Month: March 2017

 

Before: I think that we feel nostalgia because things or objects that we have had past experiences with appear in our present lives, in which seeing or hearing these things triggers past memories, which could either make us feel happy, or sad.

After:  After watching the TED-ED video, I discovered that I was correct in assuming that when faced with an object or thing that we have had past experiences with, we humans might feel nostalgia.  At first, nostolgia was treated as a mental disease that could only bring negative emotions, but as time stretched on, it was discovered that nostalgia is a mental experience that could trigger not only negative emotions, but positive ones too. Nostalgia can increase self-esteem and charitable actions, along with many other psostive and uplifting emotions.

Why I’m Glad that I Took the Time to be CURIOUS: I am glad that I took the time to be curious, as the next time that I feel the presence of nostalgia, I will have a more complex understanding of it.

Before Watching the TED-ED Video: I think that we all should listen to Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” because it’s complex musical interpretation of the four seasons ignites the neurons in our brains, leaving every part of our brain with a mental exercise, which, in turn, increases our cognitive abilities.

After Watching the TED-ED Video: After watching the TED-ED video, I learned that we all should listen to Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” because the piece is something called program music, or music that conveys a story. In “Four Seasons”, there is a poem that is meant to be read along with listening to the music. When you both read and listen, the music and the story go together like mashed potatoes and gravy, and a very clear interpretation of the four seasons is illustrated. Even without the poem,  it is not hard to picture what is happening in “Four Seasons” just by listening and thinking. When one listen to the tempo, dynamics, and other components of the piece, they are able to decipher what season it is, and what is happening. “Four Seasons” conveys a story of the beauty and hardships of mother nature’s endless cycle. It provides us the true identities of the seasons, from the blossoming happiness of Spring, to the bleak, freezing wind of Winter. Vivaldi gives us one of the simplest, greatest stories ever told, and all you have to do, is shut your eyes, think, and listen.

Why I am Glad That I Took the Time to be Curious: I am glad that I took the time to be curious because I usually listen to “Four Seasons” when I am doing homework. Now, whenever I listen to this piece of musical art, I will visualize a bigger, better, and more beautiful story.