Over the month of July 2019, I attended DeMatha’s summer band program. I had lots of fun. I play the French horn. I used to play the trumpet. The reason why I switched playing from a trumpet to a French horn is that when I played the horn for the first time, I felt more relaxed than playing the trumpet. To this day, I still play the horn.
I was so happy that I got to play at a high school level of music. Before I had to play with students who were younger and the music was too easy for me. During rehearsal, I would get bored because of how easy these music pieces were for me. When I got to the band program I saw music pieces that had more than 100 measures, I knew I was at the right place. My school is known for its level of academics, arts (a pretty good reputation), and sports (the biggest subject people talk about.) I am going to focus on their band. DeMatha has a great band program. DeMatha’s band is actually a class that I have to take every day as part of my curriculum. I went to one of their classrooms and I saw lots of trophies that DeMatha won. I even saw one trophy they won in New York. The whole summer band program was to learn how to sight-read. Sight-reading is when you play a new piece that you never heard of and play all the way until you finish playing that particular piece. We played a lot of pieces. When I say a lot, I don't mean 3. I'm talking about playing 8 or more. I do remember some of the songs we played. We played Bunker Hill, By the Sword, Black Panther, Aladdin, and Fire and Lighting. I had lots of fun in the program and I am excited to be in the band program for the school year.
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I did a week of rowing for DeMatha. Honestly, I never thought I would do Crew.
I learned a lot of new things in rowing. In rowing, the right side is called port and the left side is called starboard. Also, the paddle is called an ore. Lastly, the boat is called a shell. I don’t know why it is called a shell, but that term is used in the Olympics. I learned the basics of rowing. When it comes to rowing, you need to get your shell on the water. Those things are heavy. I had to learn how to strap and unstrap. I also had to learn how to carry the shell above my head and on my shoulder. That is just carrying the shell. Next, I had to attach the ores. The shell had ore locks. If you don’t know what ore locks are, well the name is self-explanatory. It is the spot where I had to put the ores and lock it. That is how to assemble the shell. So I was rowing on the Anacostia River. I have to say, that river is so dirty. I was thinking, “How can fish live in that water?” I rowed all the way to the National Arboretum in Washington D.C. I learned 4 steps of rowing. The 4 steps of rowing:
The Brains of this Sport I talked a lot about being a rower. I didn’t talk about this one particular position called the coxswain. The coxswain sits in the first seat of the shell. The coxswain actually steers the shell. Not only that, the coxswain yells at the rowers. There is a reason why. The coxswain is basically the leader of the sport and it is up to the coxswain to make sure that the rowers move fast, together and lead the race and win. I hope I get to be on DeMatha’s rowing team as a coxswain. My aunties told me that I am the right size to be one. I want to be one because of this special perk. I don’t have to carry the shell. I am just joking around, but I am liking this sport and I do agree with my aunties that I would make a great coxswain for the team. I read another book that Ta-Nehisi Coats wrote called “Between the World and Me.” I think this is one of Ta-Nehisi best selling books. I remember watching a video about this book. Many white people bought “Between the World and Me” and actually liked it. It was surprising for him. Ta-Nehisi is a black man who writes about America.
In this letter, Ta-Nehisi explains his difficult life growing up. If you read the Beautiful Struggle, also written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, you could see his father was so hard on him. We all should know that he grew up in a rough area. If you haven’t read “Beautiful Struggle” By Ta - Nehisi Coates, I recommend that you read it first before you read “Between the World and Me”. Ta-Nehisi also explains about his life in college at Howard University over in D.C. During his time in college, he lost someone in his life. He lost Prince. Prince was a handsome black man who enjoyed life. He always kept things positive. He was killed by a white police officer. The police officer didn’t admit that he was the one who killed the Prince. The officer just came up with an excuse of how Prince died. People believed the officer because he is white. I think Ta - Nehisi was never the same after Prince died. I think Ta - Nehisis saw the truth on how America really is. I can understand. I always thought that America was a beautiful country for many opportunities. That is true, but I always knew that there was something fishy about American history. There was so much hatred for black/colored people. What is worse is that even today this hate is still going on. If a black man crashes into someone’s vehicle, the black man would go straight to jail. Whenever a white man crashes into someone’s vehicle, that man would get a trial and do community service for a month. Same thing, but with a different consequence. Why? It all has to do with race. That is what Ta - Nehisi realized after Prince was killed. He realized the reality of America. People hating on colored people. We have seen it before with Jim crow, segregation, and the Ku Klux Klan. This madness has to stop. “History is not solely in our hands. And still, you are called to struggle, not because it assures you victory but because it assures you an honorable and sane life.” -Ta - Nehisi Coates The city of Baltimore is not a safe place to live. Baltimore has lots of criminal activity every day. In this story, it's all about a father raising an intellectual son who became a huge success while growing up in the streets of Baltimore.
As I was reading the memoir, Ta-Nehisi Coates refers to his father as the “Black Panther” I was wondering why he referred to him as the “Black Panther”? As mentioned above, this story is about how Ta-Nehisi Coate’s father raised him. You might be wondering, “why would Ta-Nehisi Coates write a story about that?” It is hard to live in Baltimore. Even today! Willaim Paul Coates (the Father) had to make sure that Ta-Nehisi would stay on the right track in his life. He had to make sure that Ta-Nehisi would get an education, stay away from gang violence, and make sure that Ta-Nehisi understands that he is a black man and no one should ever treat him poorly just because of his skin. I think the theme of this story is “an obstacle for success.” William had to make sure his son would be safe and that he graduates. It was dangerous for Ta-Nehisi to walk outside. Walking outside in Baltimore carries the risk of being shot or murdered. Ta-Nehisi Coates is a writer who graduated from Howard University. He wrote many books and he is currently writing Marvel’s Black Panther Comics. “He thrashed wildly, kicked his legs. How could this sight, him helpless on the ground, pinned in a one5 sox be poetry? I was a boy like all boys, selfish in my own particular way. What I could not understand was something that seemed elemental to everyone else around me--- that a kid who lost his heart was worthy of nothing” Ta - Nehesi Coates |
AuthorMy name is Michael Duarte. I am 15 years old. I am a student. I am a soccer player. I enjoy sports. I love to play and watch different kinds of sports. I am also getting in the habit of reading. CategoriesArchives
June 2021
About this Page
This is a page where I review sports games and books that I read. Hope you enjoy! |