Academy soundtrack commentary

1) "Right Where It Belongs"- Nine Inch Nails

I picked "Right Where It Belongs" by Nine Inch Nails because it pertains to some of the philosopical ideas we explored this year as they are embodied in the following quote:


"What if everything around you
Isn't quite as it seems?
What if all the world you think you know
Is an elaborate dream?
And if you look at your reflection
Is it all you want it to be?
What if you could look right through the cracks?
Would you find yourself...
Find yourself afraid to see?"



This quote associates with Plato's theory of forms as it questions the extent of reality and the way it is perceived by humans. Plato's theory states that reality has two levels: a world that is perceivable using the senses and another that is made up of Forms. Everything in this world is a mere reflection of its Form, which is its ideal, archetypal model. This is especially visible in the quote, "And if you look at your reflection/Is it all you want it to be?" However, we, as humans, turn a blind eye the impurities and blemishes of our world. If we were presented with a utopian realm, the world of Forms, reality would become insufficient and fallible and we would shy away from the cold fact that our world is full of imperfections.


This is illustrated in Plato's allegory of the cave, which is demonstrated in the following quote:


"You can live in this illusion

You can choose to believe
You keep looking but you can't find the woods
While you're hiding in the trees"


In the allegory of the cave, a group of people have lived facing a cave wall their entire lives. Their perspectives of objects and lifeforms are limited to the shadows they see on the cave wall in front of them. This situation portrays reality according to the senses, or, in other words, the "false" reality. When a prisoner escapes, he sees the world as it is and is in complete awe of it. This is identified as the world of Forms. The above qupte relates to this because we can choose the reality we want to live in, but we'll never be able to experience the greatness of the world of Forms if we're "hiding in the trees," or restricting ourselves.


In addition, the idea is further portrayed through the musical elements of the song. I would describe the song as deceptive because of the initial constance of the synthesizer, piano, and verses that give the impression that the remainder of the song will be the same way. However, about halfway through the song, the dim, distant sound opens up to full sound with the feeling of the lead singer almost being closer in proximity. This suggests that although we may be close-minded or the world may seem dismal, we can choose our outlook on the rest of the planet.


2) "Talk"- Coldplay
At the start, the song gives a feeling of ambiguity, as is visible in the following quote:



"Oh brother I can't, I can't get through
I've been trying hard to reach you, cause I don't know what to do
Oh brother I can't believe it's true
I'm so scared about the future and I wanna talk to you"

I picked this song because of its relation to our Academy Global Citizenship project. In the imperfet world we live in, when confronted with many of the atrocities that our fellow citizens of the world are faced with we become frightened and concerned. There is quite a bit of uncertainty in how to handle these situations, especially when events occur in distant regions, and many people wish they could reach out in some way to assist their fellow citizens of the earth. On a more personal level, at the beginning of the year we Academites were unsure of the path to follow on our global citizenship journey. We were hesitant and indecisive when presented with the project, but thought and experience has illuminated our path. After uncertainty comes hope and action, as they are revealed in another quote:


"You can take a picture of something you see
In the future where will I be?
You can climb a ladder up to the sun
Or write a song nobody has sung
Or do something that's never been done"



So, after the initial reaction of anxiety, there is hope in taking initiative to do something great. This quote assures that anything can be done and a world of opportunity lies ahead for anyone. This is reassuring in any hard time, and it immediately makes me think of the burden put on future generations. In today's world with an injured environment and tough global issues, it is the responsibility of my generation and the generations after me to nurse the environment back to health and to put forth our best effort to solve worldwide dilemmas that we are faced with today. As global citizens, we can change the apparently desolate future of the world and live harmoniously.


Although the song seems ambiguous at the beginning, the moderate tempo, echo of the electric guitar, and the high-pitched vocals create a cheerful mood.


3) "Slipping Away"- Nine Inch Nails
I chose this song because of its relevance to Life of Pi and Pi's psychological battle while on the lifeboat. The quote from the song, "Try to save myself but myself keeps slipping away" is a perfect depiction of Pi's inner thoughts as he struggled with maintaining his faith, humanity, and survival. When Pi killed his first fish, guilt overcame him as he transgressed the Hindu vegetarian beliefs and he viewd himself as a savage killer. He then progressed to taking more and more lives to support his own and later felt no regret of his actions. In a way, Pi was losing more of his humanity as he became less emotional. His interactions with Richard Parker became animalistic when he marked his territory with his urine and attempted to eat Richard Parker's fesces. The will to survive robbed Pi of his human nature and mental stability.


In addition, the following quote further relates to Pi's religious battle:


"Pictures in my head of a final destination
All my doubts for the ones who are allowed to stay,
Try to save myself but myself keeps slipping away"


In this quote, the "final destination" resembles nirvana or heaven because of Pi's multi-religious background, but either way Pi's religious affiliations promise salvation after death. It seems as if this promise of salvation is Pi's last motivation after he loses his family, his humanity, and his morals, and on the path to nirvana or heaven he would be leaving all of his doubts with those on earth and then reach his final destination. This reveals that the human will to survive is greater than anything else and that a strong spiritual foundation can aid in survival.


In addition, the strong drums and the number of various electronic sounds and instruments stir a mood of restlessness and instability like Pi was experiencing. Also, chaos erupts about halfway through the song as a tearing synthesizer is introduced, muddling the vocals like Pi's thoughts and feelings.


3) "The General"- Dispatch
This song connects to the socialization of boys as we saw in the movie, "Tough Guise." The following quote describes a general's role on the battlefield:


"A seasoned veteran in his own time
On the battlefield he gained respectable fame"


In this quote, the general's success and respectability is measured by his execution on the battlefield. This kind of behavior isn't only seen in war, but in everyday life. Men and boys are initiated into gangs by carrying out violent deeds and also gain status in the same way. The media blends violence and charm in characters like James Bond, Wolverine, and Rambo, formulating a false image for boys that being skilled in combat or sharpshooting will increase desirablility. Characters like these cause young boys to measure their worth based off of certain qualities that define being a male, which is illustrated in the next quote:


"All the men held tall with their chests in the air
With the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare"

The men in this quote are putting up their "tough guise" as their general gives them orders. Actions like, "[holding] tall,"chests in the air," and "fire in their stare," all contribute to the blurred reflection that being a "real man" requires fearsome conduct. This improper way of thinking can become harmful to the social, emotional, and physical health of boys and those around them.


5) "Take A Bow"- Muse
I chose this song because it addresses the topic of archetypes that we explored earlier in the year. The following quote exemplifies "The Corrupt Leader" archetype:


"Corrupt, you're corrupt,
and bring corruption to all that you touch.
Hold, you’ll behold,
And be holden for all that you’ve done.
And Spell, cast a spell,
Cast a spell on the country you run.
And risk, you will risk,
You will risk all their lives and their souls."



All of the actions in the quote above (corrupt, hold, cast a spell, risk) illustrate those of dictators or tyrants. At first they cast a spell on the citizens of their country with their charm and relativity to the citizens, but later they corrupt the country and risk the lives of the people. However, their deeds will not go unrecognized as leader will be "holden" for all they've done to the country. This is the path that many dicators or corrupt leaders have taken, with Hitler, Stalin, and Lenin to name a few. Eventually, the following occurs:


"And our freedom's consuming itself,
What we've become is contrary to what we want
Take a bow."



Eventually the citizens of the country realize that their once charismatic leader has transformed into an omnipotent dictator when the truth is that in fact, no transformation had actually taken place. The people were fooled into electing a leader that had revoked their freedom and remodeled their nation into exactly what they were trying to avoid. Now, many would say that this is the fault of the people, but when presented with a charming, seemingly promising leader anyone's initial reaction is to elect him or her to bring positive change or continuity to their nation. This shows that not everyone is who they seem to be, and one must not be prejudiced because it may cause serious consequences.


6) "Be Here Now"- Ray LaMontagne
I chose this last song because of its correspondance to our class novel, Siddartha. In the book, Siddartha embarks on a quest to find himself and spiritual enlightenment. The following quote illustrates this:


"Don't let your mind get weary and confused
Your will be still, don't try
Don't let your heart get heavy child
Inside you there's a strength that lies"

Along his journey, Siddartha battled with outside troubles and human vices like lust, greed, and envy. The quote relates to Siddartha's internal struggles in the way that keeping a clear mind and heart will pave the path to salvation. The ferryman was the character who revealed Siddartha's inner self and showed him the strength he had to resist the evils of the outside world and live as one with the river and with Brahman.


In addition, Siddartha had to face many hard times throughout his quest. The lyrics correlate to this here:


"Don't let your soul get lonely child
It's only time, it will go by
Don't look for love in faces, places
It's in you, that's where you'll find kindness"



As Siddartha encountered many dilemmas in his life, he managed to push through them by way of the comfort of a greater spiritual power. After Siddartha left his father and his life to pursue a life of ascetism, he soon grew lonely. He filled the hole in his heart with a lust-based relationship with Kamala, yet he was still left unsatisfied. This is due to the fact that love cannot flourish in a short-lived relationship founded for the wrong reasons or in the material world, but within oneself. This is what Siddartha eventually came to understand through his position as ferryman. This suggests that one cannot trust material goods or improper relationships to ensure happiness, but through faith in oneself and positive relationships with others.


The enchanting guitar, background strings, and playful piano scales add a dreamy quality to the song. LaMontagne's soothing voice adds a mystical feel to the overall magic of the song and is surely quite calming. The combination of the andante tempo and the swell of the strings as well as the other instruments paint a picture of calm river waters in my mind. And, of course the river is being ridden by a ferryman named Siddartha.


7) Reflection (start reading at 0:30)
At the mark of the end of the year (where did it all go?) I think that I have grown significantly as a writer and a thinker. I have learned to become more critical of my writing and pay attention to verbs and sentence fluency. However, this year I have learned a lot about writing through our class novels. "Romeo and Juliet" showed me that everything is put into writing for a reason and that any and every idea can be portrayed creatively using literary elements like a chiasmus, for example. Even a few changes in word choice can change the entire cadence or mood of a paper or a story and no word, phrase, or sentence should be frivolously thrown into a writing piece. Every sentence should be equally important and relevant to the greater idea.


Also, I have learned to think critically about pretty much everything. Literally. I can't even watch television without analyzing the characters and their motives or taking note of certain themes or elements that recur throughout the program. However, I am very thankful for this because I know that it will aid me in my future studies and in every day life. And of course I still remember those fallacies. I'm still using those, Mr. Morgan. :)


So, in short, thank you for a fantastic year, Mr. Morgan. Freshman Academy English has laid a stable foundation for the rest of my high school career, and I value everything you have taught me. All of us were very lucky to have such an understanding and caring teacher this year.

Academy Soundtrack