connection made during this course is from module 5, the theme is the connection between different individuals in different societies, and still finding their similarities. One of the readings that week was on David Mas Masumoto’s, “Epitaph of a Peach Four Seasons on My Family Farm.
Although Masumoto is in a different position than his workers, he can sympathize and relate to them. Although he is the boss, and they are workers on his peach farm, he shows high respect and consideration for them. We learn that although these different individuals come from different ranks and places in society, they are not so different. An example of this is when Masumoto sits down at the end of a hard day to enjoy a conversation with his workers. Masumoto empathizes with their struggles and wishes that he could pay his workers more. He does his best to make sure his workers are living in humane situations.
The most heartwarming moment is when he is offered a beer by his workers but he respectfully declines. The reason why Masumoto declines is not to be rude, but because he put into consideration how many hours of working in the scorching sun, and how many trees they must pick the fruit from in order to earn enough money to buy the six pack of beer. Another way of analyzing his actions would be that he doesn’t want to associate with them, however he does join his workers. His intentions are consideration and empathetic, it is Masumoto’s way of expressing care and understanding towards his workers.
This displays how we as individuals are not so different, and can relate to similar feelings even if we belong in different ranks of society. In module 6, we learn about conflict, not only with humans, but the conflict between humans and nature. Sometimes we forget about the significant impact we have on nature. We often only think about how we are affected by nature, but not how we are affecting it. An example of this is how David Mas Masumoto deals with insects ruining his fruits. We learn that pesticides are not only harmful to humans, they are also harmful to the environment and other organisms in the region.
Masumoto decides to grow his peaches the organic way, because organic is when they taste best. Also, if he had used pesticides, he would have harmed all the organisms living in the area, and potentially poison the underground water supply of the plants. We must remember that everything we do does not only affect us, but it also affects the world around us. Another example of how its harmful to the environment to use chemicals is ,” fracking. ” Fracking, is when we drill into the earth, and use high pressure jets to blast water and chemicals to erode rocks and gravel away when winning for natural gasses.
When this process is used, the entire region and all the organisms inhabited are harmed. Therefore with the simple gesture of not using chemicals and pesticides, organically farming Matsumoto, is growing his peaches healthier, tastier, and he is also saving the environment. His gesture is ambiguous, because he is supporting more than one cause. He is helping the environment, the organisms and animals that inhabit the region, he is growing healthier produce for buyers, and he is sparing his workers of accidentally inhaling dangerous pesticides. His gestures benefit more than one group.