P1 Audio FInal

Influence is something that grabs hold of you, inspiring action and allowing creativity to flow. Two writers who influenced the speaker were their seventh-grade English teacher, Ms. Ross, and Metallica's James Hetfield and Cliff Burton. Ms. Ross taught the speaker how to write effectively, while Metallica's raw guitar sound and unique writing style shaped the speaker's guitar learning. The song "Orion" by Metallica holds a special meaning for the speaker, evoking strong emotions. The speaker's dad introduced them to Metallica's music, further influencing their writing and artistic expression. The speaker acknowledges that writing and expressing oneself through music is a unique and remarkable experience. What is influence? Influence is something that takes hold of you. It grabs you and doesn't let you go. Influence inspires you to take action. Most importantly, influence allows creativity to flow through the division. Early in my life, the influence of two writers took hold of me. The first was my seventh grade English teacher, Ms. Ross. She taught me how to write in a way that I had never experienced up until that point. Her teaching style and how she gave students new perspectives allowed me to become a much more proficient writer than I was previously. Metallica's James Hetfield and the late Cliff Burton are the second group of writers who influenced me the most. These influences, without a shadow of a doubt, derived from their experience of growth in writing throughout their lives. In seventh grade, I knew how to write, but I couldn't put essays or responses together clearly or concisely. Walking into English class that first day, I remember feeling daunted by the writing I knew I'd have to do. I sat at my desk and missed last talk to the class. Within five minutes, I knew she was an extraordinary teacher and that I would learn more in this class than in any previous type. Ms. Glass helped me as well as everyone else in that seventh grade English class. I remember reading her example essays to explore how well they flowed and how she conveyed her points precisely without using excessive language or words. I struggled initially, but I quickly grasped the new writing concepts. By the end of the year, I could write essays without breaking a sweat. Without the guidance of Ms. Glass, I guarantee my writing would be nowhere near what it is today. James Hetfield's life started in Downey, California in 1963. His musical life started nine years later when he started to play piano. Later, this led to guitar playing. Eventually, even though he didn't know it, his musical ventures would peak when he and drummer Lars Ulrich performed Metallica in 1981. The two started riding on the backs of the new wave of British heavy metal. But they also started their revolution in metal music, paving the way for every modern metal. They did this by combining a raw guitar sound that was highly aggressive with fast yet straightforward drumming. However, James and Lars were not traditionally good writers. They knew little to no theory and utilized power chords, palm-muted open notes, and lightning-fast picking. These techniques that were easy to learn but hard to master took a particular hold on me, shaping how I learned guitar. Luckily for Metallica, though, their bassist at the time, Cliff Burton, was well-versed in music theory, particularly harmonies. His skills allowed the band to combine more traditional elements of music with the loud distortions of heavy metal. The standout song from his career is Orion, named for its outer-space-like sounds of the middle section of the song. Sadly, Cliff Burton died in a bus accident in Sweden in 1986. The band found a new bassist in Jason Mooshead, who brought a new energy level to the band's live shows, but their music and writing style were never the same. Any time I listen to Metallica, I feel a rush of emotion. Music excites me and makes me want to pick up a guitar. Orion, in particular, has always made me feel something special. The way the intro fades in and twitches with a chugging riff is followed by a storied bass line. Then, suddenly, it all stops. You're transported to outer space before Cliff Burton introduces the clean section, followed by screaming harmony guitars all singing the same song. Then, the second guitar solo hits, followed by a blistering bass solo, and this final guitar solo, an outro that fades out, much like how the song began. There is no end to it. It fades in, then it fades out, much like life. For some reason, I can't recall the first time I heard this song. However, I'm almost sure that my dad showed it to me, just like the first Metallica song he showed me, Master of Puppets, on the way to my hockey practice when I was five. Thanks, Dad. Musical writing is an incredibly unique way of expressing yourself. Yes, it is fun to sit and play songs that have already been written, but there's something special about playing and writing your own material. Putting your emotions and feelings into an instrument or paper is genuinely remarkable. Without Miss Last, and especially James Hetfield, my writing and artistic expression would be pennies compared to what it is today. Thank you.