Wise Words From A Senior Project Legend !

Hello, my current Senior Project Students I hope all is going well in Senior Project and I am praying Abrams is not too hard on you guys already. Some of you may know I am in college and I attend Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. I know the class is really boring right now because of all the English “crap” (sorry Larry). I was not a fan of the reading and the round-up quizzes but at the end of the day business is business so things had to be done no matter the circumstances. Some advice I could give to you is for you to do what needs to be done at your own pace but keep up with Abrams after all this is an “Honors Course”. Believe it or not Senior Project is an easy yet fascinating “A” to earn during your senior year of high school. I am aware that Abrams can sometimes be a little pushy and ask you to do the impossible and you believe you cannot do the task because it maybe too big for you but if you try you will succeed. I know the time is approaching where you all will be starting the blogging process and it could get very overwhelming with all your other courses but let me give you some words of wisdom. Think of Senior Project as an internship for a job you really want in the field that you are studying for your overall project and you will be successful.

PSA: This class is a not hard you make it hard. Also, this class prepares you for the college life. I will be doing this every couple of weeks for you guys in Senior Project. If you need help contact me if needed. Email:  antionemcgee80@gmail.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cIlnzSld54

Good Luck,

Antione McGee

Becoming One With The Music. (Finding the Glow !)

“If you want a lover, I’ll do anything you ask me to, if you want another kind of love, I’ll wear a mask for you. Cause I’m your man!” During my sponsor visit this week I Brian, Darrius, and myself reflected back on how much I progressed since the start of the project and our amazement the results were outstanding. Since the start of my first time recording for this project my confidence and maturity has helped me to transform from an apprentice to a young artist. Similar to training as a Jedi becoming an artist takes time find yourself and become strong in your gifts. Fortunately, through this sponsor visit I pasted my last test to become an artist by getting the opportunity to collaborate with my sponsor Brian. We decided to sing a song together called “I’m Your Man” by Michael Buble through the song I reached my finally level with Brian. He has taught me how to keep my pitch correct and to let myself go through my music by use of my feelings. In retrospect I reached my level of the glow. I sang notes and did without knowing letting my feelings guide me to the truth that I can do this. There is still another level I must touch for my journey and destiny to be complete. I know I must figure that out myself. My friends told me to find someone else to help me more and said, “No training, do I require I already know what I need to do. I only have to complete my finally task to reach the finally level of the glow.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqf1ImqI7N4

*The Saga Continues. .*

A week from tomorrow is the big day, my senior project presentation (Yay! Clapping.) The date is June 2nd at 11am in room D105. I am growing excited for this project because I put myself into this project being that my topic is music. Music is like my bride I am married to it without any chances of divorce. In fact, music is quite similar to Star Wars with the concept of the force. Like Luke Skywalker, the force is strong in my family too; the force of music is strong in my family. My father has it, my mother has it, my aunt has it, my uncle has it, and my grandmother has it. So, it did not surprise me to have the trait of musician in my blood. As a small boy I felt the presence of the force of music in me while doing small little shows for relatives at Thanksgiving and Christmas. My Uncle once said to me “You are going to be my superstar!” Lo and behold hear a stand an apprentice to music learning all I can from the masters of the industry through performances, documentaries, and their music. On a good note this class has helped to gain the level of apprentice in music learning from a master as my sponsor. Remember to avoid the Dark Side and may the force be with you.

The Force of Music has 3 levels:

• Cover Song Artist
• Aspiring Young Artist

• Recording Artist

Beware The Power Of The Dark Side !

In the movie, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, Chancellor Palpatine told young Anakin Skywalker that “The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.” Sometimes I often wonder how it would feel to live in the world of the Star Wars with the training in the Jedi Temple and avoiding the Dark Side. The question comes to mind what side would I choose? I know I would go to the Force side because I am not actually an evil man. However, there are those times where I could be questionable if pushed to my limits. Little do many people know there is a force within me that my dark side which is very powerful. Similar to Anakin Skywalker in episode II Attack of the Clones when he found that the sand people killed his mother and killed them all the men, the women, and the children too. I find myself to capable of the same destruction and I know that I would turn to the dark side for someone that I love to keep them from dying. In saying this I would love to be a Sith Lord because it is opposite of how I am throughout my daily life but it’s a part of me that once embraced cannot be stop. But, there is always a chance for redemption. . to be continued!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWLV2VeMP04

Sponsor Substitute ! (Personal Master Yoda on my back!)

Last week I experienced yet again a set back with my sponsor visit with Brian, in the back of my mind I try to remember that I this happens sometimes. Instead, of beating myself with the help of Mr. Abrams I created a substitute sponsor with the help of TED Talks and youtube.com these websites allowed me to learn about Usher Raymond’s rags to richest beginnings. In Usher’s younger years he was notice to have the superstar quality that we now call iconic. He began in the church like many R&B artist his talents and ambition brought him to find a love in secular music. I can agree with the concept of finding music in the church and then having your talents over shine the church atmosphere. This is because I myself am experiencing the same torn feeling with my music experiences. For instance, this past summer I was in a youth choir at my church while trying to discover myself as an artist. The conflict caused me to become torn between Gospel and Secular music however; I did choose my path and its secular music. With this in mind I was forced to leave the group for educational and personal reasons but I am considering a victorious return to the world of gospel music for business purposes. The video documentary of Usher gave me the knowledge in knowing how to get myself exposure to begin a career in the entertainment industry. The video is called Usher “Papers” Documentary.

"Dream Birth !" (1, 2, 3, Push. . Push. . Push)

Every person is put on this Earth with a dream in their heart to do something that is barrier breaking. It is up to us to find our dream and believe in it so that no one can destroy your dream. Beware of the dream killers they live amongst you. Similar to Judas with Jesus, the dream killer will betray and murder your dream without a second thought. If you have a dream you believe in it and protect it like a Golden Treasure. For in reality, your dream will be your ticket to success, love, and happiness on this wrecked planet. Dreams can be simple. It can be something you always wanted to do with all your might. However, its one thing to have a dream and another to have a dream without works is not a real dream. It’s the same as faith without works is dead. Work your dream until no one on the Earth can do the things that you can do. I am working in my dream with a humble heart and I know that if I keep it up no one will be able to stop me. “Climb every mountain, search far and wide. Search every rainbow until you find your dream”

In The Mix !! (The Editing Experience)

With the recording process, editing happens to be one of the hardest parts of making music because you have to have the ear of perfection. I am learning how to hear things that the normal thing does not hear through my sponsor of Brian Walsh. He has perfect pitch and hears things that I cannot hear while I am sing in the booth. For example, while recording the background parts for “Perfectly Blind” by Day 26, he made me do 27 takes for this one part. I did not hear actually what was wrong with those parts but he some how did. All I remember him saying is “Your so close buddy… keep it up… you’re a little bit off, lets do it again.” So I used this lesson to make a mix for one of my favorite parts of this CD which is the Jackson Five Medley. (I cannot wait to sing the bars of that song) I used my own technique to mix the songs in my way and it my own personal tribute to the Jackson Five. “Good Times”

Hit Factory II !! (Daddy's Home)

Last time at the Hit Factory, I struggled with finding my recording voice and the confidence to sing the way wanted to. But, this time at the Hit Factory my situation was different. I lost myself in my art so deep that I amazed myself with my melodies and rhythms. While in the Hit Factory I finished up my recording of Perfectly Blind by Day 26. I know I will be leaking a snippet of the song in class soon for my bosses (Mr. Abrams and Snyder). I realized through this experience that I had to lose myself in the music so that the result will be mind blowing. Speaking of mind blowing, my sponsor Brian, never ceases to amaze me with his talents he played background for the song and made it a masterpiece. (I love that guy.) I admire ear for music he hears things that the normal ear does not hear and I find that so amazing. But in conclusion, my next time at the Hit Factory is going to be Thursday with my young producer Kyle. I’m going to work on something a little old school Marvin Gaye to be exact. Stay tuned! You think you ready?

                                       Kyle                                                       

                                        

                                                                                    Brian

So, You Wanna Be Startin' Something !! (Proof)

The time has finally come for the senior’s in Senior Project Class to really start something in this class. With last year’s messiah Ivan image and bar setting presentation on my back, I find myself looking for new and better ways to improve my skills. Knowing this my mentor gave me a little bit of advice for a way to guide my presentation. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you glogster.com. Through this program you can create a virtual poster with music, pictures, graphic, wacky text, great colors, and videos. I think this website is great for me to create this entertainment presentation to incorporate videos and influential artist that influenced me throughout my project making and recording process. The proof is really on the CD. Stay tuned to see my vocal snippet of my Perfectly Blind cover song. Are you ready ?

Relationships: Therapy and Wisdom Through Music. (Connection)

Relationships in life are created to be complicated and test your patience with your sweetheart. But, that does not give you the excuse to cheat and break hearts by wrong doing. I understand that relationships are like college it’s not for everybody because not everyone can handle the pressure and time management.

A wise man once told me, “There is a song for everything in this world. So you can release yourself in the song and let go of your drama.”

Guess what? That wise

man was correct. A relationship healing song for any man, woman, or child is called Slippin’ by Usher off of his Raymond versus Raymond album. The song speaks from a man’s point of view of relationships and how he feels about being caught cheating or slipping. This song is really meant to be serious talk from man to man to be honest it makes me think of any times I’ve cheated or been cheated on. For example, I recently went through some serious heart break with my ex-girlfriend we both played the role of wrong doers. I did her wrong and then she up and did me wrong more than once. To make a long story short were going to work things out and then she up and leaves for another guy while telling me later about the situation. The result of this angered me and caused me to go into a slight depression. But, things began to turn around after I heard Slippin by Usher. It gave me the wisdom and strength to move on while knowing things will eventually change.

The main thing I learned through this is:

Music is like radiation treatment for cancer. However, this concept only works if you truly understand and know the power of music. The reason why I say this is because when words fail music succeeds it’s your way to let the world know what exactly you want to say through rhythms and melodies. I just want to say, “One man’s lost is another man’s gain!”

Hit Factory !! (Daddy's House)

During my sponsor visit I began to find myself as an artist. Struggling, with pitches, and finding my groove was very good for my development as a young artist. The studio setting for me is quite intimidating. This leads to lack in self confidence and I try too hard reach notes. I realized through my frustrations that I need to get comfortable in the studio to release the hits my fans would want to hear. On another note working with Brian is no joke. This man is an amazing artist with an amazing ear for pitches and trying to pull off a fake note simply does not work. For instance, while singing my cover song to Day 26’s Perfectly Blind, I sang a note that was pretty good if I must say so myself. But, Brian heard the not differently and thought it was flat so I ended up doing like 22 takes of that one part until it was perfect. The reason why he did this was because I asked him to make the best I can be by pushing me before my limits. I admire him for this because he cares enough to make better than I already am. (I can only imagine myself ten years from now…. Amazing.)

"It's a small world after all !" (Field Trip Blog)

Last week I experienced a little bit misfortune with my sponsor visit with Brian. We had some miscommunication and forgot our meeting date. In result, I lost a sponsor visit but my advisors told me this happens; sometimes things do not go as you may plan. But I know now I have to take this experience and learn from it like Simba did when Old Rafiki hit him with the stick. Speaking of the Lion King, instead of having a sponsor visit I chose a substitute --- to see the Broadway Musical the Lion King this past Saturday with a group of friends. Watching this show brought me back to my childhood days watching the Disney film everyday afterschool. I admired the creativity of bringing the Disney magic to the stage. My favorite scene in the movie is “Mufusa’s Second Coming.” This is the scene where Mufusa comes back to stir Simba back into the circle of life, to give him a true wake up call to tell him to “Remember.” The main reason why I loved this part is because it’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie. It shows the true power of a father’s image and voice. It only took Mufusa to speak and show his face to his son to set him straight and I think that is true love.

Just like most Christians today, their week may have been really bad and all they need is one word from their heavenly Father and all will be set right. The Finale scene is the most moving to me because Simba hears his father's word saying "Remember". He then orders Simba to the circle of life. In the end, I loved the show the music and the actors were great. 5 Stars! (Two of my favorite scenes from the Lion King)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEW5g9TeNbc


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-gzUVVpezU

Let Freedom Ring ! MLK Response ! (Connection or Free Write)

Martin Luther King Jr., once said “I have a dream.” This dream has finally come true for us Americans with the election of President Obama and our rights as Americans. Recently, a fan of my blogs site came to me with a message to let freedom ring once again in our hearts and communities. The way he intends to do this is by building a memorial of the man who lit the fire of so many Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. I feel that this concept is great to do to keep people aware of Martin Luther King’s life and mission so that the future generations know that he set the tone for peaceful movements. I think we all should add to this building because Dr. King added to our lives in more ways than one. So we should keep his dream and hopes alive so that his death would not be in vain.

As We Come To The End Of The Road !!

The time has come for Senior Project to come to an end and we are all starting preparations with our project presentations. With this in mind I am under an extraordinary amount of pressure to get the presentation and my final product finished. But this is something that will help me to succeed in this project and in college life. On a better note the project is coming along I start recording my album on Thursday in Mr. Flick’s class (Really excited). I am amazed at how time flew by this year because it seemed like just yesterday that I embarked on this journey and now its time for it to end. During fourth marking is going be all about me transforming into Mr. R&B along with a little bit of A.T.M. So stay tuned for the new and improved me.

Who are you ?

Jesus once asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” The disciples sprang into a thunderous conversation about which people said that Jesus was they said “some say you are John the Baptist or a Great Prophet.” Then Jesus hit them with a bomb asking, “Who do you say that I am?” Stunned by the question the disciples looked around puzzled trying to find the words to say or even a good enough examples to please Jesus’ ears. After a few moments of silence a stern voice in the distance said, “I say you are the Christ, son of the living God.” Happy with his answer Jesus placed a blessing on this special disciple that no one could take away whether they were human or spiritual.

This short story is one of my favorites because it shows that you may know who you are but you really know who you are when your loved ones tell you to your face. A secret of mine is that I have twelve friends or followers like Jesus while know who would betray me at the drop of a hat. I did this purposely to have a circle of friends and within the circle I have 4 others who I am very close with. So now I ask the same questions: Who do men say that I am and who do you say I am ?

Taking Care of Home and Business !!

ATTENTION EVERYONE! WE HAVE FANS THAT FOLLOW OUR BLOGS AND MINE AS WELL. A YOUNG MAN HAS ASK ME TO HELP HIM GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING. SO PLEASE READ.

We want to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by leading a collaborative funding, design, and construction process in the creation of a memorial to honor his national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change..

The vision of a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is one that captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream — Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All; a noble quest that gained him the Nobel Peace Prize and one that continues to influence people and societies throughout the world. Upon reflection, we are reminded that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deeper sense of duty within each of us— a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy.

Dr. King championed a movement that draws fully from the deep well of America's potential for freedom, opportunity, and justice. His vision of America is captured in his message of hope and possibility for a future anchored in dignity, sensitivity, and mutual respect; a message that challenges each of us to recognize that America's true strength lies in its diversity of talents. The vision of a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is one that captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream — Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All; a noble quest that gained him the Nobel Peace Prize and one that continues to influence people and societies throughout the world. Upon reflection, we are reminded that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deeper sense of duty within each of us— a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy.

You Can help “Build the Dream” by supporting the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation and make a $5.00 donation today through text messaging.

There is a simple process to follow:

STEP 1: Text MLK to 20222

A one-time charge of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill. Message & Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Full disclosure at: http://mcommons.com/t. Offer available to US Subscribers only.

Thank you for supporting us with your donation .

FLYING WITHOUT WINGS !!! (Connection)

Millions have watched, thousands have auditioned, hundreds have made it to Hollywood, tenths made it to the final, two have made it to the finale, and ONLY one can be an American Idol. Ladies and Gentlemen. . . THIS IS AN AMERICAN IDOL!!!

While on Senior Trip this past week we went to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to enjoy a nice day at a park when I saw a sight that brought a star to my eye. It was The American Idol Experience. This show is based off of the real show and they have very similar auditions too. The purpose of this experience is to get the fill of the real show and what Idol feels like as a young aspiring artist. Eagerly, I auditioned and made it to the show as an alternate for the show in Hollywood Studios. Overall the experience gave me great insight to get ready for the real show. Although, I though I did not get to perform I got a hook up for the real show in the summer. So Randy the real dog is coming to the house, you ready?

BIG RUBEN !!!!!!!

Mentor Recap (Any Choice)

On Tuesday, I met with my mentor Mr. Maggi and we discussed what I did on my sponsor visit. He really approved of my progress and I get the feeling that he is proud of me like young apprentice learning the ways of the Force.

Surprisingly, the research paper came up in conversation and I tried to avoid the conversation but it was unavoidable. Later on we talked about the topic of the hour “The Big Presentation”. He gave me some of the greatest advice possible to break up my presentation into chunks like a dinner. I was told to hit my viewers with a bang in the beginning and end. . And that is exactly what I am going to do. This is only the beginning. Announcement: Maggi will be playing in Dirty Diana while I record the cover song. .

THIS IS IT..

Let's Talk Business (Sponsor Visit)

This Monday, Brian and I met up to discuss our business for my senior project and this little surprise he had for me. The surprise that was planned was my track for “Beauty School Dropout” it is almost complete he just has to lay down the drums and bass. When I heard the good news I became very anxious to practice and record the song for my fans here at LHS. (So for the fans out there Beauty School Dropout is coming soon and much more) Now at our sit down we discuss the real sound and time theme of the Demo CD and we came up with “Motown meets R&B Soul”.

We are going to follow a time theme starting in the 1950’s to the present day with little surprises here and there. At your request (Mr. Abrams) I will be doing some Leonard Cohen cover songs like “I’m your man”. However, it will be another version of this legendary song that I really enjoy listening to and cannot wait to put my touch on it. Later, on in our meeting we kind of talked about a medley and how to create one that is memorable. So I came up with a group to honor in my ground breaking medley and the group is the Jackson Five. The medley will be the longest song on the CD and will feature my group No Komparison. Stay tuned for much more really soon. That’s all folks. .

Trying Tenderness to Dropout !!!!

My connection this week is about a film I had the privilege to a year ago called, “This Christmas”.

This Christmas was about a family who comes home to visit for the holidays and then all hell breaks loose. The kids reveal certain secrets, find love, loose love, come back to the family, and reveal their talents.

My favorite character of the movie was “Baby”, played by Chris Brown because we had a common gift of song. However, in his family, his mother did not want him to sing because she thought music was the root of all evil. So, Baby wa scared to tell his mother that he wanted to sing because of how she would react.

In comparison, my connection to this character has the same story but with a twist because my mother knew I had a voice but, when I told her I had a solo in Grease she began to doubt. (Or at least that’s what I felt like when I told her.) The funny thing is last Christmas my family and I were watching us the film and my grandmother said “That will be you!” I had no clue what she was referring to but after Grease we all figured out what she meant. (Fate is a fickle friend isn’t it?)

Lastly, in the film Baby’s brothers and sisters went to a night club with no clue that Baby was there performing because earlier that day he told them he had a date. So, Baby was called the stage and suddenly the family was shocked then wanted the older brother to stop him from performing. But to their amazement Baby could really sing and blew them away. (It’s a power scene) Well this happened to me during Grease because my mother was really surprised and by the applause the crowd loved it. Well, I am out of time but I am never out of word this is Antione McGee signing off saying, “God is Love.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbtBF7TkzqY (Link of the scene.)