In the past week or so I have read through about a million Ed-ops researching the writing style and becoming familiar with the genre in an effort to prepare my own for this class. The topics have varied from government and politics to health and fitness. Some of them were really interesting reads and some of them were a bit of a struggle to get through. I started thinking “why is it that some of these articles are so interesting to me?” What is it that makes an article appeal to specific audiences and not to others?

One of the first things I looked at in preparation for the assignment was an article by Allena Tapia called What is an Op-EdArticle and how to write one. This answered a few of my questions and I gained a few critical pieces of information. An Op-Ed, according to Tapia, is an article that is written in response to a piece of news or another opinion that has been expressed and its sole purpose is to express an opinion.The genre of writing has been perfected over the years and what has been produced is a winning formula of necessary ingredientes for a great op-ed. 

The first and perhaps the most important piece of the op-ed is the title. The title needs to call attention to itself and convey a lot of information, including the issue at hand and the authors position in regards to it. This is the first item that will filter the audience. Depending on what the title is, some people will read the article and some people will not. What attracts some people may push others away. For example,  what appeals to single mother is the suburbs will not necessarily appeal to the wealthy newlyweds that would rather focus on her career. 

Another thing that I learned to consider when reading an op-ed was the language and overall tone used through-out. In his article Tips for Aspiring Op-Ed Writers, Bret Stephens says that the easiest decision for a reader to make is to stop reading. That means that the identity that the author creates for the work and the tone used plays a critical role for the audience. For example, someone may be completely agree with the author's opinion or argument. However, if the terminology is super complicated and hard to follow, I may not be interesting in reading that article.

My final thought on why articles may appeal to certain audiences and not to others has to do with the fact that we are human and we are all unique. As we grow and mature we develop our own unique preferences, tastes and palettes. As we go through life things become suddenly relevant. The importance of such things and our preference fades away with time. We are all quite dynamic and some things simply resonate with us because of our past experiences or where we may be in life and there are something that we will never understand. 

Music Education. It Wasn't a Choice.

All of these photos are from a project that I participate in annually known as UC Merced Presents Children's Opera. It is a community outreach program that reaches around 5000 kids annually in the central valley of California. Every year we present an entirely new opera with a plot written specifically for children with two goals in mind. First, to get the children onto a college campus and introduce them to the world of higher education. Second, to introduce them to music and the performing arts in an exciting and engaging way. I have been a part of the project for over six years now and it truly has been one of the most thrilling experiences as a performer. 

I have always been a very musical person. I started singing as a child in the Sunshine Band at my family's church and I have not stopped since. It's simply something that I have always had a passion for. I remember in in elementary school, my school put on a musical called "Why Bees Buzz in People's Ears." It was my first time performing in front of an audience outside of my church. Now I don't remember much from elementary school because I attended too many schools to count, but I do remember the feeling of complete exhilaration as the audience of family, friends and teachers bursted in to an applause of encouragement and support after we finished performing. Since then I've been in many choirs and countless musical theater productions. 

I had quite a tough growing up as a child and even into my teenage years. My family wasn't perfect, and most aren't, but because of the issues in my family I grew up bouncing back and forth between the custody of my mom and the foster care system. I attended countless elementary schools and just as many middle and junior high schools. Because of this I never got to build relationships or friendships as a child and I never really felt that I felt in. All of that changed when I joined choir my junior year of high school. Sounds cliché, but I knew immediately that it was where I belonged. Music was quite literally my light at the end of the tunnel as it helped me to escape my darknesses. It was the first time in a long time that I felt wanted, appreciated, valued and respected and I hope to someday be able to pay that forward.