Driving Question: How can I have a powerful impact on English and Hindi speakers through a bilingual album?
Project Overview: For his mastery project, Vansh creating a bilingual hip-hop album. The lyrics, sung in English and Hindi, reflected the various personal experiences Vansh has had in his life. In the final tracks, the vocals and the instrumentals sit peacefully beside each other with neither fighting for center stage.
What were your initial goals for this project? How did they change over time?
Initially, I wanted to finish an album within two years, but the more I learned about the process, I realized that being a good singer/instrumentalist was a completely different set of skills than transferring that quality onto a laptop. Because I did everything on my own, musically, I had to produce, arrange, record, play, mix, and master the track all by myself. I also had to learn elements of photography and videography, such as cloning and color grading.
Lastly, for marketing purposes, I also had to teach myself how to run an ad campaign and reach out to people kindly and ask them to listen to your music. I was not familiar with almost all of these processes, and learning all of them – at different levels – made me realize that I had to change my goals. I still ended up making many songs, but I didn’t finish any of them because mid-way through the project, my goal became to release a single before graduation. I definitely think I accomplished said goal.
What are you most proud of?
I’m really proud of the single I ended up creating because it’s a transition to a journey I’ve always wanted to embark on and marks the end of my impactful time here at TGS.
What are the biggest lessons you learned through the process of your mastery project?
I learned how much knowledge there is on the internet and the difference having a supportive community, like TGS, makes when one is pursuing a project of this magnitude.
Driving Question: How can I learn about music theory and teach others by analyzing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata?
Module Overview: For this project, Diego learned about music theory by researching chords, scales, and sheet music elements like clefs, staff, accidentals, and dynamic markings. Diego then analyzed and played Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata to identify the elements used in this song.
Project Reflection: “I didn’t feel this project was work. I thought it more like a hobby, just one more day doing what I like. I learned many things that I didn’t know about the theory, even though I have been playing the piano for several years now. It is the first time that I have shown many people what I can do or play, and that’s really exciting to finally share.”
Driving Question: How does the fashion industry work in China and what are its impacts?
For her personal project, CM2 student Monica D. created a video essay focusing on fast fashion’s environmental impact. The presentation’s goal was to convey the environmental effects of fast fashion and how everyone can help reduce these negative effects by being conscious of the items they choose to buy and donating clothes instead of throwing them away.
Clothing brands make new clothes based on the trends of the moment and churn them out quickly to make them accessible to the general public. Brands that do this are considered fast fashion brands and create a total of 150 billion garments per year.
Monica discusses how the mass amount of clothing produced affects the environment, including the ocean and land, and explains how the production of clothing – from beginning to end – releases an unimaginable amount of greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide into the air. For example, during the fiber production stage, oil is utilized. Next, when the clothes are produced, chemicals are added to change the appearance of the textiles. As the consumer uses the garment, it is washed with additional chemicals, and finally, after use, it goes to landfills where it is eventually burned.
So what can you do about the issue? Monica explains that the main thing you can do is decrease your purchase of fast fashion brands. If everyone did, this would lower consumption, and these brands would be forced to reduce their production, lessening the environmental impact. Also, when purchasing clothes, look into buying items that are made through greener methods.
Driving Question: How might we produce a product or concept that contributes to a more sustainable fashion future?
Final Product: My summative product for this module was a textile art rug bag that visually incorporated ideas of punk and queer fashion. The bag itself is sort of a tote bag style and on each side there is a different design that I hand punched. For the “punk” side of the bag I designed a traditionally punk aesthetic image of an eye, a large X in front of it, and the words “F**k off”. When designing this, I wanted to keep in mind the traditional punk look as well as the values of being anti-capitalist, anti-oppression, and just generally living outside of the traditional social norms. For the other side of the bag, I wanted to express more ideas of the queer self and experience with a rainbow design around a stick figure body. My aim was for it to be colorful and expressive, just like the queercore fashion movements that intersected with the punk subculture.
What were your goals for this module? How did you achieve them?
I wanted to have fun creating my own unique textile art piece that incorporated different subculture fashions I was interested in exploring. I also wanted to grow in my creativity and continue to make new pieces as an artist. I got to learn a lot more about the history of punk fashion and the queer community’s influence on it. I’m really happy with my final product because I think it’s a very unique piece that not only visually represents the aesthetics of this movement, but because I also made it myself, it embodies the values of the punk and queercore movements as well.
What did you learn about yourself or about your creative process or about your medium?
I’m pretty new to making rugs, but I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the art form. Making this rug bag was a bit of a risk, but I’m really proud of how it turned out. I like taking creative risks and having fun with my art. In the future, I hope to continue to have fun and practice creativity with any art project I do.
Driving Question: How can I use photography to raise awareness about our human behavior’s impact on the environment?
Project Description
My personal project this term is a photography project about human behavior’s impact on the environment. While wondering why we are not acting as urgently as we should for the climate crisis, I found people often see the crisis as a distant challenge, both in time and in space. Through this project, I wanted to raise awareness about the impact of our daily and individual actions on the environment, and ultimately, bring people closer to the challenge.
Reflection:
“My main takeaway from this project is that, no matter how global any challenge is, the individual action will end up making the difference.”
Driving Question: How can I creatively document my journey of earning my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, and Emergency First Responder certifications?
What was your initial idea and what did you want to do/learn with this project?
Going into the project, I already received my PADI Open Water Certification so I was only really looking towards finishing my Advanced Open Water. But a couple of weeks later, I ended up becoming a Rescue Diver and an Emergency First Respondent as well! Not only do I know how to handle myself and be cautious of my environment underwater, but I’m confident that I can save others if I needed to. Which is a pretty cool feeling, if you were wondering.
What do you hope people will get from looking at your page?
I would be satisfied with any of the following responses:
“Wow! Our oceans sure are magnificent. I am going to make a conscious effort to improve my actions to protect and preserve our precious environment.”
“The Philippines is unbelievably beautiful! I’m planning a trip to Puerto Galera right now. But not without watching Gigi’s other documentary on unsustainable tourism first.”
“Scuba diving looks like so much fun. Sign me up for an Open Water certification! I want to learn how to appreciate marine biodiversity in the best way.”
Driving Question: How can I raise awareness about pollution while building community and using videography to document the experience?
Final Product: My summative is a video that highlights all the clean walks and the work I have done with my team, as well as a visual representation of how we can help the environment.
What was your initial idea and what did you want to do/learn with this project?
My initial idea for this project was to involve people I know to take action and do something about the environmental situation here in Morocco. I also wanted to learn how to manage a team and lead them towards the same goal and discover the world of editing.
What are you passionate about that led you to choose this project?
This project is really important to me because pollution is a global issue that we and our planet are suffering from. I wanted to have even just a small impact on my community by acting upon that issue and raising awareness about it.
What do you hope people will get from looking at your page?
I hope that people could get inspired by the initiative I took, and maybe make them aware that even as simple individuals we can make a change.
What are your big takeaway lessons from this project?
My big takeaways are to not give up even if it is hard to perceive, to act upon issues that matter to us and be hopeful because change is possible.
Driving Question: How can I develop and combine a well-designed and written book which conveys, in a simple but significant way, part of someone’s TGS story and experiences, by the perspective of the others?
My final product: I created a book in which TGS community members (including alumni) share stories, moments and memories with Karen, Elyce and Jamie. We didn’t have the change to properly say goodbye, and show our appreciation. So, this is a way to convey our gratitude.
What were your goals for this module? How did you achieve them?
I wanted to reflect people’s thoughts on Covid-19 by including various world events, situations, and feelings I’ve heard of or experienced myself. Whenever I feel a strong emotion, I like listening to songs with the same vibe, and I hope others feel the same way. My second goal was to grow my creative confidence. I achieved both of my goals by writing a song – and presenting it on this website.
What did you learn about yourself or about your creative process or about your medium?
I learned that it’s effortless for me to start the creative process, but difficult to finish. I also like to write many songs at a time, and that slowed the process of “perfecting” one song. That’s why I’m open to any feedback on the song – to me, it still sounds unfinished. From the resources we were provided by the educators, I learned that judging someone’s skills vs. them is an entirely different thing – a person whose skills are being judged shouldn’t take it personally. And although it’s crucial to receive some type of feedback in songwriting (as it should be creative, but not too alienated), one should still be comfortable showing their artistic style and not make every little change people are telling them to. It’s good to finish a song with a similar tune you used in the song, as it will make people come back again and again. For example, The Weekend’s “Can’t Feel My Face.” I still have a lot to learn about songwriting, producing, singing – all of that. I’m definitely going to continue writing songs and receiving feedback. If I do write some release-worthy songs in the future, I’ll let all of you know!
The Lyrics
Verse:
Yeah, sometimes I don’t talk to people for a reason
It’s never a good place to begin with
When I’m laying on the bed with my headphones on
And imagining every possible scenario
Of people coming and going, leaving and staying
And when the only thing we thought about was playing
And praying for the people we have lost in the chaos
of the world bringing hatred towards different people
Yeah, looking at the news, I guess that’s what I’m best at
During those times of social distancing acts
On the front page, furious (yeah), they think I am hilarious (yeah)
“Let’s get you a bible”, the situation seems precarious
And honestly, I must say that they’re making me mad
Before you didn’t even care, but now all you do is so fad
“Can we go outside?” I hear a voice while keeping distance
“Sure, my love”, and I hope what she says I didn’t just listen
I still can’t hold my head down, oh no,
I just want to let the truth out and scare them with all
The things happening in front of their noses
I’m straightforward, but sweet and you
Want to hear me whisper all this nothingness I see
Chorus:
Everything’s gonna be okay
We’re gonna see a brighter day
And it goes ay, ay, ay
Thank you to the doctors and the nurses
Thank you for being so diverse, yeah
Now all we gotta do is observe
Let’s not hope for the worse
Verse:
You can do what you want or whatever you’re best at
Obeying the rules isn’t the best, huh?
For achieving herd immunity please stay at home
A vaccine will come out, “at least let’s all hope so”
And if not, then what will going outside give you?
Covid-19, so please maintain some hygiene
Flattening the curve might take some time
But washing those hands might help achieve it faster
“I will do it all for the people, not for the fame”
Well, finally, someone’s got some common sense
All those celebrities go viral singing Lennon’s “Imagine”
As if we’re all dreaming of winning and survival
They’re kind of right though, aren’t they?
Because “hey dude, real people are dying!”
“Okay-okay, I’mma head outside for some fresh air”
Look ahead, man, there’s nothing to flair
The economy is failing from the left to the right
They wouldn’t care much, would they?
Unless they couldn’t take another flight
And fight because “there’s no food at sight”
“I guess that’s not a problem for us, eh?”
Chorus:
Everything’s gonna be okay
We’re gonna see a brighter day
And it goes ay, ay, ay
Thank you to the doctors and the nurses
Thank you for being so diverse, yeah
Now all we gotta do is observe
Let’s not hope for the worse
Verse:
I promise I won’t leave, I won’t leave you behind
I will fight every time for our human rights
But if we’d all die, (laugh) no, not just once or twice
Wouldn’t it be nice to say that at least we tried?
If you’re told what you’re doing is wrong,
Why keep doing it?
You only have one body and mind, one life to live
Keep living it, and hope for the best
Oh, you’re stressed and not impressed
By the words I’m rapping as you cannot digest
So you just guess and participate in a protest?
That’s weird, man…
But in 1920, things worked like that…
Yeah, we can learn from it, but let’s not forget the fact
That tomorrow’s not yesterday, we can’t dive that deep
Today’s medicine, techonology aren’t the same
We should all reflect on what the experts say
I know you have a brain, and you seem pretty smart (small voice: intelligent)
