JAZZ

Being raised around and listening to jazz music, to here the songs in class it all started to come back to me. I have listened to jazz since I was a small child. My mother is a very big jazz fan, I can remember spring cleaning with the windows open we would listen to jazz music all day. To this day when I am around my mother we still listen to jazz.

I was raised listening to this type of music, yet I did not understand fully what a challenge it is and the talent one must have to produce this music and sound. I also was in the dark about many of the preformances here in San Antonio that actually display this music many nights of the week. Many of the places I eat and spend some of my free time I have found offer these preformances on specific nights. Though I am not able to attend these preformances I was able to tune into a jazz station on the radio that furthered my knowledge of jazz music. I most enjoy the soothing sound and the many instuments that make up each jazz song.

All the knowledge I already had about jazz combined with what I have learned in class and on the jazz stations have made me a much more rounded jazz fan. I can honestly say I have learned a great deal and have a better understanding for this music that now enjoy. After learning about this music and listening to it on a daily basis I believe I will be listening to it more often then I imagined. I have come to really enjoy this music and I plan on listening to it more in the future.

The San Antonio Riverwalk; Tourism and Growth

San Antonio Texas is known for many things, making the tourist count unbelievable. San Antonio, being home to me, does not always seem so exciting and interesting as many people make it sound. After studying and researching tourist sites I have found that there really are many great attractions here in San Antonio and there is definitely something always going on. The Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio, I have found seems to be the biggest attraction yet. Being downtown on the river alone one can experience the true culture and feeling of this city. San Antonio is a lively community and is filled with activity. I believe walking down the river is the best way to get the real feel for this type of living. It is an upbeat, lively area and is the most happening place here in San Antonio.
The Riverwalk has been around for many years and continues to expand every year. The growth is remarkable. The river was once a way of life and it has turned into a community filled with attractions for all ages. In the beginning, Spanish Explorers used the waterway to supply water to their missions. Mission San Antonio de Valero, also known as The Alamo, was the first to benefit from it. The river flooded its banks many times. In September 1921 the worst flood in its history killed over fifty people and caused millions of dollars in damage to the city. City planners struggled over what to do while large debates rang among the people. One man, an architect named Robert H. H. Hugman proposed a plan that would turn the area into a beautiful urban park with apartments, dining, shopping, boat rides and walk ways lit with old-fashioned street lamps. He wanted it to be just as if one were walking in Venice, Italy. After convincing city officials and business leaders of the financial benefits of his plan, the dream became a reality and the Riverwalk was eventually sculpted into the masterpiece you see today.

There are many events and gathering that take place on the river. Due to its lively nature many people choose this for parties and the place to get wild and crazy. One eventful time on the river that is my personal favorite is Christmas time, I try to make it out every year to see the lighting of the Riverwalk. Being that there is much to do on the river it is hard to hit every happening place in one visit. The events held on the Riverwalk are also remarkable and bring much attention to San Antonio. The spreading river not only brings in tourists it also brings in much money to San Antonio and its natives. Many family owned businesses are located right on the river. These particular places have for the most part been around for years. Some places come and go but the majority of the family owned are going strong. The first restaurant on the river was Casa Rio which features great Mexican food and is one of the hottest spots on the river. For fine dining there is Paesanos which is Italian and features a great area to relax. Most places on the river are very true to San Antonio culture which makes the Riverwalk so special. The river as we know it today is huge and amazing, holding everything one could ever need, but as we speak the river is still growing bringing in more tourist and more business. I spoke with my father, Steve Williams on the growth of the river, due to the fact that he has been working down town right on the river for 20 years now. He was able to explain the changes and growth he has personally seen in this time frame. Steve stated, "the business on the river is not the only thing expanding the river itself has been expanded a few times as well." The most growth he has seen he says is the hotels that have gone up all around the river grounds. "Twenty years ago down town around my building, the Ran Building, was peaceful, today this area is full of people day in and day out. To park we now pay in our own building, it is some what of a privilege to find a parking spot in my area now a days" Steve mentioned. The growth really is outstanding and though it is very interesting and lively it is at times scary that something can grow so much over so little time. I from time to time wonder if there is enough room in this area of town for all of the expansion, can we really cater to all the needs of the people?
The growth of the river is what sparks attention the most. The more activity, the more people. We seem to be expanding the river more and more every day. Downtown San Antonio alone is a very active area and being that the river produces much commercial business today, many tourists make it a priority to visit the river more then once in a trip to San Antonio. After interviewing tourist Debbie Estrada I have found that the Riverwalk is the main reason she traveled here with her family to visit our city. She says, "Being from up north a river is not an enjoyable place and when I was going to plan a summer vacation I decided that San Antonio would be best to experience a warm climate and a nice flowing river. Not only does the San Antonio river just flow and make for a peaceful visit, we also have not had to leave the river yet. With all the shopping and eating located right here, I have spent the majority of our vacation money here in these shops and enjoying the true taste of Mexican food and lively music." After understanding this was the only reason the visit San Antonio I informed Debbie that the river has not always been as lively and as interesting as it is now. She was somewhat surprised to know that the river was used strictly for living and water for many years. She also stated, "I am glad to find that the river has expanded as it did because it has made our family vacation a very memorable one." The river walk is a place for family and a place to party. Debbie expressed her feelings about the Riverwalk as she talk to me about her family vacation. After being down town for Fiesta I was also able to speak to some younger San Antonio goers. Sam Martinez is a 22 year old girl I came across and spoke with while enjoying myself at one the Fiesta events. Sam is a native of San Antonio. She stated, "I spend much of my free time here, down town, I live on the north side but down town is still where my friends and I prefer to hang out." She also mentioned how she loves to shop here down town and from time to time she even rents a hotel room here for the weekend. This was the most shocking thing to me, of all the years I have lived near and in San Antonio I have never once thought to get a room here and just spend the weekend.

I studied the Riverwalk because it is what most interests me about San Antonio, this is my home town and where I plan to spend the majority of my life. After speaking with many different people and researching the Riverwalk I have learned a great deal about the place I am so fond of. I plan on continuing my research and spending more time on the river this summer. I have even decided to book a room for a weekend or two. I am very excited about the project I chose and can not wait to find out more.

Conjunto Music

The in class presentation by our very own Conjunto music director here at Palo Alto, was outstanding. He brought each instrument to life while informing us of the background of the music he played as well. He gave us a detailed description of how and when Conjunto music got started. The presentation was very up front and interesting. He was able to present a song with each instrument. The accordion was the most interesting to me, his talent was amazing. The poem that was recited in three different languages was also very interesting and breathtaking to witness first hand. Hearing the soft aound of the flutes was relaxing, then the accordion made you feel as if you must stand to dance. Besides the playing of the instruments, the class was able to get a good idea of how this music came about. The entire background was very interesting as well. To realize were it all began and how so many cultures influenced it was a big shock. Over all the presentation was a very big success, I believe I can speak for everyone when I say I learned a great deal and walked away with a much better understanding of where this music comes from and exactly how it sounds.

Art

Visiting the San Antonio Museum of Art was very interesting and informative for one who knows very little of art at this point. All the art work I viewed was amazing and could take my breath away. Though there were a selected few that really stood out to me for one reason or another. The first piece that caught my eye was Passing Storm over the Sierra Nevadas, by Albert Bierstadt which is a painting done with oil on canvas. This painting was first introduced to me in class and after being introduced I decided to study it for myself. The most amazing part of this painting to me was the light reflecting off of the water. This particular part of the painting looks extremely complicated to accomplish, yet the artist makes it look so easy. This painting catches my eye due to the fact that it is pure nature and I tend to enjoy nature and the outdoors more then any thing else. The way the artist uses line to make the water look so very real is also a very striking part I came across. The texture of this painting is smooth yet it looks real leaving one to believe it could actually be rough like rock, or smooth and flowing like water. When I look at this painting I am at complete peace, there is no other words that could better describe the way I feel. This impression to me is due to the fact that there is only nature in this painting leaving me to believe the only sounds would be the wind and water. This particular thought brings peace me weather I am there or just gazing at this very realistic painting. This painting can also be viewed online and to be truthful the painting still is very striking to me, there is nothing that can take away from it’s beauty.
There is another painting I am fond of, which I had seen a while back at the Witte Museum. This painting is named Market Plaza, by Thomas Allen it is a painting done with oil on canvas as well. This particular painting stands out to me because it reminds me of home. It looks much like the old days here in San Antonio as well as my home town Devine Texas. It is not as relaxing as the painting I choose before but it gives me a sense of peace due to the fact that it takes me home each time I look at it. The way the artist used line and color to force the people to stand out is one of the most amazing parts to me. The woman wearing pink is the first thing I see she seems to stand further out then any other piece in this painting. Aside from color and line I believe depth is a big part of this painting the animals all seem to be sitting in the background while the people stand near the front. This painting is gorgeous both on the online site and off. Once again I believe the painting I choose is unable to be anything less then amazing. I choose the pieces that stood out to me and these two just so happen to hit closest to home for me.

Losing Ground

The article Losing Ground in the San Antonio Express News is informing in many ways. Being a citizen here in San Antonio I still I miss a lot, and reading this article informed me of many problems that would have went by unnoticed tome. The particular article that I read reviewing Losing Ground and explaining exactly how every thing was done and allowed me to understand how they came about this article and what it meant exactly. They calculated how often developers file last-minute plans in an attempt to avoid looming ordinances, the Express-News turned to a city database of 8,200 plat applications filed between 1990 and April 2005, and broke down the number of plans by month to look for spikes in filings. The database also helped show how much money the city lost in fees from developers who filed plats before an Oct. 20, 1997, drainage ordinance hit the books. The drainage fees are based on land use, acreage and number of residential lots. That information is noted for each plat in the database. This article informs one on how money is being spent and allows the citizens to understand how developers go about doing their business. The Express-News also examined Texas databases that track political campaign contributions and lobbyist activity. While the real estate industry as a whole has given generously to the Texas Legislature, the newspaper considered only interests that have supported vested-rights legislation. The newspaper confirmed that support by reviewing witness lists for legislative hearings, or in some cases, learned of the support through interviews with lawmakers. Lobbyists are requited to provide only a payment range for the clients. The Express News did much to inform I have a new understanding of what all of this means. Losing Ground is a large problem and it is happening everyday.

Work Cited:
Losing Ground: How we did this report. Environment/Water. Google.com. 10/16/2005.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/environment/stories/MYSA101605.15A.vested.how.2c8e400.html
4/6/2008.

Agua

The in class presentation pretaining to the Edwards Aquifer was very informing to one who may not really understand whats good and whats bad about the aquifer we all live off of today. The presentation informed us of what our aquifer is made of and how it alows water in and out each rain. Though the limestone walls are good at times, everything that seeps off the roads seems to seep into our water as well. What i personaly most interesting and shocking was the many places that are being built right over our aquifer alowing for very little drainage, due to the cement and un-natural sources builders use when building. As the landscape of the Recharge and Contributing Zones of the aquifer change from ranchland to urban development, the number of potential contaminant sources is now increasing. These are reasons agua stresses to preserve our community's healthy environment and economy by keeping up well with land management. Some of the things we would need to manage would be to reduce deadly downstream flooding, minimize the need for costly drainage projects, and redirect economic development to other parts of our city. The State of Texas has ranked our Edwards Aquifer as the most vunerable to contamination. Water enters the aquifer on the recharge zone without filteration. Whatever goes into our aquifer is what we drink. I was informed that the aquifer in which we all obtain our water catches rainfall and channels it down streambeads into the recharge zone where it enters through caves, creek beds, faults, and fractures. There is another part of the aquifer called the transition zone which is less sensitive then the recharge area, but is also vunerable to contamiation. The fact that so many times our aquifer is put on the back burner and built over has really shocked me, after viewing the presentation by Agua I have become much more aware of the faults that lie in our contruction each day. I plan to do my part and continue to try and keep our water clean.

St. Joseph Church

The St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic building located down town San Antonio on East Commerce St. The Chruch had begun being built in 1868 and was then completed in 1871. The church was built to serve the increasing German Catholic population in San Antonio. The services then were in German. Today the church has services in English and in Spaish. This historic building has always been very striking to me. Since i was a child i admired this beautiful church. My father works very close to the St. Joseph Church therefore I almost consider it a reminder of family. I love the tall temple that lies infront, this is the object that stands out most. The large wooden doors and arch way are also a big part of why i love this place so much. Not only is it beautiful to me I also find that it reminds me much of New York, where my family is originaly from. Being Italian this building looks much like the strucktures one will find in Italy. This church personaly relaxes me, i feel at peace just looking at it. I feel home being near it. I also feel welcome when walking through the great wooden doors. This building captures a time in history, it is an historical mark making it very interesting to just step foot in. One's breath will be taken away when standing in the chaple itself. This is by far one of the most historical buildings in down town San Antonio. I have an eye for historic buildings and they have always been my pasion in art. I tend to prefer an old home to a new. The history and story behind it means a great deal to me and has always sparked something in me keeping me look for more. I have many pictures of old churches in my bedroom at home. The church is for the most part rather large yet the small details on the building are part of what makes it so magnificant. This particular building is very important to me and I chose it strickly for its beauty and historical value. The structure itself is amazing and is made up of many different shapes, lines and textures. The way the building was constructed so long ago makes it stand out like no other in the area. These are all reasons why I find this sturcture to be most fasinating but for the most part is gives me a sense of home and relaxation. This is what makes it important and stand out to me. It holds a stronger meaning every time I see it.