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Part A:
Two things I learned while watching the clips was that not all of Africa lives in poverty and that music can affect and influence a person's life. Certain places in Africa do have electricity and television and pools, "wealthy" things, but other parts of Africa are impoverished and do not have these luxuries. Based on Ismael's story, music can influence a person's life by shaping their interests and perspectives. In the book, I connect to Junior the most because he is the oldest out of his siblings, his parents are split, and he has stepparents. He has to take care of younger siblings and "be in charge" of himself an others during the day.
Part B:
My early experiences in music mainly came from the CDs in the car and the music played at church, as well as songs my mom used to sing me before bed. Anywhere we went, my mom had a couple CDs that she would switch out and play for my siblings and I in the van, and we always sang along throughout the ride. The songs on the CDs were usually kiddie songs or something like Veggie Tales, just something to keep us entertained. During Sunday School in church when I was younger, similar songs were played and sung, so I became used to the silly, bubbly music. My mom always sang lullabies to my siblings and I when she tucked us into bed, so I became accustomed to knowing the words and tunes of the songs and it would help me fall asleep easier, hearing something familiar and feeling safe every night.
I do not remember the specifics, but a lot of Christian music was what I first "got into" because it surrounded me everyday and that's how I was raised. My family would sing in the car, in the kitchen, at church, on the way to school and before naps. Singing and music was a pretty big part of my childhood. Also, a lot of TV shows that I watched had a lot of catchy tunes, which I caught on to pretty quickly.
My experiences with music are different to Ismael's because he picked up on music as a new and foreign thing, while I was comforted and familiar with music in my home and early life. Also, the types of music we listen to our different, he was more into hip-hop, while I was brought up listening to Christian. Our experiences were similar, however, because Ishmael felt a connection to music and showed great interest in it, and so did I.

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Part A:
I learned that Ishmael learned some of his english through music. I also learned about the RUF. I connect to Mamie the most because she is a caring person.
Part B:
When I was young music was a big part of my life. My family would always have music on. It didn't matter wether we were in the car, in the kitchen, or about to go to bed. I remember I used to have a huge boom-box in my room. One of my favorite artist when I was little was Taylor Swift. I didn't learn english from music like Ishmael did. I do have a lot of memories with music like Ishmael did.

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Part A: Two things that I learned is that Africa isn't as poor as most people think they are, and that some countries in Africa aren't wealthy and aren't as connected. I feel that I can mostly relate to Ishmael because he wanted to go back and find his family because he loves his family as do I.

Part B: Music has been a big part of me since I was a little boy. The farthest back I can remember is listening to Toby Mac at church. That was also the first concert I ever went to, since then I have always enjoyed listening to music.

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Part A:I learned that not all of Africa is poor as I was led to believe.I also learned how some of the states in Africa are rich and wealthy and that only a few pockets are poor.I think I connected most with Ishmael because we both were amazed by music and how we both care about our families.

Part B:When I was younger I was some-what interested in music not like crazy over it, though I was amazed by it when I was younger.I remember randomly listening to music trying to figure out what it meant and what the message was in the song.I remember the first song (the earliest I can remember) I listened to was the songs by usher and maroon 5.Me and ishmaels music introductions were similar by us both being amazed by it and how we wanted to learn more about it.

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Part A: I learned that Africa is not a poor continent. It has poor countries within the continent. Another thing that I learned was that music heavily influenced Ishmael Bean. I connected the most with Ishmael because he discovered music about the same time that I started listening to music.

Part B: I started listening to misc in seventh grade. The first artist I listened to were Bon Jovi. My mom listened to them a lot and that's what I grew up with. I just started listening to music at the same time that Ishmael did but that's the only comparison.

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A: Africa is not as poor as I thought, also the music isn't that much different than I thought. I connect most with Ishmael because of his influence in music.
B: When I was little I really connected with music and I still do now. My father would play music all the time, he played music everywhere. It would be a mix of R&B and 80's hip hop. One of the songs that he played a lot was it's trick by run-DMC. Which his style of music was influenced on me. Now all I really listen to is hip hop and R&B. Beah explains how he learned English from music, but most of the time people didn't know what they were saying. To this day it still is kinda hard to understand.

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Part A: One thing I learned while watching the clips was that music heavily influenced Ishmael's life.  Another thing is that it encouraged Ishmael to keep coming to the town because he was fascinated with the men speaking english  very fast.  I connected with Ishmael the most in the book because I would have reacted the same way to all the events that happened so far.

Part B: My early experience with music affected me a lot during my younger years. Some of the first songs that were meaningful to me were Disney Princess songs from their movies.  They encouraged me to be kind, brave, and be who I am now.  This is similar to Ishmael's experience because his music affected him to be who he is now.  It also encouraged him to be like the rappers just as I aspired to be like the Disney princesses when I was younger.

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A) I learned that more of Africa is wealthy than I thought, also that music hasn't changed as much as I thought it had. I relate the most to Ishmael, his innocence and curiosity as a child is something that I believe we all have in us throughout our lives and we can all understand.
B) I've always had a relationship with music since I was born, my mother had encouraged us to embrace our capability to learn when it came to music because she knew it would help us grow. I have been playing instruments ever since I can remember and I listen to all sorts of music so I have a better understanding of the world around me because a lot of the artists emotions can be and are conveyed through the details in the song or piece. I believe that when I first began to play piano my curiosity of not only music but everything around me was very similar to Ishmael's.

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A: Two things I learned from the clips was that there are common areas where many people are together and that in those areas they would play music on large screens. I think Im connected with his Mother the most because she cares for her family and was trying to help her sons.
B: My earliest experience with music was learning to play the piano. I started around 1st or 2nd grade and I went to lessons once a week. I did not really practice much but I loved played. The first song I preformed was Take Me Out to the Ball Game, which has become meaningful to me for that reason. My experience was similar to Ishmael's because we were both exposed to music we loved at a young age. Although all the rest is very different as the music styles are different and the performance is different. When I preformed I had to sit down and play an instrument, whereas Ishmael had to stand and rap.

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Part A : I learned that Africa isn't all poor, we think that it is a third world country but its not, I also learned that Ishmael learned some of his english through watching Rapper Delight. I relate the most Ishmael because how he loves hip hop a lot and how its effected him.

Part B : Growing up with young parents there would always be Rap music or Mexican music playing around the house. I learned most of my Spanish through listening to music my dad played. My mom would alway play rap music on a little radio that we had. At the time I never realized how much of an influence rap music would have on me. From the way that I dress to the way that i choose my friends.

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Part A : Two things I learned were that American music was know of in Africa, and liked by some groups. An appeal of the Rapper's Dream to Ishmael was that it was black men talking english very fast, which was something he wanted to learn to do well. I connected to Ishmael the most I guess, I don't know the other characters very well. I personally am not in to rap, but singing fascinates me and I like to listen to other people do things that I can't, similar to Ishmael.

Part B : As a kid, I didn't listen to music on the radio much at all, except at Christmas time. I took piano lessons for two years and never got very good at it because I wasn't interested at the time. Because of this I listened to more instrumental music than lyrical. I was well versed in Veggie Tales and Christmas Music. My experiences were similar to Ishmael's in that I watched very little TV because my family didn't(and still doesn't) have cable or satellite.

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Part A:  Two things I learned that more parts of Africa were wealthy than I originally thought.  I also learned that music was very important in African culture.  I guess I can connect most with Ishmael because I know the most about him and not about the other characters.  I can relate to Ishmael because I also have an interest in music.

Part B:  As a kid, and even now, I listened to various styles of music, but the first ones that stuck with me were songs from the band Skillet, such as "Monster", "Hero", and "Awake and Alive".  I originally listened to their songs because I thought they sounded cool, but I still listen to this band today and their songs now have more meaning than I knew.  My experiences with music are similar to Ishmael's because I also had an interest in these songs and I would always try to learn the lyrics.

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Part A. I learned that Africa is very different from the united states like it has very diverse economic levels despite how close they are. I connect with the grandma because she loved her family.

Part B. Music has always had a huge impact on my life. The first music I really remember was Eminem, I was like 5 or 6 and I was so amazed on how fast he could rap and then I remember after that always watching tv or listening to the car radio with my mom. First meaningful song to me was Mockingbird by him cause it made me think of my family and It really spoke to me.

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Part A: One thing i learned was how music can influence a certain persons thoughts or believes dramatically. I also learned how people living in certain areas dont have access the everything like when ishmael saw rap he was intrigued because he had never seen it before.  I think i relate to ishmael the most because i found something in my life that changed it forever which was video games.  My video games are like his music.

Part B: I have been surrounded by music my hole life. Most of the people in my family listen to music even though i rarely do. During all my time around music no song or artist has really been meaningful to me.  My experience if kind of the opposite from ishmael's because i have been surounded by music and not really cared for it. He found it and was very interested in it and pursued it.

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Part A: One things I learned while watching the video clip is that Ishmael was interested in rapping partly due his studies in school related to Shakespeare. Another thing I learned is that Africa is a wealthy continent and isn't as poor as it is portrayed to be. I connect the most to Ishmael because I know what it's like to have to be responsible for yourself and others while you are still young.

Part B: As a kid, I didn't have a lot of experiences with music. The only artists I can remember listening to are Train and Taylor Swift, because that's what my parents played. When I came to appreciate music more, I liked to listen to country, but with the influence of my dad and my friends, I started to like everything, including 80s. I would say my music, much like Ishmael's, helps me feel more whole and is something I love. However, I wouldn't say music is a passion I have, like it is for Ishmael. Instead, music is just more of an outlet for when I need to get away from everything.

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Part A: One thing I learned while watching the clips was that the works of Shakespeare were studied at schools in Africa. This explains why rapping in fast English had fascinated young African boys, like Ishmael. Another thing that I learned was that Ishmael's brother was able to attend a school in a city where he conversed with other kids who knew about the rapping. Before, I didn't know that African boys from villages were able to attend such large schools. I connected the most with Junior in the novel, because I know how stressful it could be for a older sibling to act brave and comfort his younger sibling even though he is actually experiencing great fear in the inside.

Part B: My early experiences with music ranged from a variety of different styles of music. In fifth grade, for example, I started to play the violin and enjoyed different types of string music. Later, I began to listen to more rap and electronic music. One of the first songs that were meaningful to me was Monster by Rihanna, because the tune was very catchy and the lyrics built confidence and gave me an inner strength. My experiences with music were similar to Ishmael, because both of us had become fascinated with electronic music and loved the fast and meaningful words that flowed out of the mouths of the singers. Similar to Ishmael, I had also tried to memorize the lyrics of rappers I adored.

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A. I learned that Africa is not a poor country. I also learned that music can affect someones life. I connected to Ishmael the most because he didn't know what was happening, but he knew that he had to run and keep his friends and brother safe. I would do the same thing even if I didn't know what was going on or what is going to happen next.

B. My early experiences with music was old 80s music that my dad listened to and played all the time. Some of the first artists that were meaningful to me were Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel. I grew up listening to their songs and my dad would play Frank Sinatra every Sunday morning while making pancakes for us. My experiences with music is similar to Ishmael's because the music he listened to made him who he is today and that is the same for the music I listen to.

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Pt. A:
1. Ishmael was fascinated by the way African American rappers used their english.
2. Music was a light to Ishmael's life. In the video, you could see that the expressions on his face was supports this statement.
3. So far I feel like I have connected the most with Ishmael because we both are fascinated with rap and we have similar family situations.
Pt. B:
I wasn't much of a music person growing up. But instead, as a kid, I threw my free time into shows and movies with happy endings. So technically music took a significant part of my fascination with movies and shows. The theme songs lifted my day and the background music made me anticipate, wanting to know and see more. Music trained me how to feel, it described passions and emotions. Not even knowing how much it impacted me, it took me on a journey with my thoughts and imaginations.

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Part A: I learned that people in Africa actually enjoy other cultures and listen to rap music. I also learned that Africa is not all wilderness full of lions and giraffes, and there are some wealthy countries.

Part B: Music has always been really big in my life and I have always listened to it, but I think the first time music really started to move me was about 2 and a half ago. Wether it be rap music, R&B, or pop... I started to find myself lost in the music. It's truly amazing how music can change your emotions, and opinions, and that just shows how words are so powerful. I really like the way rap music tells a story, the songs are often about situations and struggles people have been through, and it often motivates me to overcome the struggles in my life. The first album that really made me realize this was "2014 Forest Hills Drive" by J.Cole, it is an album about his hometown and his life as a young boy. He had suffered from depression, was raised by a single mother, and had financial issues.. just like me. I think me and Ishmael are similar in the way that we both use music to reflect our life. We also both use music as a source of empowerment, and encouragement.

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Part A: I learned that Ishmael's town was not super poor because they could own TV's There, and that Black Representation was not very popular in America on live Television. So far from reading the novel I connected with Junior the mostly because he has the responsibility of taking care of his younger siblings, and having to be the strong person in bad situations.
Par B: Music has always been a big part of my life since I was a child. My parents would sing to me, so that could have affected my involvement in the art of music today. She always sang amazing grace, and raised me on gospel music because my dad sang in multiple Christian Quartets and trios. I watched Disney a lot when I was growing up especially the princesses which was really what introduced me to fun music that you can sing too. When my mother convinced me to try out instruments I gained a passion for every aspect of music such as singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Ishmael fell in love with hip hop, because he loved the beat, and it helped him get through the day. Ishmael also loved learning the dances and words because it fascinated him which is similar to how I feel about music.

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Part A: I learned that music can really affect people all over the world. I also learned that it had a huge affect on Ishmael and that Africa is wealthier than I thought. Growing up I always thought of Africa as a poor continent with Somalian Pirates and bad people all over the place but now my mind set has changed drastically.
Part B: All my life I have been surrounded by music and I even was in chorus when I was younger in elementary school but I was terrible. My life changed when I was introduced to Kodak Black in 8th grade. Since then I have not stopped listening to him since. The biggest difference I think is I could access music a lot better than Ishmael.

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Part A:
I learned that all sorts of different types of music are important to different people. I kind of already knew that but this was able to get more into depth of the real reasoning and more on a personal level. I connect with Ishmael the most so far because of music. I see music as an escape and it gets me curious.

Part B:
Some of my early experiences with music was really just growing up watching certain movies or shows. Most of it was with Disney movies. My favorites were the princess movies because I could see that nobody is perfect but they can still make mistakes while being kind and working hard.They were able to have everything turn out well in the end even though they made mistakes. My favorite was Part of your World from The Little Mermaid. She dreamed of doing something and she went for it so I really liked it, and I still love all those songs. The difference between mine and Ishmael's experiences was that he got more curious with it, while I was looking up to it.

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Part A: While watching these video clips I learned that back then, rap music was VERY different than it is now because the beats and even the purpose of the lyrics have really changed. The character I connected to the most in the book was Ishmael because of the way he looks at violence. Every time he saw some sort of blood or someone getting badly wounded he didn't handle it very well and I also don't handle violence well because I don't like it and it makes me uneasy.

Part B: Ever since I was younger music has always been very meaningful to me. One artist that really caught my attention is Sam Smith because his music is very deep and the meaning behind it can be interpreted in multiple ways. My experiences with music are different compared to Ishmael because he was more focused on the language and rhythm used in music rather than the message conveyed.

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Part A: One thing I realized was that Ishmael wasn't describing new music in his story because it seemed pretty old and another was that Sierra Lione must have a big divide in the amount of money people have if he can be in a village without electricity or TV in one place and then theres a area with Satellite TVs and swimming pools in another a few miles away.

I connected with Ishmael a little because I know what it feels like to live with your parents separated.

Part B: Most of my early experience with music came from a lot of different places. My mother played metal mostly while I was growing up with her while my father played girly rock but they both played Queen a lot so thats been one of my favorite bands most of my life. Then later I got introduced to hip hop and rap from my step brother and pop from my step sister.

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Part A: Africa is wealthier than we once thought, especially South Africa. I also learned that rappers delight were big back then and that is how Ishmael learned how to speak English. I connected to Ishmael the most due to his love for music.
Part B: Music has been a big part of my life since I was a child. My parents are music fanatics so I grew up listening to a variety of artists and their songs. I appreciate classics, real music. Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and other classic rock bands/artists were just a few my parents listened to with me, one which I was named after.

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Part A: I learned that music can catch the attention of anybody, no matter race or culture. I also learned that culture of one place can influence and help other people.
Part B: My early experiences with music mostly come from my brother. He introduced me to "The Beatles" which has been my favorite band for many years. Ever since I started listening to "The Beatles" my pathway of music was set on classic rock. So I never really got into the more modern music like modern pop or rap. My mother also constantly took me to musical productions which is why I have my interests in acting and more classical Broadway tunes.

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Part A -
One thing I learned through these videos was that music can be a learning tool for language. Music does this by providing a varied vocabulary and presenting Another thing I learned is that Ishmael grew up with no electricity. I connected most with Junior because of his concern and closeness with his brother.
Part B -
My early experiences with music were mostly reflective of my families, specifically my dads as he played music while around me, in the house and while we were working. One of the first bands I got into was Five Finger Death Punch. I connect with their lyrics and relate to their music and it provided a place for me to go. My music is different from Ishmael's because it's very different genres.

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Part A: Describe two things you learned while watching the clips. Describe who you connected with the most. Be sure to explain why. Part B: Write one paragraph describing your early experiences with music. What were some of the first songs or artists that were meaningful to you? Why? How were your experiences with music similar or different to Ishmael’s? Describe this in detail.

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Part A:

Two things I learned are Ishmael learned english through hip hop, and that South Africa is is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. I connect with Ishmael because of his curiosity as a child.

Part B:

One of my earliest memories with music was when I was watching Lilo & Stitch and being entranced by the two main songs, He Mele No Lilo and Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride, both preformed by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu. These songs are still meaningful because Lilo & Stitch is still one of my favorite movies, it has been since I was little. My experiance is similar because I think I was entranced from the native Hawaiian language being spoken and mixed in with english.