Music Appreciation Test Essay Example

Music Appreciation Test Essay Example Music Appreciation Test Paper Music Appreciation Test Paper Essay Topic: Poetry What music element has the most direct appeal to the audience? The melody Define melody a succession of single tones or pitches perceived as a unit Define range the distance between the highest and lowest tones of a melody What is the distance between two pitches called? an interval Define conjunct a melody that moves in small, connected intervals What type of symbol are musical sounds represented by? a note A term referring to loudness or volume is: amplitude How is a melody characterized? by range, contour, and movement Why is Beethovens Ode to Joy easy to sing? It is conjunct A unit of meaning within a larger structure of a melody is called: a phrase Define cadence the resting place at the end of a phrase, like a period or comma in a sentence Define climax the striking emotional effect created by the high point in a melodic line Define countermelody one melody over the other (added to or played against) T or F: Most musical cultures share the concept of melody or musical line True T or F: A musical note is the symbolic representation of a sound with pitch and duration True T or F: The length or size of a vibrating object has no effect on pitch False T or F: Melodies that move principally by small, connected intervals are conjunct True T or F: The phrases in the tune Amazing Grace are of unequal length False How is the melody, The Star-Spangled Banner, best described as? Disjunct Music is propelled forward in time by: Rhythm Whats the element in music that organizes movement in time? Rhythm Define beat the basic unit of rhythm that divides time into equal segments What are accented beats? beats that are more strongly emphasized than others Organizing patterns of rhythmic pulses are called: meters A meter is marked off in groupings known as: measures Define downbeat the first accented beat of a measure What is the metric pattern in which a strong beat alternates with a weak one? duple meter Which meter would most likely be associated with a march? duple In a triple meter, the strongest pulse occurs on: the first beat Meters in which each beat is subdivided into three rather than two are known as: compound meters In sextuple meter, the principal accents usually fall on: beats 1 and 4 What is America (My country tis of thee) is an example of? triple meter Greensleeves is a _______________ meter compound When a song begins on the last beat of a measure, it is said to begin with: an upbeat Define syncopation the deliberate shifting of the accent to a weak beat or an offbeat Define polyrhythm the simultaneous use of two or more rhythmic patterns Music that moves without a strong sense of beat or meter is called: nonmetric T or F: The element that organizes movement in time is called harmony False T or F: Measures mark off groupings of beats, each with a fixed number that coincides with the meter True T or F: Meter is the measurement of musical time True T or F: Meter us an organizing principal shared by music and poetry True ________ is typical of African-American dance music and spirituals Syncopation Does all world music feature a strong regular pulse or beat? No Define harmony the combination of different musical notes played or sung at the same time to produce a pleasing sound Harmony is to music as __________ is to painting perspective The distance and relationship between two tones is referred to as: an interval Define chord a combination of three or more tones that make a single block of harmony What is a collection of pitches arranged in ascending or descending order called? a scale What is an interval of 8 notes called? an octave Define triad most common chord type found in Western music, a three-note chord, built on alternate scale steps Define tonic the first note of the scale The principle of organization around a central tone is called: tonality T or F: Dissonance sustains a sense of stability False Define dissonance a combination of tones that sounds discordant, unstable, or in need of resolution What term describes a concordant or agreeable combination of tones? Consonant T or F: Harmony is important to most non-western musical cultures False T or F: A triad is a chord made up of three tones True T or F: Three alternate notes of a scale, sounded simultaneously, form a triad True T or F: Melody and harmony function independently of each other False T or F: The two scale types commonly found in Western music from about 1650 to 1900 are major and minor True Has music grown more consonant through the ages? No How many notes in a scale does an octave span? 8 In Western music, the octave is divided into how many equal intervals? 12 What is the smallest interval in our Western musical system called? a half-step A twelve-tone scale, including all the semitones of the octave, is called: chromatic The musical symbol # represents a: sharp On the piano, what is the black key between the white keys C and D called? C-sharp or D-flat Tonality means that we hear a piece of music in relation to a central tone, called: the tonic Define tonality the principle of organization whereby we hear a piece of music in relation to a central tone Define key a group of related tones with a common center In a major scale, between what pairs of tones do half steps occur? 3, 4 .. 7,8 What characterizes the minor scale? it has a lowered third degree Define diatonic music based on the seven tones of a major or minor scale The _________ era is where chromatic music is most frequently associated Romantic Pentatonic scale = how many notes? 5 Western art music does not frequently use the what scale? Pentatonic scales What is an interval smaller than our semitone, or half step, called? microtone The triad built on the first note of the scale is called: the tonic What is the tonic chord represented by? (the roman numeral for 1) The dominated chord is represented by what symbol? V (roman numeral) (roman numeral for 5) In harmony, a place of rest and return is: the tonic What are the three basic triads in our musical system? Tonic, dominant, and subdominant What remains the same when a melody is transposed to another key? the shape of the melodic line T or F: In western music, the octave is divided into seven equal parts, which makes up the chromatic scale False T or F: All musical cultures of the world divide the octave into twelve equal half steps False T or F: A sharp lowers the tone by a half step False T or F: A key refers to a group of related tones with a common center, a tonic, toward which the tone graviate True T or F: A major or minor scale can begin on any of the twelve semitones of the octave True Define texture thickness in music. for example, the more instruments you use, the thicker the texture. also use in range or width A texture featuring a single, unaccompanied line is called: monophony What was the predominant texture used in music up to about one thousand years ago? Monophonic What is traditional music of the Far East largely? monophonic Define heterophony A melody combined with an ornamented version of itself (often heard in jazz) is a texture What is the resulting texture called when two or more independent melodic lines are combined? polyphony What is the texture that combines two or more simultaneous melodic lines polyphony Define homophony A texture in which a single voice takes over the melodic interest while the accompanying voices are subordinate Define homorythm the texture in which all the voices move in the same rhythm Define imitation when a melodic idea is presented in one voice and then restated in another Define canon a strict composition with imitation throughout What is a simple/familiar type of canon called? a round T or F: A single-voiced texture is called monophony True T or F: Traditional music of the Middle and Far East is typically polyphonic False Define counterpoint the art of combining two or more simultaneous melodic lines T or F: The art of counterpoint is most closely associate with monophonic texture False T or F: A heterphonic texture frequently occurs in music involving improvisation, such as jazz. True T or F: Most compositions use one type of texture exclusively. False Define tempo the rate of speed at which a piece of music is played What emotional response would most likely be associated with an accelerating tempo? agitation Music that is despairing and sad usually has a ___________ tempo slow In what language are tempo markings generally given? Italian What is the marking for a slow tempo? adagio Accelerando is a term indicating that the tempo is: getting faster Define dynamics the degree of loudness and softness, or volume, at which music is played What is the symbol of growing louder Define crescendo the gradual swelling of the volume of music T or F: The tempo indicates the loudness of music False T or F: The tempo of a piece affects its mood and character True T or F: Allegro is an Italian term for a fast, cheerful tempo True T or F: The degree of loudness and softness in music is called dynamics True Is texture a property of a musical sound? no Define timbre the quality of sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another What does the term, timbre, refer to? the color of a tone A mechanism that generates musical vibrations and launches them into the air is called: an instrument Define register a specific area within the range of a voice or instrument, such as high, middle, or low What are the standard ranges of the human voice from highest to lowest? SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) What is the (generally accepted) term for the high male vocal range? Tenor Define chordophones instruments that produce sound from a vibrating string Define aerophones instruments that produce sound by using air as the vibrating means How do idiophones produce sound? by shaking, scraping, or striking the instrument itself Drum-type instruments fall into the category of: membranophones T or F: In some cultures, womens voices are preferred for certain styles of music True T or F: Flutes and whistles are classified as idiophones False T or F: A guitar is an example of a chordophone True The instruments of the Western orchestra are categorized in four groups. What are those four groups? SBPW (strings, brass, percussion, and woodwinds) Of bowed string instruments, what is the highest to lowest in range? violin, viola, cello, double bass Define pizzicato the special effect produced on a string instrument by plucking the string with the finger In string play, the rapid movement of the wrist creates a throbbing effect called: vibrato What is double stopping? playing on two strings at once What is the device placed on the bridge of string instruments to muffle the sound? a mute Harmonics on a string instrument are produced by: lightly touching the string at certain points while the box is being drawn Chords whose notes are played in succession, as on the harp, are called: arpeggios T or F: Woodwind instruments all have a pipe with holes True What is the highest sounding member of the woodwind family? the piccolo Is a clarinet a double-reed instrument? no Describe all brass instruments they are made of metal, are blown with a metal mouthpiece, their sound is created by the vibration of the lips T or F: The trumpet is a soprano brass instrument sometimes described as possessing a brilliant timbre True T or F: The English horn is the member of the brass family False What is the bass instrument in the brass family? the double bass Timpani are members of the _________ family of instruments percussion What is an example of a pinched percussion instrument? xylophone What is an example of an unpinched percussion instrument? bass drum T or F: the piano has a wide dynamic range True T or F: String instruments are generally played by either bowing or plucking True T or F: The violin was developed by Italian instrument makers around 1600 and 1750 True T or F: The viola is somewhat smaller and higher pitched than a violin False T or F: All woodwind instruments are made of wood False T or F: The term pizzicato means to play in a throbbing manner False T or F: The pipe organ is a wind instrument, sounded by air True T or F: The piano is limited by a narrow range of pitches and dynamics False T or F: The two categories of percussion instruments are pitched and unpitched True T or F: The trumpet is the lowest pitched instrument of the brass family False What is the most recently invented member of the woodwind family? saxophone What distinguishes chamber music from orchestral music? the number of players on each part What is the name for a Balinese of Javanese orchestra made up largely of gongs, drums, and xylophone-like instruments? Gamelan What is the 2/3 of a symphony orchestra? strings Which instruments are traditionally seated in front of the orchestra? strings Define band a rock, jazz, and march ensemble group John Phillip Sousa was a famous composer of? marches What is a jazz band normally made up of? woodwind instruments, brass instruments, and percussion instruments T or F: Specialized choirs that perform with organ are called a cappella ensembles False T or F: Chamber music is intended for a small group of performers, with one player to a part True What is the standard instrument for a string quartet? two violins, viola and a cello T or F: A piano trio is an ensemble of three pianos False T or F: The modern orchestra is typically made up of thirty or forty players False T or F: The upbeat is the strongest in any meter True The preservation of music without the help of written notation is called: oral transmission Define musical style the characteristic manner of presentation of a work The style of a historical period is defined by: the total language of all its artists What is the chronological order of music periods? Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century What are the approximate dates for the Renaissance period? 1450-1600s The classical period was followed by what period and then preceded by what period? Baroque, Romantic

9 Signs You Are On The Right Career Path

9 Signs You Are On The Right Career Path Choosing the right career for you can be an incredibly difficult task. There are so many variables and curveballs that will be coming at you from every angle. It’s easy to lose sight of the path you thought you were on- and whether or not you still want to be on it! But whether you’re brand new to the workforce or have been there for years, here are a few ways to know when you’re on the right track in a rewarding career: 1. You wake up happy.Trust us, most people don’t wake up energized and jazzed up to go about their days. If you actually look forward to going into the office, congrats! You’ve done it!2. Your to-do list doesn’t make you cringe.You look at your list of daily tasks and are eager- even excited- to tackle most of them. You get right down to work when you get to work, rather than dragging your feet and putting it off as long as possible.3. The day flies.Before you know it it’s quitting time. Did you even eat lunch? You act ually enjoy the time you spend in the office. And you find yourself wishing you had just another hour to finish off a few loose ends.4. You’re appreciated.It’s clear that your coworkers and boss truly value the work you’re doing. You have their respect. You have their trust and thanks. And sure, hopefully soon, you’ll have that promotion.5. You won’t shut up.You get home or out to happy hour with pals and all you want to talk about is your work and how great it is, or what you’re currently working on. A lot of people can’t stop talking about work because they can’t stop complaining about it. If you’re doing the opposite, you’re probably in the right place.6. You see the future.And it’s huge! You can see a clear and challenging career path for yourself at this company. Maybe not â€Å"all the way to the top,† but certainly to a satisfying end point that you would consider a milestone. If you start ass ociating yourself with your job as part of your identity, and you see the company’s future success as integral to yours, then you’re right where you should be. One with the company!7. You’re positive and helpful.Your coworkers like you because you’re upbeat, positive, and generous with your help. They turn to you first when questions or problems arise. You’re looked to for leadership positions on projects and teams. You routinely go the extra mile- and you like doing it. The added effort only energizes you more. You are desperate to keep proving yourself and not lose your position or esteem.8. You don’t get sad on Sundays.You know those old Sunday afternoon blues? The feeling of dread when you realize you have to go to work tomorrow? If you’re not getting those pangs on a weekly basis, then that’s a pretty good sign.9. You sing your company’s praises.If your company comes up- either for its products or services or as a p lace to work, you can’t shut up about it. You’re constantly encouraging friends or contacts to come work with you. You’re pimping out your company at every turn. If this is you, well, you should probably stay right where you are. In your dream job!

History and traditions of Rosh Hashana and multiculturalism in canada Essay

History and traditions of Rosh Hashana and multiculturalism in canada - Essay Example For example, there are the Aboriginal people of Canadian who have their own culture. They are known to have many cultural and religious beliefs. Some of those beliefs and practices are known to affect their health. The Aboriginal families are known to do traditional healing ceremonies called â€Å"sweet grass healing ceremonies† and they use a lot of smoke (Craig, 2003). This smoke and the healing practice pose a great danger to the health of these families. Judaism is one of the oldest religions unlike the other religions. The others are Christianity, Muslim and Hinduism. It has set of beliefs that help human beings explain their origin, that of the earth, heaven and natural phenomena. This religion has many followers. The followers of Judaism are called Jews. These followers are scattered around the earth. Their followers believe in one God who is a supreme being and a creator of heaven and earth (Avalos, 2005). This religion has also a place of origin. Judaism originated from Israel just like Christianity. Judaism originated when God began a holy covenant with Abraham. It’s the oldest religion. There is a sacred building where God is prayed and worshipped. The sacred building for Judaism is synagogue. The Jews have a holy book and it is called Torah. All the followers try to comply with the laws and rules written in these books. Abraham preached the message of love, equality and good virtues. All the followers of religions share a common belief. They believe that there is life after death (Craig, 2003). This is the same case with Jews who believes that they will resurrect after they die. Jews believe in Abraham and Moses as the prophets of God. The holy place for Jews is Jerusalem. This is the place considered to be the origin of Jews. There are different festivals cerebrated by Jews. The major festivals for jewish are Pesach (Passover) and Rosh Hashanah. Jews have a different way of praying and fasting. They can pray any time of the day and

Bleeding Kansas Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bleeding Kansas - Assignment Example Doubtful people were imprisoned or driven out of town, books majoring on the South were openly burned, and the whole area was in a condition of alarm. South Carolina planters wrote to Wise requesting to receive samples of the Pikes Brown had anticipated providing to slaves; they wanted greatly to know a little concerning this obscure enemy. Most of the Southerners were by now pushing for secession previous to October of 1859, but the raid was an example of cruelty toward the South, which gave a real justification for disunion. Even though, many Northerners detested abolitionism, the Southern dread of mounting antislavery feeling was increased considerably by the Harpers Ferry raid (Tony 67). Wise got letters warning him of the "villainy of Northern abolitionists," and asking him to "bring them all to trial. . . ." Abolitionists triggered this fire, too, as they said "All of us at the North have sympathy with the sacrifice of Harpers

Reasons for Travel Essay Example for Free

Reasons for Travel Essay More and more people all over the world prefer to spend their holidays travelling. Rich or poor, old or young, they strive to leave the place where they live or work, and move to another spot of our planet — at least for two to four weeks a year. They travel to cities and towns, mountains and lakes, across oceans and seas. There are several reasons why the popularity of travel and tourism is growing. The first one is educational value of travelling. Man has always moved from one place to another in search of knowledge. Even now, in the age of technology and global communication, travelling to a different region or country can help discover new ideas, technologies and inventions. The best way of studying geography is travelling, the best way to help you master a foreign language is travelling, too. Moreover, a special kind of tourism has developed, called educational tourism when people travel to study a foreign language or to take up a course in one or several other subjects. The second reason why people travel is entertainment and rest. To see great buildings and natural wonders, listen to national music, get some knowledge about traditions and ways of different countries, taste new cuisine gives us new emotions, helps drive away the stress. Thirdly, there are special reasons. A lot of new types of travelling have appeared like ecotourism, educational tourism, sports tourism. A lot of people travel on business. Now, with the growth of international trade people have a lot of chances to do business with foreign partners, and they do it willingly. Some people have additional reasons to like travelling. When travelling, they do sports, or take care of their health, or get new contacts.

The Dawn Of A New Beginning :: Free Essays Online

The Dawn Of A New Beginning Many mornings during my childhood, my father would take me to watch the sunrise over the water. The place he took me was discovered several years prior and was the ideal place to watch the sunrise. It was comprised of a hill that was surrounded with only the purity of nature. The hill was encompassed by trees, and it slowly sloped down until the foot of the hill waded into the water’s edge. At the top of the hill stood a massive Wye Oak tree, that to a child eyes seemed as though it was a skyscraper. This tree was as wide as a house and was full of green leaves. It was strategically placed in the center of the hill, which also happened to be the optimum point to see the sunrise. On one side of this hill was a field of swaying flowers. The flowers formed a rainbow of color, like the ones that were in the field by the Emerald City in Wizard of Oz. On another side was a crystal blue lake whose top seemed to be like a sheet of ice. This place was the â€Å"ideal place† for the sunrise because no matter what was wrong in life, this tranquil area, which was like the Garden of Eden, was a means of escape. No matter, where someone stood on the hill the sun and nature was always gorgeous. One of my first visits to this place I remember very vividly. We got up early and my father drove us to the hill. We laid down our blanket under the tree and leaned up against its massive trunk. After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity (which was really only a matter of minutes) the sun began to peer over the trees almost like a child looking over the sofa to see if anyone has discovered them in a game of hide and seek. As the sun slowly rose over the trees, and with it my excitement level. It seemed like I was almost in tune with nature. My eyes followed the sun from the point when it was a red-orange ball, and was not even over the trees, to when it became whitish yellow ball in the middle of the sky. As the sun rose and I began to awaken a little more and I headed closer to the water’s edge.

The Major Stages of A hero’s Journey in Hawthorne’s My Kinsman, Major Molineux

The story is about a young man’s search for a man that he and his father thought could help him to have a good fortune – Major Molineux, cousin of the boy’s father. However, in the end, after all that he went through, he was dismayed, yet another friend encouraged him to stay in the city and see if he could earn a fortune without the help of his kinsman. The story opens with a description of the time when the story took place. This is perhaps important as in epics which seek the reference of the events in the narrative. Here, the introduction gives the readers a clue regarding the time and place, thereby creating a good background for the readers to understand the story even if the reader is from a distant time or place (Hawthorne and Harding 37). It is in the second paragraph where Hawthorne starts the narration of Robin’s quest. Hawthorne describes the scene thus, â€Å"It was near nine o'clock of a moonlight evening, when a boat crossed the ferry with a single passenger (Hawthorne and Harding 37). † This is already the initiation stage of the journey. Together with the description of his clothes that were made to last (coarse shirt, leather boots, etc. , it was obvious that he was in for long journey. He looked the place, clueless of the place where his kinsman could be. So he is left to the last resort of asking for directions from people he would meet on the way (Hawthorne and Harding 38). It can be noted that he asked for help several times, but he found none, except in the later part of the story when he forced an old man and another person volunteered to stay with him to wait for his kinsman. The separation is described in later paragraphs as a flashback through a narrative from the hero – Robin. The separation stage tells us that he and his family had high hopes (Hawthorne and Harding 56). His brother took his placer in plowing the fields and his mother sew for him his clothes, hoping for the best that he could have. This is a very timely part in the story to narrate, because it brings the reason of the journey closer to the dismay that was about to take place, which was to evoke the hero’s return as a failure. It could have been a failure. In fact, he asked his friend twice to lead him back to the ferry, but the return was delayed by an optimistic invitation to stay longer (Hawthorne and Harding 56). The story ends there, but from the hints that he was a â€Å"shrewd youth (Hawthorne and Harding 56)†, we can guess that with guidance from his new friend, he could have a good life in the city and return to his home with success to talk about. Why one should Read Thoreau’s Walden Walden is not a novel or an epic. It was not considered a masterpiece during his time. In fact, his mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson was disappointed with it (Alsen 242). Indeed, few of his contemporaries would have presumed that Walden would be treated with as much importance as it is being treated now in Literature. But what is it in Walden that makes it a must to read for anyone studying Literature, Philosophy and American culture? First, we can note that it is a product of a man’s solitude. Thoreau wrote it in deep solitude, that his ideas must have flowed with enthusiasm. As he was a literary genius, a work he wrote in such a state is worth reading. Take for example, the narratives he wrote in Walden about the battle of ants. In the recount, he extensively described what happens in a combat between red and black ants (Thoreau 162). This recount is worth a student’s time because the scenes depicted are not everyday scenes one can see in the city or even in the gardens or woods. He made apostrophes in reference to Homer’s Iliad, which now shows a style that is worth emulating. The learning one can get from this short part of the book is difficult to find, unless one would spend his time patiently in the woods like Thoreau did. To consider things more, many of the things Thoreau wrote, he learned serendipitously. Hence, even if one would spend time like he did, there is no assurance he could come across the same encounters. In all these, his work teaches the younger generations to have respect for life, for nature. The Battle of the Ants is a classic example of primitive life lived by other creatures that co-exist with us in the woods, in gardens and in ponds (Thoreau 162). Like us, they struggle for life and power, so we ought to co-exist with them rather than kill them. Romanticism in Hawthorne and Thoreau Hawthorne’s My Kinsman, Major Molineux and Thoreau’s Walden are two very different genres of literature, but they share elements of romanticism. First, I will define romanticism based on what experts say. Romanticism, according to Peckham in Adams is to have the goal of originating from something that has never existed before (Adams 2). It is therefore not the adherence to existing standards, but the creation of beautiful things based on one’s own standards of beauty and wisdom. So, starting with Walden, we can see the presence of romanticism. It was written not in the form any literary piece has been written before. He wrote based on a keen observation with no conscious consideration of any standards in writing during his time, thus many of his contemporaries did not like his work primarily because it was odd. Hawthorne’s story, on the other hand presents a different kind of plot. In most stories that we know, a hero leaves his home and promises to come home with victory. Usually, the hero fulfils his mission. Not Hawthorne’s Robin. Robin went through the stages of a hero’s journey, but he did not get what he initially wanted. He did not get help from the people he expected would help him and when he found the person he was looking for, he decided to go home in dismay. But life had to go on for him, so instead of going home, he would surely stay awhile and see what the city had in store for a boy as shrewd as he. This makes the story more useful than those with happy endings, for it teaches a reality about life – one does not get all that he wants right away. The romantic element that the two works shared was the novelty of their ideas and concepts. The authors did not adhere to conventions, but created their masterpieces based on what they thought would be beautiful or useful. Transcendentalism in Walden and Self-Reliance Both authors, Thoreau and Emerson, being mentor and student to one another must have had similar philosophies. And indeed, Thoreau is a believer of Emerson’s concept on self-reliance. The term self-reliance itself points out to another philosophical doctrine during their time – transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is a reaction against scientific rationalism, thereby teaching that intuition is the only way to understand reality in a world where â€Å"every natural fact embodies a spiritual truth† (Emerson 205). Hence, Transcendentalists discount external authority and tradition and depend on firsthand experience. So, the motto is â€Å"Trust Thyself† (Emerson and Carlyle 47). So how Walden and Self-Reliance live up to Transcendentalism? First, it should be noted that Thoreau’s work was written largely based on his experience in Walden Pond. Next, the ideas put forward by Thoreau in Chapter 1, â€Å"Nature is as well adapted to our weakness as to our strength (Thoreau 6). This definitely reflects two things – one, learning based on his experience at the pond; second, the doctrine of trusting oneself, because one is provided with what he needs to survive if he will just work to get it. Walden actually echoes the teachings of Emerson Self-Reliance, where his mentor attacked those who believed in luck or fortune (Emerson and Carlyle 54)) Emerson points out that what we see as luck is actually a result one’s persistence, so when the opportune moment comes, the one wh o did not waste time would be ready to seize the moment. This leads to an extension of Transcendentalist ideas. Trusting oneself does not mean being arrogant, but using one’s time efficiently. It does not mean disregarding religion, for there is one Great Soul above everyone. But as that Great Soul is just, He will give success to those that deserve it, because they worked for it.

Memorandum

This memorandum is written to assist the decision making about to raise capital for further growth and recapitalize the ownership structure of TRX thorough Initial Public Offering. The analysis is examined from two scenarios. One is that TRX keep on IPO at lower price of $9 per share; another is that it postpones the IPO in 2006. I would project the IPO price of 2005 and 2006, respectively based on the management plan. According to the TRX’s balance sheet and financial data, TRX was a very young technology-integration company which founded in 1999. By 2004, TRX generated $113. m in total revenues and the ensuing half year it generated about $62m which was already ahead of the last year’s pace. Not only had the top-line revenue growth in industry, the company created the surprised high mean margin growth of EBITDA which was 188. 8% from 2002 to 2005 as well. (Figures show in Appendix 1) Although TRX still represented the negative net income right now, the company must have tremendous profit potential to be expected, because TRX will completely remove low-margin business in 2008 in order to generate strong cash-flow and the more of higher-margin business would stems from TRX’s four top clients. Thus, in order to fuel the rapid growth of the business, TRX should be considered as a good candidate for going public. Nevertheless, TRX first failed to go public in 2000 attributed to the overall stock market conditions were awful since the dot-com bubble burst in the late 1990s. From travel industry condition performance, TRX encounter the recession of travel industry, which affected its fortunes since the company closely related with the overall health of the industry. From the overall stock market conditions, the performance of NASDAQ was volatility throughout 2004, even dropped a low in August 2004 and thereby the pricing of IPO was poor when the company prepare to IPO. Even though the rebounded of stock market in the first half of 2005, the market conditions still acted unstable with weak performance of IPO. Once again, TRX experienced the bad news of industry during its road show. These broader market climates were seemed like unfavorable for the company’s IPO. In reposed to the first filed IPO, TRX turned to raise capital from outside strategic investor Sabre with issuing 15m convertible note and another 5m was from its original investors BCD and Hogg Robinson in order to support company’s growth until it attempted the second time to IPO. Actually, Going public gives these investors the opportunity to exit, proving an attractive harvest strategy especially when the TRX’s stock price closed at a higher price in the post-IPO. However, the final price range of IPO offered by CSFB was $9 per share which was lower than the price Sabre paid for its share. Here, I use comparable analysis to estimate the IPO price based on the management plan in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Since a perfectly comparable company can’t be found, I chose primary sectors’ multiples which most close to TRX with online travel and payment processing. Moreover, the average median multiples are calculated the reason I used median multiples over mean is that more accuracy projections will estimated without outliners involved in mean. Also, I chose the next years’ EBITDA and net income, respectively due the stock prices reflect the present value of future earnings. He company could offer the lender partial ownership in the venture in exchange for loan principal by swapping their debt for equity. The improves the profitability of the venture by lowering debt service payments while lowering debt liability on the balance sheet and replacing it with equity. Also, the lender is trading fixed-rate debt for equity with a potentially higher total return. If the firm is doing very well , and lenders fell that the return on investment will likely be better with equity position, this becomes an attractive option for debt holders. Memorandum My background and interests are fairly diverse and require a more in depth explanation and presentation and this is the rational behind my presentation of this exploratory memo. Hopefully, this memo will clearly address all issues in a manner that will shed light on my background. My primary academic focus is economics and international trade and I approach these avenues in a manner that is significantly different from the way many other people may approach said disciplines. I am a foreign national who was born in Korea and I believe this gives me a different perspective on international trade and economics as I have a great deal of experience seeing the actual â€Å"international† aspect of trade and economics while many people who have limited experience with foreign economies may have a limited understanding in regards to how it works abroad. More than just interested in things that involve politics and the economy, I have also invested a great deal of my time in charitable pursuits. I served as vice President of my church and from this position I was able to invest a great deal of time in charitable pursuits. These pursuits included helping out with individuals who were infirmed and in need of assistance. This experience proved very rewarding on levels that were professional, personal and spiritual. I also place a significant emphasis on my life towards the pursuit of athletic excellence. In particular, I enjoy skiing and snowboarding and have invested a great deal of time developing a proficiency in these sports. A healthy mind only remains healthy when the body that supports it is equally strong so I take the development of an athletic cardiovascular system very seriously. An inability to properly communicate remains one of the more damaging aspects that could undermine an individual’s ability to achieve maximum potential in the workplace. More than anything, I would prefer to develop the enhancement of my grammar, syntax and communicative language in a manner that would effectively be quite impressive to the reader. This does not mean that I would like to master the English language for the sole purpose of being able to misrepresent my knowledge on a particular subject by burying and hiding a lack of knowledge within the confines of excellent grammar and syntax. What I wish to do is to make my knowledge of a particular subject matter and my ability to communicate my knowledge, feelings and ideas within the confines of the business community in such a way that it becomes clear I have a solid and serious pragmatic ability to apply my knowledge on the subject. This is not to say, however, that I have extremely limited experience in business or professional communication. On the contrary, I have a fairly expansive degree of experience with business communication. I do, however, realize my limitations in this area and I will to expand my skills and capabilities in order to eliminate any limitations I may have. While some may assume (erroneously) that the Snowboarding Club that I served as president of would be exclusively a leisure pursuit, this is about as silly of a statement as stating the multi-million dollar snowboarding industry is nothing more than a leisure pursuit. As President of this club I would perform my duties as professionally as I would have performed the same duties for a more ‘established’ club such as an economics club, etc.   As part of my duties as President, I would routinely communicate with various entities and individuals by way of traditional business writing (I.E. pen and paper) and by way of electronic communication (email, etc) In terms of why I am taking this course, the primary reason is that the course is required. So, yes, it is a mandatory course designed to facilitate my graduation, but that is not entirely the whole case. There is much more to it than merely taking a course designed with one sole goal of graduating and receiving a degree. To do this without having developed any real or significant skill would be ludicrous and totally self defeating in terms of the way such an attitude would undermine my entire education. So, regardless of the administrative reason why I am taking this course, all courses are electives as I have elected to attend the University in order to develop my professional skills. In other words, my attendance in this course is primarily to learn the material and then take the material and develop it into functional skills that can carry into the workplace and in life in general.                                                                Memorandum This memorandum is written to assist the decision making about to raise capital for further growth and recapitalize the ownership structure of TRX thorough Initial Public Offering. The analysis is examined from two scenarios. One is that TRX keep on IPO at lower price of $9 per share; another is that it postpones the IPO in 2006. I would project the IPO price of 2005 and 2006, respectively based on the management plan. According to the TRX’s balance sheet and financial data, TRX was a very young technology-integration company which founded in 1999. By 2004, TRX generated $113. m in total revenues and the ensuing half year it generated about $62m which was already ahead of the last year’s pace. Not only had the top-line revenue growth in industry, the company created the surprised high mean margin growth of EBITDA which was 188. 8% from 2002 to 2005 as well. (Figures show in Appendix 1) Although TRX still represented the negative net income right now, the company must have tremendous profit potential to be expected, because TRX will completely remove low-margin business in 2008 in order to generate strong cash-flow and the more of higher-margin business would stems from TRX’s four top clients. Thus, in order to fuel the rapid growth of the business, TRX should be considered as a good candidate for going public. Nevertheless, TRX first failed to go public in 2000 attributed to the overall stock market conditions were awful since the dot-com bubble burst in the late 1990s. From travel industry condition performance, TRX encounter the recession of travel industry, which affected its fortunes since the company closely related with the overall health of the industry. From the overall stock market conditions, the performance of NASDAQ was volatility throughout 2004, even dropped a low in August 2004 and thereby the pricing of IPO was poor when the company prepare to IPO. Even though the rebounded of stock market in the first half of 2005, the market conditions still acted unstable with weak performance of IPO. Once again, TRX experienced the bad news of industry during its road show. These broader market climates were seemed like unfavorable for the company’s IPO. In reposed to the first filed IPO, TRX turned to raise capital from outside strategic investor Sabre with issuing 15m convertible note and another 5m was from its original investors BCD and Hogg Robinson in order to support company’s growth until it attempted the second time to IPO. Actually, Going public gives these investors the opportunity to exit, proving an attractive harvest strategy especially when the TRX’s stock price closed at a higher price in the post-IPO. However, the final price range of IPO offered by CSFB was $9 per share which was lower than the price Sabre paid for its share. Here, I use comparable analysis to estimate the IPO price based on the management plan in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Since a perfectly comparable company can’t be found, I chose primary sectors’ multiples which most close to TRX with online travel and payment processing. Moreover, the average median multiples are calculated the reason I used median multiples over mean is that more accuracy projections will estimated without outliners involved in mean. Also, I chose the next years’ EBITDA and net income, respectively due the stock prices reflect the present value of future earnings. He company could offer the lender partial ownership in the venture in exchange for loan principal by swapping their debt for equity. The improves the profitability of the venture by lowering debt service payments while lowering debt liability on the balance sheet and replacing it with equity. Also, the lender is trading fixed-rate debt for equity with a potentially higher total return. If the firm is doing very well , and lenders fell that the return on investment will likely be better with equity position, this becomes an attractive option for debt holders.

Spain and Portugals Domination of Slavery essays

Spain and Portugal's Domination of Slavery essays The history of the European continent has been a turbulent one, and the period following the Dark Middle Ages is no exception. However, at the end of the 15th century, Europe would slowly regain its prosperity and development. Consequently, there would be a great desire for discoveries and territorial expansions. The geographical conquests lead to the establishment of the first colonial empires, Portugal and Spain. Despite their eventual demise, their colonial practices will give birth to slave trade which will become common practice throughout the next centuries and will deeply impact the social and economic realities of the time. The end of Hundred Years War, the reestablishment of the monarchic order, the reunification of the Spanish monarchy eventually leads to a certain political stability. 1 This offers the possibility to states on the Atlantic shores to take advantage of their geographical position and encourage, both politically and financially the exploration of new territories beyond the limits imposed by science. Thus, the improvements in navigation techniques offered the practical methods to encourage the expeditions. Consequently, the Portuguese Henry the Navigator manages to convince his leader of the importance expeditions out in the sea can have for the growth of the young state2 Encouraged by the success of the Portuguese navigator, his fellow countrymen discover parts of Africa to Gabon and Angola by the end of the 15th century. His evolution is rather important for the future development of the Portuguese colonial empire because the African territories would represent the first source of sl ave labor available to the Europeans. The other major colonial power was the Spanish state which sponsored Christopher Columbuss expedition during which he discovered the American continent. An important role was played by Isabella de Castilla who financed his try and later on, through the Invincible...

A Guide to Socratic Ignorance

A Guide to Socratic Ignorance Socratic ignorance refers, paradoxically, to a kind of knowledge–a person’s frank acknowledgment of what they don’t know.  It is captured by the well-known statement: â€Å"I know only one thing–that I know nothing.†Ã‚  Paradoxically, Socratic ignorance is also referred to as Socratic wisdom. Socratic Ignorance in Plato's Dialogues This sort of humility regarding what one knows is associated with the Greek philosopher Socrates (469-399 BCE) because he is portrayed displaying it in several of Plato’s dialogs.  The clearest statement of it is in the Apology, the speech Socrates gave in his defense when he was prosecuted for corrupting the youth and impiety.  Socrates recounts how his friend Chaerephon was told by the Delphic oracle that no human was wiser than Socrates.  Socrates was incredulous since he didn’t consider himself wise.  So he set about trying to find someone wiser than himself.  He found plenty of people who were knowledgeable about specific matters such as how to make shoes, or how to pilot a ship.  But he noticed that these people also thought that they were similarly expert about other matters too when they clearly were not.  He eventually drew the conclusion that in one sense, at least, he was wiser than others in that he did not think he knew what he did not in fact know.  In short, he was aware of his own ignorance. In several other of Plato’s dialogs, Socrates is shown confronting someone who thinks they understand something but who, when questioned rigorously about it, turns out not to understand it at all.  Socrates, by contrast, admits from the outset that he does not know the answer to whatever question is being posed.   In the Euthyphro, for instance, Euthyphro is asked to define piety.  He makes five attempts, but Socrates shoots each one down.  Euthyphro, however, does not admit that he is as ignorant as Socrates; he simply rushes off at the end of the dialog like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, leaving Socrates still unable to define piety (even though he is about to be tried for impiety). In the Meno, Socrates is asked by Meno if virtue can be taught and responds by saying that he doesn’t know because he doesn’t know what virtue is.  Meno is astonished, but I turn out that he is unable to define the term satisfactorily. After three failed attempts, he complains that Socrates has benumbed his mind, rather as a stingray numbs its prey.  He used to be able to speak eloquently about virtue, and now he can’t even say what it is.  But in the next part of the dialog, Socrates shows how clearing one’s mind of false ideas, even if it leaves one in a state of self-confessed ignorance, is a valuable and even necessary step if one is to learn anything.  He does this by showing how a slave boy can only solve a mathematical problem once he has recognized that the untested beliefs he already had were false. The Importance of Socratic Ignorance This episode in the Meno highlights the philosophical and historical importance of Socratic ignorance.  Western philosophy and science only get going when people begin to question dogmatically help beliefs.  The best way to do this is to start out with a skeptical attitude, assuming one is not certain about anything.  This approach was most famously adopted by Descartes (1596-1651) in his Meditations. In actual fact, it is questionable how feasible it is to maintain an attitude of Socratic ignorance on all matters.  Certainly, Socrates in the ​Apology doesn’t maintain this position consistently.  He says, for instance, that he is perfectly certain that no real harm can befall a good man.  And he is equally confident that â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living.†

Analyzing the dispostion of female characters in the modern short Essay

Analyzing the dispostion of female characters in the modern short stories The Yellow Wall Paper by Charlotte Gilman and Rashmon by Akutagawa - Essay Example ess opportunities were scarce and yet women still often found it necessary to become the primary bread-winner of the family or their own only means of support. What people don’t always realize is that this was as common in the East as it was in the West, if not more so. These social conventions were not only held in place by the social restrictions on the gender, but also in the way that they were understood by outsiders. These concepts can be better understood by comparing two works such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s â€Å"Rashomon.† Neither story permits the female characters the individuality of a name, forcing them to become only a symbol for the entire gender, nor does the primary female have any choice for the conditions of her life. The woman protagonist in Gilman’s story is required to live an isolated life in the upper room of a very remote country house. Had she had any say in what might be best for her, she would have selected a downstairs room with flower vines growing up the wall and a door out to the garden. â€Å"I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza and had roses all over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings! but John would not hear of it. He said there was only one window and not room for two beds, and no near room for him if he took another.† The room she is confined to is much different, decorated with ugly peeling yellow wallpaper and with bars on the windows blocking out the scenery outside. It is significant that the room is thought to have been a nursery because the woman is treated like a young child, not an adult capable of making her own decisions. â€Å"He [John] is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction. I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me.† With no options available to her other than to simply give in to the forces around her, the woman eventually comes

Ethical Study Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Study Review - Assignment Example This paper will discuss the scenario given according to the guidelines provided. Objective analysis is paramount in understanding an ethical dilemma. According to the scenario, we are told that the 96-year-old suffers from liver cancer. There are no other complications mentioned in the details. Moreover, one is not able to assert the advancement of the disease. The National Cancer Institute points out that the symptoms associated with liver cancer are unusually severe. Some of the most regular symptoms that are presented by patients who are diagnosed with liver cancer include pain in the upper abdomen, lumps in the upper abdomen, loss of appetite, yellow skin and eyes, fever, fatigue, and weight loss. According to the details given, the 96-year-old patient depicts these symptoms. The second person of interest is the daughter of the patient who is a naturopathic physician. Naturopathic physicians are trained in naturopathy practices that are regarded as traditional approaches to healt h-related issues. The daughter insists that she has the capability of healing her father with some smelly tarry substance. Research shows that chemical poisoning symptoms are similar to those depicted by liver cancer patients. The fact that the patient is in pain can draw several suggestions. Firstly, the daughter’s drugs can be reacting with other treatments; secondly, the daughter could probably be poisoning her father; lastly, since his liver is not functioning appropriately, there is a probability that the patient has an accumulation of toxins in his body. There is an ethical dilemma according to the scenario presented. An ethical dilemma can be defined as a complex circumstance which involves an apparent mental disagreement between moral imperatives. For example, human beings have certain complex relationships that cannot be avoided: If a person tries to murder another individual, therefore, there is a high prospect that the probable murderer is mentally disturbed. There fore, the best method of resolving ethical dilemmas is through the ethical decision making techniques. In most cases, ethical decision making involves five chief steps. They should be in a position to recognize the dilemma as an ethical issue, which requires knowledgeable individuals. Secondly, the individuals involved should be able to gather all the facts that correspond to the ethical dilemma. Thirdly, they should appropriately evaluate some of the optional actions they can employ when addressing the ethical dilemma. The most prevalent approaches to ethical dilemmas include the utilitarian approach, rights-based approach, virtue approach, common good approach, and justice approach. Fourthly, the individuals have the right to test the decision that they have taken, and, lastly, they are able to resolve their ethical dilemma with the decision met. On the contrary, ethical decision-making is not easy, but one can arrive at the right decisions by following these five procedural steps . Moreover, the individuals should not overlook the consequences that might be brought about by resolution of the ethical dilemmas. This ensures that the resolution of the dilemma does not inflict any form of harm to any of the parties involved. In relation to the scenario, the other hospital attendants are seemingly upset, since they think that his daughter is hastening the death of the father. Furthermore, there is no clear license that depicts the