An Open Letter To Educators

This is a video about his opinion on institutional education, and I think people should watch it because it makes a good point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P2PGGeTOA4

I think this video makes a good point on education. To me a lot of the times school just feels like I get graded on how much I can memorize. Before, this was valuable because you could only learn these facts at school, but now you could look up any fact you wanted instantly all on your own. I am not saying that schools should stop teaching us facts and just teach us about the real world, but they need to change their approach.
One problem I have with the school system are the regents. I feel like the majority of teachers are concerned with just making sure we know what is going to be on the test, and that's it. I feel like preparing us for these tests takes away from us actually learning things. I have had several instances where when a student doesn't understand something, a teacher will shrug it off and say that it's okay because it doesn't really show up on the regents. By doing this, they have made it seem like that piece of information is unimportant because it does not show up on a exam.
Also, in the work field, many businesses require you to have a degree, which I can understand, but having a degree does not necessarily mean you know what you are doing, and not having a degree doesn't mean you don't know your stuff. Just by not having a degree with something, you can make less than people who do, when you're degree usually signifies that you sat in a class and memorized what the professor told you and passed the classes. I am not saying every class and teacher is like this, but I think it is unfair that someone without a degree is looked at as not as knowledgeable in that field, especially in an age where you could learn anything in an instant. That self taught person could know more than the person with the degree because they taught themselves, and had time to explore certain topics more because they didn't have as strict deadlines.
I agree with him that if institutional education keeps going the way it is, it will one day be worthless. Information is not as valuable as it once was because of the fact that it is available to anyone at any time.

Streetlight Manifesto

One of my favorite bands at the moment is a band called Streetlight Manifesto. I decided to talk about them here because I don't think they are as popular as they should be. I love this band because their music is fast paced, and has so many components involved in it. When I listen to a song I never feel bored or lose interest in the middle of the song. Streetlight Manifesto has six members, a lead vocalist and guitar player, a bassist and back up vocalist, a trumpet player, two saxophone players, and a drummer.
Another reason I enjoy listening to them is because you can hear some of the different influences in their music. Their genre is ska, but their songs have a ska, Latin, and punk sound. Streetlight Manifesto are also capable of putting on an amazing show. I saw them twice last year, and they were amazing both times. The first time I saw them, the singer had broken his arm, and since he is the guitarist they couldn't play all of their songs, but even then they were still great. He would still jump around the stage and have a lot of energy. The crowd is always very into the performance, jumping up and down, moshing, and singing along.
I love this band because they sound different then a lot of bands out there, and are very talented. Along with having great music, they also have meaningful lyrics. Their lyrics are a good mixture of being straight forward and metaphorical. I like having to figure out certain lines, but I also like having the main point of the song still be obvious. Some of my favorite songs by them are Dear Sergio, Failing, Flailing, Point/Counterpoint, and Down, Down, Down, To Mephisto's Cafe.

Authenticity

I found this quote from a friend, and wanted to share it. I believe this statement is so unblievably true, because I do not think anyone can ever be completely original. A person always draws inspiration from somewhere, even if the idea they come up with is completely new, it has roots from somewhere else. When people call something or someone original, I really think they mean authentic. What is important is that whatever they are referring to conveys the core of that person or idea, regardless of whether or not you have seen it before. If someone seems to have an original style, they didn't really make up any of those clothes on their own, but what makes their outfit stands out is that it is representing their own personality, even though the core pieces of clothing such as jeans, t-shirts etc., are the same thing everyone else owns.
This statement even applies to art. There are many styles of art, and many artists paint in the same style, but their pieces of work all stand out from each other. Even though these artists have a similar style, when they created that work of art, they were all trying to convey their own point in their own way, and not trying to make an exact replica of whatever had inspired them.
If you are working at being completely original, it is not something you will ever obtain. The only thing you can do is make sure everything you wear, do, and create is true to who you are and what you like, whether or not everyone else is doing the same thing.

Bamboozle Music Festival

A great musical experience is the Bamboozle music festival. This is a two day event that is held in the Meadowlands stadium in New Jersey, and takes place May first and second. Bamboozle is a collection of over a hundred bands and musicians, and they play on different stages at different times throughout the day, and each day has a different setlist. It is a great way to see several of your favorite artists at once, and also listen to artists you've never heard before. A ticket for Bamboozle is only 45 dollars, which is usually the price you would pay for one band. You can buy a ticket for both days, or just for one day. Bamboozle also covers several music genres, everything for metal to pop. There are also many tents that are set up at the venue that give you the chance to purchase cd's, merchandise, and sometimes meet bands and artists.

There is also plenty to do between performances. They have scavenger hunts you can enter to win special passes, and there are also street fair rides and food. You can also check out the tents for special organization such as PETA, To Write Love On Her Arms, and many more, to get information. You can visit the smaller stages to listen to unsigned bands and find someone you like. Bamboozle is a great experience, and well worth the money.

This year's Bamboozle lineup includes Paramore, Kesha, Drake, Bullet For My Valentine, Weezer, Motion City Sountrack, Say Anything, and many many more.

If you want more information, you can go to thebamboozle.com