Week 3 Blog Post

Topic 1:

For my first story, I got in touch with Lex Porter. He was impressed with the story, and happy with how it turned out. There were no errors.

Topic 2:

My review is going to be about the recently released album “Handwritten” by Shawn Mendes.

The sources I plan to use for my review are articles from Rolling Stone, Billboard, and USA Today. And myself, of course! There are so many articles being written about him – it’s easy to find different perspectives on him because he is such a sensation all of a sudden.  

This kid just started on Vine and suddenly, everyone knows about him and he is top of the charts at a really young age. Surprisingly, his music isn’t half-bad. I would say it beats out Bieber by bucket-loads. It’s big news because he’s so young, and at maximum popularity right now. 

Week 4 Blog Post

Topic 1:

One of the tools I used in my first story about the dance club was vocabulary (no duh). Stephen King says that a basic rule of vocabulary is that you use the first word that comes to your mind, as long as it is appropriate and colorful.

“Light cascaded into the open studio space as the dancers within it stepped and spun to a song within their heads.”

In this example, I created an image I wanted my readers to see without getting too carried away with every single word and the need for it to stand out. Sometimes the message can get across better when it’s simple.

While I didn’t straight-up use fragments, I did vary my sentence length to keep it fresh. Longer sentences made up most of the review of “Handwritten.”

“He started out as an ordinary Vine user – singing a few seconds worth of songs and started accumulating quite a following, after which Mendes started posting on YouTube.”

But every once and a while I would throw in something short and sweet:

“It’s worth a listen.”

Topic 2:

I have decided to use Deb Powell as the subject of my profile. I will ask if I can shadow her for part of a day while she works and ask a couple questions. Ideally, I will be able to talk to a couple of people she has helped with Love INC., and some members of her family, as well.

Questions I ask will include: What does Love INC. do/ what’s their mission? What does a typical day as executive director look like for Deb? What’s the most rewarding part? How to get involved/volunteer at Love INC.? Do they take donations? Contact info?

Her claim to fame would be that she is the executive director of Linn County’s Love INC.

Links:

http://lovelinn.org/tag/love-inc/

http://www.loveinc.org/what-we-do/why-we-are-different

http://democratherald.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/love-inc-does-just-about-everything/article_3154cc70-5945-11e3-84d4-001a4bcf887a.html

Review - "Handwritten" by Shawn Mendes

Sometimes the greatest stars come from the most humble and unexpected beginnings. 

Shawn Mendes, a musician rapidly rising in popularity, is no exception.

He started out as an ordinary Vine user – singing a few seconds worth of songs and started accumulating quite a following, after which Mendes started posting on YouTube.

On April 14, 2015, the sixteen-year-old Canadian released his debut album titled “Handwritten,” which was a giant step in his musical career. Within the first week, 119,000 copies were sold, putting it at number one on the US Billboard 200.

The songs are full of emotion – a mix of bouncy, happy tunes and songs filled with sorrow. Though the singer may be young and inexperienced, his songs don’t blare complete immaturity, and the sound of the album is not near as bumpy as it may have been expected to be.

According to an article from Rolling Stone, "His debut album presents him as a nice-guy guitar strummer…influenced by the light acoustic pop of Ed Sheeran. And, like the British teen idol, Mendes has more rhythm than you'd expect (note the Nelly singsong flows on "Aftertaste"). 

In an interview with Billboard we find that Mendes does indeed try to mold himself after Sheeran. “‘His whole style is not fake at all,’ says Mendes. ‘That’s how I want to be.’” 

Though I am not sure that there could ever be another quite like Ed Sheeran, his words are flattering to the star and give us a glimpse of Mendes’ musical direction.

USA Today was accurate in saying that “In his songs, Mendes comes across as ultra-sensitive and appealingly self-deprecating. In one song, he sings about needing help with long division. ‘Maybe I'm just a kid in love,’ he sings in another, setting up the punch line: ‘If this is what it's like falling in love, then I don't ever want to grow up.’”

The artist is aware that he has some growing up to do, and that strikes me as more appealing than young musicians trying to fake life experience.

There is some criticism, however. According to a review from Idolator, “He’s written more ballads than upbeat songs, and features instruments instead of electronica, as if that’s enough to show that he’s being ‘real.’ As hard as he tries, though, this album doesn’t have the same warm intimacy of those vines from his bedroom and bathroom in Pickering, Ontario.”

Well, we can’t all be perfect. I honestly haven’t heard many debut albums with as much passion and as little mistakes as this.

It’s a new sound from a fresh voice that, by the way, is the youngest since 2010 to make top of the Billboard 200.

It’s worth a listen.

At a Glance:

Grade for album: B+

Available where: iTunes, Spotify, Google Play

Songs in album: 16

Produced by: Island Records

Lowdown: The youngest since 2010 to take the lead in the Billboard 200, Shawn Mendes’ album “Handwritten” is one you need to listen to.

Week 2 Blog Forum

Topic 1:

I found the end of Section 18 very interesting as I believe he has had the same experience as many writers and artists do. Struggling to convince themselves and others that what they are doing and pursuing isn’t a waste of time.

The most useful thing I have read for feature writing and my favorite quote happen to be one and the same.

“By the time I was fourteen (and shaving twice a week whether I need to or not) the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing.”

This stood out to me because he never gave up. That kind of optimism is inspiring to me, as it can be easy at times to get discouraged. But to quit will never get someone anywhere. Constant practice – through times of incredible inspiration and complete voids of motivation is what will make someone succeed.

Topic 2:

Two possible review subjects for me are Shawn Mendes’ album “Handwritten,” and Dutch Bros. coffee.

I found a published example of a review of One Direction’s album “Four.” Link here: http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/album-review/6319861/one-direction-four-album-review.

The review started off with a little background from the band, criticism for lack of a creative album title, and the stating of an obvious struggle that most boy bands go through trying to grow up as stars in their music.

It takes note of co-writers, and also the various styles they go through in this one CD. The main message is that it could have been better, but if they want to succeed they need to experiment with style anyways.

I think the part that stood out to me was the brutality of the words. Not that they were outright mean, just painfully honest. I tend to want to paint the best sides of people, but sometimes in order to be truthful reviews can’t hold back the biting remarks.

I will be sure to make note of the varying styles in each song, which is the most successful type, co-writers, background, future direction, and a whole lot of honesty. I need to have all the facts, and know what the general public thinks already to establish common ground with my readers from the start.

Dance Your Heart Out

Light cascaded into the open studio space as the dancers within it stepped and spun to a song within their heads. As they rhythmically progressed through the motions, the only sound that could be heard was the pulsing thump of their soles on the floor, and the repeated “one-two-three-four” of a beat that kept their motions sharp and simultaneous.

When a mistake was made, they started again, rehearsing until the mirror in front of the dancers told them that they had achieved the perfection they were working so hard for.

This is the LBCC Dance Club.

The studio they are using is Legacy Ballet, whose owner, Heather Hill, is community partners with Linn Benton Community College and allows them to practice here every Saturday.

In addition to providing the rehearsal space, Heather also organizes performances, lighting and advertising. She wants to help the Dance Club in any way she can, saying: “Having dance in the community is very important to me.”

The Dance Club is not restricted to one type of dance. According to community liaison, Lex Porter, they have hip-hip, ballet, jazz, modern and lyrical routines. And they do not just perform at LB. They have also danced at Western Oregon University, Oregon State University, and the MajesticTheatre.

Jacob Birchard, performing with the Dance Club for three years now, says he originally joined because of a hip-hop class offered at LB, in which he was invited to watch a performance, and participate in a flash mob. When asked what the best part of being involved was, Jacob said, “Definitely the people,” stating that getting to know them and becoming closer as a group has been really exciting for him.

Regarding dance, he continues: “It’s an art form, a sport, and a form of physical exercise. It’s fun and beautiful and I feel amazing after doing it. That being said, it’s not for everyone. But if people like dance they shouldn’t let anyone stop them from doing it.”

For students who want to be involved, auditions are held at the start of the year to pull in new talent for the showcases that begin in the spring.

This year’s showcase will be on May 29-30, and the dancers’ unfailing dedication assures us it will not be disappointing.

To follow their activities, they have a current Facebook page set up. They are now posting sneak peeks every week if any students are interested in seeing bits of what the club is doing in their show this year. 

Lex summed it up best, saying, “When you dance, as in really dance, and project what you’re feeling, it’s the most expressive thing ever and you feel almost uninhibited at times. I want everyone to be able to have a chance to feel like I do when I dance.”

For more information about auditions, contact Kalyn Wilson, club president. Her email is wilsonkalyn5@gmail.com.

Feature Writing: Week One

TOPIC 1:

                My story will be about the LBCC Dance Club. I will have interviews with a dancer, one of the club leaders, and the owner of the studio that they practice in. I was able to get a generous amount of information on both the dance club and each of these people’s roles in it. I talked with Jacob Birchard, Lex Porter, and Heather Hill. They were all very helpful, and happy to talk with me – Lex informed me that he used to work at The Commuter, and thought what we were doing was amazing.

                I have myself been interested in dancing and wondered what it took to be involved. What is the dance club? Where is it? How often do they meet? What kind of dancing do they do? What’s their inspiration? When is the next performance? What would one need to do if they wanted to join? These are some of the questions I inquired about.

                Honestly, I haven’t written it all out yet, and decided entirely what direction to take it in yet, I just know that I want people to be aware that the dance club is out there because it seems like a blast to be involved in.

TOPIC 2:

                I enjoyed the last term of journalism I took immensely and am now considering whether or not to pursue a career in journalism. I have been writing all my life, but still have a copious amount of techniques to learn. One area I have little experience in is the style we are dealing with in this class – feature writing. In fact, I haven’t had much practice with article writing at all.

                I want to be proficient in AP style, learn how to correctly prepare for interviews and stories, and know how to be concise. There are so many style of writing, and this style intrigues me. I can already see that some of my hopes going into this class are being answered, and I have learned a great deal in just a few classes. I’m looking forward to learning, being critiqued, and growing in skill.