Confidence

** TASK: Week 1 **
//“Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson// Emerson suggests that each generation speak for itself, stretching beyond the prescribed education and knowledge of previous generations. In a sense, we are to improvise upon the past to create something meaningful for the present. Bands such as //Vampire Weekend// and //Panic at the Disco// are currently innovating the pop-indie music scene by including string quartets (a classical music influence from the past) to create a unique sound for the present.

Your ecovillage has been invited by a Top Secret band (you may choose to divulge their identity or not) to submit a proposal for crafting a new, cutting edge album. The band has specifically asked that you base the new sound off of past musical influences. Pitch your rationale and product to the band.

Resources: http://www.vampireweekend.com/ http://www.panicatthedisco.com/ [|http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live//] http://musicandhistory.com/

__//Thoreau Pillows //__ 1. Gavin DeGraw “Chariot” [] 2. Louis Armstrong “Wonderful World” [] 3. Fleetwood Mac “Landslide” [] 4. Jason Mraz “Only Human” [] 5. Dixie Chicks “Wide Open Spaces” [] 6. Destiny’s Child “Independent Woman” [] 7. Black Eyed Peas “Gone Going” [] 8. Rascal Flatts “No Reins” [] 9. Blue Rodeo “Trust Yourself” [] 10. Semisonic “Closing Time” [] 11. Switchfoot “Only Hope” [] 12. Room For Two “Roots Before Branches” [] 13. Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” [] 14. Kris Allen “No Boundaries” [] 15. Cassie Steele “Life is a Show” [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">16. Jewel “Intuition” [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">17. Selena Gomez “Intuition” []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">Album Cover:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Transcendentalism Jams is an album featuring the voices of several famous artists who capture the essence of true transcendentalism music. Tracks 1- 3 deal with the role that nature plays in a transcendental lifestyle. Transcendentalists believed that nature and man were one, and that a balance should remain between the two to create a sense of harmony. Nature also was believed to be a place of retreat for man to isolate himself in order to find himself and God. Tracks 1- 3 are pieces of music that deal with the aspect of nature being golden and amazing. For example, Gavin Degraw’s “Chariot” begins with the lyrics “Staring at a maple leaf, leaning on a mother tree, I said to myself we all lost touch”. Degraw touches on the aspect of nature leading man to find himself after losing himself in society’s luxuries. Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World” also exemplifies the view of nature being a delicate and mesmerizing feature of the world according to man. Throughout the song, Armstrong sings about the beauty of nature and the peace and serenity it possesses. Lastly, Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” discusses the challenges that individuals face throughout the world and how nature helps them reach a place of satisfaction and understanding in their lives. Nature’s role in the transcendentalist lives is portrayed through the emotions and stories given to audiences in this album.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Intuition is the ability to know something without conscious reasoning. Also known as a ‘gut feeling’, intuition was a main belief of the transcendentalism time period. Songs 16 and 17 of this album reflect characteristics of intuition. From Selena Gomez’s song, “ I'm gonna follow my intuition, Telling myself to listen, Everything is gonna be okay”, Gomez shows audiences that following your intuition is key to living a happy and successful life. She also shows the importance of listening to what you feel is right in order to create your own happiness, even though you may not always have the confidence in your own feelings. Jewel is another artist who demonstrates the transcendentalist characteristic of intuition in her songs. Jewel’s lyrics of her song “Intuition” say, “Follow your heart, Your intuition, It will lead you in the right direction”. Jewel’s song demonstrates that by listening to your intuition, you will receive guidance as to what decision to make or what comes next. This belief of intuition was huge in transcendentalist communities for its inspirational abilities, which gave people the desire to look inside themselves and discover their ‘gut feeling’ to make intelligent and wise decisions.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This smash album, Transcendentalism Jams, brings everything a transcendentalist wants, from good beats to meaningful lyrics that inspire us all. Within the album, a number of lessons can be learned, and one of these lessons is self-reliance. Self-reliance shows all to not be a conformist and to formulate their own thoughts and not the thoughts of another. Within this album, tracks like “Trust Yourself,” “No Reins,” and “Independent Woman,” show the listener that being an individual is what we should all strive for. Also the song, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” lets the listeners know that they should never relinquish what makes them an individual and that they should never relinquish any hopes and dreams. Every self-reliance song from tracks four to fifteen will touch every listeners heart and hopefully bring them closer to om.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Overall, Transcendentalism Jams is an excellent collection of musicians eager to spread the transcendentalist wave of noncomformity, self-reliance, admiration of nature, beauty of intuition, and importance of conscience. All songs on this album provide a wide range of attributes of the transcendentalist lifestyle that allow listeners to connect to transcendentalist beliefs and absorb certain values of the lifestyle. Transcendentalism Jams is an excellent way for audiences to break free of their normal music choices and focus on songs that help inspire them to become faithful to the transcendentalist ways of life.

Group Om Introducing "Transcendental Classics"!

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','new york',times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">"Mother Nature's Son" -- Beatles: @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg2kSqxDEKg <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','new york',times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">"Sun Is Shining" -- Bob Marley: @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBDVarvFqYI&feature=related <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','new york',times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">"What I Love About Rain" -- Art Garfunkel, Buddy Mondlock, Maria Sharp: @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOGFnbLd40Y <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','new york',times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">"Trust Yourself" -- Bob Dylan: @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnhxeXr_HTs "Roll On, Columbia!" -- Woody Gurthie: [] "What Do You Love More Than Love?" -- Dar Williams "New Divide" -- Linkin Park: [] "Garbage" -- Bill Steale and Pete Seeger: []

Hypothetical song titles for new music: <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','new york',times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">"Follow Intuition" <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','new york',times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">"Pure Imagination" <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','new york',times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">"Limitless" <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','new york',times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">"In Myself I Trust"

First and foremost is the cover art on the new album. It must sell what Transcendentalism is all about! The eyes in the middle symbolize transcendentalists’ beliefs of being able to see beyond what is plainly stated, looking beyond into “the deeper meaning of life.” The general background constitutes the Transcendental belief of being closer with nature. In the bottom-left corner, meditation is a way for reaching “Om,” oneness with the universe. The picture in the top-left corner symbolizes the transcendental idea of non-conformity, to purposely not fit in with society and be an individual. In the bottom right-corner, the human mind is depicted thinking, representative of the deeper thinking that transcendentalists. In the top-right corner is a picture of an inukshuk. An Inuit stone figure of a human, the inukshuk symbolizes the idea of power of the human conscience and following the right path.

Our musical album is cutting edge as it incorporates transcendentalist ideas and beliefs with music! There are songs about nature, self-confidence, and a sense of morality. The Beatles' "Mother Nature's Son" is included because of its lyrical portrayal of the importance of nature in life. This song can be used as a great starting point for basing the sound of the new proposed music. Savvy and done by the Beatles, any of their famous early Rock and Roll can be used to entice new listeners. Bob Marley's "Sun Is Shining" pays homage to the greatest most important part of nature, the Sun. Marley's signature style of music can provide for another genre of music for transcendentals who do not like a Beatles-era type of feel to their music. Garfunkel's "What I Love About Rain" showcases the importance of rain in nature. A much more "old-school" type of music from pre-Rock and Roll. Musical themes derived from this song can provide for listeners who want to listen to something older. Bob Dylan's "Trust Yourself" the artist maintains that a person must believe in themselves to succeed. The transcendental ideas of self-trust and self-reliance are very much present. In Gurthie's "Roll On, Columbia!" a man describes his love for nature. Focusing in more specifically the Pacific Northwest, he describes how important nature is in impacting a person's development. In Williams' " What Do You Love More Than Love?" the ideals of a balance of morality and nature are shown. A man takes his love of a mountain too much as he virtually destroys it, eliminating his love. He fails to make the choice of what is right by inadvertently destroying what he loves so much. In Seeger's "Garbage", the ideas of lack of real thinking from books is presented. The refrain proposes, "What will we do when there's nothing left to read?" Man must strive for a deeper meaning from books, and think for himself. This song greatly address the idea of thinking to reach "Om." All of the pieces proposed present viable options from which to take influences from. All should be included on the final album since all provide insight into the beliefs of transcendentalism. The idea of nature being present and important in life is there in the majority of songs. Self-reliance and self-trust are touched upon by upholding these values in life. Morality is also shown as an important aspect of living that is present in the songs. These entries present a wide variety of genres and time periods of music from which the band can choose from to make their new music, giving much flexibility and allowing much free thought into which genres and ideas the new music will follow.

The song names proposed for these new songs represent various aspects of transcendental values. Intuition, instinct can be shown in following it, hence the name "Follow Intuition." Imagination leads to new developments in society. Feel liberated and free from society and relax in the freedom to think and do! Free-thought is "Pure Imagination." In non-conformity, be yourself! There is no point in conforming with society.By removing the restrictions of society, one can become "Limitless." Self-reliance is another important value. So a great song name for that would be "In Myself I Trust!"

In the final album there are plenty of songs to listen to, each promoting its own transcendental ideas. Listening to these songs will promote “one” with nature. Go out, camp outside and have fun with transcendental must have music of the century!

** TASK: Week 2 **
// “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau // ** Dream ** **Building: My Life** The Green Anarchist Conservancy, always hard at work to keep students happy, has decided to encourage the members of your ecovillage to attain personal satisfaction in life. Therefore, as part of your ecovillage strategic plan, each member has been asked to develop an individual, five-year “dream building” plan. First, you must take a dream life assessment on the American Dream Project website (see link under Resources) to determine what areas of your life bring you the most happiness. Then, as an ecovillage, you must create a “dream template” questionnaire/worksheet to determine an individual’s dreams and plans for happiness and success. In fact, The Green Anarchist Conservancy is so sure that you can begin “advanc[ing] confidently in the direction of [your] dreams” now, they have added one more action to your five year plan: create a time capsule (one per group member) that will not be opened for five years (conveniently enough, your Senior year of college). As an ecovillage, consider: What hopes and dreams should I remind myself to keep pursuing in five years? What knowledge, objects, or experiences can I preserve today that will help me reach my dreams in five years? Present your dream template and time capsules to the class before burying (or hiding) the time capsule for the next five years. Resources: [|http://americandreamproject.org] (click on Dream Assessment on upper tab of site)

** TASK: Week 3 **
Week 3: // “Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further toward recognizing and organizing the rights of man?” – Henry David Thoreau //

Your ecovillage has decided to answer Thoreau’s questions by writing and submitting a story idea to National Public Radio or Youth Radio. Follow the submission guidelines listed on the NPR link below. Your group may choose to pitch a political grievance, or any other type of story as approved by your teacher.

Resources: http://www.npr.org/about/pitch/story.html []

** TASK: Week 4 **
** Introducing John Doe ** // “I chant the chant of dilation or pride, // // We have had ducking and deprecating about enough, // // I show that size is only development.” – Walt Whitman // Your ecovillage has been asked to create a character for a new children’s book. The book’s author would like to show the development of the main character from birth to death. Based on Whitman’s celebration of pride and his claim that “size is only development”, focus your pitch on how your character grows in size and developments (learning to ride a bike, scoring the lead role in the school play, joining MENSA, becoming ruler of the universe, etc.). Detail the theoretical character’s growth to the author.

<span style="background-color: #f500ac; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 25px;">Peace, Love, Ben Zhang<3 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20px;">The character our ecovillage has outlined is an inspiration to us all, and will hopefully become a household name among children everywhere. We designed our character by combining pieces of each of our life aspirations to form a strong, admirable, fearless character who will lead all his readers to victory in their everyday lives. Our role-model character's life is detailed in this creative timeline we have devised. Our elaborations on each critical event in our character's life can be read by clicking on the individual events to enlarge them, or in the link to the webpage, by choosing the "text view" option at the top right instead of "timeline." Disclaimer: This is evidently a work of pure fiction. Any resemblance to anyone, living or dead, or enrolled in our Mods 3-4 Honors English 11 class, is purely coincidental. The characters are entirely fictional and of our own creation. The places, times, and incidents are purely fictional and do not bear any reference to actual events, times, places, or things which may or may not exist. []

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=<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20px;">Thyself =

Born amongst the ashes as if he was a flaming phoenix, Karl was raised by 13 monks in the Malaysian Himalayas until he was seven. At age 9, he began taking up the craft of fire bending and began world conquest. At age 11 he was bored with the complete world domination and began taking up ballet. Once he discovered that he looked too good in leotards and tutu’s, he went to school in attempt to get his doctorate in love.
 * Karl- Youth:**

At around 16 years old, Karl developed a strong number of things. The lists includes; Ultimate Frisbee, Band, AP CHEM, AP CALC, girls and food. Being 16 years old has shown many challenges for Karl, however he has never let anyone down. Playing the tuba in the marching band, Karl has been breaking hearts since band camp. Voted best body and looks by females in the marching band, Karl has left a lasting effect. Coming to his honors English course with Mrs. Moeller, Karl never fails to surprise the class with his ability to eat vigorous amounts of food. Always talking about AP Chem and Ben Zhang, Karl has showed his love for everything science. Question is, where will Karl end up?
 * Karl- The Teenage Years**

Karl went to MIT on a large scholarship thanks, in part, to his unique talent of competitive eating. Colleges really look for uniqueness these days. After four years in the university, Karl received very high honors: he almost graduated magna cumme laude. However, forty-five minutes before commencement, the university imposed a $0.001 tax on the all-you-can-eat buffet line. Karl, a known modern transcendentalist, refused to pay this outrageous and expensive tax, and therefore never received his diploma. He still ate from the buffet and was subsequently arrested. He spent about 3 minutes in an MIT jail cell, accompanied only by a calculator and a flat-screen television. Clearly suffering, Karl penned the world famous novel //Eat, Eat, Eat,// which was later adapted into a blockbuster movie starring Rebecca Black. The movie promoted doing what you think is right and following your dreams. Karl went on to win the Nathan's Hot Dog Contest, showing that pure motivation and an abnormally large stomach can take a kid far. Still the rebel he once was, Karl returned to the hallowed halls of Upper St. Clair to boast his successes to struggling juniors who were going through the same things he once was. A young student, Ben Zhang, Jr., earnestly asked Karl for advice because his dad was putting far too much pressure on him. Karl laughed and said, "Whenever pressure builds up on me and I can't eat it away, I take a week off at my cabin in the Bahamas. I there get time for self-reflection and deep thinking." Ben Jr., so impressed by Karl's attitude, quit school immediately, at the behest of his father, and became the world's second greatest philosopher.
 * Karl- Journey into Adulthood**