Performance and Participation in games Essay

Read through the following notes and then answer the questions at the end of each section. Please answer each set of questions on a different sheet using a new heading each time. Please write your answers fully in sentences. Consider how many marks each question is worth as to how much you need to write. The questions should be finished and handed in on Tuesday the 7th November along with your coursework (all sections). School – Questions. 1. Explain how your experiences in PE can have both a negative or a positive effect on your participation in sport later in life (2). Name 5 different roles that a pupil could take within a PE lesson (5) 3. For key stage three PE explain what areas of activity are covered and the aims of PE at this level (7) 4. For key stage four PE explain what areas of activity are covered and the aims of PE at this level (4) 5. Explain what benefits can be sought from extra- curricular PE i. On a representational basis and ii. On a recreational basis (4) 6. Name one benefit of examination courses for i. The image of PE and ii. Pupils who have an interest in PE. 7. Explain what benefits links with sports clubs can have and why this is necessary (3) 8. Explain why cross- curricular links are important for pupils (2). 9. Name and explain 3 ways that a school could cover the cost of its sporting activities (3). 10. Explain how curriculum constraints can have a negative effect on how much time is available for PE (2). 11. Explain how tradition can affect the opportunities pupils may have within PE (2) 12. Explain how the environment can affect the opportunities that pupils may have within PE (both positive and negative) (2). Changing Attitudes. What effects do attitudes of society have on participation in games? 1. What is leisure (2) 2. How has leisure time increased (1) 3. Give some of the reasons for this increase and explain why these effects do actually increase opportunities (5) 4. Explain the aim of private leisure providers and name three different types of leisure opportunities they provide (4) 5. Explain the aim of public leisure providers and name three different types of leisure opportunities they provide (4) 6. Name some of the target groups that public providers make provisions for, explain what provisions they make and why this is useful. (5)

Essay on Amazons Vertical Integration

Essay on Amazons Vertical Integration Essay on Amazons Vertical Integration Essay on Amazons Vertical IntegrationThe marketing mix includes four essential components: product, price, promotion and place. Place denotes the approach to distribution and pertains to the methods of delivering the product or service to the target customers. The methods of distribution are shaped by the nature of the product or service, by technological factors, by the strategies of competitors, by the strategies of other participants of the supply chain or distribution chain, etc.In particular, there exist several distribution methods which include integration. The most frequently used methods are horizontal integration the inclusion of companies or business activities pertaining to the same level of the value chain, and vertical integration the integration of different levels of supply chain in one company or one union. The purpose of this paper is to analyze backward integration in publishing undertaken by Amazon, to review the facts of the battle between Amazon and Barnes and Noble, to discuss Amazons decision to get into publishing and to consider the perspectives of signing contracts with Amazon from the position of a well-known and a novel author.Key facts on the battle between Amazon and Barnes and NobleAmazon was one of the pioneers of e-commerce, and its department dealing with online sales of print books quickly became successful. Amazon paid a lot of attention to its book business and started investing into e-books and devices for reading e-books in order to attract the audience. Although Amazon clearly chose to focus on the segment of electronic books, it also entered the publishing segment and offered exclusive publishing services to the authors.Besides the bold decision on backward integration, Amazon also undertook several predatory marketing campaigns which were focused on directing customers from other book stores such as Barnes and Noble. In particular, Amazon offered an $15 discount for those customers who visited traditional bookstores and used Amazon price check app to purchase print versions of the necessary books in Amazon (instead of purchasing the books at the store they were visiting) (Hertner, 2012).Although Amazon managed to drive customer interest, publishers and book retailers united in a protest against such practices (Hertner, 2012). The companies also protest against Amazon tax protection: the company is allowed not to pay taxes across the United States because it has no physical presence in the states with sales tax (Hertner, 2012). Furthermore, Barnes and Noble made a public statement calling authors to avoid agreements with Amazon since such agreements strengthen Amazons monopoly and threaten to undermine the whole publishing industry (Turner, 2012).Despite the united efforts of publishers and book retailers, Amazon is clearly winning the game. Barnes and Noble reports that the sales of electronic and printed books are decreasing as well as the sales of electronic devices and accessories (Gelles, 2 014). The revenues of Barnes and Noble are declining, and the Nook department of Barnes and Noble is no longer able to compete with Amazon Kindle devices and the variety of tablets and smartphones available at the market. Barnes and Noble is planning to use the services of third-party manufacturers to upgrade its Nook line of e-readers or to sell the department to G Asset Management (Gelles, 2014). Although Barnes and Noble managed to optimize costs and therefore increase the overall profits despite the drop in revenue, the prospects of brick-and-mortar bookstores are not very optimistic. At the same time, Amazon is actively pursuing its vertical integration strategy and growing the market of electronic books and e-readers.Assessment of Amazons entry into publishingAmazon started as online retailer and its major competitive advantage was formed by the benefits caused by early entry into the industry (Krug, 2012). At the same time, Amazon quickly expanded its presence in innovative m arket segments. One of these segments was the publishing segment. Amazon started offering publishing services to authors and focused on selling both printed and electronic versions of books. From the authors perspective, such idea is fruitful as it allows to gain access to a large audience and helps to target both the fans of printed books and the new generation of readers who prefer e-ink devices for reading.Amazons conditions are exclusive and the authors might be unable to publish their books with other publishers. In this way, Amazon manages to eliminate intermediaries and therefore decrease publishing costs. Furthermore, Amazon receives the opportunity to capitalize on publishing books and strengthens its supply chain. At the same time, Amazons exclusive publishing conditions result in the weakening of other publishers and book retailers and in the strengthening of Amazons market position. Therefore, vertical integration is highly beneficial for Amazon as it helps the company t o expand the market of e-books and at the same time to retain its leadership in selling printed books.Author choices in different situationsFrom the perspective of a popular author of childrens fiction, it might be not very beneficial to sign a contract with Amazon since this company requests exclusive rights, and a popular author might want to choose more beneficial contracts with other publishers in the future. Furthermore, book retailers and publishers often boycott Amazons printed books and therefore signing a contract with Amazon might limit access to readers audience for a popular author. Therefore, it would be reasonable for a popular author to reject Amazon offer and to retain the relationships with the traditional publisher.In the case of a new author working on a first book it is best to accept Amazons offer because of several reasons. First of all, it is difficult for beginning authors to attract the attention to traditional publishers because of numerous procedures and r equirements as well as competition in this sphere. Every publisher also targets a particular audience and it is hard for a new author to choose the right publisher and to win the contract. In Amazons case, the risks for a new author are lower and the author can quickly gain access to a worldwide audience (especially in the case of electronic books).Conclusions and recommendationsThe development of technology has dramatically changed distribution channels in the publishing industry. The dynamics of the recent decade shows that the sales of e-books are increasing and the sales of print books are declining (Trachtenberg, 2014). Amazon is the global leader in selling e-books while the sales of Barnes and Noble are declining (Trachtenberg, 2014). However, there are specific categories of print books the demand for which is growing or keeps at the same level: these are textbooks, books for entertainment (detectives, fiction), books for children and illustrated books such as recipe books ( Herther, 2012).The major strategic advantage of Barnes and Noble is its brick-and-mortar chain of stores. At the same time, this chain of stores incurs significant costs. It is recommended for Barnes and Noble to track the categories of print books the demand for which is still high, and to optimize its store layout to offer only these categories of books available for instantaneous purchase. Other categories of books should be sold in online store of Barnes and Noble.Furthermore, to stay in the publishing business, Barnes and Noble needs to keep in touch with technology. In this context, acquisitions of new technologies might be helpful for the company if these technologies can enhance reading experience. Currently Barnes and Noble can improve its market position if the company focuses on delivering ultimate reading experience and empowering it with technology. The company made a bold move by introducing Nook reader, and it would be efficient to empower this device with break-throu gh technology. In any case, Barnes and Noble should focus on online distribution of print and electronic books, and use its brick-and-mortar stores in combination with its digital strategy.

Does the european union need a constitution Essay

Does the european union need a constitution - Essay Example However, the bigger picture is, will it be integrative of them as one whole body A constitution must serve the best interests not just one or a few member states. Devanny (2004) says the debate about whether the EU should adopt a constitution has been protracted and controversial. It is both a practical debate (Does the EU need a constitution) and a more abstract debate (Is the EU the kind of entity/organisation that should adopt a constitution). According to Murkens (2002), the European Union leaders at the Laeken summit in December 2001 had agreed to a constitutional convention headed by the former French President Valry Giscard D'Estaing to craft an EU constitution. And yet, the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the German Federal Constitutional Court, and academic commentators say the founding treaties already form a constitution. From Murkens (2002) - "In its famous decision in Van Gend en Loos in 1963 the ECJ held that the Treaty of Rome had created a Community not only of governments but of peoples, and that the Member States had agreed to limit their sovereign rights in certain fields. A year later the ECJ established the doctrine of supremacy of Community law in Costa v. ENEL which was basically accepted by national constitutional courts. These decisions heralded the 'creeping constitutionalisation' of Community law. The novelty of the ECJ's approach was that it did not try to squeeze the Treaty into the constitutional mould of the Verfassungsstaat. More important than the 'formal constitution' was the interpretation of the Treaty by the ECJ as the 'material constitution' (Petersmann 1991: 28), whose basic tenets include the doctrines of direct effect, supremacy, and implied powers, as well as respect for human rights." The arguments for and against an EU constitution rest on complicated issues of law, sovereignty, political philosophy and the efficiency and effectiveness of the EU's institutions and procedures (Murkens 2002). At the June 2004 European Council meeting, governments of the 25 EU member states signed a constitutional treaty for the European Union (Closa 2004). Intended to include voices not usually heard in the European integration process, this treaty was drafted by a "Convention on the Future of Europe." From there, member state governments negotiated on the draft that eventually produced a treaty (Ibid). But the process is far from over. It has just entered its final and perhaps most difficult phase. According to Closa (2004), the text must be ratified unanimously by the member states, each according to its own national process, but there are uncertainties that may spell disaster for the future of European integration (Ibid). II. From treaties to Constitution A timeline (History, Wikipedia 2005) shows the development of seven treaties into EU constitution from 1952 to 2003 to include - 1952: Treaty of Paris, 1958: Treaties of Rome, 1967: Merger Treaty, 1987: Single European Act, 1993: Treaty of Maastricht, 1999: Treaty of Amsterdam, and 2003: Treaty of Nice. The European Constitution is being hoped to be enacted in the soonest future. The three pillars are: 1) the European Communities (the European Coal and Steel Community or ECSC which came about in 1952; the European Community or EC which came around in 1958; the European Atomic

Debating Policy Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Debating Policy Issues - Essay Example debaters often resort to faster usage of speech so as to include as much evidence as possible in support of their arguments put forward in the debate which further helps in lending credibility to their claims while in yet another case, the debaters might include several arguments to counter the claims made by their opponents. In academic debates including more quantity is often considered an act of displaying knowledge and educational and hence appreciated while it might be criticized outside the debate community. While slow speed is often used to include laymen or common people in the purview of their audience (Cheshire, 2008). The order of speeches in various forms of policy debate is fixed such as 1AC – First Affirmative Constructive which includes cross examining the First Affirmative by the second negative, 1NC – First Negative Constructive i.e., cross examining the first negative by second constructive, 2AC – Second Affirmative Constructive i.e., cross examining the second affirmative by first constructive, 2 NC – Second Negative Constructive i.e., cross examining the second negative by first constructive etc. Similarly the other forms of policy debate include; 1NR – First Negative Rebuttal, 1AR – First Affirmative Rebuttal, 2NR – Second Negative Rebuttal and 2AR – Second Affirmative Rebuttal. The time for all these forms of policy debates varies with high school and college debates. For instance the time allotted for all constructive speeches in high school is generally eight minutes and for rebuttal the time allotted is five minutes. Similarly in college, the time allotted for constructive speeches is nine minutes and six minutes are allowed for rebuttal. The period for cross examination, however is same in high school as well as college i.e., three minutes. The first speech given in a round of policy debate is the 1AC and is presented by the affirmative team. This team usually focuses its attention on advocating on textual issues to

Disclosure of information Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Disclosure of information - Movie Review Example Instead of rebuking, Will assured her and said, â€Å"I know†. Grace was honest enough to disclose that it â€Å"wasn’t right† that â€Å"he was a smart, attractive guy who love me, who I love by the way. Why wasn’t it right?† Will did not demonstrate the slightest hint of anger but instead consoled Grace with the story of a play back in college. That the protagonists seemed â€Å"so perfect with each other but kept on missing each other because they are not destined to be.† Further assuring Grace, â€Å"Gracie, you are just in the middle of your movie and the point is, it’s not yet over. The movie will have a happy ending. You’ll just have to see it through.† And the trust was demonstrated when the two of them, with friends, had a drink later despite of what happened with Grace still in her wedding dress. When prodded, the two of them even kissed and kidded there was â€Å"nothing†. The episode tells us the lesson that though things did not materialize as intended, commitment does not have to end. As Will puts it, â€Å"Gracie, you are just in the middle of your movie and the point is, it’s not yet over. The movie will have a happy ending.† It could have been understandable had Will been upset and frustrated.

Executed Activity Plan with detailed Evaluation Essay

Executed Activity Plan with detailed Evaluation - Essay Example The behavior of Tina as to tend to avoid or ignore rules as well as the ability to participate more freely in the activity was the main guiding factor, when this was mapped on the EYFS, to develop a short term plan for her activity since her case was one of little details of ignoring rules. Tina’s age, developmental needs as well as other interests were also factored in. The plan developed for Tina, as earlier defined, was a short term. Short term plan is one that is frequently drawn and changed on a regular basis and is aimed and identify development in a specific concept or perspective (Department for Children, School and Families 2008). The short term plan can be done on a daily or weekly basis and will strive to assess the rate of integration of newly learnt concepts by a child. In designing and developing an ideal childhood development plan, that is effective, it was important that it follows a specific guideline which would ensure all the objectives therein, were achieve d. The system or plan so developed was able to continuously monitor the improvements, stagnation or decline in the development of the child. A better plan is that which provides checks or screening modalities which will be able to identify any abnormalities as soon as they occur (Education, E. C, 2010). Therefore, the system should be comprehensive enough, and be able to use information or observations noted, in making instructional decisions directed towards improving the child’s development curve. Consequently, the plan used in activated child development should be one that is consistent across settings, though, may be adapted to contain specific needs and demands of a given child. The progress of the child should not be specific but should include all the parameters of development as well. During observation of the children taking part in the foot painting activity, various critical points developed to incorporate in the plan. In the course of the play, Tina had shown an i nterest in working with the paints and manipulating colors which was actually a child’s own initiative. It was therefore important to keep the interest of the child while guiding the child to follow instructions and rules of the activities (Moyles 1998). The rules and instructions are the duty of adults in the development of the child since they give and ensure the rules are followed. The reason the instructions were not followed was probably because there was no keen listening or the message of the instructions were not decoded correctly. The role of the adults in the playing activity was to set the physical environment and prevent injuries from occurring. They also had to ensure the playing rules were followed. Children try to discover their abilities as they strive to be better than each other. In this activity, adult’s role was to explain the rules and instructions to be followed to the children. The tables were set with everything the children required and in the right sequence, so that they would obtain them without much difficult. The children were guided by answering their questions (McLachlan & Fleer, 2010). Parts of the rules were also explained to the children who did not understand while allowing them to work on their own. Demonstrations were conducted to show the children, especially in the case of Tina, to help in achieving certain details in their modeling which they did not know. Instructions were given at each

Music Analysis Of Bluegrass Music Essay

Music Analysis Of Bluegrass Music Essay Bluegrass is a word which came into being after its adoption by musicians and radio disc-jockeys in the early 1950s. Denoting a form of American country or hillbilly music yet, distinguishing it from other types of similar genres, which were popular throughout the Kentucky and greater Appalachia even before the turn of the century. Due to the demographics of the settlers in the region, bluegrass is a music built on strong southern traditions and was originally played primarily by the white working class. Although it is still somewhat debated, it is generally accepted that Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys played the first of what we now call bluegrass music in 1945. (International Bluegrass Music Association, 2001) The banjo came to the fore as it had not done previously accompanied by multiple vocal parts and a now familiar line-up of bass; mandolin; fiddle and guitar. The argument against, rebukes not the talent of Bill Monroe or his style, but the pre-inception of a less formali sed bluegrass genre. No matter which side of the debate one falls on, Monroe is accredited with the commercialisation and formalisation of the characteristics which differentiates the music from other strains of so-called hillbilly music such as country-western, rockabilly, and other forms of western-swing. (Smith, 1965) Both the immigration of the Scotch-Irish settlers during the latter part of the nineteenth century and subsequent emigration of the second and third generations from the region play distinct roles in the social and economic background of the music itself. Celtic fiddling styles played in the home and songs of heritage were commonplace. Monroe fondly recalls his mother walking through the house singing, and playing the fiddle as she prepared the dinner. His uncle, who he first witnessed at the age of about six years old playing this style of fiddle on the front porch at his family home captured the young Monroes imagination. He got the wonderful Scotch-Irish sound out of it, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..and if wed have supper of a night, wed sit around the fireplace and hed play the fiddle. Most musicians of the time allude to fathers, grandfathers, and uncles who fiddled and mothers who played the organ, it seems everyone sang. Mechanically reproduced music and radio was therefore a luxury not many of these impoverished farmers at the time possessed, and although by the early 1900s, some rural settlers may have had experienced the radio, it was not as pervasive as it was to later become. It is for this reason we can refer to these strains as a form of vernacular music. (Rosenberg, 2005) During the late 1930s however, these types of technologies had come to the fore allowing greater access to music and film. The film industry in particular had made singing cowboys a popular trend and this was being reflected in the rise of western swing outfits such as Bob Wills and Bill Boyd. Other influences began to seep into the old time style, as country music began to move closer to the popular music of the era rather than the folk music of its distinct roots. (Rosenberg, 2005) George D. (Judge) Hay, a former news reporter, turned disc jockey with a popular Saturday night show titled The Grand Ole Opry, was adamant within his circle to keep these influences at bay and began to promote his radio show as authentic-hill country music. Urging his musicians to stay true to their roots and keep it close to the ground,(Rosenberg, 2005) he fought for years keeping drums off the Opry stage and very much discouraged the attempts to introduce electric style instruments, instead insisting on the musicians authenticity. It was subsequently the first country music styled show to gain a reputation on a national scale. His hatred of the word hillbilly and refusal to use it on his show gained him a respect from one Bill Monroe who tried out for the show in 1938. Cleo Davis who accompanied Monroe at the audition recalls; Bill and I did à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. a duet yodel, fast as white lightening. [And were told] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if you ever leave the Opry, itll be because youve fired yourself(Rosenberg, 2005) Two of the immediate differences Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys brought to the Opry, and anything that had gone before were the sheer speed that they performed their songs and the key they performed in. Even slow or medium paced favourites were faster than usual, highlighting the skill that was required to maintain the instrumental dexterity and vocal accuracy if these up-tempo performances were to retain their precision. Along with a speed heretofore unnatural, was the use of unconventional keys. Monroe is accredited with saying; We was the first outfit to ever play in B-flat or B-natural and E. Before that it was all C, D, and G. Fiddle men had a fit. (Rosenberg, 2005) Accompanying these alterations was a slightly unusual musical practice whereby all instruments were tuned a half-step above standard pitch. This elongation and tightening of the strings served a multipurpose, gaining both in volume and achieving a brighter tone which subsequently served to suit the vocals better than it had previously. (Rosenberg, 2005) These musical alterations coincided with arguably the most significant social, political, and cultural movement of the entire century, the Second World War. During this period many economic sectors, including the music and recording industries, were in a state of decline. But despite this lull of music sales, the sale of hillbilly records grew exponentially. (Rosenberg, 1967) The major reasons for this were, a population shift, incorporating a migration of southern workers to northern cities, and a mass growth in the popularity of the genre within the armed forces, where many were exposed to these strains for the first time. Military service resulted in long standing members having to leave their post for the war effort. This resulted in an array of performers playing different roles for the following war years. Retaining his slot on the Grand Ole Opry, and gaining his own tent show, Monroe continued to perform with a roulette wheel of differing musicians, yet still managed to contin uously be the most sought-after performer on the circuit. It is about this time that the real elements of bluegrass started to form with the addition of extra musical elements, and it was at this stage Robert Russell (later to be renamed Chubby Wise) joined the fray. A co-composer of Orange Blossom Special a song which Monroe and his boys had covered on many an occasion had heard of Howdy Forresters depart, leaving the band without a fiddle player. Having approached Monroe backstage he joined the Opry tour. Although the musician roulette continued for a time with instruments such as the jug, accordion and harmonica making appearances, the seeds that would comprise the latter sound were beginning sprout. (Rosenberg, 2005) In 1945, debatably the most influential member was auditioned for the line-up. A young banjo player named Earl Scruggs made an impact with a song titled Dear Old Dixie, showcasing his ability to do things you could hardly believe, with Monroe reportedly saying hire him, get him whatever it costs(Rosenberg, 2005). For the first time the band had a banjo player who was not a comedian, but instead had the ability to play solos on songs where all previous players could not. Lester Flatt, a mandolinist and tenor singer was also taken aboard at this time, returning to his guitar and singing lead vocals to accommodate the Blue Grass Boys. Much of the music was actually too fast for Flatt to keep rhythm on the guitar, but he remedied this by using a guitar run at the end of phrases. The run began as an F# on the lower sixth string and ended with an open G. Runs of this type were common in previous country guitar styles, but became so synonymous with Flatt and bluegrass music that it is still referred to as the Lester Flatt G-run.(Malone and McCulloh, 1975) Both were extremely popular with fans, with Scruggs solos demanding encores from the boy from North Carolina who makes the banjo talk (Malone and McCulloh, 1975) Scruggs used a three finger picking style adapted from other north Carolina banjo players such as Wade Mainers two-finger style. His solos on the Opry from 1945-48 resulted in almost instantaneous star status as a country music instrumentalist. Monroes Blue Grass Boys now consisted of a mandolin; played by Monroe himself, a guitar; a banjo; a fiddle and a bass, a construct that is now the presently accepted make-up of the traditional bluegrass band. The sound they produced together had evolved substantially from the days Bill and his brother Charles Monroe entertained locally in Kentucky, and yet, with the early guidance of Judge Hay in Bills career, managed to keep true to the roots of the music. Scruggs and Flatt left the Blue Grass boys line-up late in 1948, due to the strain of being on the road. They still played together however forming the Foggy Mountain Boys. While in this line-up they decided to include the resophonic guitar, (or Dobro) in their band and as a result it is often included in some bluegrass bands today.(International Bluegrass Music Association, 2003) By this time there were other groups mimicking the style set by their outfit, most notably The Stanley Brothers. Monroe had replaced Scruggs with a play er similar to Scruggs own banjo style, and after setting the precedent it became the norm to describe a good banjo player as playing just like Earl Scruggs. (Malone and McCulloh, 1975) Robert Cantwell describes the relative speed in which bluegrass music permeated the psyche as he recalls an appearance from the Eller Brothers in 1980. They began with an old song entitled On and On, but could not remember where it had originated or who had written the piece. It was the work of one Bill Monroe and had apparently been inducted, along with those songs brought across the Atlantic, into the realms of tradition at the tender age of twenty-seven. A tradition according to Cantwell, that was violently foreshortened by radio (2003) The durability of bluegrass has proven this apparent presumption correct however, as the genre grows not only in the Americas but internationally, owing much of its success to the adaptability of the music through other genres, and the capacity to reach wider audiences through the growing medium of technology. The 1960s saw the birth of a new concept, the bluegrass festival. As bands seemed to be competing for the same audience, it was more product ive for all parties involved to put them on the same bill, appearing at festivals around America. These festivals are now internationally common with attendances growing annually. (International Bluegrass Music Association, 2003) Monroes most famous contribution Blue Moon of Kentucky has transcended multiple genres and been re-recorded by artists such as Patsy Kline, Elvis Presley, Rory Gallagher, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and Paul McCartney among others. Scruggs and Flatt as mentioned continued recording, and wrote songs that appeared on the soundtracks of the cult movie Bonnie and Clyde and the Beverly Hillbillies television show. Bluegrass was once again shot to the forefront of consciousness when Eric Weissberg traded banjo phrases with Steve Mandels guitar in the film Deliverance, and audiences were once again reintroduced to bluegrass as the soundtrack for one of the Coen brothers cinematic ventures O Brother, Where art Thou? went triple platinum. (International Bluegrass Music Association, 2003) Bluegrass is still providing additives, foundations and inspiration in artists today, as Bà ©la Fleck (possibly the most recognisable banjo player worldwide presently), describes his most powerful memory on first hearing the music during an interview for the popular American network PBS: My most powerful memory was hearing Earl Scruggsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.as a five or six year old. That sound just blew me away, shook my head up. (PBS, 2001) Fleck has attained international fame for his ingenuity with his own band the Flecktones and for his fusion of a fast paced picking style with the jazz and blues undertones of the Dave Matthews Band, an outfit he makes regular appearances with. Once again keeping bluegrass firmly in the minds of the masses. The three audio files chosen represent three differing aspects of the bluegrass genre; The original bluegrass sound, the rise of the genres popularity through the prismatic scope of media, and its gradual evolution as these strains enevitably are influenced by other facors. The first, played by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass boys is a recording from 1946 entitled Rocky Top. It showcases the finger-picking style of banjo thoroughly referenced throughout this essay, while emphasising the vocal layers and dexterity by using choral harmonics. The lyrics themselves reference Rocky Top Tennessee a domesticated hometown scence which much of the country bluegrass music was concerned with, the norm generally being a migration or a return to homelands. The second track was chosen for a number of purposes. Sang by Alison Krauss an extreemely successful country/bluegrass singer with accompaniment by Union Station, it is entitled Man of Constant Sorrow originally performed by the Soggy Bottomed Boys. My reasoning for choosing Krauss version is simple, she transcends genres. Recently dueting with Robert Plant the famed Led Zeppelin front man, she epitomises the durability and versatility bluegrass has sustained in revealing itself to new audiences. It is also featured prominently in the Coen Brothers classic film O, Brother where Art Thou?, reinforcing the previous point and illustrating the gains achieved through differing aspects of the media. The final track is from the aforementioned Bela Fleck, performing with the self explanotory New Grass Revival. The song itself called Steam Powered Aeroplane conveys a movement away from a homeland setting and can be constrewed as having migratory conontations, but more immediately, there is a movement towards the new. Containing the same basic principles, Scruggs-style picking and Flatts G-runs are evident. Vocals are also sung in different parts giving a layered effect, yet held secondary to the lead banjo and a commanding base line seems to keep the overwhelming speed in check. But there is a distinct modern feel as the instuments are very slightly amplified. In more recent years Fleck establishes the Flecktones and keeping this style joins a group containing a drumguitar infusing African beats with blues licks. (See The Flecktones: Next)