Objective Of Music Creation And Techniques Music Essay

Objective Of Music Creation And Techniques Music Essay In the modern time, music instrument can be found everywhere. Different kinds of instruments are on sell in musical instrument shops. Besides, there are also many books about music to teach us how to compose or play music instruments. Whats more, many training institutions teach students to acquire music techniques. And different kinds of examinations about music try to test our music level. But problems occur when people try to gain music technique. Some people believe it is the most important to acquire music technique  ¼Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã… ¾Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ´Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¼Ã…’ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. So in this essay, it talks about whether music is art or technique. In the first part, it refers to something about the character of music art. In the second part, the focus is on the technique of music. Finally, this essay tries to tell that people should not fall into the trap of technique.  ¼Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã…“â⠀š ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¥Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ¾-à ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ §Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã…“ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ º-à §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾-à §Ã‚ «Ã‚  Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¦Ã…  Ã¢â€š ¬-à ¤Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬  Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ª-à §Ã‚ «Ã‚  Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ »Ã… ½Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‹â€ -à ©Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ³Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° It is incredible for us to live without music. Different kinds of music can be found everywhere. Young people often wear headphone to listen to pop music when they walk around. Someone prefer to classic music or musical play. Music often makes the listeners feel happy, sad, excited or negative. The art of music can cause a strong feeling in peoples heart directly ¼Ã…’ (even) some kinds of music can even cure mental illness. Whats more, musics territory can cover the whole world as almost everyone would like to hear music no matter where he comes from (Mark, 2003). Music art produced as sound wave vibrate. It performs as the time flows. It can cause different kinds of emotional reactions and emotional experience by peoples hearing organ. Music is the component of country or areas culture. So it may affect the nations culture level and peoples quality (Barry, 2001, p.882). Music will have a positive or negative influence on peoples mind. In some western country, people have great enthusiasm on music creation. Some music can affect peoples way of thinking and even childrens intelligence. By enjoying elegant music people would like to behave gracefully. So it plays a significant role in modeling peoples behavior. It is hard to think that grace music produced by vulgar nation (à ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¨Ã†â€™Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ´Ã‚ ¼Ã…’nationà ¦Ã…“†°vulgarà ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ «Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¦Ã…“†°Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã… ¸). The character of ar t in music can be found in four aspects as follows. Firstly, music is an art of sound. Sound is the material base of music. And music is living by different kinds of sound wave vibrating. Sound can be divided into two different kinds which are desired sound and undesired sound. The major sound used in music is desired sound. Noise like tucket can be hard to bear. And it will almost not be used in music creation. Its musical sounds physical properties such as pitch, flat, tone and so on make it possible for music to have different style. So singers are eager to have a good voice and musical instrument should also have a good tone (Thomas, Richard and Paul, 2002). Secondly, music is the art of time. Here, time mostly means musics rhythm. Music will disappear when the body of sound stops vibrating. The times length of music can have an important influence on rhythm. The rhythm can be soul of music. People would like to start to dance when he hears some wonderful music whose rhythm is quite good. It is musics rhythm such as elasticity, density and speed which make music to have a good expressive force (Julius, 2003). The rhythm of music can be something which infect peoples feelings directly. And it is easy for people to remember the rhythm and spread it unconsciously. Third, music can be the art of hearing. It is almost for people to enjoy music without hearing. When people hear a piece of music they will feel the corresponding emotion in their heart. All the effect aroused in peoples heart cannot live without hearing. So it is important to have a good sense of music. The sense of music will have a big influence on peoples understand of music. And it also effect musicians creation. Almost every musician would like to compose a piece of music which can be accepted widely. -à §Ã…’ ® Last but not least, music is the art of affection. Musics creation, performance and appreciation are based on human beings affection and mental activities. What music tries to communicate is peoples affection. A musician cannot compose without any affection and a listener who listens to the music cannot have resonance without affection. The reason why do people like to listen to the music is because we have the similar feelings. Whats more, animals or even plants have the ability to appreciate music. Human beings cannot communicate with animals by language but sometimes sound can solve the problem. So it is clearly music can be a basic method to communicate with each other (Kenneth, 1996). Although we cannot deny music is a kind of art but it is impossible for people to compose music without any techniques. Music has a long history and its origin can data back from time unrecorded. Human beings have already known to use high-low or strength of voice to express their meanings and emotions before language occurs.  ¼Ã‹â€ -à §Ã…’ ®Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Besides human beings, animals like birds can also make beautiful sound. And the sound of water flowing and wind blowing can also be seemed as music. In the beginnings, people just use their voice to make music such as sing a song. But as the time flows, other appliances have been used to create music. Some instruments try to imitate the sound of nature. It can be the first time for people to think about the technology of music. Music has strong affection on peoples mind and feeling. People would be infected with different kinds of music. They can know what the music tries to express and sometimes feel resonance in their heart. They would appreciate it like other artwork. And it is important for a musician to gain good reputation from reviewers. When people realize different music appliances will have a big influence on music creation they try to seek good appliances as possible as they can. Whats more, some musicians leave their preious experience on music creation to incomers (Patrik and Daniel, 2008, p.563). From thus, music theory or technique develops quickly. People who have an interesting on music would like to learn these music theory or techniques in order to create good music works. So the standard of music technique also develops quickly. It is clearly that musics objective is to have a good effect on both creators and appreciators. So people may think that they will create wonderful music if musi c technique is good enough as they had learned. Although the learning of music cannot live without techniques but it is not enough. A music piece which is regarded as a good one should contain consummate technique and spirit of art. A music opus which has no flaw in technique but lacks of inspiration of art cannot be considered as a success one. Art can be defined as the product or process when human beings try to create beauty. Art need technique but it is not technique. When people create music they would like to create beauty in the meantime. It is impossible for musician to create music without any techniques but it also can be a big problem whether good technical quality of music equal to good music. In all ages, people use different kinds of technique to create music. But music opus can be created without particular technique. For example, in the early time, there is no piano and people dont know the technique of how to play piano. But people can create music by other music instruments. However, the piano help musician to have another way to create music. The direct purpose of technical in music which belongs to the concept of technology is to make the music expression better. In the modern music, music technique can be seen in many music areas. For examples, examinations such as piano level exam whose targets is to test piano technique; teaching activities which have been technicalization; teaching material classify in terms of technique and so on. Whether technique can become beauty is a question need to be discussed. In someones eyes, music technique also has its aesthetic value. The developing of ability of aesthetic is also the developing of appreciation of the technique. For example, it is no doubt that the ability to painting belongs to the appreciation of art while how to use pigment, line and tools is the problem about technique. But some people have the different opinions. As we know it is hard to evaluate whether a music opus is good or not and it is also difficult for teachers to teach music. That means in order to solve t he problems we faced in modern time we should make the music standardization. To write a good music opus or give a wonderful instrumental performance can be someones dreams. In the modern time, music is not merely to express ones feelings or minds but it can gain honour or reputation (Mikael, Mika and Vesa, 2009). People would like to think that it is amazing for a child to pass piano ten levels. The childs parents would gain much praise. Sometimes, it equals to success when someone acquire high challenge techniques of music. So it is easy to understand why there are so many training institutions to teach techniques of music. In such situation, someone may acquire exquisite techniques but his opus is worthless. Of course, human beings compose, sing and give an instrumental performance is something related to art appreciation. But how do people sing, play music is the problem of technique. The aesthetic value of technique can be found not only when the techniques are used to make music better but also exist in technique itself. For example, the mellow and full voice can be seemed as a beautiful sound in the practice of vocal music. Bel canto is deemed as a both scientific and systemic way to sing. It has its own aesthetic value no matter whether it takes part in the expression of music or not. In the skills of playing wind instruments, pure tone can be the life of these wind instruments. The good tone is the basic technique requirement in the playing of wind instruments. The beauty of oboe may be lost if the player make the tone like sunray. As to the problem of making instrument, the developing of technical quality of music becomes more clearly. Such as the appearance of instruments, postur e of the players can be included in the view of music technique. From this point, we cannot deny that music technique has its own value and it will not die out as the bad music opus. It is also obviously that better techniques will do much help on the performance of music. Music technique is the foundation and means of music expression. Skilful music technique can help to maximize the effect of music expression. The development of music art and music technique will bring motive power to both of them. That is to say, when people pursue the expressive force of music art it will promote the development of music technique. On the other hand, the improvement of technique will have a positive influence on the music expression force. It is necessary for a composer to master first-class technology if he wants to create a desirable works no matter how abundant his imagination is. That is to say, a good composer must grasp knowledge about how construct different music forms and should have the ability to utilize them expertly. The techniques which have a strong rational factor play a significant role in how to transfer the emotion content into music. The expectation of imagination can be realized by the using techniques. In the process of making music, technique should be served to the creativity imagination and also be responsible for it. If the musician has no inspiration but technique the opus can become quite hollow and unworthiness. Music technique should not betray the objective of art. It must be just used to realize the objective to better the music expression after reaching the standard of techniques. Otherwise, composers may fall into the trap of flaunting technology. Someone who has grasped good skills ma y not compose a good music piece. For example, a singer who own excellent skills and wonderful voice may also lose the performance. Some singers put too many energy on the phrase while ignore the integrity of a song. Such songs cannot be regarded as a good one. In other situation, it feels quite mechanical when some signers sing a song which is quite familiar to them. So as a result, a composer will not get a good work of art if he only has the willing to compose but no technique. Meanwhile, someone who only has technique cannot cause resonance in listeners heart. In the modern life, the development of technique doesnt bring much happiness to human beings but it causes the survival crisis and the decline of spiritual civilization. This can be regarded as the dissimilation of technique. Dissimilation means something (object) which is the opposite of subject emerges when subject take actions, and then the object becomes an outside and alien power to govern and control subject.  ¼Ã‹â€ -à §Ã…’ ®Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Modern western music together with some professional modern music in China in 1980s tries to subvert traditional music in order to get rid of the constraint of traditional music. They try their best to create something new and original in the music technique (Lamere, 2008, p.109). For examples, the deconstruction of tune, melody and musical form. Some composers seem to get rid of the restraint of traditional music. But the result is that they had fallen into the trap where pursue technique only. And this makes the long distance with the listeners. Music art is the achievement of human beings spiritual creation. Why do people need music art is the reason that it can bring the enjoyment of beauty and the happiness on the spirit. If a kind of music cannot be accepted by the most people, this music may have a bad future. In the view of accepting aesthetics, the subjects who enjoy art should be put in a high position. That means the art should be easy to understand and receive. The integr ated system of music art should include creation, performance and acceptance. So the lack of acceptance by listeners in modern music should be considered deeply. It can lead to the breakdown of art when technique is higher than the music expression. In the teaching of music, teachers give important position to the teaching of technique and ignore the foster of music performance and art quality (Nina and Bharath, 2010, p.601),. So what the education system created is craftsmen rather than musician. This proved the dissimilation of music technique. Popular song is an art which has been technicalization and it is the result of the combination of human voice and machine. Popular songs can express peoples emotion easily. It is easy to find peoples feelings in a popular song but it is hard to find the rational thinking. Some singers would like to express affection optionally with the absence of necessary technique. So it is important for popular art to import technique. But it is not unconditional. In a short word, the result should reflect art is higher than technique and people just utilize technique. But such utilization should not be too much. Too much technique which is not necessary can destroy a music piece. So it is important for musician to prevent the dissimilation of technique (Martina Mladen and Dijana, 2008, p.71).For example, a child may acquire the technique to play a piece of Chopin but it is almost impossible for him to understand what the piece tries to express. It feels like someone who only has a human body but no feelings. Conclusion From this essay, it is clearly to us that art is the objective of music creation and techniques are the methods to reach such the objects. Art cannot live without technique but it makes no sense when people only have technique. A good piece of music needs the necessary technique. But if someone only try his best to pursue the master of technique while ignore the feeling of music it is hard for him to compose a good opus. So the objective of art in music creation should be put in the first position. People should not fall into the trap of just pursueing techniques.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 17

September 8, 1864 She is not who she seems. Should I be surprised? Terrified? Hurt? It's as if everything I know, everything I've been taught, everything I've believed in my past seventeen years is wrong. I can still feel where she kissed me, where her fingers grasped my hands. I still yearn for her, and yet the voice of reason is screaming in my ears: You cannot love a vampire! If I had one of her daisies, I could pluck the leaves and let the flower choose for me. I love her †¦ I love her not †¦ I †¦ I love her. I do. No matter the consequences. Is this what following your heart is? I wish there was a map or a compass to help me find my way. But she has my heart, and that above all else is my North Star †¦ and that will have to be enough. After I slipped away from the carriage house back to my own chambers, I somehow managed to sleep for a few hours. When I awoke, I wondered if everything was all a dream. But then I shifted my head on the pillow and saw a neat puddle of dried, crimson blood and touched my fingers to my throat. I felt a wound there, and though it didn't hurt, it brought back the very real incidents of the previous evening. I felt exhausted and confused and exalted all at once. My limbs were enervated, my brain abuzz. It was as if I had a fever, but inside I felt a sort of calm I'd never felt before. I dressed for the day, taking extra care to wash the wound with a damp cloth and bandage it, then buttoned my linen shirt as high as it would go. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. I tried to see if there was anything different, if there was some glint in my eye that acknowledged my newfound worldliness. But my face looked just as it had yesterday. I crept down the back stairs toward the study. Father's schedule was like clockwork, and he always spent the mornings surveying and visiting the fields with Robert. Once I closed myself in the cool, dark room, I ran my fingers along the leather-bound spines on each shelf, feeling comforted by their smoothness. I just hoped that somewhere, in the stacks and shelves of books on every subject, there would be a volume that would answer some of my questions. I remembered Katherine reading The Mysteries of Mystic Falls and noticed the volume was no longer in the study, or at least not in plain view. I walked aimlessly from shelf to shelf, for the first time feeling overwhelmed by the number of books in Father's study. Where could I possibly find information on vampires? Father had volumes of plays, fiction, atlases, and two full shelves of Bibles, some in English, some in Italian, and some in Latin. I traced my hands against the gilt- lettered, leather spines of each book, hoping that somehow I'd find something. Finally, my fingertips landed on a thin, tattered volume with Demonios written in flaking silver on the spine. Demonio †¦ demon †¦ This was what I was looking for. I opened the book, but it was written in an ancient Italian dialect that I couldn't make heads nor tails of, despite my extensive tutoring in Latin and Italian. Still, I carried the book with me to the club chair and settled in. Trying to decipher the book was an action I could understand, something easier than trying to eat breakfast while pretending everything was normal. I ran my fingers along the words, reading out loud as if I were a schoolboy, making sure I didn't miss a mention of the word vampiro. Finally, I found it, but the sentences surrounding it were nothing but gibberish to me. I sighed in frustration. Just then, the door to the study creaked open. â€Å"Who's there?† I called loudly. â€Å"Stefan!† My father's ruddy face registered surprise. â€Å"I was looking for you.† â€Å"Oh?† I asked, my hand flying to my neck, as if Father could see the bandage beneath the fabric. But all I felt was the smooth linen of my shirt. My secret was safe. Father looked at me strangely. He walked toward me, taking the book off my lap. â€Å"Y and I ou think alike,† he said, a strange smile curving onto his face. â€Å"We do?† My heart fluttered in my chest like a hummingbird's wings, and I was sure Father could hear my breath catching in short, shallow gasps in my throat. I felt sure he could read my thoughts, sure he knew about Katherine and me. And if he knew about Katherine, he'd kill her and †¦ I couldn't bear to think of the rest. Father smiled again. â€Å"We do. I know you took our conversation about vampires to heart, and I appreciate you taking this scourge seriously. Of course, I know you have your own motivations in avenging the death of your young Rosalyn,† Father said, making the sign of the cross over his chest. I stared at a thin spot on the Oriental rug, where the fabric was so faded, I could see the stained wooden floor below. I couldn't look up at Father and let my face betray my secret, betray Katherine's secret. â€Å"Be assured, son, that Rosalyn did not die in vain. She died for Mystic Falls, and she will be remembered as we rid our town of this curse. And you, of course, will be an integral part of the plan.† Father gestured toward the book I still held. â€Å"Unlike your good-for-nothing brother. What good is all his new military knowledge if he can't put it to use to defend his family, his land?† Father asked rhetorically. â€Å"Just today he went off on a ride with some of his soldier friends. Even after I told him I expected him here this morning to accompany us to our meeting at Jonathan's house.† But I wasn't paying attention anymore. All I cared about was that he didn't know about Katherine. My breathing slowed. â€Å"There wasn't very much information that I could understand in this book. I don't think it's very useful,† I said, as if all I'd been doing this morning was indulging in a scholarly interest in vampires. â€Å"That's just as well,† Father said dismissively, as he carelessly placed the book back on the shelf. â€Å"I feel that together we have a good store of knowledge.† â€Å"Together?† I parroted. Father waved his hand impatiently. â€Å"Y and I ou Father waved his hand impatiently. â€Å"Y and I ou and the Founders. We've set up a council to deal with this. We're heading to a meeting right now. Y ou're coming.† â€Å"I am?† I asked. Father glanced at me in annoyance. I knew I sounded like a simpleton, but there was simply too much information swimming in my mind to even begin to understand it all. â€Å"Y And I'm taking Cordelia as well. She has es. a good knowledge of herbs and demons. The meeting is at Jonathan Gilbert's house.† Father nodded, as if the subject was closed. I nodded as well, even though I was surprised. Jonathan Gilbert was a university teacher and sometimes inventor who Father not so privately called a crackpot. But now Father said his name with reverence. For the thousandth time that day, I realized this truly was a different world. â€Å"Alfred is hitching up the carriage, but I will drive it. Do not tell anyone where we're going. I've already sworn Cordelia to secrecy,† Father said as he strode out of the room. After a second, I followed him, but not before I slipped Demonios into my back pocket. I sat next to Father in the front seat of the carriage, while Cordelia sat in the back, hidden from sight lest she arouse suspicion. It was strange to be out in the morning, especially without a footman to drive us, and I caught the curious stares of Mr. Vickery as we passed by the Blue Ridge Estate next door. I waved, until I felt Father's hand on my arm, a subtle warning not to attract attention to ourselves. Father began talking once we entered the barren stretch of dirt road that separated the plantation road from town. â€Å"I don't understand your brother. Do you? What man doesn't respect his father? If I didn't know better, I'd think he was consorting with one of them,† Father said, spitting on the dirt road. â€Å"Why would you think that?† I asked uncomfortably, a trickle of sweat running down my spine. I ran my finger beneath my collar, recoiling when I felt the gauze bandage of my neck. It was damp, but from sweat or blood I could not tell. My thoughts were a tangle. Was I betraying Katherine by attending this meeting? Was I betraying Father by keeping Katherine's secret? Who was evil or good? Nothing seemed clear. â€Å"I think that because they have that kind of power,† Father said, using the whip on Blaze as if to prove the point. Blaze whinnied before shifting into a fast trot. I looked back at Cordelia, but she was impassively staring straight ahead. â€Å"They can take over a mind before a man realizes anything is amiss. They compel them to submit fully to their charms and whims. Just a glance can make a man do whatever a vampire desires. And by the time a man does know he's being controlled, it's too late.† â€Å"Really?† I asked skeptically. I thought back to last night. Had Katherine done that to me? But no. Even when I was frightened, I'd been myself. And all my feelings had been mine. Maybe vampires could do that, but Katherine certainly hadn't done it to me. Father chuckled. â€Å"Well, not all the time. One hopes that a man is strong enough to withstand that type of influence. And I certainly have raised my sons to be strong. Still, I wonder what could possibly have gotten into Damon's head.† â€Å"I'm sure he's fine,† I said, suddenly very nervous at the idea that Damon might have figured out Katherine's secret. â€Å"I think he's simply not sure what he wants.† â€Å"I don't care what he wants,† Father said. â€Å"What he needs to remember is that he's my son and I will not be disobeyed. These are dangerous times, much more so than Damon realizes. And he needs to understand that if he is not with us, people might construe that his sympathies lie elsewhere.† â€Å"I think he just doesn't believe in vampires,† I said, a sick feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. â€Å"Shhh!† Father whispered, waving his hand toward me to quiet me down. The horses were clip-clopping into town, just past the saloon, where Jeremiah Black was already nearly passed out by the door, a half bottle of whiskey at his feet. Somehow, I didn't think Jeremiah Black was listening or even seeing what was going on, but I nodded, pleased that the silence gave me a chance to sort through my thoughts. I glanced over to my right, where Pearl and her daughter were sitting on the iron bench outside the apothecary, fanning themselves. I waved to them, but, seeing Father's warning glance, thought better about calling out to say hello. I closed my mouth and sat silently until we reached the other end of town, where Jonathan Gilbert lived in an ill-kept mansion that had once belonged to his father. Father often made fun of the fact that the house was falling apart, but today he said nothing as Alfred opened the door of the carriage. â€Å"Cordelia,† Father called tersely, allowing her to walk up the rickety steps of the Gilbert mansion first as we followed suit. Before we could ring the bell, Jonathan himself opened the door. â€Å"Good to see you, Giuseppe, Stefan. And you must be Cordelia. I've heard much about your knowledge of native herbs,† he said, offering his hand to her. Jonathan led us through the labyrinthine hallways and toward a tiny door next to the grand staircase. Jonathan opened it and gestured for us to head inside. We took turns ducking down to enter a tunnel that was about ten feet long, with a flimsy ladder at the other end. Wordlessly we climbed the ladder and emerged into a tiny, windowless space that immediately made me feel claustrophobic. Two candles burned in tarnished candleholders on a water-stained table, and as my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I could make out Honoria Fells sitting gingerly on a rocker in the corner. Mayor Lockwood and Sheriff Forbes shared an old wooden bench. â€Å"Gentlemen,† Honoria said, standing up and welcoming us as if we were just stopping in for tea. â€Å"And I'm afraid I haven't made your acquaintance, Mrs†¦.† Honoria glanced suspiciously at Cordelia. â€Å"Cordelia,† Cordelia murmured, glancing from one face to another, as if this was the last place she wanted to be. My father coughed uncomfortably. â€Å"She treated Stefan during his spells after his †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"After his fiancï ¿ ½e got her throat ripped out?† Mayor Lockwood said gruffly. â€Å"Mayor!† Honoria said, clapping her hand to her mouth. As Jonathan ducked back out into the hall, I settled on a straight-backed chair as far away from the group as possible. I felt out of place, though probably not as out of place as Cordelia, who was now awkwardly sitting on a wooden chair next to Honoria's rocker. â€Å"Now, then!† Jonathan Gilbert said, coming back to the room, his arms laden with tools and papers and objects I couldn't even begin to identify. He sat on a moth-eaten velvet armchair at the head of the table and looked around. â€Å"Let's begin.† â€Å"Fire,† Father said simply. A shiver of fear ran up my spine. Fire was how Katherine's parents had perished. Was that because they were vampires, too? Had Katherine been the only one to escape? â€Å"Fire?† Mayor Lockwood repeated. â€Å"It's been recorded, many times in Italy, that fire kills them, as does beheading or a stake in the heart. And, of course, there are herbs that can protect us.† Father nodded to Cordelia. â€Å"Vervain,† Cordelia confirmed. â€Å"Vervain,† Honoria said dreamily. â€Å"How pretty.† Cordelia snorted. â€Å"It ain't nothing but a herb. But if you wear it, then you have protection from the devil. Some say it can also work a bit to nurse those who've been around them back to health. But it's poison to them devils you call vampires.† â€Å"I want some!† Honoria said greedily, holding out her hand eagerly. â€Å"I don't have any with me,† Cordelia said. â€Å"Y don't?† Father looked at her sharply. ou â€Å"It's all gone from the garden. I used it for Mr. Stefan's remedies; then when I went to pick it this morning, it was all gone. Was probably the children who took it,† Cordelia said indignantly, but she glanced straight at me. I looked away, reassuring myself that if she had known about Katherine's true nature, she would have told my father by now. â€Å"Well, then, where do I get some?† Honoria asked. â€Å"It's probably right under your nose,† Cordelia said. â€Å"What?† asked Honoria sharply, as if she'd been insulted. â€Å"It grows everywhere. Except our garden,† Cordelia said darkly. â€Å"Well,† Father said, glancing at the two women, anxious to diffuse the situation. â€Å"After this meeting, Cordelia may escort Miss Honoria to her garden to find vervain.† â€Å"Now, wait just a damn minute,† Mayor Lockwood said, pounding his beefy fist on the table. â€Å"Y lost me at the woman talk. Y mean to ou ou tell me that if I wear a lilac sprig, then the demons will leave me alone?† He snorted. â€Å"Vervain, not lilac,† Cordelia explained. â€Å"It keeps evil away.† â€Å"Y es,† Father said sagely. â€Å"And everyone in town must wear it. See to it, Mayor Lockwood. That way, not only will our citizens be protected, but anyone who does not wear it will be exposed as a vampire and can then be burned,† Father said, his voice so smooth and matter-of-fact that it took every ounce of self-control for me not to stand up, rush down the shaky ladder, find Katherine, and run away with her. But if I did that, and if Katherine was as dangerous as the Founders thought †¦ I felt like a trapped animal, unable to find any escape. Was I trapped with the enemy right now, or was the enemy back at Veritas? I knew that, beneath my shirt collar, the wound on my neck was beginning to ooze specks of blood, and it would only be a matter of time before they soaked through the fabric and stood out as a visible reminder of my betrayal. Mayor Lockwood shifted uneasily, causing the chair to creak. I jumped. â€Å"Now, if the herb works, that's one thing. But we're in the middle of a war. We've got a lot of Confederate government officials passing through Mystic Falls on their way to Richmond, and if word gets out that instead of aiding the cause we're fighting storybook creatures with flowers †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"We cannot issue an edict that everyone wear vervain.† â€Å"Oh, really? Then how do we know you're not a vampire?† Father demanded. â€Å"Father!† I interjected. Someone had to bring a voice of reason into the discussion. â€Å"Mayor Lockwood is right. We need to think calmly. Rationally.† â€Å"Y son has a good head on his shoulders,† our Mayor Lockwood said grudgingly. â€Å"A better head than yours,† Father mumbled. â€Å"Well †¦ we can discuss vervain later. Honoria, you'll be in charge of making sure that we have a ready supply, and we can strongly encourage those we love to wear it. But for now, I want to discuss other ways we can find the vampires that walk among us,† Jonathan Gilbert said excitedly, unfolding large sheets of paper onto the table. Mayor Lockwood put his bifocals on his nose and peered at the papers, which had complicated mechanical drawings on them. â€Å"This here looks like a compass,† Mayor Lockwood said finally, pointing to a complicated drawing. â€Å"It is! But instead of finding north, it finds vampires,† Jonathan said, barely containing his excitement. â€Å"I'm working on the prototype. It just needs a bit more fine-tuning. It's able to detect blood. The blood of others,† he said meaningfully. â€Å"Can I see that, Mr. Jonathan?† Cordelia asked. Jonathan looked up, surprised, but handed her the papers. She shook her head. â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"The prototype.† â€Å"Oh, ah, well, it's very rough,† Jonathan said as he fumbled in his back pocket and pulled out a shiny metal object that looked more like a child's trinket than a tool for finding victims. Cordelia turned the compass slowly in her hands. â€Å"It works?† â€Å"Well †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬â€œJonathan shrugged–â€Å"it will work.† â€Å"Here's what I propose,† Father said, leaning back on his chair. â€Å"We arm ourselves with vervain. We work day and night to get the compass to work. And we make a plan. We set up a siege, and by month's end our town will be clear.† Father crossed his arms in satisfaction. One by one, every member of the group, including Cordelia, nodded their heads. I shifted on the wooden chair, holding my hand against my neck. The attic was hot and sticky, and flies were buzzing in the rafters, as if it were the middle of July rather than the middle of September. I desperately needed a glass of water, and I felt like the room was going to collapse in on me. I needed to see Katherine again, to remind myself that she wasn't a monster. My breathing became shallow, and I felt that if I stayed here, I would say something I didn't mean. â€Å"I think I'm feeling faint,† I heard myself say, even though the words rang false even to my ears. Father looked at me sharply. I could tell he didn't believe me, but Honoria clucked out sympathetic noises. Father cleared his throat. â€Å"I'll see my boy out,† he announced to the room before following me down the rickety ladder. â€Å"Stefan,† Father said, grabbing my shoulder just as I opened the door that would lead back to a world I understood. â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"Remember. Not a word of this to anyone. Even Damon. Not until he comes to his senses. Except I think his senses may be taken with our Katherine,† Father muttered, half to himself as he let go of my arm. I stiffened at the mention of Katherine's name, but when I turned around, Father's back was toward me as he headed into the house. I walked back through town, wishing I'd ridden Mezzanotte instead of coming in the carriage. Now I had no choice but to walk home. I turned to my left, deciding to cut through the forest. I simply couldn't interact with any more humans today.

Motivation Letter Essay

I am writing to submit letter to express my interest as a Catering assistant in your organisation. Being fresher, It is a good match with the job description you have provided on your website, I am confident in my ability to meet and exceed my goals with your organisation and helps me in future by getting experience in catering assistant. I am applying for this position because I have following skills: Washing dishes and utensils by hand. Having reliability and patient when working in fast pace environment. Provide outstanding customer service and friendly with all team members. Great understandings of cleaning and cleaning tools. Great at multi-tasking and time management skills. Ability to handle things in a discreet and confidential manner. Based on my qualifications, it is the perfect job for me to improve my skills to provide good quality customer service and learn new things from other employees. In addition to my customer service strengths, I have mastery  knowledge of kitchen cleaning or customer service and have good communication skills. My primary objective is to assist your business grow and function smoothly in any way I can This job is favourable for me because I am quick learner and ability to do anything. I am prepared to undertake any training offered and I am available for an interview anytime. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me (0223963129) I look forward to hearing from you.

Comparing The Story Of An Hour And The Cask Of Amontillado...

Death and Murder by Dictation A life lived under someone else’s expectations is no life at all. Many people live their lives allowing others to tell them what to do. They allow others to put them down, and to make them feel less of a person. There have been stories about man versus man, man versus nature and most importantly man versus self. In â€Å"The story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allen Poe we see how each writer uses setting, characterization, and dramatic irony to show how allowing others to dictate ones life can lead to disastrous ends. The story settings of Chopin and Poe help to show how repression alters the mind. In Chopin’s, â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† setting is used to show how Mrs. Mallard’s repressed state of mind begins to flower and grow after she learns of her husband’s death. It is not upon first reading, but second reading, that most start to interpret the settings around Mrs. Mallard while she sits in her bedroom. Chopin writes, â€Å"She could see [†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦] tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.† It is, as she sits at the window, that she becomes aware that she is free of her husband. Spring is the season of new growth and awakening of animal life. Chopin also writes about how patches of blue sky appear out of the â€Å"clouds that had met and piled one above the other.† These two descriptions help the reader see what is, perhaps, going on in her mind. The setting in which Chopin put Ms. Mallard in helps speakShow MoreRelatedAna lysis Of Edgar Allen Poe s `` The Glasses `` And The Cask Of Amontillado ``1545 Words   |  7 PagesMany stories share a common theme, whether it be forbidden love, family events, adventure, or anything in between. One might even find themselves digging for only one particular theme in every story he or she chooses to read; indicating he or she has an obvious favorite. However, believe it or not, many people fail to even realize a common theme between two or more stories. As for Edgar Allen Poe, he is successful in his writings in all realms, however, he is notably creative and extravagant in hisRead MoreTerm Paper Edgar Allan Poes Infatuation with Death1498 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poes Infatuation with Death Ralph Emerson once wrote, Talent alone cannot make the writer. There must be a man behind the book. Edgar Allan Poe acquired the ability to write Gothic horror through the tragedies that existed in his life. At three years old Poe lost his mother and father. Grief and sadness overwhelmed Poes childhood and eventually his literary style. By temperament and mournful personal experience, Poe was drawn into the contemporary cult of death (KennedyRead MoreHow Poets of the Eighteenth Century Handled Love2802 Words   |  12 Pagesare infamous for expressing emotions such as pain, love and passions associated with this emotion we call ‘love.’ They allow us an outlet to experience and express love. Eighteenth century poets: Robert Frost, Emily Dickerson, John Keats and Edgar Allen Poe were infamous for their poetic contributions to the literary world; because of their extraordinary gifts of expression we are able to understand different aspects of what it was like to exp erience love in the eighteenth century. The aforementioned