I had no idea what to expect from this particular play. I’ve never seen a play at an off broadway theater. What I noticed first was how small and limited the theater seemed. It was a far cry from the opera which had revolving sets and professional lighting. Like the comic book archive, they used what they had and made the best of it. The change in setting was clear even though very little changes occurred in the set.

The defining factor of the play was the content. The topic was controversial even for today’s times. The actors successfully  emphasized the gravity of the situation and it was interesting to see how characters react to the situations they were thrown in. It was an interesting commentary on the ways in which society responds to transgenders and homosexuals. I felt that this was a trip that left me thinking about the issues presented. The play definitely stirred up thoughts within me about how we function as a society. It was a trip that was riveting and a valuable experience.

My childhood was mostly me burying myself with Archie comics. I constantly read treasuries of comic strips like pearls before swine, baby blues, peanuts, garfield and more. I certainly looked forward to the comic book archive. As a history geek I appreciated the historical aspect of the archives. It was disappointing that they did not have many pieces relating to mainstream comics. However, it was nice to examine the bigger picture of comics throughout the 20th century. I felt the archive did make the best of the limited resources it had. The documents were not easy to obtain and the fact that they were able to obtain that many is remarkable. One improvement they could make is they way they present the archive in a simpler way. The guide made too many assumptions about the knowledge we had about comics. If they gave more thought to that then we could have gained more from the exhibit.

First of all, who wasn’t excited to go to this event? I was on board the minute I heard food. I’ve never been to a panel discussion like symphony space so I was unsure about how it would be for me. The topic intrigued me because Jewish culture was something that was unfamiliar to me.

Let’s say it was not my favorite trip. It may sound harsh but this was a trip that I did not enjoy at all. Right when I sat down people were shocked that Justin and I were there. Simply put, we did not fit in with the demographic at all. The fact that we stood out as 2 non-caucasian teens in hoodies made me weary of the talk. I was certainly right. The next 1.5 hours involved me wondering what was going on and consulting with Justin about Jewish food. It seemed necessary that you had a basic understanding of Jewish culture in order to gain anything from the talk. I went hoping to gain knowledge about Jewish food. It only managed to confuse me. Overall the trip wasn’t what I hoped it would be and I did not get much out of it.

Seriously, are bagels actually Jewish food?

I was a part of my high school choir and had the opportunity to familiarize myself with classical music and music that was not considered to be modern or popular. It was a valuable experience because I gained an appreciation for classical choral pieces as well as the typical orchestra pieces. Listening to Mutter was an experience that I appreciated. I do not get an opportunity to listen to classical music often so this trip was something I looked forward to. It was an opportunity to listen to classical music which I could not devote time to since high school.

What I loved about this performance was the passion that the musicians had as they played the pieces. Mutter and her students had a command of the pieces and conveyed through their instruments as well as the way in which they used their bodies. As a musician myself I believe that instruments are an extension of one’s body. The art of music is an art form of the human body. Its draining to passionately sing or play an instrument which is exactly what Mutter did. Performing in this way definitely leaves an impact on the audience.

1. What is in your opinion the greatest purpose of art? Base your answer on history as well as your own experiences and opinions.

2.Art has often created uproar  over the controversial topics it portrays including portrayals of war, genocide, nudity and other sensitive topics. Should art be censored or does all art possess beauty and artistic value?

Just like the ballet, I have had zero experience with the opera.I am however a huge fan of classical choral music which this opera reminded me of. The opera however had many differences from what I normally sing in a choral setting. What really stood out to me was the skill that the singers, orchestra and cast had. Its amazing that such a large opera house was filled with the sound of a pure human voice without the help of any microphone. Carmen is definitely not one of the easier works to perform but it revealed to me how talented these performers were. Everything from the set construction, to the costumes, to the performances reveled the amount of work and dedication that goes into being an opera singer.

Everything about the opera revealed the years of history and hard work behind it. I thought to myself how well the opera house was structured and built so that sound could carry all the way to the topmost level of the hall. The atmosphere carried years of tradition with it. The audience was extremely respectful toward the opera which was interesting to see especially when cell phones went off. Overall the opera was a great experience in which I enjoyed a different style of singing which I love and enjoy.

I’ve never seen a ballet performance on any scale, amateur or professional. My limited knowledge of the ballet is from television and seeing characters on different shows attending the ballet. The ballet was my first experience with a formal aspect of “arts in New York City.”

What stood out to me first was the atmosphere of the ballet. I loved how everyone respected the performers and the ballet itself. The audience was extremely respectful and nothing really distracted me from the ballet. I felt that there was an understood reverence for the ballet from the way in which people watched it. The show itself was extremely diverse. The three shows covered a broad spectrum of emotions which really gave me the full experience of the ballet as an art from. I personally loved the last show because the music was composed by a Leonard Bernstein who is a personal favorite of mine. The dancers did an amazing job bringing this wonderful music to life. The dance and music aspects were not independent but went perfectly hand in hand with each other which I loved.

What I really loved about this trip was that we were able to fully immerse ourselves in art. Until this point we’ve deeply examined visual art forms such as paintings, sculptures etc. Going to the memorial did have challenges when viewed as an art form. First and foremost it was difficult to view it simply as an art form. Throughout my life I have learned about the Vietnam War and I experienced in my lifetime the horrible events of 9/11. It’s difficult therefore for me to place myself out of that experience and put the memories on a back burner. It seems sacrilegious to say that these memorials are art. However I believe that one of the greatest honors for an artist is to remember those who lost their lives.

What I found amazing was the atmosphere and environment of the memorials. One part that stood out to me particularly was the sound. The sound of the waterfall was shockingly loud at first. It struck me as odd that this was the environment the artist displayed. After a few minutes I understood the “noise” to be a filter. Instead of jarring me it began to calm me and clear my head. I felt myself place myself fully in the moment of the memorial-that is the remembrance of those who lost their lives. I believe therefore that the 9/11 memorial was extremely “successful” in that I personally left there with a deeper understanding of what happened that day. The vietnam memorial tried to use this method as well. The memorial was in a relatively quiet square which created an environment and atmosphere that cleared your mind and focused it on the lives that were lost. It also had a fountain which was unfortunately not in use. Perhaps this was used to command sound to once again clear the visitors’ minds.  One thing I truly understood about memorials was the importance of environment. What a person is totally immersed in is extremely crucial to the success of the art piece and the conveying of the artist’s message. The command of all the senses was truly unique and certainly made this a unique experience of art in NYC.

Photography always grabbed my attention as a very unique art form. Photography to me is an expression of the way we see the world. We all see the same thing but photographers present them to us in “artistic” ways that we can be reminded of. Garry Winograd truly adopted this. His story personally reminded me of a journey in which he documented his steps by means of his photography. What really stood out to me about his pictures was the thought and effort he put into it. I recall the one picture that really stood out to me. It was possibly the worst quality picture in that most of the picture is blocked out by a person’s body. There’s only a small gap in the middle but through that gap you can see the faces of Eisenhower and Nixon. Out of the experiences he went through this stood out to me because he probably had to go through much effort to get the shot. As a photographer he was probably placed behind all the press cameras with no clear angle. He went out on great journeys across New York City and America. I appreciate the fact that this picture was up in the museum because it really told much about Winogrand’s prowess when it came to photography. 

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqBBTm4Bh3k[/youtube]

Justin, I love your taste. I also chose a song by Lecare. Lecrae is a gospel rapper who grew up in the inner city of Atlanta. Lecrae is one of my favorite artists because of the message he conveys through his music. Lecrae’s commentary is mostly on popular hip hop which he believes is devoid of any meaning or substance. This song titled “Nuthin” explains his belief that hip hop artists communicate through their songs but they fail to communicate the right things or anything resembling a positive influence. This song is art because it uses hip hop to create a new culture within the genre. You would think this is another one of those meaningless raps but its the complete opposite. (Listen carefully to the lyrics.)