The soloist was published in 2009 and features the reallife story of nathaniel ayers. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Unit plan for the soloist grades 912 free library of philadelphia. Reading questions and answers for chapters 17 so far. Patience and perseverance are necessary for real change.
The story is compelling, the actors are in place, but i was never sure what the filmmakers wanted me to feel about it. The soloist reads like a book written by a columnist, which is to say its clear, its compelling and its easy to read. However he still doesnt want to have to go to lamp to play his new violin and cello. The soloist has all the elements of an uplifting drama, except for the uplift. The mentally ill central character of the book is not just an illness, hes a real. Steve lopez, the author and narrator of the soloist.
When lopez hears ayers play, the screen turns to a variety of colors, as if its the visual manifestation of hearing brilliant art. Applying lessons from the soloist to your own life. Times, is stopped short by the ethereal strains of a violin. Through additional examination steve lopez finds that nathaniel was a talented trainee at julian a school of the carrying out arts in new york. Submit the final draft of your essay and the cover sheet to the teacher who introduced you to the one book selection, the soloist, on, or before, february 6, 2009.
Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Requiem by john rutter 1945 vocal score sheet music. This 42page guide for the soloist by steve lopez includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 31 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. While his city erupted in riots, during the 1960s, he worked on his music at the settlement school. Graham is impressed by nathaniels skill but notices that it needs to be refined. The screenplay by susannah grant is based on the book, the soloist by steve lopez. Soloist definition of soloist by the free dictionary. Soprano voice sheet music, songbooks, and music books at sheet music plus. He began writing columns about ayers that turned into a book that turned into the movie.
Entries will be judged using the writing pssa narrative and conventions scoring guidelines. Steve comes up with the idea to have the instruments stored at lamp. A year ago, i met a man who was down on his luck and thought i might be able to help him. An essay or paper on steve lopez the soloist analysis. Included are pieces for both general and seasonal use.
The arrangements are completely compatible with each other and can be played together or as solos. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the soloist near you. Its an admirable goal and it makes the soloist a profoundly emotionally dynamic book. He was nurtured and encouraged albeit a bit harshly when it came to his mother and, sadly, isolated.
It is based on the true story of nathaniel ayers, a musician who developed schizophrenia and became homeless. Adapted from the sacramento book club examiners list of questions developed by shelley blanton. About pop hits for the instrumental soloist this book is part of a string series pop hits for the instrumental soloist arranged for violin, viola, and cello. However, he had a mental illness known as schizophrenia, a disease that disturbs the brain with a loud noise. But by this time in the book he is staying their on a almost regular basis. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Nathaniel ayers is the main character in the soloist, a book that is based on a true story about a press reporter who befriends a homeless street musician. The soloist is a pleasant enough book, with a pleasant enough premise, and a pleasant enough narrator. The soloist essay example free essays, term papers. The soloist goes a long way toward explaining the workings of the musical mind, albeit one tragically touched by madness.
Not entirely likable, perhaps, but believable and pleasant enough. Living with mental illness on skid row the soloist tells the story of nathaniel ayers, a homeless cellist who has schizophrenia. The soloist is an endearing story that tells the tale of a man who hit his prime as a child. Hes the ceo of pearl river piano group america, ltd. The movie with las immersion in the film industry, hollywood descended on lopez pretty quickly. Scurrying back to his office one day, lopez, a columnist for the l. At first nathaniel only stays at his apartment for a couple days a week. A lost dream, an unlikely friendship, and the redemptive power of music, is a work of nonfiction that charts the experience of the musician nathaniel ayers. Im a proud member of the malden reads committee and hope to offer a discussion group surrounding the. While the soloist touches on many important issues and themes, friendship is a. The free library asked me if id like to write something shorta few sentencesabout each of the musical works mentioned in the book, for materials they were putting together for this seventh annual citywide educational project. The soloist educational campaign focuses on the three main themes presented in. The way he played the violin was intriguing to steve and thats when he knew he. He was kept away from agemates so that he could cultivate his talents, and.
A lost dream, an unlikely friendship, and the redemptive power of music. If you have seen the movie version of the soloist, how does it compare. The soloist reading questions and answers for chapters 1. The one book, one philadelphia selection for 2009 is the soloist by steve lopez, which has also been made into a movie starring jamie foxx and robert downey jr. Graham tells nathaniel that god gave nathaniel a gift and that nathaniel shouldnt waste it. Based on a true story, it stars jamie foxx as nathaniel ayers, a homeless man who was once a musical prodigy, and robert downey jr. The soloist stars deliver a helpful message the boston. Overall, we get the impression that if he is exploiting ayers, hes doing it to cast light on a problem that simply will not go away on its own.
Read and then share the fact sheets included in this guide. Students are encouraged to address the theme in their artwork in whatever. He was a musically gifted child and went to a famous music school, julliard. In november of 2008 the soloist will debut on the big screen.
It also steers clear of message movie heavy handedness though only just, even though it has plenty to say about mental illness and l. A lost dream, an unlikely friendship, and the redemptive power of music, acknowledges that while he is fascinated by the homeless musician named nathaniel anthony ayers, weeks go by and. The soloist is a 2009 britishamerican drama film directed by joe wright, and starring jamie foxx and robert downey jr. The soloist is brilliant in its catharsis and simplicity. Steve lopez makes a deal with nathaniel which is nathaniel have to struggle on his music, then he will help nathaniel to suggest the mayor vilaragosa to help the homelessness, and the mayor vilaragosa contributed 50 millions dollars on steve lopezs suggestion. The soloist is a 2009 drama film directed by joe wright, and starring jamie foxx and robert. Director joe wright atonement literally orchestrates powerful and touching performances from downey and foxx. A musical prodigy, reinhart was a worldclass cellist from a young age.
The novel, the soloist chapter 19 is talk about, as the book continues, lopez begins to struggle with the demands of nathaniel. One of steves goals in the book is to shed light on the homeless. A lost dream, an unlikely friendship, and the redemptive power of music lopez, steve on. The soloist educational resource guide 5192009 big picture. Includes a newly engraved, printed music score printed on highquality irovy paper, and a compact disc containing a complete performance with soloist. Ayers in a park and wrote a series of columns about him that were the basis for a. That way the instruments will be safe and nate would be compelled to at least stop by so he can play. They tell the story of nathanial ayers painful slide from a. An excellent selection of moderately easy works from c. It doesnt shy away from exploring the failures of governmental programs and mental health services for the needy, but it does so without preaching and fingerpointing. A lost dream, an unlike ly friendship, and the redemptive.
Such is the trajectory of the soloist, at this point a bestselling book in the us and also a movie, starring robert downey jr as a fictionalised version of lopez and jamie foxx as ayers. Do you think theres any deeper meaning to it, or do you agree with steves assessment. These pleasant things hang together awkwardly, tied together with unrealistic and occasionally unbearable strings of dialogue, and an inner. Soprano voice sheet music and music books sheet music plus. The soloist nathaniel is a wonderful cellist and violist and he loves music.
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