New Year... New You!

Tony Robbins wants you to be your best self!

Welcome to the New Year... better than the old year!

So, how was your first day back? Did you have to crawl to the bus due to your total lack of energy? Don't worry; you'll get your "school stamina" back soon. Hopefully...

This is totally Siddiqui. 

In all sincerity, we do hope that you had some good times over the break and got to live a bit of life on your terms; some napping here... some Netflix there... a little video game marathon over there. You know, quality time!

Today we did spend time doing some self-reflection. We hope that you took the process seriously. If not, then do some on your own terms. But, please do spend time thinking about how to be successful here at Jasper. It sounds corny, but you need to be INTENTIONAL about things. 

You could with this idea too. Whatever.

We have the tools and we have the talent!

As you saw in class today, everything is loaded up on the website for you. We've got reading guides, calendars, map checks, Words for Nerds... everything!

Get your new, spiffy 2017 planner and GET AFTER IT! 

Remember, your map check is this Thursday. Your first reading, chapter 16, is due next Wednesday (1/11). 

Soundtrack of the Week

I spent some time over the holiday break watching some documentaries on the history of popular music and recorded music in general. It put me in an analytical mood, so I thought I'd spend some time this week comparing some current hits with music that, I believe, influenced the current stuff. Maybe you agree; maybe you disagree. Either way, I'd love to hear from you. 

First up we have a great song from Bruno Mars, "24K Magic". (this is a clean version if you're nervous)

Now, if you don't like this song, you are either a total musical elitist or just maybe a jerk. This is pop music at its finest. Plus, I consider Mars a complete entertainer in the mold of some of the greats like James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Prince. It is obvious that those entertainers play a big role in shaping Mars' style and sound. But, I hear and see a similarity with another artist and entertainer. 

In the 1980's, at the height of Prince's popularity and influence, there were some artists that worked with The Purple One. One of my favorites was a group, Morris Day and The Time. They had a few hit songs, but none was bigger than "Jungle Love". This is such a great blend of 80's style with old school funk. Take a look and listen to this video and see if you don't notice some of Mars' modern day funk as well as Mars' understated dance moves that seem a lot like Morris Day. In the video, you'll see some clips from Prince's movie Purple Rain. Really, just focus on the performance sections. Here is Morris Day and The Time with "Jungle Love".