Silence Aloud » History

Evolution of How We Listen to Music

sophie smith — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:10:00 +0000

The way we acquire music has changed so drastically in the last sixty years that the new generation’s grandparents couldn’t imagine all of the devices that play, import and store music. Of course, they also couldn’t imagine accessing the Internet from a portable phone that was smaller than a man’s wallet. For that matter, the new generation’s grandparents couldn’t imagine the Internet itself while they were growing up. However, today, accessing music from one’s home computer is one of the most efficient as well as common ways to do so.

There are sites that offer free mp3 streaming and it is possible to download various genres and styles from multiple pages. Not only do people seek out the music that they know and love, but the Internet has also become and extremely effective forum for discovering and presenting new artists. People are being exposed to a greater variety of musical genres than ever before and this is expanding most people’s personal interests. This is just one of the consequences of the Internet and technological boom that distinguishes the new generation of music listeners. Your grandparent’s generation may have only been exposed to a single genre and likely had one or two favorite performers.

Evolution of How We Listen to Music is a post from: Silence Aloud

Cellist Pieter Wispelwey at the Lincoln Center in New York

Saint John Neumann in Philadelphia

sophie smith — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:35:52 +0000

Most people can’t claim to have been in the presence of an actual saint, unless they’ve been to Philadelphia and visited the Parish of Saint Peter the Apostle, where they will find the national shrine of Saint John Neumann . John Neumann, who lived in the 19th century, is an American saint, who lived in Philadelphia as a bishop. During his life, he founded schools and an order of nuns, but fell in 1860, when he died of a stroke when he was only 48 years old. In order to be declared a saint, as Neumann was in 1977, there must be miracles attributed to a person after death. Decades later, people began to attribute recoveries from illnesses and injuries to Neumann. A boy in Philadelphia overcame bone cancer; a student in Villanova, made a complete recovery following a car crash; and a girl from Italy survived peritonitis.

If you visit Saint Peter the Apostle Church, you will find the body of St. John Neumann, enclosed in glass, below the altar. The body is dressed in a miter and vestments, respecting his life as a bishop. You will find a little museum just out of the sanctuary that provides information about his life and what he accomplished. You’ll see a case that displays mortification instruments, such as a cilicium (a sharp, wire necklace) and a disciplina (a self-flagellation whip). Next to these items, there’s also a noose, which was used to hang two brothers, who were prisoners. The noose is included because Neumann spoke with them before their execution and was able to get them to repent before they died. There’s also a marble step preserved in the museum that was the same step on which he collapsed before he died.

While most people might consider Philadelphia an interesting spot for tourism, especially as the birth place place of our nation, there are other sights, such as Neumann’s shrine, which allow people with an interest in religion and history to explore. To arrange for a hotel while in town, you can try out this site , and have a choice of 35 different places to stay.

Saint John Neumann in Philadelphia is a post from: Silence Aloud

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The Kampong in Miami

sophie smith — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:55:38 +0000

At the southern end of Coconut Grove, you’ll find hidden away The Kampong, one of the oldest landmarks in Miami, Florida. One of the cities more celebrated citizens, Dr. David Fairchild, named this property adjoining the waterfront, after a Malaysian word for village. It’s easy to overlook, if you’re driving fast, so it may pay to slow down and take a look for the sign for this National Tropical Botanical Garden, the only only Congressional-chartered tropical botanical garden on the mainland (there are four more located in Hawaii). There’s also a gigantic Banyan tree which marks this historic spot, behind a wall of limestone. This is a site that’s known not only for its natural beauty, its public education outreach, or its scientific research; it’s known, too, for the history, which begins as far back as the 1876, where a man named Jolly Jack Peacock made a deal with the Duke of Dade, or J.W. Ewan, selling the property for fifty dollars.

Ewan grew fruit and pineapple trees, then later, in 1892, sold the land to the first female doctor in the area, Dr. Galt Simmons, and she built a pine wood and limestone barn, a structure that still exits at the botanical garden. In the 20th Century, in 1916, David Fairchild became the owner of the land. Fairchild worked for the US Department of Agriculture as the Chief of Seed and Plant Introduction, and in that capacity he went around the planet and collected twenty thousand varieties of plants to bring back to the United States, and some of these have been planted at The Kampong. It was Fairchild who was largely responsible for introducing America to a number of fruits found elsewhere in the world. He even introduced California to the avocado.

On The Kampong, then, you’ll find an incredible array of plant life. There are hundreds of trees on the property, including the Buddha’s Hand, which is sacred tree in Southeast Asia, and an African Baobab. But the history of the place is not restricted to plant life alone. Fairchild’s wife, Marian, happened to be inventor Alexander Graham Bell’s daughter. Her sister was the wife of Gilbert Govesnor who was the National Geographic Magazine’s first editor. The Kampong saw visits of the famous, such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, as well as Alexander Graham Bell.

Today, the site is partly a research organization, allowing students to explore different types of plants for which they might otherwise have to travel the world to find. If you’re in the Miami area, staying in one of the great places the city offers its own travelers, then you can visit The Kampong, too. You may take a self-guided tour, simply by calling and making a reservation. There’s a fee of ten dollars for adults and five dollars for students, and its free for those children under the age of six. Call here to find out more: (305) 442-7169.

The Kampong in Miami is a post from: Silence Aloud

New York Statue

sophie smith — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:53:51 +0000

You can’t come to the best new york hotel, www.bestnewyorkcityhotel.com shop till you drop, hit Broadway, carriage ride in the park or party in the hot dance clubs without taking a day to visit the Statue of Liberty. She is was dedicated to the United States by the French people in friendship between our two countries that was established during the American Revolution. It was to commemorate the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and was given to us in October of 1886. All of the details of the statue have a certain meaning. She is wearing a stola, sandals and a crown. She is trampling a broken chain and carrying a torch high and proud. She is also carrying a tabula ansata all of which are a Roman Style.

She sits on Liberty Island which is in the New York Harbor and she welcomes all visitors, immigrants and Americans coming home. The structure was engineered by Maurice Koechlin who was with the Gustave Eiffel’s company. Gustave Eiffel was the designer of the Eiffel Tower. It was sculpted by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. It is one of the most recognized icons of the United States and is visited by millions of people each year. There is a sister replica statue on the Ile des Cygnes in the Seine river of Paris France. She faces her sister in America many hundreds of miles across the ocean.

There are a few theories as to who was the inspiration for the face of the statue. Could it have been Bartholdi’s mother? He was very close to her and she had a sort of stern face. Could it have been the widow Isabella Eugenie Boyer. She was the wife of Isaac Singer who was the one that made the first sewing machines. She was considered to be beautiful and was left with a fortune. Could she have been called to be his model? Only Bartholdi knows.

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Lakeside Port

sophie smith — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:14:34 +0000

Before modern thriving businesses and travelers hotels, Duluth Minnesota was just a small port town for the Native American people. For thousands of years American Indian tribes lived along this coast of Lake Superior. Researches believe that the first Indian tribes were from the Paleo-Indian culture. Over many centuries the area was inhabited by the Old Copper people, the Woodlands people to the current Ojibwa tribes that are still living in the area. Visitors can still find really well crafted tribal goods to add to their collection.

Duluth became a more active port in 1659 when traders came looking for furs in the area. Pierre Esprit Radisson came with Medard Chouart des Groseilliers were the first from the western world to land along the shore. The city finally had a name when Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut came to the area and gave it its namesake in 1679. He came to settle the rivalries that existed between the Dakota Indians and the Ojibwa Indians as well as to solidify the fur trading that was growing. His presence did help the natives to get along better and did indeed make the trade business prosper.

The fur trade was quite the battle of territory for many years until the next big business was founded, mining. There were rumors of copper started around the 1850s. Then the rumors turned to gold which turned into iron ore mining. The port got even busier with ships coming for fur and ore. The area boomed. Then there were more channels created for ships and boats to make it to near by areas. The copper mines dried up so timber became the next export. Due to a nation wide financial melt down, the city was emptied leaving fourteen or so families by 1869. But the town made it’s way back and by the end of the 19th century the city of Duluth was filled with plenty of millionaires.

Lakeside Port is a post from: Silence Aloud

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Caves, Spas, and Castles in Valkenburg

sophie smith — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:15:26 +0000

Only one place in the Netherlands boasts a hilltop castle, the small town of Valkenburg, which lies below in the beautiful valley of Geul. If you find your way here, you’ll find a number of places to stay in the hotels Valkenburg offers its tourists, and a host of reasons to stay for a number of days — caves, spas, and castles.

The caves near Valkenburg were a major tourist attraction over the years. The caves were carved from Marlstone cliffs from when the Romans mined for stones to build the city and castle. The mines began as long ago as 836 years, in 1050, and today they’re accessible by walking tours and a tram tour. They were used for a variety of purposes, everything from mining to secret chapels whose devout participants hid from Napoleon. In World War II, they were also used as hiding places from the Nazis.

The town also is known for its thermal spas, where tourists can relax with full treatments, lounging in the steamy waters. But, perhaps for those historically as minded as those whose major aim is relaxation, the castle will prove to be of major interest.

The castle of Valkenburg aan de Geul was constructed around 1115, then a basic rectangular castle keep circled by wood structures. Seven years later, Emperor Hendrik V destroyed the castle. However, over the next few centuries, the castle was rebuilt. The larger castle was destroyed again in 1329. And rebuilt again. The remains of the castle seen now come from the castle rebuilt after 1329. That didn’t stop others from trying to destroy it again and again — from 1465 all the way to 1672 when the troops of King-Stadtholder Willem III actually blew the castle up in order to keep it out of French hands. The castle was never rebuilt after that, but its remains serve today as part of three main tourist attractions in the area.

Caves, Spas, and Castles in Valkenburg is a post from: Silence Aloud

Lafayette Named After The Marquis de Lafayette

sophie smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:55:24 +0000

The county of Lafayette Florida has an interesting history and is rich in cultural landmarks and historic buildings. Tourists staying in one of the hotels Lafayette visit the area to enjoy the rich cultural and traditions though they may be unaware of the interesting personality for which the county is named. This is the Marquis de Lafayette, who was a French aristocrat, and his name and title alone immediately initiates some intrigue about how he became so significant to a fledgling county in Florida USA.

He was born in September of 1757 in the south central province of France known as Auvergne. He led an incredibly complicated dynamic life and served as general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He served under George Washington and successfully negotiated necessary battlefield retreats, even while severely wounded. Also, in the Battle of Rhode Island, he served with distinction. He made an important return to France during the middle of the war to argue for increased support.

By 1788 he was back in France and was called to respond to a fiscal crisis in the Assembly of Notables. He also presented a draft of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen while serving as vice president of the Assembly. Later, in response to increasing violence that would lead to the French Revolution, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the French National Guard. He would subsequently be captured by the Austrians and placed in prison for nearly five years. Napoleon Bonaparte would eventually free him and ultimately he would be invited back to the United States by James Monroe as a national guest. During his visit he would tour all of the twenty-four states and many cities and monuments became named after him in honor of his contributions to the American cause during the war.

Lafayette Named After The Marquis de Lafayette is a post from: Silence Aloud