This is my story

Ok so I feel I've already talked enough about my story as far as wanting to be a music artist in my other blog posts so I'll just tell you about my life away from the music, at least I'll try. I grew up in a house hold of three. It was me, my brother Jordan, and my mother. We lived in a not so friendly West Cleveland area for about seventeen years. During this time it was extremely hard for us, more so for my mother because she was forced to drop out of college to raise me and my brother. She was a single mother working 2-3 jobs so everything me and my brother wanted weren't always given to us. During middle school I experienced a lot of things not a lot of people really go through. I had several friends lives taken because of gang activity, which was hard on me. Growing up it was hard to have a close friend who wasn't involved in illegal situations. The one friend I did have to guide me in the right direction was my brother. Me being five years younger and not understanding much, he was always there to let me know we're not blessed with a lot of things and to be very appreciative of everything our mother was able to provide for us. So all during middle school me and my brother set out to try and help our mother as much as possible. The one way we knew we could really help her out was first succeeding academically. Since my brother was older he was the guy who had to lead the way. While always tutoring me, he was a straight A student himself. During Jordan's 6th grade year my family caught a break. He was accepted into a scholars program called Y.S.P (Young Scholars Program). This scholars program was a minority scholarship, rewarding students in it with full rides to The Ohio State University if they could meet the requirements. The requirements were maintain a 3.1 gpa all throughout Middle School and High School, as well as make an appearance at all of their workshops and community service projects. For my mother this was a huge relief because she always preached to us that school must always be first priority and to see that paying off was like music to her ears. After my brother was granted admission into Y.S.P that motivated me so much more to follow in his footsteps. In the beginning of my 8th grade school year I finally got my big break as well, I to was granted acceptance into Y.S.P. It wasn't necessarily easy for me to get in this program because during Middle School I had some friends who were bad influences that led me in the opposite direction of where I was trying to go with my life, but my brother was always there to help me get my priorities straighten out.

Once High School came I was right back on track. One of the reasons I felt like I never really got into any trouble in the streets was because I had music, which I was dedicated to, but I also had my Uncle who was like my father figure. My Uncle had an even tougher life than me but still managed to get into Baldwin-Wallace on a basketball scholarship and make something of himself. After my brother graduated and was off to The Ohio State University I needed that male figure there to show me the do's and don'ts in life. My dad wasn't involved in my life during Middle School and High School. While attending a public High School I was already set at a disadvantage. With lack of honor classes and AP courses I wondered how exactly would I stand against students at Ohio State who were way more privileged then me. That thought didn't last too long though I just had to carry on with my academics as best as I could. During freshman-beginning of senior year in High School I had a girlfriend who was always there to keep my head on the right track. She was also the reasons I never took part in any dangerous activities outside of school, which was easily persuaded upon a lot of teens. Sophmore year in High School I met a group of guys who would later on become more like brothers to me. One of the guys was a talented musician who I created my first mixtape with. We were the in between guys in High School because we were cool with all of the "cool kids" but we were also good friends with the nerds, so I was well balanced as a teen. In the beginning of senior year I was well on my way towards graduating with a 4.2 gpa and still a member of Y.S.P. After awhile me and my girlfriend, at the time, broke up, which was heartbreaking for me. My mind wasn't where it needed to be and that distracted me in school. Around the time prom came my mind was back on track, don't mean to brag but I won prom king. Once senior year in High School came to an end I graduated with a 3.9 gpa, I was part of The National Honors Society, and I was one of only two kids who were going to be attending The Ohio State University.

At the end of the day I have to say I never only thought of myself as trying to succeed in school for my own benefit. I did it for my mom and everybody else who was there for me. For my mom she deserved it for all of the obstacles she had to overcome in her life. She not only sent one kid to college, but she sent her only two children to Ohio State on a full ride scholarship. That thought right there was un-heard of in Cleveland. For me it was really a big deal because somebody from my High School going to a college like Ohio State was like a kid being accepted into Harvard. My friends are very supportive and I'm only looking to give back to them what they gave to me, which is love, support, and motivation to be somebody in life.

Throughout the years feedback has always been helpful for me. I've never thought of feedback as being harsh or rude. In my opinion feedback is just a guideline to help you improve in areas your usually blind to. I say this because as an individual in college we're usually too focused on a few things at a  time, which may be school related, that we may be unable to address our social skills and reach out to our friends, or make conversation with others, etc. I've always thought of feedback as constructive criticism with me being a producer and all. One thing I've always told people though is that if your going to critique my work, or give me feedback, don't just give me a simple opinion. I'd like to know all of the areas I'm slacking in and what I can do to improve in those areas. I guess you can say I react very well to feedback, I use it as a resource in a sense.

Last night I asked my best friend to give me feedback on my leadership style. I know this may not count to others because my best friend could possibly just say all of the positive things about my leadership style, but thankfully my best friend is a guy who holds nothing back good or bad. He mentioned to me that while making music I'm very determined and willing to explore new ideas. He also had mentioned that a lot of times though I find myself focusing too hard on what I can possibly add to make a song sound better that I forget to enjoy what I'm doing. I'm really glad he told me that because it's so true. I sometimes take things a little too serious because I feel everything I create has to be the best thing ever but really I just need to let loose and have fun with what I'm doing. After telling me this my friend told me that he likes that I'm willing to listen to suggested ideas people throw out at me but then again I sometimes lack in suggesting ideas to others who can possibly benefit from what I have to offer. Everything my friend told me was really balanced, he really dug deep and kept it real with me, which is why I highly respect this man. After receiving that feedback from my best friend I'm going to just try and enjoy myself. I understand I may be on campus taking stressful courses but if I look outside of campus there are numerous amounts of people who are dealing with much tougher situations so I should just continue doing what I love to do, and enjoy the opportunity I was blessed to be given here at OSU.

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.

Personality Reflection

After taking the MBTI test I learned I was an ESFJ, it all made senses to me. ESFJ are extroverted, sensing, feeling, and judging type people. These people are very warm, sensitive, and really care about others and usually would try to provide for them if their in need. This stuck out to me because I find myself doing this a lot. I even set aside my own priorities because it means a lot for me to send that message to my friends and family saying that I'm a guy willing to support you in any way I can. Another trait I learned ESFJ's carry is seeking for harmony. This also defines me because I hate dealing with tension, I'd just rather call it truce than to engage in any debate or argument. While learning about ESFJ's personality types they really described us as interacting people, but we tend to fade away if the discussion gets on abstract or theoretical topics. Making conversation with people is something I love to do but theoretical discussions is not one of my strengths. I just feel like the topic will instantly turn into a debate and I am not a good debater.



The true colors assessment really hit dead on as well. My color was orange and these type of people are really outgoing, they hate silence, learn by being active, are full of energy, and seek things that are intense and full experience. I love exploring new things and being active. For example I can not stay in my dorm for no longer than an hour, I have to be outside either visiting a new building on campus or going to check out an organization. I just feel like campus is filled with so many new adventures that I'd like to be a part of. Silence is a cruel thing as well, whether I'm doing homework or sleeping I need some type of music on to help me just relax and focus. People with the color orange maybe thought of to not take situations serious at times, but the truth is we just like to find the positive features in everything. This helps us relax and enjoy life a little better.

My Purpose

1. Think about your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, special abilities or disabilities, age, socioeconomic status, religion, birth order and any other influences that come to mind. How have these factors influenced your personality and learning preferences?

The one major thing that influenced my personality was me being the younger sibling. As a kid my brother gained a lot of attention because he was such a nerd and was accepted into this scholar program and that was a big deal for my family. After that I sort of became jealous and wanted some of the spotlight to, which was then the era where I tried to show off in front of my family any chance I got. I'd try singing, dancing, telling jokes, anything that'll make people notice me. This is when I began creating an outgoing personality for myself because I love making people smile, it's such a good feeling. It got to the point where I wasn't even in the mindset where I wanted the spotlight, it just became a part of who I am. One thing that influenced my learning preference was my socioeconomic status. Growing up me and my family didn't have a lot so my mother taught me the importance appreciating everything I was given. Just seeing people live incredible lives on T.V. and comparing it to mines made me want to better myself and that's what I did. I took my education more serious than a lot more students I went to school with because I refused to end up on the streets. Even though I wasn't granted the best education going to a public school in Cleveland, I took as much as I could get from what was offered at my school. I guess it must have paid of if I'm now at The Ohio State University on a full-ride scholarship... Oh yea and I also got accepted into the same Scholars program my brother got accepted to, just a little brother rivalry me and him always had.

2. Write your own personal mission statement. What is your purpose in life? What values are important to you? What do you want to be? What attributes and capabilities are important to you?

My mission is to make sure that I spread the importance of being who you truly want to be and chasing after your dreams to the next generations to come. Sharing the values of dedication, sacrifice, honesty, family, and having an imagination, which are values that mean the most to me. I'd like to be a musician that spreads a positive image, someone who people can look up to and better themselves just from the messages I give in my songs. The capability of knowing who your support system is and using them for all of the right reasons is important to me. You may not always feel 100% about yourself but if you stick by your support system they'll always remind you of the good your capable of doing. An attribute that is also important to me is having self-awareness. One thing I always tell myself is to make sure no matter what type of goals I succeed in life that I'll always stay true to who I am. Always expressing my inner feelings and making sure that no matter what situation I get myself involved in I stand my beliefs.