Tim and I started our own band! We don’t have a name yet – we’re still trying to figure that one out. And so far it’s just me and him – one drummer and one guitarist. But we’re hoping to find someone who can play the bass and maybe a singer too. Mrs. Meyers lets us stay after school and practice because she loves us haha. It’s awesome though, because last week we started making our own tunes and we just have to practice to get really good. Mrs. Meyers said that if we do, we can perform at the choir concert too. By the way, my parents are going to buy me a drum set!! No more guitar lessons!
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I was amazed to discover the creativity of John when he said that he was in a band and that he and a friend composed their own songs. In fact, listening to John’s passion for music pointed me to both Ian McEwan’s book The Daydreamer because he likened playing music as “being off in a dream.” I found it extremely encouraging that this behavior is being encouraged by Mrs. Meyers and his parents. It reminded me of Vivian Paley’s strong statement that children need to play. I feel that music is a sort of play to John where he can use his imaginations and creativity to express himself freely.
So Tim and I have been talking a lot and he’s been showing me a lot of awesome bands. He introduced me to the Red Hot Chili Peppers the other day and I absolutely love them. Tim pointed out that I need to really listen to the lyrics and when I did I could really relate to them. Especially the song “Can’t Stop” or the “Otherside.” Tim understands why I like beat-boxing because sometimes I get lost in the beat and when he’s playing, he love getting lost in the song too. I tried playing the drums and Mrs. Meyers, the music teacher from school, taught me the few beats she knows on it. I guess I picked it up pretty quickly because she’s pretty impressed. Maybe I will talk to my parents about getting me a drum set.
Youth group is going okay. I’ve noticed that I’m starting to care more about the people there. It’s good to have fun and hang out but I want to go deeper in the relationships I have with my friends there. I can tell from some of their facebook statuses that, wow, their week was pretty tough and I don’t want them to have to put on a face at youth group. People should feel comfortable sharing it with someone or they should just know that someone cares about them. I’ve been trying to be more intentional, asking if someone is okay, or asking “how are you doing” and not just expecting the same old answer. And I’ve been asking if people have prayer requests. I don’t know, I really care about people. And some just have really big things going on in their lives.
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Empathy is an essential quality that needs to be gained early in childhood (Stern). John demonstrates that he has indeed gained this ability through his care and concern towards other peers at his youth group. He also shows a certain level of emotional (and musical) intelligence. During the interview, John stated that the reason why he was able to love something was because he was able to relate. He is able to relate to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ songs and lyrics and feels like he knows them. He is also able to relate to his friends at youth group.
John also mentioned that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were his role models in terms of music. He wants his own music to echo theirs. In this way, I find that he is participating in observational learning, not perhaps in the behavior of the band members, but in their musical playing and style. He also obviously learned about music and musical styles by observing and interacting with Tim. Tim’s deep appreciation for music became his own. Mrs. Meyers’ praise reinforces his love of music; it acts as a reward for his initiative, passion, and hard work.
To a certain extent, John is also discovering altruism by being a kind listener. According to evolutionary theorists, humans have evolved into altruistic beings because of the benefit that comes from being able to live in harmony. Behaviorists, however, might say that John was conditioned to be altruistic in his childhood.
According to Greenspan, affection is an important part of learning. Since he feels such an affective connection with music, he is able to spend a lot of time and energy learning the drums quickly. John’s confidence in picking up the new instrument is also indicative of successful management in Erikson’s autonomy versus shame and doubt stage. He does not doubt his abilities to try new things.
I met this guy at Korean school.Well, not really “meet” because he also goes to my church and school with me and I’ve seen him around for awhile now. Anyways, we started talking and he’s pretty cool.He plays the guitar and when I told him I took classical guitar lessons, we started talking.He told me he really loves music.I told him I’ve been wanting to quit the guitar and he just said I need to find an instrument that speaks to me, you know?An instrument that is more suited towards me or something that I can get really passionate about.He suggested the drums because he knows I beat-box (the school talent show) and knows I’ve got rhythm.I said didn’t own drums and wouldn’t be able to try it out or practice but he said that the school has a set – cool, huh?I don’t know, we’ll see what happens.I guess there’s no harm in trying it out when school starts again.
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Peers are a big part of an adolescent's life. We see from this that John's new friend Tim is able to influence him to pursue music. This can be a form of observational learning.
Asian parents!No, KOREAN parents!Sometimes all they care about is image.They want their son to be a doctor or a lawyer just so that they can brag to their friends about their status.But I don’t KNOW if I want to be a doctor or a lawyer.I know both of my sisters are pharmacists and they’ve “made it” but I don’t know if I will or if I even want to go that route.I know deep down that they just want me to be happy, and they want me to want to be something and then to go out and be that.But I don’t know yet what I want to be and I think that scares them.Does that make sense?
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John was not mad during the interview. However, he did state rather blithely that his parents, like all Korean parents, care a lot about image, which translates to wanting their children to have high-paying, high-status jobs like a doctor or a lawyer. He mentioned that his sisters had accomplished this by becoming pharmacists. But John does not want to go this route. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory dictates that values are passed on from generation to generation. It’s clear here, that John is operating more on an American culture where the individual’s desire is emphasized. This is probably a struggle that has yet to fully play out in John’s life.
A lot of people at school are atheists, or they say that they’re atheists because they don’t want to be grouped with Christians.I can understand because Christians have a bad rep.A lot of people say that Christians are hypocrites, and we probably to a certain extent are.Being a Christian comes with a lot of baggage…you have to be against abortion and gay marriages.At least that’s how I feel now that I am a Christian.I feel a little forced to take a specific position on these issues.
I’ve been talking more to Mr. Roh though at school.He’s this history teacher who – get this – used to dorm with my pastor at U of I.He’s Korean too and he’s just pretty approachable.I’ve been asking why he chose to be a teacher, what Pastor Jason was like in college, stuff like that.I know Mr. Roh’s a Christian too so I kind of want to ask about his thoughts on some of these things…I’m not sure if I will though.
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This entry significantly points to John struggling through who he is based on his stances on particular issues like abortion and gay marriage. In the interview, he stated that he felt forced to take specific (and often unpopular) stances on these issues because he was a Christian. In addition, he finds comfort in talking with Mr. Roh, someone who is also Korean, Christian, and in his school’s context. This shows the interaction between John's school and home culture, which is part of the mesosystem in Bronfenbrenner's ecological model.
I am Korean-American and am currently in the eighth grade. The youngest of three, my two sisters are 12 years older than me and are identical twins. I live in an affluent neighborhood in the north suburbs of Chicago. I am a Christian.