In Tune | The Rock of Ages Broadway Soundtrack

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By the time I was born, the 80s were far gone, and today, they seem lightyears away. But they really were a defining decade, complete with their music, culture, and questionable fashion choices. I recently had a chance to get a taste of that when my younger sister’s middle school put on the play, Rock of Ages, this past April, modeled off of the Broadway play (not the movie- don’t worry.) I have to say, I really got into it, having seen all five or so shows.

Even now, I still find myself ‘rocking out’ to some of the music from the play, and it reminds me of the times when my mom and I would set up 80’s radio stations and she would be able to name literally every song that came on as I stood in awe of the stark contrast in music taste.

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French Connection | Y & En

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In this French Connection edition, I’ll be covering aspects of grammar that will make referring to various objects in French much more complicated initially, but much simpler and shorter in the end.

Here’s what we’ve been covering in French class, and what we’ll cover today:

  • Referring to locations in a natural, conversational way using y and en
  • Incorporating negation into y and en
  • Incorporating the past tense into y and en
  • Incorporating infinitives into y and en

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Proving Triangle Congruence | It All Adds Up

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Today, I’m going to begin jumping ahead and covering several main portions of Geometry, especially as my in class learning is about 7 chapters ahead. As I’ve always said about proofs, there are ‘infinite’ methods that can be used to achieve a desired solution. What I find most useful is proving triangle congruence. Once you prove triangles congruent, you can prove so many different relationships, like congruent segments, angles, and even aspects like corresponding arcs when we begin talking about circles. No matter what, this is a tactic you’ll want to know.

Proving two triangles congruent is really quite simple, and there are five separate methods that you can use depending on the information you are given.

Let’s get started.

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All the Light We Cannot See Book Review

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Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See is a novel that truly touched my heart, one comprised of endearment and compassion found in the most forbidding of times. Set in the midst of World War II, the French and Germans at endless battle, two characters, Marie-Laure and Werner, each face their own array of harsh struggles on opposite sides of the war, yet the desires of both military forces to attain (and retain) an object of myth and fortune only serve to intertwine and connect the inspiring stories of each.

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Food Preparation | French Connection

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One of the most defining aspects of French culture, and a topic we covered in class last year (sigh) and again this year (with the same vocabulary)… food. Luckily, I never wrote an article on the preparation of food itself (I believe), so I do have something to write about, if minimal.

What I did enjoy, though, was the deeper cultural exploration that took place in class, learning about the standards of food and the cultural significance that la nourriture holds over France. Between the exclusivity and symbolism of certain dishes to the prestige restaurants are held over, not to mention the unique environment and ways in which food is prepared and enjoyed (described as an artistry), the stark differences between French cuisine and that of the US are clear.

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In Tune: The Pop Instrumental Genre

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Since In Tune began, I’ve covered an extremely vast area of musical taste, from the most classical to musical soundtracks to pure pop. Each of these have peaked my listening interest, but given how different they are, I’ve found a particular liking for pieces that combine aspects of each style. In particular, this includes renditions of modern-day songs in highly instrumental, stylistic forms of playing.

My favorite musical group in terms of this type of music would have to be The Piano Guys. First of all, their music videos are phenomenal. Titanium would have to be one of my favorites (and also one of the most famous), but I also love this really amazing and creative take on a One Direction song (just look at the way they play the piano). Of their most recent music, they did a really beautiful cover to one of my In Tune features, Niall Horan’s Flicker.

What I love about this genre is that you still get the recognition of much of the pop music you hear today, but instead get to hear it in a completely new light and perspective. Image result for piano guys album coverEspecially as pop songs start to die out and get old, it re-sparks my interest in a particular piece, if not even improves it.

The bass-heavy, auto-tuned modern style is removed and replaced by music that is purely instrumental and true. It’s absolutely wonderful to listen to, and I love being able to appreciate the authentic musical qualities that brings a piece of music to life.

In all, this sub-genre blends the very formulaic methods of both pop and the style of classical music and improves on each in such a way that creates a beautiful medium between the two, and my exposure to this music brings me so much enjoyment and joy.

And it’s not just the Piano Guys who do such a thing- even acoustic versions of songs on the radio really put a new and unique perspective on the music that surrounds us in this day and age, and I would encourage you to explore the intricate personalities of the genre further.

In addition, you can view the playlist filled with every previous In Tune feature on my YouTube channel to get a very general idea of my true musical taste.

Thank you so much for reading!

Gabe

A Tail of Three Kittens: Live Photo Collection (Video)

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Since last August, I’ve been sharing countless stories and pictures from our adventures with our three kittens who live in our backyard. And pictures give a great view of the lives of our cats, but with Apple’s Live Photo feature, I had the idea to take such a perspective to an additional level.

I’ve compiled a video using the live versions of some of my favorite photos, put it to some pleasing music, and uploaded it to 12 and Beyond’s YouTube Channel for you to view.

Click on the image to watch:

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Gabe

In Tune: The Les Misérables Collection

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Les Misérables has held a tremendous presence in my life over the past several months, and the experience was incredible. As a member of the pit orchestra for my school’s production of Les Miserables, we held our finale performance this past weekend.

One of the things I loved most about the pit was being able to play and listen to every song in the soundtrack (all 2 1/2 hours of it), an advantage you usually don’t get in the cast. Within the music, there were plenty of defining moments (usually in the main melodies) where I found so much confidence and triumph, and would get very expressive and joyous in my playing. That feeling was amazing.

And even then, I could really appreciate playing the smaller melodies that serve as the backbone of the play, especially with the accompanying vocals (which were phenomenal). The soundtrack as a whole is wonderful.

So, I’ve chosen a few of my favorite songs from the play, all for various reasons. Here they are:

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Proof Concepts: Definitions | It All Adds Up

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Today, we’ll discuss a concept found in proofs of all kinds. Definitions can be used to identify almost any aspect of geometry, and constitute an important step in solving a proof.

But first, some necessary background information:

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