I really do not know if I have to blog about this, but I will.
I enjoyed that stock market game, but I agree that the numbers need to change. Or else have it be progressive, that way, it is like the real stock market.
However, it got the point across, that the market is a risky business. The market is not constant, and you need a keen understanding of humans to understand it.
I realized in the middle of the game that if I played mathematically, my team would end up in the top 4, so that is what I did. So... it payed off, Matt and I both got prizes.
But I could not do this in the real world. I mean I could, but I would have a lot of trouble in the long run. The market runs off patterns that I would have to respond to instead of math. That is where the game does not work.
However, the game did accurately represent what would happen in a stock market which was good. And that is why I say it is more important to know people, rather than the market. I noticed people patterns rather than market patterns because the market was so erratic.
The team of Abi and Rehka would stay stagnant almost every time. So I knew that when they made a move, it was because they new something was going to happen. I also so that the team of Mike and Paras would be very active. That meant that when they stayed out of the market, something big was going to happen. So I was able to see what people do, analyze it, and make my guess off of it.
This was really cool to see. My mind was constantly at war with itself, fighting impulse, and using logic. I was enjoying the whole experience. When you gamble, you get a rush. That is what it felt like the whole game. I had a rush that lasted because I was betting with my own money, as well as other people as well. It was a real thrill ride.
I want to thank Mr. Bricker for helping us understand the market better with this game. It was a very good way to show us how the market effects everyone, and how trends can push the market up or down.
If we had more time, I would like to go one step further and map out how the market did each turn as well as individual people. That way we can see the effect that we have on the market in the short run.
That is all for now,
Ian
Friday, December 12, 2008
4th Hour Botanical Gardens
I first want to say the the gardens are FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!!! That was such a fun trip. I would love to visit that place in the spring when everything is blooming! That would be so cool.
Despite this I was very put off by the museum. It was mostly a shopping experience. I did not like that. Plus presentation is everything. And it being winter does not help the museum's cause.
Also, I did not like the "quest" that Mr. Bricker put us on. I thought that took away from the museum. I want to enjoy nature, especially nature I do not get to be around. Having the photo hunt really was a drag and I did not like it.
This made for a bad experience. The dead outdoor gardens mixed with the tourist inspired gift shop feel, with the sprinkling of the photo hunt made this experience awful.
I like that museum, I really do, so this must have been a bad experience for me to have a bad time. So that is what I will focus on. How good becomes bad.
When a good thing gets tarnished with something like work, or commercialism, it becomes tacky and lame. It is no longer fun to do, nor interesting to study. The botanical gardens are meant to inspire and educate us about the natural world. It wants us to recycle and preserve the world so we can have these beautiful animals and plants. Having a photo hunt to do, takes away from this point.
The brain now has a task to accomplish, the brain is now thinking, competition and photos rather than nature and beauty. The museum lost its mysticism when Mr. Bricker put us on the hunt. I do not know what he was thinking.
What I know is, I was able to enjoy the museum a lot more once I did not care about any of the pictures. I wanted to experience plants and wild life that I may never see in my life again. So naturally, I did.
The brain cannot do two things at once well. It needs years and years of practice to do that. So the brain cannot do a photo hunt and enjoy nature at the same time. Now, if the brain is taking pictures to enjoy nature, that is a different story. So the brain has trouble doing two things at once. This makes for a conflict of interests.
I ask the class. What color was the baobab tree, and what makes it special? Then I ask, what was the scientific name of the three plants they took pictures of before the baobab tree? I bet the students that concentrated on pictures rather than the tree can tell the scientific names, but not the color.
Adding in the photo hunt ruins the educational value of the museum.
I love that museum, and recommend it to anyone. But please, take pictures because you want to see nature, not $15.
That is all. Great trip!
Ian
Despite this I was very put off by the museum. It was mostly a shopping experience. I did not like that. Plus presentation is everything. And it being winter does not help the museum's cause.
Also, I did not like the "quest" that Mr. Bricker put us on. I thought that took away from the museum. I want to enjoy nature, especially nature I do not get to be around. Having the photo hunt really was a drag and I did not like it.
This made for a bad experience. The dead outdoor gardens mixed with the tourist inspired gift shop feel, with the sprinkling of the photo hunt made this experience awful.
I like that museum, I really do, so this must have been a bad experience for me to have a bad time. So that is what I will focus on. How good becomes bad.
When a good thing gets tarnished with something like work, or commercialism, it becomes tacky and lame. It is no longer fun to do, nor interesting to study. The botanical gardens are meant to inspire and educate us about the natural world. It wants us to recycle and preserve the world so we can have these beautiful animals and plants. Having a photo hunt to do, takes away from this point.
The brain now has a task to accomplish, the brain is now thinking, competition and photos rather than nature and beauty. The museum lost its mysticism when Mr. Bricker put us on the hunt. I do not know what he was thinking.
What I know is, I was able to enjoy the museum a lot more once I did not care about any of the pictures. I wanted to experience plants and wild life that I may never see in my life again. So naturally, I did.
The brain cannot do two things at once well. It needs years and years of practice to do that. So the brain cannot do a photo hunt and enjoy nature at the same time. Now, if the brain is taking pictures to enjoy nature, that is a different story. So the brain has trouble doing two things at once. This makes for a conflict of interests.
I ask the class. What color was the baobab tree, and what makes it special? Then I ask, what was the scientific name of the three plants they took pictures of before the baobab tree? I bet the students that concentrated on pictures rather than the tree can tell the scientific names, but not the color.
Adding in the photo hunt ruins the educational value of the museum.
I love that museum, and recommend it to anyone. But please, take pictures because you want to see nature, not $15.
That is all. Great trip!
Ian
Blink Essay
Ian Youngs
Robert Bricker & Kristine Kelly
SAGES
10/9/08
Blink Essay
Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink, delves into a very interesting topic of the human mind. The subtitle of the book is “The power of thinking without thinking.” This small phrase talks about the human brain’s ability to respond to situations without consciously doing so. Gladwell refers to this power of the brain as the “adaptive unconscious.” What this means is that a part of your brain analyzes situations and sends a message to your body to respond. The adaptive unconscious does not need a conscious command in order to function. It uses the senses that your body experiences, assesses them, and tells your body to respond. This function of the brain has been used for a long time without the general population knowing it. The adaptive unconscious affects what we buy, how we feel, and how we interpret the world.
One way that the adaptive unconscious is used is advertising. Gladwell mentions different experiments in which different products were tested. The first test was one on margarine. “Margarine came out in the late 1940’s. Unfortunately it was not popular among customers; the product just would not sell. Louis Cheskin, an immigrant from the Ukraine, thought that there must be a reason for this (Gladwell 160).” What was it about margarine that made it so unappealing to the public’s eye?
“Cheskin decided to hold a luncheon where he would pit margarine against butter. But in order to make the margarine undistinguishable, Cheskin colored it yellow, to match the color of butter. After the luncheon was over, the guests were asked to rate everything about the event; including the food. As it turned out the yellow margarine was rated just as high as the butter.”
“Cheskin decided to go further with his experiment. He told the makers of a brand of margarine to name the product Imperial Margarine. This enabled the label artists to use a crown as an emblem. Cheskin also told the makers that the margarine had to be yellow, and that it must be wrapped in foil, as foil was thought to represent high quality. So what would happen if this spread was pitted against regular whit margarine? The answer was that the yellow, impressively packaged margarine won; no contest (Gladwell 160-161).”
This experiment shows us two things. One, our adaptive unconscious is a powerful mechanism. When the color of the margarine, its packaging and name were changed, it was automatically chosen above the regular looking margarine. The adaptive unconscious sensed there was something better about the changed margarine. The name, color, and packaging, all gave the adaptive unconscious good vibes, thus making it acceptable. When the margarine was left unchanged the adaptive unconscious threw out warning signs because it sensed a difference, an overall negative appeal.
Two, our adaptive unconscious can be tricked. When the margarine appeared to be butter, taste tests proved that margarine was just as good. Once the color that differentiated butter from margarine was removed, the margarine became acceptable. Butter was a comfortable commodity to people. The color made them feel “safe” and “happy”. So when the margarine was changed to the “happy” color, people felt that it was safe. Their adaptive unconsciouses were fooled into acceptance. This means that when something “harmful” is disguised as “safe”, people will go near it.
This change in appearance is discussed by Gladwell later on in the chapter. He talks with Davis Masten and Darrel Rhea, two men employed by Cheskin. Their job is to help companies advertise efficiently. Gladwell, Rhea and Masten, travel to a supermarket where the duo shows Gladwell some of the products they have worked on. “Rhea leaned over and picked up a can of 7-Up. “We tested Seven-Up… what we found is that if you add fifteen percent more yellow to the green on this package… [what] people report [is] that the taste experience has a lot more lime or lemon flavor. And people were upset”… Masten picked up a can of Hormel canned meat. “We did this too. We tested the Hormel logo.” He pointed at the tiny sprig of parsley between the r and the m. “That little bit of parsley helps bring freshness to canned food.” (Gladwell 163-164).”
What Masten and Rhea have done is utilize the adaptive unconscious. When buying a product, the first thing we see is the packaging. This first impression must make a positive an impact. When the adaptive unconscious senses something positive, it gives the rest of the body a good, comfortable feeling. So by utilizing different images and colors, a buyer’s opinion is manipulated. Utilization of colors is a technique not only used by marketing firms, but also by artists.
Most everyone knows of the famous artist Pablo Picasso. Picasso was born October 25th, 1881 in a Malaga, a small coastal town in Spain. Skilled in drawing from an early age, Picasso later became a painter. He is most noted for his impressionistic works, which revolutionized the world of art forever. He co-founded the style cubism, for which he would become famous.
Picasso went through two very specific periods in his artistic career. In this time his art reflects his feelings. The two periods were known as the Blue Period and the Rose Period respectively.
Picasso’s Blue Period occurred from 1900-1904. Picasso slipped into a deep depression after the suicide of his dear friend Carlos Casagemas. Soon after hearing of Casagema’s death, Picasso started to paint the majority of his works with a blue and green tint to them. The subject matter was usually morose, and the colors brought out the emotions of the paintings. A portrait of a man picking at a guitar called “The Old Guitarist” is the most notable and iconic work of this period.
The time preceding The Blue Period is known as the Rose Period. This period lasted from 1904-1906. Picasso’s relationship with model Fernande Olivier caused this period to occur. The subject matter is much more festive and jolly, and the colors are brilliant reds, oranges, and pinks. This period is what eventually spawns Picasso’s iconic cubist works.
When an admirer looks at works from these specific periods, he can feel Picasso’s emotions. A sense of despair and angst can be felt when looking at works from the Blue Period, while jollity and joy can be felt from those of the Rose Period. Picasso’s use of specific color schemes helps to bring out these emotions. Subject matter aside, the colors of these paintings is what our adaptive unconscious notices first.
Cooler colors such as blue and green carry a negative message with them, a sense of foreboding and sadness. When the adaptive unconscious looks at these colors, the emotions associated with the colors come out and affect the viewer. So when looking at a picture from the Blue Period the viewer gets a sense of longing and sadness.
The opposite can be said for the Rose Period pictures. The reds and oranges used together correctly bring out happiness and rebirth. They signify warmth and a sense that everything will turn out okay in the end. Again the adaptive unconscious picks up on this and tells the body to react accordingly. For a more “popular” look at the use of adaptive unconscious, we turn to the cinematic mind-teasers, The Matrix Trilogy.
Though the back-story of the Trilogy is quite intriguing, the “nutshell” version will suffice for the purpose of this essay. The Matrix Trilogies takes place in three locations; the Matrix, an extremely large computer program that uses humans for power; the Machine World, the upper layer of the earth which is now run by machines; and Zion, the human city where the survivors of the machine onslaught live. Each of the three locations has a preset color theme that gives the movie its feeling.
In the Matrix, the color theme is green. Everything that takes place in the Matrix is coated in a green tint. From the people to the sky, you get a feeling that you are inside an old-school computer program. The Machine World is colored blue. Like the Matrix, everything here is covered in a blue tint. The machines themselves are bluer than they are silver. Lastly Zion has a red/brown tint. Since Zion is underground and close to the Earth’s core, this is fitting. Most of the humans in Zion are of African-American descent, adding to the color scheme.
Each color gives each location a different feel to it, and the adaptive unconscious senses this. Anytime a character enters the Matrix, the green setting, the viewer gets a sense of falsehood. The adaptive unconscious notices the green of the shot and warns the body. You do not have to be a genius to figure out that the Matrix is not a good place to be. The same can be said of the Machine World. The dark blues of the landscape are caught by the adaptive unconscious, sending warnings to the conscious mind to stay alert because evil lurks in this world. But when adaptive unconscious “sees” the warming reds and browns of Zion, the body relaxes. The viewer knows that while they are in this setting, they are safe and secure, like they are at home.
The adaptive unconscious is in operation throughout the entire movie. It is sending signals whether you should be wary or calm. The last scene of the Trilogy really exemplifies what the adaptive unconscious has done.
The final act takes place in the Matrix. The scene starts out green, as it has for the first portion of the films. Slowly the visual effects team lifts the green tint from the scene, adding in more reds, yellows, oranges, and browns; the colors that signify safety and calm.
Whether the viewer understands the plot does not matter. The adaptive unconscious picks up the color change and send s messages to your body saying, “Relax, do not worry, everything is going to be okay.” If the viewer has the ending of the movie go right over their head, they have had the adaptive unconscious help them out. Now the viewer can understand that the Matrix is not so “artificial” anymore. Now that the “human” colors have been added, change is going to happen.
Whether we like it or not our adaptive unconscious is always at work. It is telling us what to buy, and what to feel. It controls how we think and interpret the world. Colors and pictures help us interpret what is around us. Whether it is to say, “I do not like this,” or “This could be exciting,” the adaptive unconscious is helping us out. How we feel is directly affected by colors because the adaptive unconscious tells us what to feel. What we buy is directly affected by this mechanism. Whatever looks more pleasing, we buy. Whatever causes us to have happy emotions, we buy. Without the adaptive unconscious, we could not be human at all.
Robert Bricker & Kristine Kelly
SAGES
10/9/08
Blink Essay
Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink, delves into a very interesting topic of the human mind. The subtitle of the book is “The power of thinking without thinking.” This small phrase talks about the human brain’s ability to respond to situations without consciously doing so. Gladwell refers to this power of the brain as the “adaptive unconscious.” What this means is that a part of your brain analyzes situations and sends a message to your body to respond. The adaptive unconscious does not need a conscious command in order to function. It uses the senses that your body experiences, assesses them, and tells your body to respond. This function of the brain has been used for a long time without the general population knowing it. The adaptive unconscious affects what we buy, how we feel, and how we interpret the world.
One way that the adaptive unconscious is used is advertising. Gladwell mentions different experiments in which different products were tested. The first test was one on margarine. “Margarine came out in the late 1940’s. Unfortunately it was not popular among customers; the product just would not sell. Louis Cheskin, an immigrant from the Ukraine, thought that there must be a reason for this (Gladwell 160).” What was it about margarine that made it so unappealing to the public’s eye?
“Cheskin decided to hold a luncheon where he would pit margarine against butter. But in order to make the margarine undistinguishable, Cheskin colored it yellow, to match the color of butter. After the luncheon was over, the guests were asked to rate everything about the event; including the food. As it turned out the yellow margarine was rated just as high as the butter.”
“Cheskin decided to go further with his experiment. He told the makers of a brand of margarine to name the product Imperial Margarine. This enabled the label artists to use a crown as an emblem. Cheskin also told the makers that the margarine had to be yellow, and that it must be wrapped in foil, as foil was thought to represent high quality. So what would happen if this spread was pitted against regular whit margarine? The answer was that the yellow, impressively packaged margarine won; no contest (Gladwell 160-161).”
This experiment shows us two things. One, our adaptive unconscious is a powerful mechanism. When the color of the margarine, its packaging and name were changed, it was automatically chosen above the regular looking margarine. The adaptive unconscious sensed there was something better about the changed margarine. The name, color, and packaging, all gave the adaptive unconscious good vibes, thus making it acceptable. When the margarine was left unchanged the adaptive unconscious threw out warning signs because it sensed a difference, an overall negative appeal.
Two, our adaptive unconscious can be tricked. When the margarine appeared to be butter, taste tests proved that margarine was just as good. Once the color that differentiated butter from margarine was removed, the margarine became acceptable. Butter was a comfortable commodity to people. The color made them feel “safe” and “happy”. So when the margarine was changed to the “happy” color, people felt that it was safe. Their adaptive unconsciouses were fooled into acceptance. This means that when something “harmful” is disguised as “safe”, people will go near it.
This change in appearance is discussed by Gladwell later on in the chapter. He talks with Davis Masten and Darrel Rhea, two men employed by Cheskin. Their job is to help companies advertise efficiently. Gladwell, Rhea and Masten, travel to a supermarket where the duo shows Gladwell some of the products they have worked on. “Rhea leaned over and picked up a can of 7-Up. “We tested Seven-Up… what we found is that if you add fifteen percent more yellow to the green on this package… [what] people report [is] that the taste experience has a lot more lime or lemon flavor. And people were upset”… Masten picked up a can of Hormel canned meat. “We did this too. We tested the Hormel logo.” He pointed at the tiny sprig of parsley between the r and the m. “That little bit of parsley helps bring freshness to canned food.” (Gladwell 163-164).”
What Masten and Rhea have done is utilize the adaptive unconscious. When buying a product, the first thing we see is the packaging. This first impression must make a positive an impact. When the adaptive unconscious senses something positive, it gives the rest of the body a good, comfortable feeling. So by utilizing different images and colors, a buyer’s opinion is manipulated. Utilization of colors is a technique not only used by marketing firms, but also by artists.
Most everyone knows of the famous artist Pablo Picasso. Picasso was born October 25th, 1881 in a Malaga, a small coastal town in Spain. Skilled in drawing from an early age, Picasso later became a painter. He is most noted for his impressionistic works, which revolutionized the world of art forever. He co-founded the style cubism, for which he would become famous.
Picasso went through two very specific periods in his artistic career. In this time his art reflects his feelings. The two periods were known as the Blue Period and the Rose Period respectively.
Picasso’s Blue Period occurred from 1900-1904. Picasso slipped into a deep depression after the suicide of his dear friend Carlos Casagemas. Soon after hearing of Casagema’s death, Picasso started to paint the majority of his works with a blue and green tint to them. The subject matter was usually morose, and the colors brought out the emotions of the paintings. A portrait of a man picking at a guitar called “The Old Guitarist” is the most notable and iconic work of this period.
The time preceding The Blue Period is known as the Rose Period. This period lasted from 1904-1906. Picasso’s relationship with model Fernande Olivier caused this period to occur. The subject matter is much more festive and jolly, and the colors are brilliant reds, oranges, and pinks. This period is what eventually spawns Picasso’s iconic cubist works.
When an admirer looks at works from these specific periods, he can feel Picasso’s emotions. A sense of despair and angst can be felt when looking at works from the Blue Period, while jollity and joy can be felt from those of the Rose Period. Picasso’s use of specific color schemes helps to bring out these emotions. Subject matter aside, the colors of these paintings is what our adaptive unconscious notices first.
Cooler colors such as blue and green carry a negative message with them, a sense of foreboding and sadness. When the adaptive unconscious looks at these colors, the emotions associated with the colors come out and affect the viewer. So when looking at a picture from the Blue Period the viewer gets a sense of longing and sadness.
The opposite can be said for the Rose Period pictures. The reds and oranges used together correctly bring out happiness and rebirth. They signify warmth and a sense that everything will turn out okay in the end. Again the adaptive unconscious picks up on this and tells the body to react accordingly. For a more “popular” look at the use of adaptive unconscious, we turn to the cinematic mind-teasers, The Matrix Trilogy.
Though the back-story of the Trilogy is quite intriguing, the “nutshell” version will suffice for the purpose of this essay. The Matrix Trilogies takes place in three locations; the Matrix, an extremely large computer program that uses humans for power; the Machine World, the upper layer of the earth which is now run by machines; and Zion, the human city where the survivors of the machine onslaught live. Each of the three locations has a preset color theme that gives the movie its feeling.
In the Matrix, the color theme is green. Everything that takes place in the Matrix is coated in a green tint. From the people to the sky, you get a feeling that you are inside an old-school computer program. The Machine World is colored blue. Like the Matrix, everything here is covered in a blue tint. The machines themselves are bluer than they are silver. Lastly Zion has a red/brown tint. Since Zion is underground and close to the Earth’s core, this is fitting. Most of the humans in Zion are of African-American descent, adding to the color scheme.
Each color gives each location a different feel to it, and the adaptive unconscious senses this. Anytime a character enters the Matrix, the green setting, the viewer gets a sense of falsehood. The adaptive unconscious notices the green of the shot and warns the body. You do not have to be a genius to figure out that the Matrix is not a good place to be. The same can be said of the Machine World. The dark blues of the landscape are caught by the adaptive unconscious, sending warnings to the conscious mind to stay alert because evil lurks in this world. But when adaptive unconscious “sees” the warming reds and browns of Zion, the body relaxes. The viewer knows that while they are in this setting, they are safe and secure, like they are at home.
The adaptive unconscious is in operation throughout the entire movie. It is sending signals whether you should be wary or calm. The last scene of the Trilogy really exemplifies what the adaptive unconscious has done.
The final act takes place in the Matrix. The scene starts out green, as it has for the first portion of the films. Slowly the visual effects team lifts the green tint from the scene, adding in more reds, yellows, oranges, and browns; the colors that signify safety and calm.
Whether the viewer understands the plot does not matter. The adaptive unconscious picks up the color change and send s messages to your body saying, “Relax, do not worry, everything is going to be okay.” If the viewer has the ending of the movie go right over their head, they have had the adaptive unconscious help them out. Now the viewer can understand that the Matrix is not so “artificial” anymore. Now that the “human” colors have been added, change is going to happen.
Whether we like it or not our adaptive unconscious is always at work. It is telling us what to buy, and what to feel. It controls how we think and interpret the world. Colors and pictures help us interpret what is around us. Whether it is to say, “I do not like this,” or “This could be exciting,” the adaptive unconscious is helping us out. How we feel is directly affected by colors because the adaptive unconscious tells us what to feel. What we buy is directly affected by this mechanism. Whatever looks more pleasing, we buy. Whatever causes us to have happy emotions, we buy. Without the adaptive unconscious, we could not be human at all.
Biography Essay
Ian Youngs
12/12/08
Prof. Bricker
SAGES
Professor Greg Banaszak
Looking for a college is very similar to looking for a serious relationship. You have to check if you are compatible and if you want to stay for a long period of time. It is a difficult process for anyone, but for music majors, it is much more difficult to pick an institution. Unlike most other departments, the majority of music departments are small; you meet people quickly. So you have to make sure that you fit in at the college.
A specific factor that a music major looks for in a college is the teacher he will be taking lessons with. This teacher will be like a second father or mother to the student. So picking the right institution is imperative. And that is why I chose Case Western Reserve University.
Greg Banaszak, the saxophone professor here at Case, is why I chose this school. From the moment I met him, I was amused by him. His style of teaching, his method of listening, and his playing were all unique. I respect that feature about him. I admire him as a person, and look up to him as a saxophonist. But Greg is a very complex individual, and writing a biography of him is not so easy.
One day after my lesson, I asked Greg if I could ask him some serious questions. Greg stopped writing his email, looked right at me and said, “You didn’t get someone pregnant did you?” I choked on my words trying to say “no”. I finally managed to spew out enough words to let Greg know that I wanted to ask him a few questions because I was writing a biography on him. His response shocked me so much, I could have cried.
“No. I don’t have time for things like that.” he said “You know me pretty well, and anything you don’t know, just look up online.”
I did not know what I was supposed to do with that. The person that I was going to write a paper on just said no to a request to ask him questions. But being the savvy person I am, I found a way around it.
I went around to a bunch of Greg’s upper-class students and asked them what they knew of Greg. I was relieved to find that I had gotten enough information to write a decent essay. Using my previous knowledge, excerpts from his students, and a few of Greg’s own stories, I am able to see why my teacher is so special.
Greg Banaszak’s career doesn’t begin until after high school. Greg was accepted into the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. After his first months at the school, Greg realized that he had a lot of work to do to keep up with the rest of the sax majors at the school. He was not only playing and competing with undergrads, but a handful of graduate students and professionals as well.
Greg was determined to be one of the best. And under the guidance of Jackie McLean, the only student of jazz legend Charlie Parker, Greg attained greatness. Working and practicing day and night, Greg rose to the top of the saxophone studio, and in his senior year became first chair in the esteemed Hartt School Jazz Ensemble.
Graduating cum laude with a B.M., Greg was invited to study in Poland. This was new territory for the saxophone community. Greg Banaszak was the first American saxophonist allowed behind the “Iron Curtain” in communist Poland. While there Greg improved on his already impressive skills and earned his M.M. at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw; with distinction.
Traveling the world for a bit, Greg was soon invited to the school that would cause him much angst and turmoil. The Centre Musical d’Annecy in France would challenge Greg far more than his previous institutions. His first day at the school, his professors took away his sax. They told Greg, “If you are not able to sing your music, how are you supposed to play it to the best of your ability?”
Flabbergasted and sax-less Greg buckled down and complied. A few years later, Greg emerged from France with an Artists Diploma, showing he had mastered the saxophone. Greg had finally completed his wish, becoming one of the best saxophonists, in the world.
Greg’s profession can only be described by the instrument he plays. His life is saxophone. Greg is a clinician for Selmer saxophones and Vandoren reeds. In the middle of lessons, Greg receives calls from Branford Marsalis, the famous tenor saxophonist, asking if he wants to do a gig next week. Then the next week I find that I do not have lessons because Greg is doing a gig with Branford…in Spain.
Greg also holds three jobs at three different schools, one of them being Case. When Greg opens his planner, it is easy to see how busy he is. He has his whole life scheduled to a “T”. He is booked so far in advance; he has planners that go until 2012. Greg is also happily married. His wife works at the CIM as a flutist.
But the interesting trait about Greg is that, he has enough time for his students. He starts off every lesson asking how our week was, followed by questions about our other classes. Whether Greg genuinely cares or not, you can tell that he cares about the saxophone player in his students. He wants to make sure his students are mentally healthy enough in order to achieve their best at the saxophone. However I believe that Greg really does care about his students. Many of his students, myself included, have received calls asking if we are doing okay, or if we are feeling sick. It is as if Greg loves us as his own kids.
I have asked myself the question, “Why do I admire Greg?” I find Greg Banaszak to be a truly amazing person. He has many of the traits that make a great human being as well as a fabulous musician.
The first trait that I admire about Greg is that he is devoted. When asked why he isn’t teaching at a conservatory, or touring the country, Greg always answers the same way; “Because my students need me more.” Greg could easily throw away his teaching career, but he doesn’t. He has all the talent in the world, and yet stays for his students. I have witnessed Greg push back his schedule to make time for the undergraduate quartet. He told the man on his phone, “These guys just sound too good for me to make it on time. I’ll be fifteen minutes late.” Greg ended up being thirty minutes late that night.
Another trait that Greg has that I admire is humility. There are many pieces on sax that I cannot play. But I attempt them, and fail horribly. However Greg does not look down on me. Instead he sits back in his chair and tells a story of when he played my piece. He tells me what I did well, and what I need to work on. He never mentions that he aced the piece, or that it made him Grammy nominated, he lets me know that he had trouble with it as well. He really emphasizes the fact that he is not some sort of a music god, just a man that practiced a lot.
Also, Greg never attributes his success to himself. He always gives credit to his mentors and teachers. He says that he would not be where he is today if it were not for people like Jackie McLean or Vincent Abato. He constantly gives them credit and respects them fully.
The last thing that I respect Greg for is the way that he lives his life. It is so fascinating to see him when he is teaching, playing, or even listening. You can immediately tell that his mind is immersed in music.
I will spare talking about what Greg thinks when he is playing because I honestly could not tell you. His musical genius is so far beyond mine, that it hurts to think about. But I can let you into his mind when he hears music. Greg is all about the feel of the music.
Greg knows every etude book for sax, as well as the pieces written for it. There is not one thing that Greg does not know about the saxophone. So quite naturally his next step would be to interpret the feel of pieces. So when I take out Eugene Bozza’s Improvisation et Caprice, Greg’s mind starts to work. Greg knows a few things off the bat.
Greg knows that Eugene Bozza wrote the piece in 1952, making it from the post-classical period. This denotes a more rigid playing style, and immediately whips out his metronome. He tells me that I need this. Even though the Improvisation is an improvisation, it has bar lines, meaning Bozza wanted a meter.
Greg also knows that the piece is written in concert D major. This means a lot of sharps for me to play. So Greg has me warm up playing variations of my B major scale. Major scales, minor scales, whole tone scales, Greg has me immerse myself in the key.
The last thing that Greg realizes is the type of player I am. He knows that I can sight read proficiently. He also knows that the metronome will give me problems. So he tells me not to worry about the mistakes I make, and concentrate on my task, the music.
Greg Banaszak told me all of this in a matter of seconds after I told him the piece’s name. He analyzed the piece, the composer, and the student in a matter of seconds. His brain works on another level.
Greg also has the ability of living a structured planned out life. Anyone with a schedule as packed as Greg’s would obviously not have time for an empty gas tank, let alone an interview. But how does Greg do it? How does he live his life through a seriously over packed little black book? The answer is; he knows his limits.
Greg has been living this type of life for most of his adult life. He has grown accustomed to what a busy life is like. His brain skips over all the useless information and processes only the good content. So when Greg hears about a recording session that will take three hours, he knows that he has to show up early and plan to stay late. He knows how recording sessions work, he knows that they always start late, and nothing goes right. So Greg will schedule the session into a slot of five hours instead of three.
Greg, since he is so sought out, is booked well into 2012. So Greg also prioritizes. He knows that his show with James Carter is more important than his gig at the Bop Stop. But he still realizes that his students come before any of this. Greg has to do this in order to maintain a healthy mind. His entire career would fall apart if he did not possess this skill.
The reason Greg is so successful is how his brain works. His work is his play. They are one in the same. You perform your best when you are having fun. And Greg is a performer. So he has fun performing. And he performs on the saxophone, so he made it his work as well. This is the secret to Greg’s success.
Greg’s success is not because he was taught by the only student of Charlie Parker; so were many other students. It is also not because he studied in Poland and France, that has nothing to do with his success either. Greg is successful because he combined what he loved with what he wanted his career to be.
Since Greg is able to perform at the highest level, he is able to teach at his highest level. He loves to perform and be in the spotlight. But Greg also likes that life for his students. He reflects on his own experiences, and wants he students to have the same opportunities. Greg teaches just like he works, and works just like he teaches.
I just had my last lesson with Greg this past Sunday. It did not go as well as I hoped. Greg sensed that I was feeling down and asked what was wrong. I told him that I felt a bit shafted on music this semester. I felt as if all I did was practice his material, and not material for my ensembles.
Greg looked at me and said two words, “So what?” This may sound a bit mean, but I knew what Greg meant. He knows that ensembles aren’t everything, and that life keeps on moving.
Greg also told me the story of how he made it to jazz ensemble at Hartt. He told me that he would not have gotten there if he hadn’t got cut his first three years of college. I left my lesson feeling refreshed, and happy.
That is the power of Greg Banaszak. That is the power of a man who knows who he is, and knows how to run his life. He makes me realize that I made the right choice about coming to Case.
12/12/08
Prof. Bricker
SAGES
Professor Greg Banaszak
Looking for a college is very similar to looking for a serious relationship. You have to check if you are compatible and if you want to stay for a long period of time. It is a difficult process for anyone, but for music majors, it is much more difficult to pick an institution. Unlike most other departments, the majority of music departments are small; you meet people quickly. So you have to make sure that you fit in at the college.
A specific factor that a music major looks for in a college is the teacher he will be taking lessons with. This teacher will be like a second father or mother to the student. So picking the right institution is imperative. And that is why I chose Case Western Reserve University.
Greg Banaszak, the saxophone professor here at Case, is why I chose this school. From the moment I met him, I was amused by him. His style of teaching, his method of listening, and his playing were all unique. I respect that feature about him. I admire him as a person, and look up to him as a saxophonist. But Greg is a very complex individual, and writing a biography of him is not so easy.
One day after my lesson, I asked Greg if I could ask him some serious questions. Greg stopped writing his email, looked right at me and said, “You didn’t get someone pregnant did you?” I choked on my words trying to say “no”. I finally managed to spew out enough words to let Greg know that I wanted to ask him a few questions because I was writing a biography on him. His response shocked me so much, I could have cried.
“No. I don’t have time for things like that.” he said “You know me pretty well, and anything you don’t know, just look up online.”
I did not know what I was supposed to do with that. The person that I was going to write a paper on just said no to a request to ask him questions. But being the savvy person I am, I found a way around it.
I went around to a bunch of Greg’s upper-class students and asked them what they knew of Greg. I was relieved to find that I had gotten enough information to write a decent essay. Using my previous knowledge, excerpts from his students, and a few of Greg’s own stories, I am able to see why my teacher is so special.
Greg Banaszak’s career doesn’t begin until after high school. Greg was accepted into the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. After his first months at the school, Greg realized that he had a lot of work to do to keep up with the rest of the sax majors at the school. He was not only playing and competing with undergrads, but a handful of graduate students and professionals as well.
Greg was determined to be one of the best. And under the guidance of Jackie McLean, the only student of jazz legend Charlie Parker, Greg attained greatness. Working and practicing day and night, Greg rose to the top of the saxophone studio, and in his senior year became first chair in the esteemed Hartt School Jazz Ensemble.
Graduating cum laude with a B.M., Greg was invited to study in Poland. This was new territory for the saxophone community. Greg Banaszak was the first American saxophonist allowed behind the “Iron Curtain” in communist Poland. While there Greg improved on his already impressive skills and earned his M.M. at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw; with distinction.
Traveling the world for a bit, Greg was soon invited to the school that would cause him much angst and turmoil. The Centre Musical d’Annecy in France would challenge Greg far more than his previous institutions. His first day at the school, his professors took away his sax. They told Greg, “If you are not able to sing your music, how are you supposed to play it to the best of your ability?”
Flabbergasted and sax-less Greg buckled down and complied. A few years later, Greg emerged from France with an Artists Diploma, showing he had mastered the saxophone. Greg had finally completed his wish, becoming one of the best saxophonists, in the world.
Greg’s profession can only be described by the instrument he plays. His life is saxophone. Greg is a clinician for Selmer saxophones and Vandoren reeds. In the middle of lessons, Greg receives calls from Branford Marsalis, the famous tenor saxophonist, asking if he wants to do a gig next week. Then the next week I find that I do not have lessons because Greg is doing a gig with Branford…in Spain.
Greg also holds three jobs at three different schools, one of them being Case. When Greg opens his planner, it is easy to see how busy he is. He has his whole life scheduled to a “T”. He is booked so far in advance; he has planners that go until 2012. Greg is also happily married. His wife works at the CIM as a flutist.
But the interesting trait about Greg is that, he has enough time for his students. He starts off every lesson asking how our week was, followed by questions about our other classes. Whether Greg genuinely cares or not, you can tell that he cares about the saxophone player in his students. He wants to make sure his students are mentally healthy enough in order to achieve their best at the saxophone. However I believe that Greg really does care about his students. Many of his students, myself included, have received calls asking if we are doing okay, or if we are feeling sick. It is as if Greg loves us as his own kids.
I have asked myself the question, “Why do I admire Greg?” I find Greg Banaszak to be a truly amazing person. He has many of the traits that make a great human being as well as a fabulous musician.
The first trait that I admire about Greg is that he is devoted. When asked why he isn’t teaching at a conservatory, or touring the country, Greg always answers the same way; “Because my students need me more.” Greg could easily throw away his teaching career, but he doesn’t. He has all the talent in the world, and yet stays for his students. I have witnessed Greg push back his schedule to make time for the undergraduate quartet. He told the man on his phone, “These guys just sound too good for me to make it on time. I’ll be fifteen minutes late.” Greg ended up being thirty minutes late that night.
Another trait that Greg has that I admire is humility. There are many pieces on sax that I cannot play. But I attempt them, and fail horribly. However Greg does not look down on me. Instead he sits back in his chair and tells a story of when he played my piece. He tells me what I did well, and what I need to work on. He never mentions that he aced the piece, or that it made him Grammy nominated, he lets me know that he had trouble with it as well. He really emphasizes the fact that he is not some sort of a music god, just a man that practiced a lot.
Also, Greg never attributes his success to himself. He always gives credit to his mentors and teachers. He says that he would not be where he is today if it were not for people like Jackie McLean or Vincent Abato. He constantly gives them credit and respects them fully.
The last thing that I respect Greg for is the way that he lives his life. It is so fascinating to see him when he is teaching, playing, or even listening. You can immediately tell that his mind is immersed in music.
I will spare talking about what Greg thinks when he is playing because I honestly could not tell you. His musical genius is so far beyond mine, that it hurts to think about. But I can let you into his mind when he hears music. Greg is all about the feel of the music.
Greg knows every etude book for sax, as well as the pieces written for it. There is not one thing that Greg does not know about the saxophone. So quite naturally his next step would be to interpret the feel of pieces. So when I take out Eugene Bozza’s Improvisation et Caprice, Greg’s mind starts to work. Greg knows a few things off the bat.
Greg knows that Eugene Bozza wrote the piece in 1952, making it from the post-classical period. This denotes a more rigid playing style, and immediately whips out his metronome. He tells me that I need this. Even though the Improvisation is an improvisation, it has bar lines, meaning Bozza wanted a meter.
Greg also knows that the piece is written in concert D major. This means a lot of sharps for me to play. So Greg has me warm up playing variations of my B major scale. Major scales, minor scales, whole tone scales, Greg has me immerse myself in the key.
The last thing that Greg realizes is the type of player I am. He knows that I can sight read proficiently. He also knows that the metronome will give me problems. So he tells me not to worry about the mistakes I make, and concentrate on my task, the music.
Greg Banaszak told me all of this in a matter of seconds after I told him the piece’s name. He analyzed the piece, the composer, and the student in a matter of seconds. His brain works on another level.
Greg also has the ability of living a structured planned out life. Anyone with a schedule as packed as Greg’s would obviously not have time for an empty gas tank, let alone an interview. But how does Greg do it? How does he live his life through a seriously over packed little black book? The answer is; he knows his limits.
Greg has been living this type of life for most of his adult life. He has grown accustomed to what a busy life is like. His brain skips over all the useless information and processes only the good content. So when Greg hears about a recording session that will take three hours, he knows that he has to show up early and plan to stay late. He knows how recording sessions work, he knows that they always start late, and nothing goes right. So Greg will schedule the session into a slot of five hours instead of three.
Greg, since he is so sought out, is booked well into 2012. So Greg also prioritizes. He knows that his show with James Carter is more important than his gig at the Bop Stop. But he still realizes that his students come before any of this. Greg has to do this in order to maintain a healthy mind. His entire career would fall apart if he did not possess this skill.
The reason Greg is so successful is how his brain works. His work is his play. They are one in the same. You perform your best when you are having fun. And Greg is a performer. So he has fun performing. And he performs on the saxophone, so he made it his work as well. This is the secret to Greg’s success.
Greg’s success is not because he was taught by the only student of Charlie Parker; so were many other students. It is also not because he studied in Poland and France, that has nothing to do with his success either. Greg is successful because he combined what he loved with what he wanted his career to be.
Since Greg is able to perform at the highest level, he is able to teach at his highest level. He loves to perform and be in the spotlight. But Greg also likes that life for his students. He reflects on his own experiences, and wants he students to have the same opportunities. Greg teaches just like he works, and works just like he teaches.
I just had my last lesson with Greg this past Sunday. It did not go as well as I hoped. Greg sensed that I was feeling down and asked what was wrong. I told him that I felt a bit shafted on music this semester. I felt as if all I did was practice his material, and not material for my ensembles.
Greg looked at me and said two words, “So what?” This may sound a bit mean, but I knew what Greg meant. He knows that ensembles aren’t everything, and that life keeps on moving.
Greg also told me the story of how he made it to jazz ensemble at Hartt. He told me that he would not have gotten there if he hadn’t got cut his first three years of college. I left my lesson feeling refreshed, and happy.
That is the power of Greg Banaszak. That is the power of a man who knows who he is, and knows how to run his life. He makes me realize that I made the right choice about coming to Case.
1st Semester Things
I enjoyed my first semester here. Case was really never my number 1 school. It would swim around in the 5 to 2 range, but it could never hit one. So this first semester was like testing the water.
I found that this is the school for me. I was happy with everything that I could control. The use of SIS, running around campus for access problems, and useless classes, all had their impact on me. But overall, I am happy that I came here. I am in a wonderful music program with wonderful staff and peers. I love my job, and my co workers. I love the freedom and the campus feel. Life here is great.
I still miss home and everything, but I really do enjoy life here. But I have one moment that sticks out in my mind. It was the end of October, and the night before Halloween.
I was in the music library in Denison, making note cards for my Latin class. I had finished 180 of the 200 I brought and thought I could do 20 and once. I was right. And in fact, I could have done a bit more. I had cut off the tip of my thumb.
Most reactions would go with fix my finger! Mine was different. My first thought was to get all the music and fliers off the table. Then it was check for spatter. Then it was fix my thumb.
I went to the bathroom and assessed the situation. I saw no bone, but I had cut deep. I had no control and had to gain some of it back. So, I calmed down and was able to call for help.
6 weeks later, I can see that my thumb is healed very well, but I'll have a big scar. Oh well. Life goes on, but at least I can still play sax. So everything is okay.
This memory is in my mind because it shows me perfectly. I get too cocky, do something stupid, almost lose it, and then calm down, finally to have the problem fixed. I guess I really haven't changed at all. College has done nothing to my personality. furthering my love of this college. I can just be me, and it is fine.
Signing out,
Ian
I found that this is the school for me. I was happy with everything that I could control. The use of SIS, running around campus for access problems, and useless classes, all had their impact on me. But overall, I am happy that I came here. I am in a wonderful music program with wonderful staff and peers. I love my job, and my co workers. I love the freedom and the campus feel. Life here is great.
I still miss home and everything, but I really do enjoy life here. But I have one moment that sticks out in my mind. It was the end of October, and the night before Halloween.
I was in the music library in Denison, making note cards for my Latin class. I had finished 180 of the 200 I brought and thought I could do 20 and once. I was right. And in fact, I could have done a bit more. I had cut off the tip of my thumb.
Most reactions would go with fix my finger! Mine was different. My first thought was to get all the music and fliers off the table. Then it was check for spatter. Then it was fix my thumb.
I went to the bathroom and assessed the situation. I saw no bone, but I had cut deep. I had no control and had to gain some of it back. So, I calmed down and was able to call for help.
6 weeks later, I can see that my thumb is healed very well, but I'll have a big scar. Oh well. Life goes on, but at least I can still play sax. So everything is okay.
This memory is in my mind because it shows me perfectly. I get too cocky, do something stupid, almost lose it, and then calm down, finally to have the problem fixed. I guess I really haven't changed at all. College has done nothing to my personality. furthering my love of this college. I can just be me, and it is fine.
Signing out,
Ian
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