EP UNPLUGGED

from February 2020

COVER

Preview: EP Unplugged

BY SRIHITA RAJU

For Senior Robbie Breese, nothing is better than being on stage. Breese is a part of the choir and the drama department. Outside of school, he enjoys spending his time singing, taking voice lessons, and playing the guitar, piano, and violin. He also enjoys writing and recording his own original songs.

Although Breese sometimes performs alone, he is also a part of a band, The High Straps. The High Straps consists of Robbie Breese, Ian Brown, Jack Wagner, Jonathan Shepherd, Ethan Kane, and Neil Namjoshi. The band got their name from the way that jazz bands’ guitarists strap their instruments onto their body. Jazz musicians tend to wear their guitars higher up on their bodies. This style has become iconic for jazz instrumentalists, which lead to the name “The High Straps” for this student band. To see more of The High Straps and Robbie Breese, check out ‘Robbie Breese’ on Youtube.

One musical event Breese is looking forward to this year is EP Unplugged. In March, students will have the chance to come see their classmates perform covers and originals, all acoustic. This year, Breese is excited to perform at this unique event. It is the only event where everything performed is acoustic. Breese’s favorite part of EP Plugges is getting to see all the collaborations between students.

Mindless Music

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ROBBIE BREESE

EP UNPLUGGED Who will be performing: Student musicians What: Watch your classmates playing acoustic covers and originals Where: PAC When: March 23rd, 7:00 p.m. Free to attend

Are music genres exclusive to a race?

BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

Music is known to be universal. It’s the great thing about it. You could be living in Kazakhstan and be listening to Justin Beiber’s latest single. But every genre has its roots planted in history, and the universal spread of music has blurred the lines of race and gender. In 2020, politics is in every aspect of entertainment—music being no exception. But how aware should the listener be when it comes to the history of what they listen to? And can a genre socially accept other ethnicities entering a genre rooted in a certain culture?

Perhaps the biggest genre in music today—and certainly for our demographic—is hip-hop. Hip-hop originated in the South Bronx of New York during the early 1970s. Originated and cultivated in African-American culture, hip-hop remains a classic staple of African-American culture and history. However, in modern society, hip-hop is shared amongst all races. After all, streams and purchases are revenue, regardless of race. But there is a careful line that non-black listeners have to tread lightly. Just because you listen to hip-hop, rap, r&b, or any other black-dominated music genres, does not give anyone the right to try to appropriate black-American culture. I’ve seen so many instances of other races wearing dreads, getting grills in their teeth, and changing their way of speaking to imitate AAVE (African American Vernacular English). Perhaps the most ignorant thing I’ve heard from hip-hop and rap music listeners is that in the name of “singing along”, they say the “n” word. It’s racist and derogatory for non-black Americans to say the word without understanding the implications of what it means for a white man to even say the “n” word.

A similar situation can be seen in other mainstream music as well. The latest genre to breakthrough into the western world is k-pop. Korean pop music has barrelled into the American music scene with frontrunners BTS and Blackpink, followed by other acts such as NCT127 and Monsta X. These groups consist of ethnically East Asian members, often from Korea, but also Thailand, China, and Japan. With the recent spread of these groups in the west, the genre has garnered more and more fans from around the world. But the recent influx of Korean music and culture has brought along a huge wave of cultural appropriation in the west, as non-Asian people start to fetishize asians and their culture. The term “Koreaboo” has been dubbed for those who throw random Korean words into their language, pretend they are Korean, or an extreme--get cosmetic surgery in order to “look” like they’re Korean. Regardless of what people do in order to appear or be more East Asian, it’s cultural appropriation done badly.

Cultural appropriation should be something we are all aware of, as it is harmful to people of color and their heritage. So while music is universal and should remain universal, there are certain lines that should not be crossed.

From Venezuela to Minnesota: A profile on Juan Pinto

BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

Juan Pinto was just 12 years old when his family packed their bags and took a plane from Venezuela to Minnesota. He had to leave everything behind, from his friends to the horses his family owned. It wasn’t secure for Juan’s family to stay in Venezuela since the economy was failing due to falling oil prices. Juan noted that “you could fill your entire gas tank for one dollar.”

So he and his family packed everything up and found a new home in Minnesota. Here in Minnesota, his parents still work in business but with a different company. Juan had no choice but to accept the changes in his life and keep moving.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Juan’s life in Venezuela was his horses. His family owned a family of four horses, which they participated in competitions with. Juan started riding horses at 4 years old and eventually became a nationally ranked competitor in the sport. He named his favorite horse “La Navaja,” which essentially means “Swiss army knife” in Spanish. Juan and Navaja competed in many other competitions where they had to herd and properly separate cows. This was a difficult thing to do, as it is a cow’s nature to be with other cows. So as Juan and Navaja would separate cows, the cows would simply walk back to the other side. With speed and precision, Juan would herd the cows as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, as the Pinto family was forced to move to America, they had to sell their horses to ranchers in Colombia. Juan isn’t able to retain his sport here in Minnesota, but his family visits Florida biannually in order to see and take care of horses there.

Juan’s move from Venezuela to Minnesota was more than just a geographical move. When he arrived here, he did not know anything about the English language. He struggled to assimilate into American society. When asked how he would describe the move, he simply replied, “it’s complicated.” Juan said that by ESL (English as a Second Language) standards, he was fluent in English after 1.4 years.

His favorite part of Eden Prairie High School is that everyone treats him like they’ve known him forever. He appreciates the kindness that resonates throughout the school. His least favorite part of EPHS, however, is that the school is “gigantic.” It’s hard to find classes every semester.

Juan said he wishes to follow in his parents’ footsteps and be a business major in the future. His love for business increased after he took Introduction to Business here at the high school. On the other hand, he does not enjoy science classes.

In the future, Juan knows he will return to Venezuela to at least vacation there. “All my friends are there,” he said. He keeps in touch with his friends through text, but hopes to one day meet in person and ride horses together again. He mentioned that his extended family had to split up as they moved out of Venezuela. His family now lives in 14 different countries, including Russia, Colombia and Bolivia. From Venezuela to Minnesota, Juan Pinto has had a tremendous life filled with change, hopefully for the better.