The Heart…
I am [the head of] the Heart. Puns aside, this simply means that I am the Project Manager of the Heart Team. Thus far, my role has led me to take a bit of a backseat in developing our research topic. My work instead is mainly advisory. I’ve facilitated the team as they’ve delegated their own roles, developed a timeline for their work and a topic proposal. I sit back and try to visualize their ideas as a digital project—that is, I try to determine if there is enough information on the subject matter, if the topic needs to be narrowed down, if there is a narrative, if it’s in our technical means, etc. If I can’t see it, then something needs to be modified. Funny as it may sound, this vantage point isn’t easy for me—if anything, I’m a bit of a backseat driver.
Perhaps this wouldn’t be the case if our project weren’t so darn cool! The Heart Team has proposed to observe the ways in which religion, ritual, and music interact in the Mongolian Steppe. Our hope is that we can trace how the diffusion of musical traditions relate to these practices. If we are able to find that there is a relationship, we are going to follow an instrument that has played a significant role in a tradition across time and space—such as the horsehead fiddle.
Below is a video that explains a little bit about the horsehead fiddle:
An instrument such as the horsehead fiddle, provides insight and narrative about tradition and culture. It not only provides a narrative, but it raises questions about how the Steppe culture has been influenced by music and how music has been influenced by the Steppe culture. For instance, the Steppe are deeply tied to horses—and the horsehead fiddle not only emulates a horse, but is made up of horse parts. Is there any relevance to this notion? We seek to tell a story that approaches this question.
What I am most concerned with is narrowing our topic down. Our tactic in choosing a topic was for every person in the group to state where their interests lie. We then took this cumulative list and worked to find a topic that could encapsulate it all. Ritual is an extremely broad subject. Can we really capture it all?
I trust the team. Partially why I have not put the brakes on our brainstorming is because I believe that if there is a way to do this, my team will figure it out. We won’t know how it all connects until our research is done—then we can be selective.
The Team…
Team roles include a timekeeper, a reporter, a recorder, and a facilitator. All roles have been well matched with a team member. Our process of delegation came pretty naturally. Right off the bat, Nathan helped to facilitate the group. Not all the roles were as clear though; every person seems just as equipped to take on any of the roles. So, more out of default we assigned Emily to be the reporter, Jilly as the recorder, and Emma as the timekeeper. So long as each person stays engaged with their position I don’t think we’ll run into any problems.
On top of their team roles, they all have their individual research to do. Emma is specifically looking at the ways in which diffusion has influenced musical instruments along the Silk Road. Emily is researching musical movements and the ways they have influenced the performative qualities of Shamanism. Nathan is interested in religious ritual as well, but with a specific focus on music’s role in medicine and healing. Jilly is observing the ways in which place, religion and politics have influenced traditions of dance and music.
Research Methods…
I need to stress finding common ground. Of course, there is some overlap in subject matter, but I think we also have to shape our ideas to compliment one another. Thus far, the common thread seems to be the horse. Perhaps I will suggest that in these next two weeks we start focusing our research on the horse and allow this information to determine our personal topics.
I am afraid that having such a broad topic will lead our members to stray far apart, causing our collective body of work to not be cohesive. Because of this, having regular meetings will be very important. Perhaps, we should also have work-sessions in which we allot time with the group to do our own personal research.
How’m I Doin’…
Enough about my team—what about me? When I first started working on the Digital Silk Road Project, my role was a lot different than what it is now. Essentially, I was doing what my team members are in the midst of—deciphering my passions and matching them to a time and place along the Silk Road. I chose photography as my passion and devised a plan to explore the ways in which photography is used and exploited, and how it reflects culture along the Silk Road. This project has been left incomplete. When I chose to be a part of the Heart, I had a secret wish that we would focus on photography. Immediately it was made clear that the team’s interests are elsewhere. We decided on music not because any of us are super passionate about music, but because music has a wide enough scope to incorporate our other interests.
In a way, to create this project everyone has had to make a compromise. At first when I realized that my team was interested in music and not visual arts, I felt panicked. How can I be expected to work hard on something if I don’t care for the subject matter? This is what I’ve concluded: Digital Humanities calls on us to work as a team—it doesn’t necessarily matter what the subject matter is because our personal role is what defines the project. So, what I need to figure out is what my personal skills are and what I have to offer to my team. I believe that my background in visual arts will be essential in making a tangible product. In which case, I am not making a compromise; instead I’m expanding upon my knowledge and skill base.
So in other words, to evaluate myself, I am thinking of myself as less of a backseat driver and more as someone who has something important to offer. Just like my team though, I need to do my own personal work—I need to work with Tierney and utilize other resources at Guilford to gain proficiency and confidence in digital media and databases. Like the rest of my team members, I have to stay connected and keep bouncing ideas off of the group to ensure that their vision is coming true.
To answer the question, I think I am doing well. I am in active communication with the team while being set slightly apart. I’m available for questions and concerns, but also serve as a critic for the ideas that come forth. In the breadth of the whole project, I feel strong in my position. I am a student, a Silk Worm, and a junction between my peers and the amazing resources and people we have available to us.
Just for funsies (and because I’m kind of obsessed with photography), I’ve also included a link to the first art space in China dedicated exclusively to photography and video art, the Three Shadows Photography Art Center.
Here is the work of and a link to the artists RongRong and inri, who founded Three Shadows:
