Summer Assignment

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Music Director
     1 )  Harpoon Land by Owiny Sigoma Band - Harpoon Land connects to Buddha Boy by Kathe Kujo because of their similarities in theme. Both works discuss the issue of unjust prejudice by showing how stereotyping affects those around you. Harpoon Land uses complex lyrics to tell of an unknown character being pushed "Get back, talk in broken language" as they're forced into a conflict in "This Harpoon Land" which refers to South Africa, a country riddled with racial tensions where those who disagree aren't given the right to stand up for others. Using this evidence, we can link Harpoon Land to Justin and Jensen's conflict as they learn to cope with the prejudice pushed on them by their peers. Both pieces use complex idea to push the listener/reader to question society and our perception of those around us.

    2 ) Gloria by Laura Branigan - Gloria tells the story of a woman thrown into a conflict where she finds herself unable to disconnect herself from those who have left her behind.
"Gloria, don't you think your falling'?
If everybody wants you, why isn't anybody callin'?"
These two lines are key pieces of evidence, using the idea of calling a friend to simulate a social situation that doesn't benefit Gloria. Just like Jensen, both characters show a refusal to stand up for themselves and must find a way to come to terms with the conflict and/or confront their attacker. The lines;
"You don't have to answer
Leave them hanging on the line, calling Gloria"
show the reaction phase in a conflict which is often the hardest. Just like Gloria, Jensen has to deal with peers who dislike the idea of losing their target and being unable to affect them, using the phrase "leave them hanging on the line, calling Gloria", Laura Branigan was able to replicate this phenomenon in the form of a complex metaphor.
   
3 ) Trouble by Frankie Rose - Trouble by Frankie Rose uses a well thought of process of uses different tones and lyrics to create an ominous and almost frightening explanation on the effects of conflict.

" I tell myself that no one else can help me
And I need esteem, it's okay

I'm being dramatic but if I sit static it should start to fade
Then he came

Trouble Follows you ( if your run, no matter where )"
Trouble tells of how the protagonist is followed by a conflict and "running away" by avoiding the conflict and hoping to push it off for good, but the stress constantly gets to them forcing them to want to deal with the conflict. Much like Jensen's situation, he was bullied and attacked by the other kids until he finally faced the conflict and built a strong resilience to the teasing, essentially ending the conflict peacefully. Both literary works show just how challenging it is to face a conflict, and how drastic the effects are on a person's confidence and social health.

4 ) It Ain't Over 'Till it's Over by Lenny Kravitz - It Ain't Over 'Till it's Over takes a more cheerful approach to conflict and resolution. Lenny Kravitz uses a much lighter tone, compared to his other music, and the use of violin quartets to show the beauty in life after conflict is over, and just how much better life is without the weight of conflict on your shoulders.
"So many tears I've Cried
So much pain inside
But baby, it ain't over 'till it's over"
The chorus of  It Ain't Over 'Till it's Over tells of a painful past being followed by the reward of still being together. Much like Jensen and Justin's relationship, the protagonist of the song has had to deal with a mountain of pain and conflict in order to stay with those around them, only to be rewarded with the gift of companionship and a happier result.

5 ) Wandering Star by Portishead - Wandering Star is about the painful reality of  the protagonist's life. Using the term "wandering star", Wandering Star describes the beauty of people wandering in "The blackness of darkness forever" due to the constant hate and conflict that is thrown at them.
"Please could you stay awhile to share my grief
For its such a lovely day
To have to always feel this way
And the time that I will suffer less
Is when I never have to wake
Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved
The blackness of darkness forever"

The segment:
"Please could you stay a while to share my grief, For it's such a lovely day, To have to always feel this way"  refers to how much one can make or break someone's feelings by allowing them to "share my grief" and simply taking the time to hear them out. Jensen was a key example of this desire because his desire for a friend, aka Justin, was what saved him and allowed him to "share my grief" and release some of their stress.

    6 ) Boys Don't Cry by The Cure - Robert Smith carefully molded the lyrics of Boys Don't Cry to denounce or social systems and pressure from our peers. Boys Don't Cry is about the struggle of the protagonist as he is denied the right to show his feelings by the fear of rejection.
So I try to laugh about it
Cover it all up with lies
I try to laugh about it
Hiding the tears in my eyes
Because boys don't cry
Using the term "boys don't cry" Robert Smith replicates a social scenario where he isn't meant to cry or act like himself because that is not "cool" or "normal". Just like the protagonist of Boys Don't Cry, Justin had to deal with the pressure of his peers as they showed distrust and prejudice against him because affiliating with Jensen wasn't "cool".