Preview

August Rush Themes

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
611 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
August Rush Themes
Does Giftedness Guarantee Success?
“Music is all around; all you have to do is listen.” Quoted Evan Taylor in the ending scene of August Rush. August Rush was a boy who discovered the power of music in his journey to find his parents. His giftedness was a useful tool in his accomplishments, that can be seen throughout the movie. His giftedness did not guarantee success in that he would need the right resources, motivation, and a little hardwork obtain it.
To begin with, giftedness can’t guarantee success, if the right resources are not available. Resources allow you to recognize your giftedness, so without them your giftedness is not recognized, and therefore, success is not obtainable. Resources are the key to success. The boys home that Evan Taylor lived in, before his removal, did not offer the resources for him to channel his giftedness. In August Rush, Evan Taylor was given many resources, after his removal from the boys’ home, in which he ended up in a church with a piano, a theatre full of street kid performers, and facing the opportunity to take classes at Julliard. The classes at Julliard enabled him to obtain the ability to compose a piece inspired by all the sounds he has heard and believes will lead him to his parents. At Julliard, August’s talent was truly acknowledged and set free, but it was first discovered when he encountered the street kids. With all these resources he was able to embrace his gift and share it with the world. The resources that he acquired on his journey prompted his growth in his naturally gifted music abilities.
Secondly, guaranteed success from giftedness, I believe requires motivation. A person who seems to be naturally gifted cannot be guaranteed success, if they do not want success. A person who is naturally gifted and is motivated will achieve success because they want success. August Rush had motivation, so therefore he achieved success in the movie. His motivation was to find his parents, from whom he was disconnected

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    He explains that musicians and chess players spend about ten years practicing their craft to become the best at what they do. I believe this is the background for all successful people. If you are born into a rich and powerful family it is possible that you are handed down all the success. There is another reason why it runs in families, I believe that those people are shown from a very early age all the hours of work and dedication it takes to become wealthy and powerful therefor they have a better understanding…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Malcolm Gladwell Outliers

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gladwell uses both Mozart and The Beatles to prove that they are not so much musical geniuses, but they both worked in the musical industry and succeeded after 10,000 hours of work. Not only does time play an important part, but opportunity does as well. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, had many opportunities to use computer softwares at a young age. He also worked and studied for 10,000 hours before he began rising to the top which points us back to our theme. None of these people rose from dust and was able to rise to the top on their own, they had opportunities and time.…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Using experience as knowledge, the narrator decides that even accomplishing his dream: becoming a great African American composer, is still not enough to ease the life of an African American man. The identity, if accepted, is difficult and unnecessary for a man of his stature. Despite the great progress made by the race combined with the great history that African Americans claim, the narrator remains discouraged by the difficulty to gain social recognition, the lack of respect received by fellow countrymen, and the ability to live a life of comfort as a colored…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jamal's passion in writing was kept a secret because his school, an all Black school does not have any program that can help develop his giftedness. There was nobody to motivate and encourage him. He was a C average student because he wasn't challenge enough by his teachers. His teachers did not even know he is gifted until he took a state assessment test given to all high school students. The result was very impressive. Because he was also talented in playing basketball and his friends like playing basketball too, he felt that his friends would leave him if he tells them about his hidden talent. Even when the result of the test showed how gifted he was, he pleaded his Mom to keep it a secret. I think he does not want anybody know about it because he thought there's no place for a Black student living in the Bronx section to be identified gifted. He became an underachiever because his father was a drug addict and in jail and his brother left him with his Mom to take care of him. The environment is not the right place to nurture his gift. The result was that his educational needs were neglected by his school and his family which in turn affected his morale. He wasn't motivated to show his talent in writing and his emotional aspirations, sense of…

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ken Robinson’s presentation “Do Schools Today Kill Creativity?” first discusses how the school system limits our children’s creativity. Some children that are believed to have great talents aren’t necessarily more talented than anyone else. Many kids have a talent(s) that the public school system fails to find or embrace. Those who are lucky enough to be talented in an area or subject of what is deemed as “important” in society are ranked above other kids and considered smarter, which in reality is just not true. Robinson believes that we as individuals all have the potential to excel in school, if only we were allowed to explore our talents to find out what it is that we are good at.…

    • 1271 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    During hard times and challenges in a lifetime, one may discover hidden talents or skills that were once invisible to their eyes. From the ancient Roman poet, Horace, he states “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” Many famous scientists, movie stars, singers, etc. grew up from poor environments, having no education, clothing, food, and/or shelter. They came from a poor background which has only motivated and encouraged these determined individuals. Although it may appear to most people that those who experience misfortune not necessarily realize or find their concealed capability, it is emerged as true that many do find their unknown gift through adversity, whether if it is through their own hard work and determination or just pure luck.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Long Way Gone Themes

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Innocence is something that everyone reminisces about and remembers fondly, but what happens when someone’s whole life gets put in dire circumstances beyond their control? That innocence once held rapidly diminishes to the point where it is not relevant and there is only one thing relevant, survival. This idea is present in the memoir A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. In this memoir, Beah recalls his story as a young kid thrown into chaos, as he is separated from his family, his friends, and is eventually forced to join the army as a boy soldier . Eventually, he is taken out of the war and becomes a functioning member of society but his innocence is shattered into pieces. It is evident throughout A Long Way Gone, mainly through Beah’s use of…

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Fred A. Bonner, I. M. (2007). Never Too Young to Lead: Gifted African American Males in Elementary School. Gifted Child Today, 31-35.…

    • 2572 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nathanial has a high school education. He was also accepted and completed some classical music training from Juilliard, according to a teacher there, he just stopped showing up. What happened in his life from that point until the present is unknown. Although he is homeless, one of his possessions is a violin, which only has two strings. In doing this, Nathanial shows determination, because even though he doesn’t have a complete instrument he stills continues to play it.…

    • 1581 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Learning how to play an instrument is beneficial not only academically but also emotionally, like making students feel happy and relaxed. University of California scientists has discovered music instruction improves a child’s spatial reasoning, an intelligence that helps in the classroom and in everyday life. Several other researches show that musical study develops critical thinking and self-discipline, as well as cognitive development, basic math, and reading abilities at an early age. In addition to these skills, students who are involved in a music program have a higher self-esteem, higher SAT scores, a greater sense of teamwork, better school attendance, and are more attentive. Charles Wright comments, “Students involved with music are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, receive more awards, and are less likely to become involved with gangs and substance abuse” (Taylor). This is because music gives children something they enjoy to spend their free time on. This acts an escape from doing drugs…

    • 1916 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Music Education

    • 3700 Words
    • 15 Pages

    I believe teaching individuals about singing, playing instruments, moving, composing and listening is incredibly important, ranging from infants through to adults, but starting in early childhood would be most beneficial for long term benefits. These key elements contribute significantly in developing their music skills and knowledge; contributing to their education on a more broad scale (Broad, 2007 pg23); and/or assisting the student’s emotional/mental development.…

    • 3700 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    White Noise Themes

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages

    There are many themes in the novel White noise written by Don DeLillo. One of the main recurring themes is death. Death is present through out the book and is also everyones "white noise." Another theme that pops up frequently in the story is the tension between reality and artifice. Most of the characters realize the difference, but understand it is interchangeable.…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    School Fieldwork Study

    • 3324 Words
    • 14 Pages

    My field study was conducted at the Talented and Gifted School for Young Scholars (T.A.G.) Middle School located in the East Harlem section of Manhattan. T.A.G. is a selective public school, governed by the NYC Department of Education. It was founded in 1989 as a magnet program within the school system’s District 4, and became an independent K-8 gifted and talented school in 2004. T.A.G. is one of only three gifted and talented programs in New York City. It serves students identified with gifted abilities in grades K-8. Children are admitted to kindergarten through 2nd grade based on their scores on two tests, the Otis-Lennon School Abilities Test (OLSAT) and the Bracken School Readiness Assessment (BSRA). Children whose scores put them in the 97th percentile nationally are eligible. There are a handful of seats open in the upper grades. Middle school admission is based on grades, standardized test scores and teacher recommendations. There are approximately 500 students comprised mainly of African-American, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern backgrounds, reportedly only 2% of the student body is Caucasian. Each grade level has two classes of up to 25 students each. The school is located in a building that houses four other mini schools, a common practice in schools these days. For instance the high school I attended has been divided into five different high schools.…

    • 3324 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Last Unicorn Themes

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The following entry presents criticism of Beagle's work through 1997. For further information on his life and career, see CLC, Volume 7.…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    VanTassel-Baska, J., (2003). Introduction to Curriculum for Gifted and Talented Students: A 25-Year Retrospective and Prospective. The College of William and Mary.…

    • 1436 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays