Palaces Out Of Paragraphs

English 1102: Hamilton and Writing

Remix Reflection

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By: Clarisa Colton

Going into this project, I was not totally sure what my final product would be like. When I first began work on the project, I mainly worked on learning the melody of the song. Since I haven’t touched my cello all summer, it definitely took me a minute to get back into the groove of things. I remembered why I love playing so much, and I’m so glad this project gave me the opportunity revisit this part of me. My first draft was mainly just a taste of what I wanted my final product to be. I recorded the first part of the song (Hurricane) – the part before the rap. This was partially due to time constraints and partially due to me not yet having a plan for the rap part. I received really good feedback for my work at that point, and really liked the idea of my peer editor to add more instruments to perhaps add some more emotion into the song, however I didn’t end up doing this mostly because I’m really not skilled with any other instruments, aside from basic piano skills, and didn’t have the time or resources to work that out.

Since my cello is at home and I have been living on campus this summer, I had to go home in order to record and work on the project. I was able to complete everything by only going home twice – but I developed ideas for what I wanted to do while still here. What I ended up doing for the rap portion of the song was playing basically the same background/bass line but doing a bit of improvisation during the section where Miranda usually does the rap portion. I thought this was effective and in line with the rest of my work because it captured the song Hurricane in a way that speaks in a slightly different way than the original. My main purpose in this project was to present a piece of music that showed communication can be achieved without the use of words and language. I feel that playing improv on an instrument is akin to freestyle rapping, but without words. It is a creative type of expression that can communicate just as effectively as speech, albeit in a completely different way. The rest of the process was basically me learning the rest of the song, then looking up what basic chords were used during each part of the song and kind of just going with what I thought sounded good. A lot of my life has centered around my social anxiety, and talking has been very hard for me for a long time, and cello has always been one of the ways I was able to communicate without words, so that is really want I wanted to get out of this.

If you want to check out my final project, I uploaded it to Soundcloud! https://soundcloud.com/clarisa-colton-772470817/hurricane-cello-cover/s-LK0rJ

final shot

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By: Clarisa Colton

I’ve decided for this final blog post I am going to discuss the remix of “My Shot” from the Hamilton Mixtape. What really struck me about this remix was that how even though most of the lyrics were changed, the message was still the same. The message was still the same because the message still applies today. The first thing I would like to point out is that the lyrics that aren’t changed – “I said I’m not throwin’ away my shot / Yo I’m just like my country / I’m young, scrappy, and hungry / And I’m not throwin’ away my shot”. It’s not true anymore that our country is literally young, but I feel that it is a true statement that the people today that are trying to make a change in the America we currently live in are mostly the young people of America. In both versions of the song, it delivers a message telling us that we can “rise up” and become anything we work for. I feel the context of the song mainly directs it to those who aren’t generally as able to become who they dream of being or at least feel they aren’t able – minorities.

 

 

Which is kind of what the entirety of Hamilton is directed towards. Those who feel small, or left behind – it’s a message to those people that they are just as capable as anyone else, despite the circumstances. The way this differs from the original is that it puts the idea of the song into a more modern/current light. I feel that this makes the message more accessible to those who might need it today. This helps me to understand what my adaptation needs to accomplish – to reach a different audience that may need the message of the song just as much.

hello cello

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By : Clarisa Colton

I have decided that for my remix and adaptation project, I’m going to make a cello cover of the song “Hurricane” from act 2 of Hamilton. It’ll probably end up being a mixture of sheet music I can find online plus some things I’ll add in myself. Those will probably be elements I figure out during the process – like what makes sense and sounds good. I have played the cello since I was in third grade, but have recently not been playing as much due to school – so I’m really excited to play again for school.  Cello used to be such a huge part of my life, I even considered majoring in it, so it’s been pretty frustrating to not be able to find the time for it.

me playing my senior year !

I don’t have too much experience with making covers but I did do a pretty rad cover of One Direction’s “Drag Me Down’ in high school (I had my 1D phase pretty late). I had a really good time putting that together so I feel like I will also have a really good time doing this one. I chose “Hurricane” because I feel like it will lend itself really well to covering on cello, and it has aspects that are slower and more melodic as well as some more upbeat parts. I wouldn’t have worked as well to do a song that’s mostly/all rapping because that wouldn’t be able to come across on the cello as well. Some things that will be challenging is that I am a bit of a perfectionist and I know I won’t be satisfied (no pun intended) until I think it sounds perfect – which isn’t really possible. Another possible challenge will be that I’ll probably have to do any recording at home since that’s where my cello is and I don’t really have a space on campus where I could do it, but that will probably be fine as long as I set aside enough time for it (I live 20 minutes away). Overall I’m really excited to begin working on this project!

Deadline Driven

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By: Clarisa Colton

Writing and I tend to be in a constant battle. Whenever I’m assigned a writing assignment, I tend to procrastinate until it’s almost no longer feasible for me to finish on time. The hardest part for me is always starting. Once I get a good start, it’s usually just a matter of me concentrating for an hour or two and just getting it done – then I can go back and change things. If the assignment has been one I especially hate I tend to edit very minimally, which I know is bad, but I’m usually just happy to have it over with. As for prewriting, I’ll usually do that if it’s a paper or essay that’s pretty lengthy and requires a sense of organization.  Mostly I’ll just make an outline on paper, which is usually really helpful for me. I think the starting part is so hard for me because I have such a hard time doing anything that’s not perfect, and if I can’t get my start right, I can’t move on or do anything. A lot of it is me not wanting to write something that I don’t think will be correct or good, and I usually am able to get started if I can put that aside. I definitely need to be somewhere without distractions to write – be it a room by myself or a coffee shop where I can at least get away from friends who might distract me. I’m a huge snacker when writing. I have this vivid memory of writing an essay my senior year of high school at my dining room table with a bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs by my side helping me along the way. Deadlines stress me out as well as push me to get things done. As my mom likes to say, as a fellow procrastinator, we’re just ‘deadline driven’.

I used to make cookies or something similar a lot in high school to procrastinate, but I haven’t really been able to do that since coming to college because I haven’t had a kitchen that’s very convenient to cook in. Perhaps next year that will change since I’ll be in an apartment. Instead I just order cookies from the many cookie delivery services available to us here.

 

P.S. Tiff’s Treats does half off codes on Tuesdays and free delivery on Sundays.

Ham is an Impressive Man

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By: Clarisa Colton

I don’t know if I can quite draw a parallel between Hamilton’s relentless pursuit of his work and my experience at Tech. Not that I don’t work hard – I feel like I do at least – but I feel like Hamilton’s life at age 19 differs so much from my own, as well as most other Tech students. For example, when Hamilton was just 20 (ok, maybe 22) he was first appointed as Washington’s aide. I feel like the kind of work that gets a person from where Hamilton started to there is not the kind of work I can possibly parallel with my own.

One thing that had really fascinated me throughout the musical is the fact that all these things (albeit slightly dramatized) are real things that happened. For me, it’s nearly impossible to reconcile the things that go on in the musical to someone’s real life. I think it goes to show how different things are today. In today’s world, I do not believe what Hamilton was able to accomplish at his age would be feasible. Although the age to be a United States Representative is 25 (Hamilton’s age when first on Congress), the youngest person currently a member of the House of Representatives is 33 – nearly 10 years older than Hamilton was. And I’m sure their efforts were relentless to get there.

As I listened and watched Hamilton, part of me considered how little I feel I’ve done compared to Hamilton, and others in the musical, I’ve realized it’s not really fair to compare myself to them. Today is a much different United States than was back then, and Hamilton himself was probably 1 in a million. But still, it’s incredible to learn the extent of what Hamilton was able to accomplish in his brief 47 (or 49) years.

I guess there are some people who you could compare him to – people like Steve Jobs. You know, those guys who are/were so incredibly smart and passionate about what they did that they excel beyond anyone else. So, in that sense, there are parallels that can be drawn between him and more contemporary people – but not your average Tech Student for sure.

Reynold’s Shmenold’s

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By: Clarisa Colton

For my historical annotation project, I have chosen an excerpt from “The Reynold’s Pamphlet”. It was written by Hamilton himself for the press and published to the public. He wrote the document to clear himself of a false charge of “improper pecuniary speculation”(Hamilton). This charge came from a Mr. James Reynolds after he had been imprisoned and the man he had been imprisoned with, Jacob Clingman, told his lawyer that Reynolds and Hamilton had been involved together in some illegal dealings having to do with government funds. When Hamilton was confronted with these claims, he came clean, but not about anything to do with government funds, just that he had had an affair with Mr. James Reynolds wife, Maria Reynolds. This all went down in 1792, however it wasn’t until 5 years later in 1797 that Hamilton wrote and published “The Reynold’s Pamphlet”, which explained all that had happened in great detail in order to clear himself of these charges.   What initially drew me to the document, I admit, was the fact that this is considered one of the first sex scandal’s in United States history, but as I’ve spent time reading it and researching it I have realized there is much more to it than that.

As far as research I’ve done so far, I have basically been looking through the library databases and google to try and find what will be useful to me. It has been pretty overwhelming and difficult for me though because there is SO much information out there and it’s hard for me to tell what is relevant and useful. I feel like something that happens to me a lot in assignments like this is a feeling of being stuck/blocked, but once I actually start writing things down and getting the hang of it, I feel like this project will go much more smoothly. I am going to try and go through the document I am annotating and make notes indicating what information I think would be helpful, which will hopefully help me narrow down sources to actual use in my annotations.

Running Out of Time

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By: Clarisa Colton

An element of the writing in Hamilton that I have found interesting is the emphasis placed on the passage of time. There is a contrast apparent almost from the very beginning of the show placed between Hamilton and Burr, and one facet of this contrast is how they think about time. From the very first song, “Alexander Hamilton” (https://genius.com/Lin-manuel-miranda-alexander-hamilton-lyrics), we can see this with the line near the end where the whole cast sings, “You never learned to take your time”. As we see throughout the first act, Hamilton is very keen on getting things done quickly – he wants to make things happen, whereas Burr is more seen as someone who will sit back and wait for things to happen as they will. In addition to this, repeated throughout the song, as well as the rest of the act, is the line “Just you wait”. This also is a reference to time in a different way, in that we can see how time will pass, and things will change because of this. This is different from some of the other ways we see Hamilton talk about time, as usually there are references made to the fact that he can’t wait, so it’s interesting that this is one of the main repeated phrases throughout the musical.

It’s also interesting because Hamilton has a sense of impatience about him – perhaps the way in which the line “just you wait” is repeated is different for Hamilton than it is for Burr. Hamilton is saying, “just you wait”, because I’m here and I’m going to do something, but for Burr it’s more of a literal “just you wait”, because I’m not in any rush to get things done, although he does still want to get them done. I think a song that shows the disparity between Hamilton and Burr’s attitudes towards time is in the song “Wait for It”( https://genius.com/Lin-manuel-miranda-wait-for-it-lyrics), which is just Burr singing with the rest of the cast in the background. It basically is about how he is willing to wait for things to happen for him, in stark contrast to Hamilton.

Later on in the musical, during the song “Non-Stop”( https://genius.com/Lin-manuel-miranda-non-stop-lyrics), we can see a direct reference from Burr about Hamilton’s eagerness to finish things quickly in the lines,

Why do you write like you’re running out of time?
Write day and night like you’re running out of time?
Ev’ry day you fight, like you’re running out of time”.

Really, this whole song is referencing Hamilton’s intolerance for waiting for things to change – he wanted to change things right then and there. In the end, Hamilton’s rush to get things done was probably the best things he could’ve done, because as we all know his life was cut short. He was literally running out of time.

Excerpt from “The Reynolds Pamphlet” 1797 with Annotations

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By : Clarisa Colton

Source: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-21-02-0138-0002

The document I chose is an excerpt from The “Reynolds Pamphlet”, written by Alexander Hamilton.

Transcription:

The charge against me is a connection with one James Reynolds for purposes of improper pecuniary speculation [1]. My real crime is an amorous connection with his wife, for a considerable time with his privity and connivance, if not originally brought on by a combination between the husband and wife with the design to extort money from me [2].

This confession is not made without a blush [3]. I cannot be the apologist of any vice because the ardour of passion may have made it mine [4]. I can never cease to condemn myself for the pang, which it may inflict in a bosom eminently intitled to all my gratitude, fidelity and love [5]. But that bosom will approve, that even at so great an expence, I should effectually wipe away a more serious stain from a name, which it cherishes with no less elevation than tenderness [6]. The public too will I trust excuse the confession. The necessity of it to my defence against a more heinous charge [7] could alone have extorted from me so painful an indecorum.

Before I proceed to an exhibition of the positive proof which repels the charge, I shall analize the documents from which it is deduced, and I am mistaken if with discerning and candid minds more would be necessary [8]. But I desire to obviate the suspicions of the most suspicious [9].

The first reflection which occurs on a perusal of the documents is that it is morally impossible I should have been foolish as well as depraved enough to employ so vile an instrument as Reynolds for such insignificant ends [10], as are indicated by different parts of the story itself. My enemies to be sure have kindly pourtrayed me as another Chartres [11] on the score of moral principle. But they have been ever bountiful in ascribing to me talents [12]. It has suited their purpose to exaggerate such as I may possess, and to attribute to them an influence to which they are not intitled [13]. But the present accusation imputes to me as much folly as wickedness [14]. All the documents shew, and it is otherwise matter of notoriety, that Reynolds was an obscure, unimportant and profligate man [15]. Nothing could be more weak, because nothing could be more unsafe than to make use of such an instrument; to use him too without any intermediate agent more worthy of confidence who might keep me out of sight [16], to write him numerous letters recording the objects of the improper connection (for this is pretended and that the letters were afterwards burnt at my request) to unbosom myself to him with a prodigality of confidence, by very unnecessarily telling him, as he alleges, of a connection in speculation between myself and Mr. Duer [17]. It is very extraordinary, if the head of the money department of a country, being unprincipled enough to sacrifice his trust and his integrity, could not have contrived objects of profit sufficiently large to have engaged the co-operation of men of far greater importance than Reynolds [18], and with whom there could have been due safety, and should have been driven to the necessity of unkennelling such a reptile to be the instrument of his cupidity [19].

But, moreover, the scale of the concern with Reynolds, such as it is presented, is contemptibly narrow  for a rapacious speculating secretary [20] of the treasury. Clingman, Reynolds and his wife were manifestly in very close confidence [21] with each other. It seems there was a free communication of secrets [22]. Yet in clubbing their different items of information as to the supplies of money which Reynolds received from me, what do they amount to [23] ? Clingman states, that Mrs. Reynolds told him, that at a certain time her husband had received from me upwards of eleven hundred dollars [24]. A note is produced which shews that at one time fifty dollars were sent to him, and another note is produced, by which and the information of Reynolds himself through Clingman, it appears that at another time 300 dollars were asked and refused. Another sum of 200 dollars is spoken of by Clingman as having been furnished to Reynolds at some other time [25].What a scale of speculation is this for the head of a public treasury, for one who in the very publication that brings forward the charge is represented as having procured to be funded at forty millions a debt which ought to have been discharged at ten or fifteen millions for the criminal purpose of enriching himself and his friends [26]? He must have been a clumsy knave, if he did not secure enough of this excess of twenty five or thirty millions, to have taken away all inducement to risk his character in such bad hands and in so huckstering a way—or to have enabled him, if he did employ such an agent, to do it with more means and to better purpose [27]. It is curious, that this rapacious secretary should at one time have furnished his speculating agent with the paltry sum of fifty dollars, at another, have refused him the inconsiderable sum of 300 dollars, declaring upon his honor that it was not in his power to furnish it [28]. This declaration was true or not; if the last the refusal ill comports with the idea of a speculating connection—if the first, it is very singular that the head of the treasury engaged without scruple in schemes of profit should have been destitute of so small a sum [29]. But if we suppose this officer to be living upon an inadequate salary, without any collateral pursuits of gain, the appearances then are simple and intelligible enough, applying to them the true key [30].

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Introduction : Clarisa Colton

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Hello all! My name is Clarisa Colton and I am a Computer Science major. I plan on graduating in 2021, but depending on internships or studying abroad that could be pushed back some. I am in the online section of the course, but I’ll actually be on campus this summer. I wasn’t able to take the in-person section of the course because another class I’m taking interfered with this section time wise.

Other than ENGL 1102, I am currently enrolled in two other Computer Science courses. Hopefully I’ll still get to have fun this summer with my friends who are here and I also plan on volunteering some at the Atlanta Humane Society. My first semester at Tech I took English 1101 and I had a pretty good experience. It happened to be my professor’s first time teaching at Tech and so it was a learning experience for us as well as him. I do enjoy the writing aspect of communication – in some capacities. I don’t enjoy writing super formal things as much, like a research paper, but when it comes to more personal and/or casual writings I can enjoy it. My least favorite aspect of communication would probably be orally. What’s mostly an issue for me is talking in front of groups of people I may not know very well and maybe aren’t comfortable with, but it’s something that’s been an ongoing process for me.

I haven’t really listened to much of Hamilton before. The most exposure I have had to it was my senior year of high school when our Orchestra and Chorus performed “My Shot” together. Although I’ve played the cello most of my life, I also really love to sing and do love musicals – despite the fact that I never got into Hamilton while it was really big. Hip hop has never really been my thing, but I’m sure it’s not really going to be an issue – I’m actually really excited to finally listen to all of Hamilton. Some other things about me are that I’m the youngest of five children, I’ve played the cello since third grade, and I love, love, love dogs!

This is my dog – Lucy! She’ll be 13 in October – but don’t tell her.

 

by: Clarisa Colton