Art Reviews

Frank Sinatra coined the phrase a city that never sleeps, when he sang New York, New York – and the words sum up the atmosphere of this city. Vibrant, diverse and dynamic, it has been the inspiration for films, plays, novels and poetry for centuries. Whatever genre interests you, school trips to New York will satisfy your interests in literature and the performing arts.

Broadway

Broadway, in Upper Manhattan, is the theatre district of New York and is probably the only one in the world to rival the West End in London. There are forty theatres on Broadway and the diversity of the plays being shown reflects the diversity of the city. Everything from Macbeth to The Lion King is being performed in a theatre on Broadway, and the history of this area has offered up shows from The Ziegfield Follies to plays by Eugene ONeill and Oscar Wilde.

Many playwrights have been praised or pilloried for performances of their work and history has taken place on this street; Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed by the actor John Wilkes Booth in 1865 while he was watching a performance of Our American Cousin by the English playwright Tom Taylor. Arthur Miller was born in New York and his plays The Crucible and Death of a Salesman are as popular today as when he wrote them. He was married to Marilyn Monroe and wrote the film The Misfits, which was the last film Marilyn Monroe appeared in.

New York Novelists

F. Scott Fitzgeralds work has been studied by literature students for many years and school trips to New York would not be complete without exploring his links to the city. Baz Luhrmans recent production of The Great Gatsby has once again brought this wonderful novel back into the public eye, and its depiction of the development of the city of New York is vivid and dramatic. The novel is set in the roaring twenties when prohibition was at its height – which ironically resulted in New York becoming one huge party. F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were part of New York society at this time and his novels reflect this. Fitzgeralds character in The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, describes New York as offering the “first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.”

Norman Mailer was brought up in New York and his novels The Naked and the Dead and The Executioners Song raised him to the top echelons of respected writers; he won the Pulitzer Prize for The Executioners Song. He is considered to be one of the founders of the genre “Creative Non-fiction”, which makes narratives out of accurate facts.

New York Poets

The Beat Generation of poets were prolific during the 1940s, 50s and 60s and many of them made their homes in New York. Students can prepare for school trips to the city by reading some of the words these writers used to describer her. Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road while living in Manhattan and the novel examines the diverse social groups that were emerging in post-war America. Other members of the Beat Generation include William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, both of whom spent time living in New York.

Fortunate students on school trips that focus on literature and the performing arts will be surrounded by the resonance of the words of the wonderful writers who have lived and worked in this city.

In the “old days,” it was not unusual for jugs of water, bags of rice, and buckets filled with sand to be incorporated into a number of different workout programs. Nowadays, we’re fortunate enough to have access to an excellent selection of martial arts equipment. Because of the effective usage of such equipment, it becomes possible to achieve the most from a structured class or private training.

Of course, this could raise questions regarding the type of martial arts equipment is necessary for the “average” workout. Again, there’s enormous variety available. Below is a brief overview of the martial arts equipment you’ll commonly encounter. Nearly all of it is a must for virtually every martial arts practitioner regardless of style.

Certainly, the common punch bag is a clear must in a dojo or training hall. Punching bags not just give you a definitive target to direct your blows towards. Such bags enhance the possibility to develop solid endurance and cardiovascular conditioning. You can find great variety among the many different punching bags available and they include:

Standard Boxing Size: These would be traditional boxing bags that mimic the shape and size of the torso. They’re primarily for the purpose of punching but mid-line and high line kicks are generally effectively trained on these bags as well.

Banana Bags: Most are thinner punching bags which are the size of the human body. The lower region of the punch bag permits the effective training of leg kicks, knees, and also other strikes.

Light Bags: Light punching bags are low weight (about 1/3 the weight and size of a punching bag) and are designed mainly to give resistance to jabbing style punches as well as hook and uppercut line blows. Some even make use of a lightweight punch bag to train headbutts!

Punching bags may be hanging bags that are affixed to various “hooks” in the ceiling or they may be freestanding. Freestanding bags are, essentially durable base mounts. Such bags are significantly more expensive than a number of the traditional hanging bags but they are much easier to move and store.

While hitting the heavy bag is really a must for effective training, you really do need to hit it in as safe a manner as possible. This will likely require the proper protective gloves essential for hitting an impact target. Including all manner of impact targets – heavy bags, focus mitts, shields, and Muay Thai pads. The knuckles inside the hand are quite small and fragile bones. For this reason reliable gloves – whether they are traditional 12oz, 14oz, or 16oz boxing gloves, boxing bag gloves, or mixed martial arts lightweight finger free gloves – must be worn when hitting a heavy punch bag. For those that enjoy sparring with “point karate” gloves, be mindful of the fact that such gloves aren’t manufactured for hitting impact targets. They will not provide you with the adequate protection you require for such training. Stick with using them for light contact sparring instead.

As most martial artists realize, the hands are not the only area that require protection which explains why a substantial amount of martial arts equipment will provide protection to the feet. Shin pads and point fighting footwear are two of the most common. Some may assume that such equipment is only used in sparring. In actuality, wearing when hitting impact targets is advisable too since this can protect the lower extremities and nerve endings from damage. Really, the perennial running theme here is that most martial arts equipment is intended to enhance safety. Obviously, you can also get some items that serve other purposes as well and they’re well worth a look at too.

Stretching devices can be employed to help you extend the range of motion in the leg ligaments. This will definitely prove helpful for people who would like to enhance their kicking flexibility. Similarly, the “old school” Eagle Catcher is a perfect spring action handheld device designed to build up a great level of gripping stretch. The classic makiwara pad has long since been used to toughen the hands in traditional karate training. Similarly, the kung fu wall bag is a fantastic asset for developing strikes common in the Chinese martial arts. Such older and more traditional training aids definitely have their place in a modern world which is becoming more and more noted for its sportive approach to training. But, whether you are practicing for competition or traditional self-defense, you will need equipment that helps facilitate your goals.

Regardless of the type of martial arts equipment you purchase, you want to make sure it is from a reputable name brand manufacturer. Some will make the error of buying more affordable equipment from a “no frills” manufacturer. Rarely is such equipment worth much of anything. Not only will cheap equipment not deliver on expectations, it can put the user at an injury risk. Certainly, that would not be helpful in any way whatsoever. Keep with reliable name brands for your martial arts equipment needs. Such an approach will assuredly prove significantly more helpful in the end.

With today’s technological advances, recording arts provides a variety of positions for career opportunities. Most people associate recording arts with the music industry, but it also includes working in sound for film, music and television. The sound technology is used to enhance the visual storytelling in these mediums.

There are a variety of career paths available if you decide to pursue a career in the recording arts. Attending a college or university to seek a well-rounded picture of the opportunities available is a good idea. There are many colleges out there that offer degree programs specializing in this area.

In lower level classes, you may gain hands on experience by learning to play the keyboard. You will probably also take a course or two that focuses on the basics of music theory. You will learn how music has made an impact on our world over the course of the years.

Many of the higher level courses give more technical knowledge. You can study the science of how sound behaves. You also might learn about the art of reproduction and modification. The techniques you learn can be applied to careers in the movie and television production industry. They can also be used if you desire to pursue a career in the music recording arena.

You have several different career choices when you obtain a recording arts degree. A music producer is one of the most common that comes to mind. But keep in mind that you are just restricted to the music industry. There are many technical jobs that are required in film and television production.

You will find the need for Post Production Engineers in the music industry, but they can also be involved in the technology used to combine the sounds found in a television program or motion picture. This type of position requires and understanding of the various technologies used, but also leaves way for creativity.

Once you’ve spent years mastering your craft, you might aspire to become a Master Engineer. In this position, you would be responsible for taking the final mix provided by the Mix Engineer and analyze it for consistency throughout the entire album, or the production. Although there is equipment available that claims to accomplish this task, they can never replace the experienced ear of a real live Master Engineer.

No matter what your aspirations are in the recording arts industry, it will require at minimum some technical training. As with most careers, you will get your start in an entry level position. With perseverance, hard work, and determination you can advance through the ranks to someday visualize your dreams