“An ideological story to inspire the realist” by Sandra Bartelle Neil Young once stated “I think that the time when music could change the world is past. I think it would be very naive to think that in this day and age”. This has always been true, music has never been able to change the world. However, music can and should be used to bring about change in a world where so much injustice has occurred. Does music have the ability to bring change to the world? Music has been constantly evolving. It is now a tornado of different cultures and genres working together, collaborating new sounds and styles the planet has never heard before. The only inspiration for some, the medicine for a broken heart, it speaks directly to the soul. Music is never old or boring, it is always new and exciting, touching parts in the soul that none other has touched. Music for Change, an organization in England, works with the finest artists from all around the world in schools and community spaces, creating festivals and events to deliver targeted issue based projects. The aim of this organization is to bring about change by celebrating and developing understanding and respect for the world’s cultures and its peoples, all achieved through the promotion of music. Projects address issues such as Racism, Immigration, Migration, Poverty, and Gun Crime. Created in 1997, Music for Change has now grown from a community based project to one of the foremost organizations working educationally with culturally diverse music in the United Kingdom. The Irish lead singer of U2, Paul David Hewson, universally known as Bono, has been using his fame to publicize African poverty, and to boost American aid to war and poverty stricken areas of Africa. He has been the key name in benefit concerts and charity auctions that have raised as much as $46.2 million in aid. Not at all fazed by the impact he has had on changing the lives of many affected by AIDS or hunger, he calls trying to change the world “sexy”. He launched a new product line under the name “RED”, which includes a variety of products ranging from sports shoes to ethnic African products. RED’s proceeds all go to reduce the annual 6,500 HIV-related deaths in Africa and 9,000 new infections. Bono, now a household name, has won a Nobel Peace Prize and been named Time’s man of the year; he has the capability to touch everyone’s heart with his music. Sometimes, even a single song has the capability to bring about this change; though a single song may seem like nothing, to the receivers it may be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. $50 million was raised by the Michael Jackson “Heal the World” song. Single tracks have the power to change the outcome of dire situations. Civil Rights Movement marchers chanting Pete Seeger’s “We shall overcome” took away the fear of being part of an unwanted cause. Refugees all over the world are given hope by Wyclef’s “Sweetest Girl” song. Tupac touched many rape victims with his message of justice in the “Baby Don’t Cry” hit of the 90’s. How many of Obama’s young supporters are energized by the Will-i-am’s “yes we can” song? This song’s video clip has got some of Americas biggest entertainers, Scarlett Johanson and John Legend, and it is recorded over one of Barack Obama’s speeches, filling the listener with hope. Every situation can change for the better, sometimes we just need a push in the right direction or a helping hand. Music can be that push. Music cannot change the world but it is an amazing instrument of change. It is all about how you can use music to bring about that little change. Music is a powerful instrument that has the power to change the world, whether it’s a lonely orphan, a recovering alcoholic, an AIDS victim, or a refugee; music is something we can rely on to be a comfort to our souls. The money that benefit concerts raise is always used to benefit the ones whom the rest of the world has forgotten about.
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by Hadis Tsai
“The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest”- Albert Einstein Are you a finance-conscious person? Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? 1. I’m too busy to worry about investing so I put my money in a savings account, which earns interest. 2. If someone tells me about a golden chance to invest in something I would take out a loan so I wouldn’t miss it. If you said yes to either of these questions then congratulations, you probably have a basic investing background! But let’s improve our financial understanding and become even more acute investors: Why should we invest? Is the investment risky? What if I lose a large amount of my money? Read on and you’ll find out! Why Do We Need to Know About Investing? Most people manage their money by depositing it into a savings account. But in recent years the interest rate on deposit accounts has been going down so that the real value of the money is actually shrinking. Another invisible thief: inflation eats away at the value of money without our even noticing it. According to a Wall Street report in 2007, over the past twenty years a sum of 100 NTD lost an average of 3.58% of its value every single year. So if you have been keeping your savings in the bank, you probably earn interest of no more than 2%, but the inflation rate of 3.58% has already decreased the real value of your money. Therefore, you can’t easily increase your wealth to meet your financial targets unless you start to invest elsewhere. The Four Elements of Investing: Capital, Investment Return, Compound Interest, and Time Investing choices depend on the available capital and the Return on Investment (ROI) or simply the prevailing interest rate. After all, the higher the ROI is, the faster wealth will accumulate. Furthermore, compound interest is the accumulation of original capital plus annual interest payments. But few people take into account the power of time. Let me put it this way, if you invest NT $5,000 every month in your thirties, which totals NT $60,000 per year, and the given ROI is 15%, then you will accumulate $34,616,398 in compound interest before you retire in your sixties. But if you start to invest at forty, the investment period is reduced by 10 years, and thus you would only accumulate $27,130,201 by the age of 60. Compound interest is a powerful tool for building wealth and financial security, and over time, it can make your money grow dramatically. Popular Investment Instruments This table shows the differences among some popular investments today: We usually invest in deposit accounts aiming to collect interest because savings accounts are convenient and flexible and money can be withdrawn on demand. I suggest that novice investors can start from mutual funds. We can let a mutual funds company professionally manage our money for a fee. When we accumulate experience in financial markets we can then expand to stock or something else. Before You Invest- Five Essential Tips Tip 1 Only invest money you will not need in the short term. Never borrow to invest. Tip 2 Before deciding how to invest, you should do a thorough study and understand your investment options completely. Never trust hot tips nor invest on an impulse. Tip 3 Investors should be clear that there are no risk-free investments. You should cut your losses by liquidating any position that has lost more than a predetermined percentage. Stopping sooner will allow you to keep the remaining money you are not willing to lose as part of the risk. Tip 4 You should adjust your financial strategy as the market changes, so portfolios should not remain static. Tip 5 Your investments should be well-diversified. Never put all your eggs in one basket. While You Invest-Four Steps to Follow Step 1 Evaluate Your Capital Investors should evaluate their financial circumstances with respect to revenue and expenses, and estimate the amount of money which they can devote to their investments. Step 2 Grade Your Risk Tolerance Investors should consider their investment temperament, and evaluate their risk tolerance, epecially the maximum loss they can tolerate. Step 3 Clarify Your Investment Goals Beginners should set some goals which are easy to attain. Never hope to get rich overnight. Step 4 Select Your Portfolio Carefully Investors should design an aggressive or conservative portfolio according to their risk preferences and potential ROI. Remember that a well-diversified portfolio should include overseas investments. The Core of Investment People love money; that’s why they love to invest. Most college students are in their twenties. We are young and thus have ample time on our side, so I eagerly recommend college students to start to create an investment blueprint. Always bear in mind: the sooner we start investing, the better we will understand the market, and the more we can earn! |
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May 2024
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