The above is a perfect quote to define music.

Music doesn’t only refer to a song or a melody; it’s energy, a mood, an atmosphere, and a feeling.

Musicians can change the world with their wonderful tunes and creative melodies. Music has immense power in our lives. It can be something you love and want to pursue, and it can also be something to calm you down. Music means something different to everybody. To me, music is to express my emotions through songs, explore genres of music, and find my creativity through writing songs.

I feel that writing songs can be therapeutic. My journey to discover that songwriting is a true passion was very different. One thing I knew was that I loved writing, whether it was articles, poems, or stories. I always loved sharing my insights. As soon as I started performing songs, I started creating my melodies and tunes and soon found myself incorporating my writing skills with melodies filling my head. Now, songwriting may not be for everyone, but you could always give it a shot in your free time or when trying to find a hobby during the summer.

Music is not only about listening to songs you like; it can also benefit your health. Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. If you are a very restless or agitated person, it is proven that calming music can automatically settle your mind. For those of you who don’t know, there is something called music therapy, which mainly focuses on reducing stress, improving your qualities in life, and teaching you to accomplish goals and make your future goals clear through the power of music.

I believe music is also a reflection of an individual’s personality. The type of songs, the genres, and the preference to perform as a part of a band, sing solo, or be a songwriter all reflect who you are as an individual.

Music is hard work! It’s not like one where you wake up and are magically amazing at music, whether it is playing instruments or singing; it does require dedication, passion, and a lot of creativity.

When I wrote my first song, “In My Dreams,” it was hard to find the perfect words to make the song feel complete, but when I wrote my second song, “Unforgettable,” it was like a flow of lyrics and so many different melodies, tunes, and ideas all in my head. Sometimes it takes a month for me to finish a song; sometimes I am done in a week or even a day. In the end, seeing all the jumbled notes and pitches come together is worth it. Now to all the upcoming musicians: “Go create your music realm.”

In the current world of innovation and technology, we have witnessed a sheer increase in the popularity of incorporating technology into automobiles. From self-driving cars to efficient electric vehicles, humans have once again made their ideas into a reality.

In the field of cars, one of the most popular sports is Formula 1, or F1 for short. F1 is special for one important reason. In F1 racing, the team can build their car frame, considering the aerodynamics and several other factors. This makes F1 interesting because the winner will be decided not only by how the racer races the car but also by how the team builds the car.

Building an F1 car can take several months, even years, and over 100 million dollars in expenses. Behind the scenes are several aerodynamic engineers, builders, constructors, mechanical engineers, and many other people who make the car come to life.

Since F1 cars are made by and fine-tuned by the companies themselves, they can adapt to the driver’s preferences, give an inch of a second advantage to the driver, and several other factors. F1 is a team sport, combining the work of both the driver as well as the team behind building the car.

Each team participates in 2 competitions each year – The Driver’s Championship and The Construcutor’s Championship. Several F1 competitions occur all over the world, known as the ‘Grand Prix’. Drivers can earn points throughout the season on their race finishes. The driver with the most points at the end of the season wins The Driver’s Championship.

A battle between different F1 teams to accumulate the most points throughout the season is awarded to both drivers in each team based on their race finishes, and the team with the most points at the end of the season wins the constructors’ championship.

To readers who have made it so far, it is quite evident that most of the work in F1 racing happens behind the scenes. Let us know how an F1 car actually works, what happens on the track, and how an F1 race works.

The frame of an F1 car is designed in such a way that it creates ample downforce. Let us picture it as a plane, toppled upside down. An airplane channels the higher-pressure air through the turbines, while low-pressure air passes over the wing. This gives it an upforce which lifts the airplane off the ground. The same applies to an F1 car, but it’s the opposite. Higher-pressure air moves upwards, while low-pressure air goes underneath the car. This gives it a downforce to keep the car under control in turns and driving.

What happens on the track? Two drivers from each team participate in each race. There are in total, three days for each Grand Prix. The first day, known as the practice sessions, allows the drivers to get familiar with the track and fine-tune their car setups for the upcoming race days. Practice sessions are important to help the driver understand the track and the car, and work out a way on how he intends to drive it.

The next day is known as the Qualifying day. A timed session takes place, which decides the position of the racers on the race day. The driver with the fastest lap time starts first in the race, and subsequent racers take their respective places.

The last and most important day is Race Day. Twenty different drivers compete to win the race on a specific number of laps around a race track. The team and the driver both play an important part in the race. The team analyzes different aspects like speed, drag, and creates strategies along the way. This gives the driver an edge over other drivers to find a way to win. An F1 race usually lasts about two hours, with intense driving, overtakes and so much more.

Indeed, F1 is no easy task. Trying to push the brakes of an F1 car feels like trying to push an elephant using just one leg. Moreover, F1 drivers face a total of 6G’s while driving, especially in turns, which can knock out a person for hours. F1 drivers experience more G’s than astronauts who are sent off to space. G-force is a way to describe how heavy you feel when something moves you quickly. One G is the normal weight you feel standing on the ground. If you’re in a fast car or roller coaster, you might feel heavier because of G-forces pushing on you. A G-force is the weight of the gravity you experience. When moving in a fast vehicle, the experience of the amount of gravity increases, making you feel the pressure of a few G’s.

One might wonder, what’s the point of having a race in which millions of dollars are being poured in? It all comes down to technology advancements. Traveling at speeds of 360 kilometers per hour is no easy task. An F1 car is technically a normal car but fine-tuned and made better to travel faster. Several aspects of an F1 car can soon be adapted in most common cars, making it more efficient. The limitations on the influence of F1 cars on normal cars are indeed endless.

“You are honest enough by nature to be able to see and judge your own self clearly – and that is a great thing. Never lose that honesty, Bobby – always be honest with yourself, know your own motives for what they are, good or bad, make your own decisions firmly and justly – and you will be a fine, strong character, of some real use in this muddled world of ours!”. Miss Blyton writes in the ‘Summer term at St Clare’s’.

Born on 11th August 1897, in London; Enid Mary Blyton, a celebrated children’s writer wrote and wrote extensively all through the early and mid-1900s leaving behind a monumental legacy spanning across a whopping 600+ books.

Blyton grew up in an environment that supported and enabled her early childhood interest and enthusiasm towards storytelling, and eventually towards writing in precision.

As she grew up, short pieces began to emerge from her nascent writerly voice. ‘The Book of Brownies’ was her first major work that received acclaim and made her a respected name in the children’s literature ecosystem.

‘The Famous Five’ series put Blyton on the world map. The childlike enthusiasm filled with adventures, thrills, and friendship clicked with readers worldwide and announced the beginning of a long-standing legacy. The charming team-like vibe that the books carried endorsed the significance of human connections and genuine bonding.

‘Child Whispers’, ‘Book of Brownies’, ‘Old Thatch Series’, ‘Adventures of the Wishing Chair’, ‘The secret island’, ‘The enchanted wood’, ‘The naughtiest girl in the school’, ‘The Secret of Spiggy Holes’, ‘The Adventurous Four’, and many more constitute the long endless bibliography that inspired and characterized those decades’ reading habits.

“You can’t possibly do anything if you think you can’t. But you can do impossible things sometimes if you think you can.” The lovely quote reassured Blyton’s young readers and dropped by a little piece of wisdom.

Writing came naturally to Blyton. She often sat down with her typewriter, closed her eyes, imagined real children, and thoughts began to flow by. Words and sentences got formed in a spur of the moment.

Mystery, adventures, and a childlike worldview towards a small-town conflict ended up being the recurring motifs in her writings. The significance of bonding, love, fearlessness, truthfulness, and an atmospheric vibe ensured Blyton’s stories always struck chords with her intended readers and developed a strong sense of consistent intrigue. The pacing of the narrative ensured the reading experience was an easy-breezy affair. Blyton involuntarily ticked as many boxes as she could, and kept the readers on her side throughout her writing journey.

Much of Blyton’s work has been adapted into plays, movies, and shows. And her legacy got passed on to the newer generations in some form or the other.

“Writing for children is an art in itself, and a most interesting one.”

The blend of subtlety with drama, strong emotions, and human values characterize Blyton’s hugely influential contribution to children’s literature spanning across decades, and standing strong almost a century down the line.

Every year around May & June, the Indian parent community gets caught in the whirlwind of the board results and its repercussions. It is not only the parents of the kids appearing for the boards but every other acquaintance of theirs anticipating these results with bated breaths. As India braces for the intense summers so do the parents, school, and most importantly the kids fraternity for this overwhelming event.

The progression in terms of expectations, disappointments, and heartbreaks around this event has led me to think if as a society we are inadvertently or intentionally subjecting our kids to mental trauma in the name of academic excellence.

In most Indian households, the beginning of the board academic years coincides with kids being the center of everything. All schedules, routines, and activities are set around it. The pressure keeps on increasing with passing months as the boards approach. While all feel a sense of relief once the exams are done and dusted, it’s short-lived.

As the results date approaches, the temperatures soar all around like the increasing mercury of the thermometer. Although the parents do their best to keep the child in good and positive spirits, it seldom works with them fighting their own emotions.

All around there is a talk of impending results be it social circles, friends groups, or media. The new age media with their predictions based on previous years’ results, speculations about cut-off percentages, and revisiting old clips of yesteryear’s toppers all lead to a situation that makes the child feel as if he/ she not only has to surpass self-expectations but that of the whole of India.

The result day is a whole different ball game altogether. The nail-biting expressions on the kids’ faces as they surf through the board websites to get their marks are akin to none. It just doesn’t end there. The reactions of kids upon getting the result that may be joyful, mixed, or one of heartbreak are indeed nerve-wracking. It is indeed heart-wrenching for a parent to watch their child go through this roller coaster ride of emotions. The ones who score as per expectations get perturbed by the next set of challenges that lie ahead, while for those who do not score well, the world comes crashing down.

The harrowing experience doesn’t end here for the child. As soon as the results are out, the phones start ringing, and the constant barrage of messages to know the child’s performance is another humongous hurdle that the family as a whole has to face. It is very easy to label kids as a success or a failure based on one set of exam performance. However, this labeling without knowing any background regarding the issues faced by the child during this important year in terms of health or family situations is not acceptable.

Even if the parents come to terms with their ward’s performance, there is no respite from the societal interventions. We need to think of what all this does to the mental health and morale of the kids. A child who has topped the exams would not like his/ her name to be mentioned to every friend of his/her and be compared to. Similarly, a child who hasn’t fared well should be given time to accept the result and not be bombarded with empty sympathy.

This very scenario plays out every year and it’s high time that we as a society realize and realign our priorities.

1. Kids Mental Health – This should be the focus of the parents and society as a whole. The importance of these results in a kid’s academic graph cannot be taken away, yet, things have been taken too far over the years. We all know that things do not go as planned but that does not mean the end of the world. There is always a way out, a different path that can be followed, a solution that can be implemented. The need is to highlight the other alternatives and focus on what’s to be done next rather than making out the situation to be non-redeemable.
2. Comparisons – They are the biggest energy depletion for any child. Just as the fingers of our hands are unique or no two leaves are the same, each kid is unique. They have their own strengths and weaknesses. Our goal should be to augment their strengths rather than compare them with others.
3. Looking beyond the usual – Technology has opened up career opportunities. Today, kids can choose a regular career or an off-beat one. Not getting the desired results in boards should not be seen as the end of the road. Here parent support is of paramount importance. Their openness to unusual career choices would make the way easy for kids.

Every kid is unique and must be cherished. Considering our country’s academic patterns and policies, the importance of board years cannot be taken away. The need of the hour however is to blunt this sharp and brutal impact that the kids face around results time. Acceptance needs to be cultivated while judging and labeling the kids based on one exam performance must be shunned.

We must provide a world to our kids where they are accepted for who they are and not as who we want them to be. It’s time for change.  Don’t you agree?

Author : Sudha Murthy

Book Name : THE SAGE WITH TWO HORNS

This year I have read many books but the book which caught my attention the most and was the most memorable was “The Sage with Two Horns” by Sudha Murthy. Her books are always bestsellers and fan favorites because of her simple yet strong language. She uses words that are very simple but convey a strong message. This book is a magnificent collection of Indian mythological stories in her style. It gives us many life lessons and its interesting stories lure the interests of readers. It’s a must-read.

We often read mythological stories of Greeks, Romans, and other countries but forget our rich literary heritage and history. This book puts out to readers some of the famous Indian stories.

It’s a great work of literature. It takes us through the great sacrifices made by the sages of our country, and the wise decisions made by our ancestors. The intriguing story plots in the stories also help the reader to build up interest. It’s a book that doesn’t require you to keep a dictionary aside while you read.

If you are new to the wonderful world of reading I would recommend this book a lot. If you want to dive into the extraordinary world of the mythology of India and at the same time learn new life lessons, this is a perfect fit for you. The illustrations depicted in the book act as an added factor to pick this book up and read.

To conclude, I would say it’s a star book and a must-read for all kids.

Have you ever seen the Tasmanian tiger AKA the Tasmanian wolf? Well, I have not and I would never get to see that species ever again. Not just the Tasmanian Tiger, I or rather we will never ever get to see the beauty of the ivory-billed woodpecker, never get to see the majestic Indian Auroch and never again we will be awed by the magnificent White Rhino. These animals are considered possibly extinct as of today. The undeniable reason behind their disappearance is us, a species considered superior with high intelligent and emotional quotient – human beings. Pathetic! Isn’t it?
Plastic Pollution is considered as and proven to be the major cause of the extinction of a lot of species. In fact, in the last couple of minutes alone, a hundred and twenty thousand plastic bottles have been thrown away and each of them is literally threatening the existence of our lives on this dear Earth. So, the theme of this year’s Environment Day as declared and accepted by the UN and all the countries is “Beat Plastic Pollution”. What a perfect theme! It suits aptly for the current global situation—just the need of the hour to battle environmental illiteracy among all sections of society.
Plastic has managed to usurp the very roots of our environments, affecting the strong foundation on which we have constructed the humanity complex and built our structural empires. Arguably, we cannot just go about blaming plastic for all these unfortunate affairs. Plastic is a beneficial substance. No doubt. Unfortunately, again the sin is upon us for violating its usage every day.
You might come to think that only small everyday use plastics can affect the environment but no! There are more than 1,200 species of animals that either get strangled, or misshapen by larger plastic strands, and sometimes plastics behave as a huge choking hazard to the unsuspecting little creatures lurking in every corner of this vast planet. Plastics thrown away randomly, can increase the rate of evaporation, and introduce chemicals to the soil thereby changing soil chemistry and affecting the food habits and lifestyle of all the animals including human beings.
Preventing plastic pollution, the mayhem we created over the years, is easier said than done. But, we do have a very strong chance to overcome this onerous predication. To have a real lasting impact, we must work together, and we must work swiftly. Change must start from the self. Every time, we see or use a plastic article, we must, either, dispose of them in a plastics-only bin, or find a way to reuse the bottle in another innovative way. Such use not only boosts the health of the environment but also the creative juices that flow in your think-tank. By taking small steps like recycling plastic articles, choosing not to overuse plastic, and promoting the same across nearby communities, might just turn this predicament around and give us new hope.
Remember, the steps that we intend to take this time must definitely be smarter, wiser, and stronger with the experience of tackling a huge monster in our abuse of plastic. I would like to quote Neil Armstrong – a sure and apt one at this hour, I am sure you all will agree – One small step for man, a giant leap for mankind. Let us take the small steps together and make this world a better place.

“Baby, we have no choice of what color we’re born or who our parents are, or whether we’re rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we’re here.”

Such a pure, urgent, passionate piece of wisdom. The terrific author of ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry’, Mildred D Taylor is an acclaimed African American writer who conceives ideas and expresses her layered socio-philosophical thoughts through immensely human stories.

Her writing traces back to her African American roots, and brings to the table a much-needed perspective. Her contribution to children’s literature has introduced many kids and teens to the delicately sensitive themes which include diversity, life along the margins, and how such things affect an individual and the world at large.

Born on 13th September 1943, Taylor consumed stories and acquainted herself with real-life experiences (the recounting of it to be more precise), especially of her father and ancestors who suffered during the great depression, and other circumstances that came their way. All of it seeped into her work over the years and decades.

She wrote about racism, discrimination, the lack of (and thus the need for) basic human values and emotions, respect, kindness, and love; many of which are fairly evident in ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry’. The hugely acclaimed series of books revolving around the Logan family includes the titles – ‘Let the circle be unbroken’, ‘Road to Memphis’, ‘The Gold Cadillac’, ‘All the days past, and All the days to come’; in that order as sequels to one another.

Along with a hard-hitting social commentary, Taylor’s books are hugely enjoyable, thoroughly entertaining, and engaging. Her settings are lively and vibrant, leaving a lot of room for visceral imagination.

The other titles in Taylor’s fantastic body of work includes the likes of ‘Song of the Trees’, ‘The Friendship’, ‘Mississippi Bridge’, ‘The Land’, and many more.

A kid doesn’t live and grow in a vacuum. Partaking in the social landscape that becomes a supremely integral aspect of a child’s growing up life, it’s immensely important for children by and large to be made aware of many sociological elements that might hopefully shape them, inspire them, and help them grow up to become better human beings, and better versions of themselves.

Taylor has undertaken this task in her little capacity as a writer for decades now. Her legacy is here to inspire a generation of readers, and potentially aspiring writers too.

“There are things you can’t back down on, things you gotta take a stand on. But it’s up to you to decide what these things are.” the legend writes.

Subtle, simplistic, and significant enough!

“As someone who puts books together using words and pictures, I try to remember how special that was to me as a child and balance the pictures and the words in such a way that each of them tells part of the story, but not the whole story and they leave each other plenty of space for the reader to become involved and make connections between the words and the pictures as he or she examines them, both the pictures and then reacts to the music of the words.”

Born on October 26, 1941, Steven Castle Kellogg is an American children’s writer and illustrator of more than 100 picture books.

Inculcating the habit of reading in children from a young age goes a long way. The safe, comfortable environment created by elders amidst which a kid gets introduced to the magical world of storytelling influences the child in a significant manner. Kellogg’s grandmother read to him since he was a tiny little kid. Christmas books were a thoroughfare at his place.

He soon began exploring the fictional world by making up stories and narrating them to his sisters and others around. The joy that kids seek in an imaginary made-up world is an epitome of innocence. The purity with which they acquaint themselves with the stories they consume helps them identify and relate with a range of emotions, and eventually perceive fellow humans and society with the same childlike purity.

Having studied design, Kellogg also began creating illustrations for his writings. And the state of creative flow is something that helped him further his case. This element again, transcends writers (and artists in general). Once a flow kicks in, time and space go for a toss. Kellogg emphasized its importance, how a state of flow can inspire you further, creating a healthy and safe space to write, illustrate, and create.

Kellogg’s pup inspired him to pen down a lovely character based on the fur baby. ‘Pinkerton’, a Great Dane, his most famous creation, ended up turning into a series of adventures. The dog finds himself in the most absurdist situations, eventually leading to chaos, tension, mess, and the consequent comedy of errors arising out of it all, resulting in hilarious moments filled with heartwarming joy. Humour played an integral role in Kellogg’s illustrations, leaving behind a sweet feel-good aftertaste. The collection kicked off with ‘Pinkerton Behave!’, and included adorable titles like ‘A rose for Pinkerton’, ‘Tallyho Pinkerton!’, ‘Prehistoric Pinkerton’, and ‘A penguin pup for Pinkerton’.

A few other titles in Kellogg’s celebrated body of work include the likes of ‘The mysterious tadpole’, ‘Mike Fink’, ‘Give the dog a bone’, ‘Can I keep him?’ and many more. He also reintroduced classic and folk tales like ‘Chicken Little’, ‘The three little pigs’, etc.

“The ideas for the other books come from lots of different sources, but most of them have their roots in feelings and images that I retain from my own childhood. I try to blend illustrations and words so that each book is a feast for the eye and ear. I want the time that the reader shares with me and my work to be an enjoyable experience – one that will encourage a lifetime of association with pictures, words, and books”, Steven Kellogg once candidly expressed his writerly persona.

Kellogg’s innocent, unadulterated worldview got translated into his writings, and then eventually into his readers seamlessly. He inspired kids to read, write, and most importantly imagine.