Hello everyone. I haven’t really blogged before, so I’m not quite sure how to begin, but I’ll give it a shot. I’m a member of the Heart Team, although, like Emily, I was previously a member of the Earth Team. My team transfer initially left me a bit out of the loop. The Heart Team already had a general idea of their focus when I joined, but my new group members and our Silkworm Elena were kind enough to get me up to speed. We eventually decided, based on the collective interests of all Heart teammates, to chart a dual course combining elements of music and dance with religion and ritual. Our newly-established focus led us to examine the cultures of the steppe, where we discovered Mongolian horse culture and the horsehead fiddle. Our topic is temporally broad at the moment, stretching as far into the past as the invention of the iconic instrument and as close to the present as the Mongolian metal scene, but I’m confident that we can create something great out of the wealth of information we stand to uncover.
\nI serve as the facilitator for the Heart Team. I took on the role when group members noticed that even in my first meeting with the team, I was listening to everyone and offering solutions to potential conflicts in an effort to help guide the brainstorming process. My role also involves keeping group members up to date on the research process and organizing meetings and discussions as they become necessary throughout the process. I haven’t had to perform these duties just yet, but I’m prepared to help keep things on track whenever the need arises. In terms of research, my focus is primarily on the role of music in religious ritual. I also hope to look into how music might be involved in medical practices, if I can find resources on the subject. I’m planning to focus on steppe practices of Shamanism first, and branch out if I can’t find enough information on that topic, or if I come across anything else that I find particularly interesting.
\nI’ve never conducted a project like this before. From the looks of it, neither have most people in this (completely new) class. I have some limited experience with programming within the relatively specialized setting of a physics laboratory (and maybe a little dabbling with Python), but I don’t consider myself very technologically proficient when it comes to creating digital content. Most of my code has been written for machines (or bewildered humans who aren’t quite sure why hypothetical rockets are hitting the center of Andromeda at the speed of light), so I’ll have to learn a new design mentality alongside any new coding skills I acquire. That said, I have used programming languages before so I hope the thought process isn’t too foreign to me should I need to pick up coding again. Web design on the other hand is an entirely new experience for me, and while it feels relatively intuitive at this early stage, I’m sure the project will find ways to challenge me that I haven’t even begun to think of just yet.
\nIt might also be prudent to mention that I don’t have much of a background in history or religious studies. Although I greatly enjoyed the one religious studies class I’ve taken here at Guilford (Eric’s Tibetan and Himalyan religions comes highly recommended, just be prepared for a challenge), as a lab science double major (Biology and Chemistry), I haven’t had much space in my schedule to take any others. That said, religion and spirituality have always interested me. I don’t consider myself religious or particularly spiritual (I don’t have any adamant convictions one way or the other), but I enjoy learning about and considering all sorts of spiritual and philosophical traditions. I bring this up because I realize that in this endeavor, enthusiasm may be no substitute for genuine depth of knowledge and experience. I expect to learn a whole host of new terms, ideas, modes of thought, customs, rituals, worldviews, and much more. I also expect to have to ask for help somewhere along the way. There will likely come a point where I’m researching a topic that requires insights that others may possess. In this case, I plan to bring up the issue with my teammates and see if our combined capabilities can’t take care of it.
\nIn a similar vein, I don’t have much musical experience. Long ago in ages gone past, my teenage self purchased a guitar to practice with for the summer and more or less forgot about it around a month later. Aside from that non-expertise, I don’t really have any musical background to speak of. Nevertheless, I’m excited to look into musical traditions in the hope that I might learn more as I progress. If our musical research becomes too technical for my limited expertise, I’ll focus more on the ritual side of things and leave the more advanced details to those with the skills to handle them. I’m also looking forward to listening to many different musical pieces as the project progresses, and potentially broadening my taste in music as well.
\nAs I’ve already repeated more than enough times, I haven’t really done anything like this before. I’ve tended to do well with writing-focused research projects in the past, so I’m fairly confident as far as the research side of things is concerned. I do sometimes have issues with time management and sometimes find myself submitting assignments just past the deadline (look at the time this post was created), but I’m aware that I’ll have keep such tendencies in check for the benefit of the group. That said, I also do my best work when I’m given ample time to produce it. As a result, I’ll have to keep constant track of deadlines and make sure to set aside enough time for each stage of the project if I want to succeed. Though it will likely test many of my current skills and a few I haven’t learned yet, I’m looking forward to working with the Heart Team on this exciting endeavor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hello everyone. I haven’t really blogged before, so I’m not quite sure how to begin, but I’ll give it a shot. I’m a member of the Heart Team, although, like Emily, I was previously a member of the Earth Team. My team transfer initially left me a bit out of the loop. The Heart Team … Continue reading A New Journey for A New Heart<\/span>