Heart & Mind Zine

A Blog Post on Criticism

8/3/2016

While trying to not be too self-aggrandizing, I sometimes muse about myself, as well as my generation, and our responsibility to inform the future of the great works of art made in our time.

Then I become worried.

There’s an anecdote of literary history that always troubles me: when Herman Melville died in 1891, his obituary read “Henry Melville”. Now, while I’ve heard that that story may not be 100% accurate, it does reveal the sad fact that Melville was not recognized as a genius during his life time. Moby Dick, one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, and of those greats by far the most experimental, was not widely championed until at least fifty years after its publication. Melville’s generation of readers failed in their responsibility. Thank goodness the next generation found that buried treasure for themselves.

Who are the unsung geniuses of my time, and will I recognize them when I find them?

I’ll quickly end with what Alexander Pope wrote to begin his “Essay on Criticism”:

'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill;
But, of the two, less dang'rous is th' offence
To tire our patience, than mislead our sense.
Some few in that, but numbers err in this,
Ten censure wrong for one who writes amiss;

Michael Convery
Short Story Judge

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Key Tips For Writing Poetry

8/2/2016

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There are so many ways to write poetry! You can write about a common theme such as relationships, a specific time or event in life or just to entertain. These are some tips to keep in mind when writing poetry:

Get Inspired
Take a look at ordinary objects around you, visit an actual location such as nature or draw from your intuition using a vivid imagination to take you to a particular place or bring about cherished memories. A strong poem comes from a place that motivates you to write. Seeing the medium up close or in the mind's eye can do just that.

Begin with the End in Mind
What is the goal of the poem? Is it to tell a story? Perhaps a moral lesson? Or a view into someone's life? Get the reader to ponder an issue? Having a direct goal leads to a clearer message communicated to the reader.

Evoke emotion
Emotions that arise from an authentic place make it easier to put words down on paper. Often, when we think about poetry, we sometimes think about deep, strong feelings of angst or love. However, emotions span the spectrum from light-hearted feelings to tackling heavy issues that many struggle to resolve. The key is to identify the overall tone of the poem. A tone such as fury can be present throughout a poem and change to acceptance as the character of the poem gains insight, for instance. The use of descriptive adjectives and metaphors are great ways to convey emotion and paint a picture for the reader.

Follow the guidelines
While writing, go through the guidelines for the Heart & Mind Zine poetry section and check the boxes to make sure that you have met all of the criteria. Notice whether or not the poem is understandable, whether or not it flows and is using correct grammar. The points for each category add up to place your poem ahead of the pack.

Poetry is a vast subject with many forms and types. Find your favorite type of poem and read as many poems you find in that form to see the multiple ways that particular form is used. Later, try it out and write one on your own using the tips above and read it to a listening audience for feedback. Did they understand the message? What tone did they catch? Answers to these questions can get you on the right track to writing great poetry.

Alona Elaine
Poetry Judge

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Me As A Music Judge

7/27/2016

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My interest in music goes back to my earliest memories. I loved listening to the radio as a kid, I can’t remember a time in my life that the radio wasn’t playing in the background. From Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, the Doors, and whatever else was playing on the radio while riding in the truck with my dad, to MC Hammer, Boyz 2 Men, and similar songs while riding with my mom.

Let me set the scene.

At this point, it is the late eighties and I am a young boy living in Palatka, Florida. As I mentioned previously, the classic rock station blasts hits from the 60’s & 70’s and R&B is on the rise, even garnering a station in Florida’s, at that time, packed FM band. Life was great, or at least, it seemed to be to a 9-year-old kid. At this point, I am only interested in music as background noise, something to destroy the silence. Go-karts, girls, and deviance was what interested me.

Even with my ignorance to what music would ultimately mean to me, I could inherently feel the rhythm. I started receiving formal musical instruction when I joined the middle school band. I had a background in percussion, my neighbor’s dad was a drummer, left-handed now that I think about it. I had dabbled in drums and banging on various objects, with various other objects, my entire life. However, it wasn't until I joined the band that my love for music was solidified.

I developed from concert percussion to kit drumming fairly quickly. Once I understood how music was timed, the rest was easy. Playing the drum kit opened me up to a variety of music. I played jazz, classic rock, early-metal and even some post-hardcore heavy metal. I’ve experimented with other varieties like pop and country but was bored quickly, the drum instrumentation is too boring, and people don’t like it when you’re throwing in fills in random spots. In my defense, I love fills.

I am still not the drummer I wish to be; I may never reach that goal. It doesn’t matter, I enjoy playing music and that’s my driving force. I would like to say that being a percussionist opened my mind to the broader aspects of music and it allows me to be a better judge, but this isn’t necessarily true. It’s more complicated than that, and yet, very simple.

You either love music for what it is and what it can be, or you simply don’t understand music’s true purpose. This isn’t to say that someone who doesn’t understand music can’t appreciate it. This is to say, that a person will have prejudices about any other style of music that is not their favorite. This is okay, everyone has a taste and preference. It’s those very prejudices that cause music to be as diverse as it is. This also creates a good music judge, coincidentally.

My tastes and preferences with music is part of my personality, however, they don’t define me. I enjoy a good metal tune. I like technical metal, preferably instrumentals. (Vocalists have a way of destroying an otherwise awesome song.) I’ve listened to the darkest death gutter metal you could, yet, I’m not in any way suicidal or a Satan worshiper. I don’t dress in all black, or sport a Mohawk, or engage in some other ridiculous means of self-promotion, but I am a consummate metal-head. On the opposite extreme, when I listen to classical music I sleep. Not because the music bores me, but because it has a story-like quality which eases my mind enough to allow me to sleep. I listen to ambient, spatial-style music to sleep, the method works so I’m just adjusting the variety to suit my life. Then there’s EDM or Dubstep/Trap/Techno/House, etc. There are so many variants, I’ll just stick with saying EDM. I’m not a fan of all styles of EDM, however, I can identify with them all. It is a drum machine and a synthesizer, after all. All this adds up to a smorgasbord of stuff, with some relation, and a lot of distinction.

Music is music though, no matter the style, it is all written relatively the same way. This is this key component that a true music aficionado understands. I wish everyone understood this; I think music has the ability to free minds and souls (if you believe in those creepy things). Anyone can write music, absolutely anyone! However, perspective being the fickle monster it is, some people will not understand or like it. This doesn’t mean it’s not music, it just means that it’s not universally pleasing. I think that being able to understand why music is important is crucial to being a good music judge.

My judgements are based on several key factors: musicianship, technical prowess, emotional connection, and the “mundane factor”. Musicianship is simply how well you play your instrument. I don’t care if you’re playing spoons, play them well and with passion. Technical prowess is probably the lowest weight judgement I give. I understand that not everyone is a virtuoso, so I do not require that extreme level of writing. I listen for the emotional connection; this can easily outweigh how simple or complex a piece of music is. Without that connection, music becomes a grouping of sounds that may or may not have a point. My most weighted judgement has to be the “mundane factor”. Is this something I have heard before? Is it the same four notes over and over into infinity? Is this just some run-of-the-mill song created to sell commercially? (That is one of my least favorite reasons people make music.)

Notice that in my judgement factors, "style" didn’t make the list. I don’t judge on style. I don’t personally like country or bluegrass; however, when reviewing a country/bluegrass song, I’ll analyze it just like I analyze all music; without my personal bias. This gives the artist a fair and equitable chance. The music is judged on the merit it presents. Is it a quality song by a quality musician/vocalist? Does it have a strong emotional connection with its intended audience and/or is it a technical piece showcasing the prowess of the artist? If the piece of music answers these questions in a positive manner, it gets a good score. While, I don’t judge writing but I can see correlations in the written arts and the musical arts when it comes to composition and emotion. It is either a good story, or it is not. Either way, somewhere out there, someone loves it.

For more information about the diversity of music and its many forms, I urge everyone to look up
TEDTalksX of Mark Applebaum: The Mad Scientist of Music.

Until next time, keep making art and trying to save the world one animal at a time.

\m/ >.< \m/
Traves Walters
Music Judge

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What is "Good" Art?

7/18/2016

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Nothing that's beautiful lasts forever. No matter what art you create, it can be fleeting. A momentary compilation of emotion and energy, in a momentary life. Yet, we artists strive to create works which are lasting. Art which will continue to inspire, long after our lives have ended.

Maybe our paintings will remain hung on gallery walls, with nothing but our signature mark and a few biographical words, to inspire a new generation of artists.

Perhaps our tunes will be carried long after we have been forgotten, and the peace we felt while crafting them will be felt in those who carry it from lip to lip, string to string, and beat to beat.

Could be that our writing will inspire great people to take to a cause, entertain, or inform. As our stories and poems are published, again and again, over the course of centuries.

For these reasons, we artists fret over the details. Because we want our art to outlive us, and take on a life of its own. We don't strive to create a piece of art, we strive to create a message, a vision, an emotion, or an ideal.

While we live, we may do interviews to explain what a certain piece of art means, but when we are no longer alive to speak, will our art give the same explanation?

Good art will continue to tell the same story, evoke the same emotion, and inspire, all on its own.

(Here at HMZ, our editors pass your submissions on to our judges without your name or biography attached. All the judges see is your art standing on its own, no race, sex, age, pedigree, explanation, or other such superficiality to cloud its meaning.

Imagine that...

Your art. Yours! Taking on a life of its own.)

Regards,
Tomovi Keoni
Editor-in-Chief

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Why Love Art?

7/18/2016

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We operate Heart & Mind Zine "for the love of art", but what does that mean?

Life is long and often tiring; it’s kind to some and difficult to others. We work to earn a living, we age, we enjoy friends and family, and we lose them. Along the way we are met with a range of emotions, from despair to hope, anxiety to contentment, and depression to elation. It’s these emotions, and events, which make up our personal story, the story of us.

Art is how people tell their stories, and convey emotion. Art is an experience captured; a medium to convey emotion from one mind to another, from one heart to another. Art is the culmination of all a person’s experiences, feelings, and intent, in a physical display.

Why do we love art? Because art reminds us there is something more to life than just being. It reminds us that we feel and those feelings matter, not just to us, but to others as well. That all experiences and emotions (even the worst of them), can be made beautiful. We love art because it teaches us what being human really means.

So, don’t just trudge your way through life. Love art with us and be inspired by the efforts and emotion of others, from all walks of life, who are making this journey with you.

Regards,
Tomovi Keoni
Editor-in-Chief

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Note From the Editor: Are You Brave?

7/18/2016

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Music and song date back to the very early years of humanity, perhaps as far as humanity itself. Ever since vocalizing and beating on a surface could be recognized as pleasant, there has been music.

Cave painting dates back 42,000 years. Simple imagery made with charcoal, feces, and urine is humanity's earliest form of image art.

The first writings occurred in Samaria around 5000 years ago, long after the creation of the image and auditory arts. As far as anyone can tell, the first humans developed around 1.8 million years ago. Think about that, there were 1,795,000 years of thought and wondering before we humans started writing it down.

For millions of years, mankind looked to the night sky and were inspired by the moon and the stars. Yet never ventured to capture their feelings and thoughts with art. Art is a new thing in human existence, we've only been painting the moon and stars for .023% of our existence.

How privileged we are, as artists, to live in a time when our art can so easily be seen, our songs propagated, and our writing read. Instead of smearing blood on a cave wall, wondering if someone else will come along and make sense of it, we can share pictures online and spread the link across oceans. Instead of drumming with a select few, night-after-night, with our drum echoes lost in the sky, we can capture them on a phone and say "Hey! Check out this beat I've been working on!". Rather than etching pictographs into stone, to tell a story, we simply rattle our fingers across a keyboard.

How privileged we are, as artists, but are we brave? It is one thing to create something you think is beautiful and hold it close to your heart, it is another to offer it up for everyone to see. Will there be ridicule? Will they laugh? Will they hate me? Will anyone understand!? These are the kinds of questions which flash through an artist's mind every time they share their work. When they share it with a publication such as ours, even more questions are added: Will my work be judged fairly? Do they only publish artists they know? Did they notice the little detail I put there? Will they ignore my work because I'm 16, or my name is weird? What are they even looking at!?

We at Heart & Mind Zine attempt to lessen these questions by showing you exactly who is judging your work and how we are judging it, but none-the-less, stepping out and sharing one's creation is nerve wracking! I can say for sure, that each and every artist who sends us their art to review is brave. Whether or not your work has been published, I cannot thank you enough for taking advantage of this great information age we live in and sharing your efforts with us!

Regards,
Tomovi Keoni
Editor-in-Chief

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A Blog Post on Criticism

Key Tips For Writing Poetry

Me As A Music Judge

What is "Good" Art?

Why Love Art?

Note From the Editor: Are You Brave?

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