Tyler Young
Arts Scholar
Pentathalon Semester 1
Djanjo Unchained
Django Unchained, streamed on Netflix. #film
Going into this movie, I had no idea what the plot or theme was going to be. Though I knew it was directed by Tarantino, I also didn't fully expect the presentation of the movie to be as intense as it was. This movie touches on a part of history which is extremely important-- pre-civil war America. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Django and Dr. King Schultz throughout the movie, and the way they were able to alter the mannerisms they used for different characters was quite impressive. Additionally, though the movie was rather gory, I found its cinematic presentation to be quite enthralling as well. After the movie, I was quite tired, having experienced a lot of shock and emotional swings throughout, but I think that really speaks to the connection that can be built with the characters, and the insanity that each of them have to go through.
Why I ask strangers to draw their memories
"Why I ask strangers to draw their memories" - Janne Willems, TEDxGroningen, November 2014. #presentation
This talk is very intruiging. It's about psychology, happiness, and how art can be an active way to stimulate happy thoughts from memories. I found it amazing, yet almost intuitive, that drawing is the most universal way to express something. No matter who Willems came across, from the suicidal person to the shy Vietnamese person, from those who were quite happy to those who were not, and from all places where happiness means something different, drawing was a way that even the most distraught of people could lay out their memories and find a happy element in there. Art is inherently universal, and as such can draw out a lot from those who can partake in it.
Notes from the Field
"Notes from the Field" - Anna Deavere Smith, 2015. #theatre
I watched this performance on HBO. It's a striking example of theatre that comments on social issues and really gets down to the finer details of marginalized people's lives. This play is a solo play, wherein Anna Deavere Smith performs the entire show herself-- every single character, from Native American men to black young men to older white women. Each of these people she's acting as is someone that she interviewed in the process of making the play. The common theme with these people is the injustice and marginalization of regular people. The play starts with the killing of Freddie Gray, and it develops to talk about the greater context of the BLM movement, the school-to-prison pipeline, and so on. The way that Anna Deavere Smith is able to capture the perspectives of all these different people she interviewed is quite a sight to behold, since it demonstrates the severity of some of the conditions these people are put through. It's a very powerful show, and it provides a good message even today, in light of recent events.
Chill With a Quill
Chill With a Quill - Hosted by CPSA AAB, Nov 17, 2020. #literature #arts-scholars
This event was very nice. While listening to chill music, around 30 people and I all wrote. There were two options, one was to write a poem, the other was to write a letter to yourself. I opted to write a poem. I based the idea on growth: what do I want when I grow? What do I want to keep? Will it be worth it?
I decided that writing this poem would reflect on my thoughts as I sit at home pondering existence and injustice. So, for what it's worth, it was really nice to just let my mind speak for itself as I wrote. I find that creativity really can come from within, which is important in the context of making art in general. Overall, this even got me thinking about something I don't normally do, and creating something I don't normally produce, which was valuable to me.
Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog
Short film, streamed on YouTube. #film
This was a very interesting short film. I didn't know what to expect going in, because on the surface this just seems like a silly little movie that goes by real quick. However, there are a few things that went beyond my expectations here. First, the movie's soundtrack was very expertly crafted: for a short film, this soundtrack features many catchy songs and well-written lyrics that serve the overblown characters, as well as the plot. But additionally, the ending of the movie pushes a lot of expectations as well. Usually in a short film, there's a happy ending, or something similar to wrap it up. However, there is no happy ending here, and instead it seems like every character loses. This appears to be a theme in the movie, and fits Dr. Horrible's character very well-- a villian whose machinations have failed time and time again. Overall, the movie exceeded my expectations and had me enjoying the concept very well.
Pentathalon Semester 2
Over the Garden Wall
"Over the Garden Wall", miniseries, streamed on Hulu. #film
Over the garden wall is a lovely little cartoon series that plays on a lot of different dynamics. The plot itself isn't particularly interesting, in my opinion, but what makes this show unique are the way the characters are presented and interact, and the way that the show ends. Overall, the runtime isn't long, but it's a fun experience the whole time. The ending is my favorite part of the show because a lot of the issues stem from an almost superstitious idea that everything is tied to a lantern, but Wirt, one of the main characters, sees right through it and breaks the illusion. When he wakes up in the hospital, I found that the connection between "reality" and "the unknown" was clear, and it brought the story together really well. It almost broke the 4th wall too, which was entertaining. Overall, I think that there's something to be gained from this show, be it that a simple cartoon can bring a lot to life, or that there are things in life that, if you just say "that's stupid", it can be a lot easier to overcome.
The Cat Returns
"The Cat Returns", film by Studio Ghibli, streamed February 15. #filmÂ
The Cat Returns is a wonderful movie from Studio Ghibli. Going into it, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I feel that with Studio Ghibli movies it's always a wild ride. This movie was no exception: the story took many turns that I didn't expect it to, starting with the anthropomorphic cats and then growing into an entire kingdom. I found myself relating quite a lot to the main character, Haru, due to the turbulent nature and bizarreness of what's going on. I really like the grandiose feeling of the animation, it tells a story on its own-- and importantly, it's a recognizable style, which is artistically interesting. As far as impact, while it doesn't have a specific message, it definitely impacted me. It surprised me with the different directions it went, and it did that within a relatively short time. I think this movie, along with many others from Studio Ghibli, show that inoffensive, almost childish motifs can still be extremely effective as films.
New Beginnings: A Musical Revue
"New Beginnings: A Musical Revue." Live on Vimeo -- The Clarice, March 6th. #music
This was a wonderful performance done by students at UMD, which was comprised of covers of many songs with music videos to go along with them. The theme revolved a bit around high school and the transition to college, and interspersed throughout were a few mini-skits that helped this develop. The singing was phenomenal-- very well done, the harmonies were impressive and the overall production quality was very good despite the pandemic. There wasn't any huge artistic message that I could tell from this, but I think why I found this to be so good was precisely because it brought talented people together to put on a show. Ironically, I wasn't even aware that some of my friends would be a part of this until I saw them on-screen, which was a pleasant surprise. It was a fantastic show of musical ability, and a testament to music's natural tendency to bring people together. The song choice was good, the coordination was spot on, and despite the lack of a cohesive narrative, there was some character development. Overall, an outstanding performance that brought back some of the magic of live performances.
Debussy Analysis Lecture Recital
"An Analysis of Debussy's Proses Lyriques". Live on Vimeo, April 10. #presentation #artsscholars
This lecture recital was very impressive! I learned quite a lot about Debussy's composition styles and how Proses was constructed, and listening to Bella's performance was a great synthesis of the lecture after. She's a skilled singer, so I was actually able to match some of the riffs from the lecture to the singing, which was really cool to see. One thing I found myself thinking during the lecture portion was how deep the analysis was, because Debussy's style is very good at telling a story, and there's quite a bit of meaning behind it all. The performance itself was fantastic, and I found that each movement felt like it was building on the last, which of course is intended by Debussy. Overall, though I'm not particularly knowledgeable in classical music analysis, I still appreciated it from a theoretical music perspective, and it was still really cool to see the depth and beauty throughout.
Arts & SGC Dumpster Painting Activity
"Painting Testudo on a dumpster to remind people to recycle." Graham Cracker Parking Lot, College Park, MD, April 24. #visualart
I'm not entirely sure how this activity was even organized. It seemed like the sororities had some sort of annual dumpster painting competition, but it got canceled for some reason, and so the opportunity arose for College Park Scholars to paint it instead. I didn't help much in the way of design, but I aided in painting a lot of the base layers, and it was very fun to help make something that looks nice. I was working at the same time as two other people, and there was quite a bit of teamwork involved, figuring out the most efficient way to go about it. I think that this dumpster will likely go unnoticed, as dumpsters do, but it's going to be pretty when finished, not an eyesore. Art can be a way to make something dull and uninspiring into something worth looking at, and I definitely think this is a great example of that.