New Song! by the New Afterthought

Afterthought

I'm surprised that I've gone so long without introducing Afterthought. It's a Jazz quintet that has really been a big part of my life over the past year. The band has Keyboard, Bass, Drums, and the Guitar. We came together as a bunch of talented, improvision-crazy musicians, and we took our music to venues all over Brampton and Toronto. We've also been looking for producers to help us get an album together.

Many of our songs are either completely improvised, or were recorded when first played, and then kept. But still, our music has matured as much as we have, it seems as though we're stepping up our game for every single song we write, and we're giving all that we have for our audiences.

We're also growing in different ways. Our rehearsals are now semi-open, meaning people who aren't officially a part of the band come and jam with us. It's really the beginning of a larger group, we call it the Diminished 2nds. There are so many crazy things about Afterthought, and to truly learn who we are as a band is to witness us live. For the people of Fletcher's Meadow, this chance will end of Friday, June 18th as we are making our final hallway performance to celebrate the end of a successful school year, and for many of us, a remarkable legacy in the school.  

Afterthought; we play first, and think later. Look out for us now that you know us.

- The Artist

Back to Faith

It has been brought to my attention that I haven't given God the attention that I need to be giving. And I've noticed that every prayer that I give has its own selfish intentions behind it. As a Christian, I have to make this right. I find that I go so long without picking up my Bible, and it ought not be like that. I know that it is my duty to know the word well, and to apply it to every action, every thought, every day. That kind of powerful knowledge can only come out of true commitment, and it's a commitment that I've been called to make, and that I will be keeping.


It's just not enough to be warm for God, and I certainly don't want to be cold, so that leaves hot; a true burning passion to get to know the Lord, that's what I have, and it's what will keep me through troubling times. Especially going off to university, where temptations are multiplied and intensified, I will need that passion to keep me. 

I'll also have to find my way to church each weekend from my new residence home. There are so many challenges that I will need to overcome in the near future, but God is on my side, and in him, all things are possible.

 - The Artist 

...I'll Do It Later...

It's normal for young people these days to be lazy and most will admit that procrastination is a consistent problem for them. Putting off difficult pr unpleasant work comes so easily that people are often unaware that they are doing it. The problem though, is that it just happens to be an extremely addictive habit; It's so hard to break.

Most high school students struggle with procrastination, and adults are sure to embellish their stories of how they worked so long and hard. Actually, psychologists have looked at both the adult brain and teenage brain and they have seen that there is a physical difference. Most teenagers appear to affected by sleeping disorders. This is because of the extreme hours put in even at the high school level. Like I've said before, sometimes, sleep just isn't an option, and that's what is messing up teens mentally and physically. Even a hard-working teen will hit a wall at some point, and though their intentions are good, they may even be considered a slacker for letting up, even though losing sleep was the problem. 

I used to be a big time procrastinator, spinning out a masterpiece at the last moment. The only problem is that the day that I actually needed to rest, always turned out to be the day that I had to cram. Ironic, but I would have to blame myself because there is really no reason to miss simple deadlines, especially when a reasonable amount of time is given.

It's a fact that humans learn and improve on their practiced skills while sleeping, so this goes two ways. Lessons can be reviewed by a student just while getting a good amount of sleep. However, in order to get this valuable sleeping time, a student must first budget their time effectively to make sure that they don't drill themselves into a hole.

- The Artist

Down in Los Angeles

A couple weeks ago, I went on a school trip to LA. The anticipation was huge for this trip, it's like it was only a few hours before i stepped on the plane that it finally hit me; I was going to L.A., where everything idolized by the western hemisphere is located. I went into it dreaming big, I was ready to meet the big  Music Producer or Casting Director. My goal was to gain some good solid connections while I was down there, but unfortunately, I didn't end up meeting the right people, some really nice people though. 

L.A. is  a great place to be and the atmosphere is truly amazing. Everything is big, shiny, and elaborate. it's as if racism or prejudice of any kind is non-existent, it's truly a "no judgment zone" where anyone can easily feel at home. It's true that famous people appear in public, but we really only came across partial celebrities on the trip. However, the biggest name artist that we spotted was Gwen Stefani, she was at the entrance of Universal Studios, playing with her kids in the fountain. It seemed a little strange, but celebrities can get away with anything really. We also saw the leading girl from iCarly at Venice Beach, surrounded by her entourage, and we ran into the twin actresses featured on "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"


Though L.A. is so amazing, I found that my expectations were a little too high in terms of the magical atmosphere; things weren't quite as glamorous as they appear on T.V.. And there are homeless people at every turn, seemingly at least 5 times what you will see in New York. Since everyone who comes down to LA is some kind of performing artist, a very low percentage of them are actually able to successfully gain employment. It's really a scary thing to imagine myself becoming like them. 

The actors, nor the sets that they work on, are as amazing physically as the final product is. Not that I should be complaining though, it only goes to show the magic that is in filmmaking, the art of finding the golden qualities in the ordinary.


One thing that does live up to it's image is the legendary Kodak Theatre, where the "Oscars" take place every year, and we walked down the path where the red carpet is rolled out, and we stood in the auditorium which, though it was covered up by sheets for protection, managed to leave me in absolute awe. Some other great places we saw were the set of "Ellen," which is also amazing in real life, and "Central Perk," where the main characters of "Friends" hang out all of the time. Desperate housewives was another impressive set to stand on; the entire community was built just for the show with houses, lawns, roads, signs, parks, everything.

Overall, L.A. was a great experience, and the lessons learned and experiences gained from being in Hollywood were priceless. LA offered some amazing moments, and even though we didn't do everything that we planned, being in such a great and legendary place was enough to make it all worthwhile.

-The Artist

Pointless Doubt

At times, I feel as though I'm less than I should be, I've been under the impression that I'm not quite good enough and as a result, I've been ashamed of myself. It wasn't until a couple days ago that I finally broke this, but I have no problem sharing. The root of this insecurity came from thinking that I'm not enough of a man and that I need to be so much stronger. I could feel myself relying so much upon the support of others even in simple tasks, and my ability to even formulate my own clear ideas had been jammed. My mind was trapped and clouded and disoriented to the point where I felt completely useless. It was like I was even failing at the things that I was supposed to be good at. 

What I have learned though, is that I don't have to be enough right now, it's my job to live my life and pick up as I go along. There's no need to rush into manhood, it will hit me when the time is right. So now that I've sorted this out, I can finally return to my regular, alert, mentally-sharpened self; I can finally be a leader because i no longer have to lie to myself to feel alright. It's funny, it feels bad to realize your flaws and it's so easy to let them affect you, but truly overcoming them gives a feeling that is so much sweeter.

The Home Stretch

I'm in my last days as a high school student. It's surprising though because I can't exactly say that I'm sad about it, or happy about it either for that matter. Just about everyone in either depressed  about leaving friends and family, or ecstatic because they never have to come back, I'm really not feeling either to the extreme. I love the atmosphere of the FMSS arts program, It has made me who I am today, helping me on so many levels, but the school as a whole, is still a high school. And like all high schools it's really just a facade of what the real world has to offer, I can't be true to myself in saying that I want to stay here, no matter how much I've grown at this school. And why would I want to stay here when my future is so exciting, with the York University Film Production waiting for me in just two months, it's unbelievable really. 

I'm ready to jump into next year, but for now, I'm held up with my final exams, both the News show that I've been directing, and a monster of a summative, the Artist Promotion Project for the Eminence Production Company. The news report is well set however, everything is moving along smoothly and we should soon finish with success. My concern is that with Eminence, The final exam is not a guaranteed success, I'll be working longer and harder than ever to pull this one of, sleep is a luxury not easily obtained. I was worried about staying in vacation mode after my time in L.A., but this past month has done more than enough to both wake me up, and send me into cut-throat, business mode (It's funny how fast I can shift). These exams are so crucial, because either one has the potential to make or brake my final Average, which needs to stay high if York will remain in my future

Well I'll be hard at work for the final stretch; guaranteed I won't see much sleep for about a week's time, but it will be well worth it in the end.

- The Artist