Music Positivity Diffusion Chain

If anybody knows me then they know music has been a passion of mines ever since a little kid. I began singing in a choir when I was 8 years old. As years went by I began trying to write songs, gaining interest in becoming a solo music artist. After departing from the choir I was a part of for 5 years, I kept in touch with my music teacher who created the choir. She gave me numerous amounts of advice with trying to become a music artist and from there on I began to try and create my own path. There was one devastating Summer where I lost a notebook that contained all of my songs I had written, that was such a heartbreaker. After that I sort of faded away from singing then gained a new interest, which was producing music. I received my first keyboard and began teaching myself how to play all of the songs I heard on the radio at the time. Once I received my first laptop I began to mess around with this music software my Uncle had showed me. That music software really defined my passion for music. Everyday I'd just produce new instrumentals gaining additional knowledge about the software. It was so fun and it had became a huge dream of mines to be a music producer. Once I got down producing music I thought to myself "why stop here?" Hearing local hip-hop artists really made me believe that I could really make it because the one thing I felt, and still feel, is that their music isn't carrying a message about who they really are. I already knew I was much more then that. The thing with me is that I'm such a self made kid, I never had piano lessons, I was never taught how to write music, I just decided I was going to learn in a way that was much more interesting and exciting to me and it has worked out quite well. With all this said I was still able to stay on top of my academics, which was my moms main concern. Gaining a full scholarship to The Ohio State University was a major achievement for me because I now have access to so much more resources, and promoting can on campus can be really beneficial for me. At the end of my senior year I collaborated with a talented buddy of mine and we created our first mixtape, which is only the beginning for us.

 

 

Once I arrived here at Ohio State I made sure that one message remained with me and this message is to always remember where I came from, keep academics my first priority, use my academic and music ability to influence the youth, and take advantage of all of the resources here on campus. So far this message has stuck with me and I'm doing a decent job living by these values. While I'm here at Ohio State I plan to just grow as a music artist and gain as much knowledge as I can. In my opinion perfection doesn't exist because there is always room for improvement for me. Never allowing myself to get too comfortable with the music is important because with every project I look to create I always have expectations of topping my last project. These next 4-5 years on campus are just going to be growth phases for me. Learning who I really am, what I'm capable of doing, and what opportunities are open for me are my main goals right now. All I know is that as long as I stay close to making music, at the end of the day I'll always be proud of who I am.

 

 

 

Once I've graduated and am ready for the real world I plan to look for internships, book shows, and create so much more music. Everything that I've learned during my growth phases I plan to put them to use in reality. I am destined to find my way inside the music industry some way, somehow. I'm not just looking to reach a record deal for myself though. I always told my friends if I make it one day with my music we all made it and I meant that. I'm looking to really go back to where I came from and influence the youth that even with limited resources you can still bring your dreams to reality. My plan is to create a positive diffusion chain with my music amongst my city because there is so much talent in Cleveland but there is so little people actually influencing these youth to take advantage of their talent to create better lives for themselves. Music is a universal language and if I tell the story that everybody from my neighborhood can relate to then I can really impact many lives. Making music will always be a part of me and spreading positivity within the rough neighborhoods I grew up in is a new life time goal I plan to accomplish.

 

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Ethical Dilemma:
you are part of an organization who is planning an event at a bar. You know that alcohol will be accessible to underage members, but there can be serious consequences to your organization if they are caught. Do you enforce a rule to stop underage drinking because it is dangerous and against the law, or do you let it go because it is being done in a controlled environment and things have always been done this way?


Response:
What I would do is have ID checking at the front door, and if your under 21 you will receive an X on your hand. This will show that my organization isn't liable for underage drinking because we've pinpointed the underage members already. Individual vs. Community would play a role in this because of reputation. If I allow underage people to drink I may see my reputation grow because I'm allowing them to do something most people wouldn't let them do. Then again I may see my reputation fall because if one of the underage people get hurt and has alcohol in their system I'm responsible for this incident taking place. I may get looked at by people as irresponsible for this happening. This is why I'd just do my part and mark all of the underage people and let the bar make the decision whether they want to serve these people alcohol or not. This also allows all of the people, including the underage people, to take responsibility for their own actions. Rule-based thinking is a Kidder's principle that takes place because I simply want to think of a safe rule I can enforce, and which the members can still come to this event and enjoy themselves. Another framework, which takes place in this situation is truth vs. loyal because the truth is I already know that the underage members are usually allowed to drink and most of the time I say nothing about it. In this case though I have to stay loyal to my organization and do the safe thing because I can't be held responsible for others actions when I have an event to run.

Group Dynamics: Cool Runnings

Characters:

Derice- The leader, and determined to win a gold medal.

Sanka- Is just really a follower on the team, but his role evolves throughout the movie.

Junior- Wants to prove to his dad that he's a man, and provides resources for the team.

Yul- Is the tough guy nobody messes around with, he's also the encourager on the team.

Irv- Wants to create the first Olympic bobsled team, he becomes their coach and mentor.

Forming:
During this stage Derice tries to start a bobsled team after taking part in a tragic track event. During the track race Junior accidentally tripped and fell causing Derice and Yul to fall, which didn't qualify them for the Olympics. In order to start this team Derice needs to find a coach so he locates the former 2 time gold medalist Irving and pursues him to coach the first Jamaican bobsled team. At first the start is rocky because all of the members are on the team for different reasons and not everybody is getting along.

Storming:
Conflict starts to brew within the team between Yul and Junior, due to tension still from the track race incident. The team also begins to see some improvement when Irv finally teaches the team the basic fundamentals of bobsledding. We also see cooperation when Junior helps raise money for the teams trip to Calgary. Once the Jamaican team lands in Calgary their looked at as outsiders, feeling unwelcomed.

Norming:
During this stage we see the bobsled team enjoying each others company, goofing off and having fun. All of the guys, excluding Derice, go out to a bar just to have a good time. We also see each member understand their role on the team. For instances, Derice is announced the driver, which is given the most responsibility. You still see a small team within a group between Yul and Junior because their always looking out after each other, closer to on another.

Performing:
During the movie we see this stage before the Jamaican teams last Olympic run. Sanka helps them realize that as long as the team realizes who they are and where they come from that's all that matters. The race is no longer about placing first and winning a gold medal, its all about respect. The team is then presented with new uniforms to represent their country.

Adjourning:
During the Jamaican team's last run, their on record setting pace until a blade on their sled falls off, causing them to wipe out. The team then picks up the sled and walks it across the finish-line, unifying them as team. Although it was a disappointing ending, the team and their country were still proud of their accomplishments.