INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Acoustic panels or drywall padding can make the sound produced by drums far less likely to bleed through the room that houses the kit. However, sound insulation is expensive, and often requires a fair amount of work and restructuring of the room itself. Cheaper options for soundproofing your room include sound absorbing strips that can be placed along the ceiling, the bottom of doors, and walls. If you can't afford acoustic foam, hang blankets or quilts on your walls. The fabric may not be ideal, but will help absorb the sound. Further sound insulation to a room requires more exhaustive changes to the structure of the room, such as decoupling the sheetrock from the wall framing. Contact a carpenter (and your landlord) if you plan on making such changes. Make sure the doors and windows are sealed properly to keep sound from escaping. Sound-isolated rooms built correctly are airtight, so ventilation is a must for such rooms. Makes sure you look for a ventilation system that doesn't compromise your sound isolation. Drum screens, also called drum shields, redirect the sounds created by drums. The hinged plastic sheets can be angled to direct the sound exactly where you desire, such as away from your parents' bedroom. Drum screens are useful for practice, but note that the overall sound produced will be different than an open drum. Remember that these screens redirect sound often reverberating right back into your ears. Invest in some ear buds to save your hearing when using a shield. Try coupling the shield with any sound absorbing material you've placed in your room. Aim the shield so that the sound is redirected into the material.

SUMMARY: Install sound insulation. Construct a room specifically for playing drums. Set a drum screen around your kit.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Place your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees a small amount and splay your feet a bit outwards. Pretend you are holding a canoe paddle and place your hands together in front of your chest. Moving to the right side first, mimic a canoe paddle move. Your hands and arms should move diagonally in a twisting motion past your right hip and behind you. Bring your body back to center. Repeat the move on the left side. Once you have learned the move, do ten repetitions on each side, alternating right-left. Take a thirty second pause after each set. Do three sets of ten. Once the movement becomes easy, hold a two or five pound weight between your clasped hands.

SUMMARY: Assume your starting pose. Learn the basic motion. Perform three sets.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: To begin the process of grooming your Pomeranian, swab out his/her ears with a cotton swab dipped in a non-alcohol-based cleaner. Simply lift up the dog's ear to expose the skin and gently clean the area with the cotton dipped in the cleaner. Never put any cotton tips or cotton buds down into the ear canal. If the dog moves suddenly it could force the cotton bud deep into the ear and cause damage. The non-alcohol-based cleaner will not sting the dog's ear like alcohol may. Carefully trim the dogs nails by lifting their paws from behind and allowing the leg to bend at the joint. This is easier than trying to pull the paw toward you from the front. Try to identify the quick and leave a 4 to 5 millimeters length of nail to protect the quick. If you can't see the quick, nibble tiny amounts of nail away with the clippers just in case the dog has long quicks, which could bleed. Cut the nails using clippers specifically made for trimming dog nails. Keep styptic powder nearby to stop bleeding if you do accidentally cut the nails too short. After you have trimmed your Pomeranian's nails, use a file made for dog nails to file until smooth. Be sure to praise your pet when you are finished in order to help them be more cooperative when you trim their nails in the future.

SUMMARY: Clean your Pomeranian's ears. Trim the dog's nails. File the dog's nails.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Memorizing a long monologue may be intimidating. Divide the monologue into sections before you begin practicing. Memorize the first section individually, then move on to the next, repeating the process. Then, once you've memorized each section, put them all together. Make a mental note about the overall topic of each section you created. This will provide a point of reference and help jog your memory while you recite your monologue. While you are reviewing your monologue, make mental images in your mind for each section you created. If at any point you forget a line from the script, think back to the mental images you created. This strategy is especially helpful for visual learners. A part of the memorization process is repeating the lines out loud over and over again. While you're doing this, don't repeat it in the exact same way every time. Instead, play around with the lines. This will help you to keep the lines fresh in your mind and learn them subconsciously instead of mechanically. For example, recite your monologue as fast and as slow as you can, say it in a funny voice, or say with a different dialect. Writing things down can increase your retention because you use different parts of your brain than when you're speaking. Writing also activates muscle memory and allows you to slowly absorb every word and sentence. So write down your entire monologue a couple of times until it stays in your memory. When memorizing a monologue, it helps to do some sort of physical activity while you practice it. You can do something simple while you recite it, like washing the dishes or cleaning your room. This will help you to learn the monologue without giving it much thought. Make sure to keep the script nearby during your physical activity, so if you forget a line you can easily refer to it. During one of your practicing sessions, use your cell phone, computer, or digital camera to record yourself reciting the lines. Then, watch the recording and take mental notes about your performance. This will not only help you memorize the monologue, but it will also help you determine aspects of your performance that you can improve upon. If you're auditioning for a role or trying to get a good grade in an acting class, pay close attention to your facial expressions, posture, speed, and volume. These are important features that the judges will be looking at during your performance. It may help to repeat your recording multiple times. While listening, try to say the words along with or slightly ahead of the recording.

SUMMARY:
Break down the monologue into smaller sections. Use the visualization strategy to memorize your monologue. Play around with the tempo and delivery of your monologue while you practice. Write out the entire monologue. Recite your monologue while moving around. Record yourself performing the monologue.