So- you found my blog! Welcome! My name is Elana and I am a Holistic Psychology student (with a minor in music) from the College of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies at Lesley University and I'm exploring classical music through an independent study! I have a wonderful Lesley faculty member advising me through this process (Thanks, Kelly!!) and I can't wait to get going.
This blog is what I am utilizing as the main tool to record my progress of my independent study in Western Classical Music. I am organizing my exploration and readings through time periods- Baroque, 18th Century, Romantic, and Modern. I will be looking at specific composers from each of those eras and the music those individuals made and why they made it. I'm excited to delve into all of this information and to be in awe of why we are still studying music from hundreds of years ago; I can't wait to to see what made these musical accomplishments so revolutionary for their time and why they still hold so much significance today.
My exploration of music will be multidimensional; I hope to immerse myself in each time period as much as possible. I will be reading literature on the music of each time periods and the specific composers as well as finding research from journal articles and general reference sources to try and gain a diversity of information about each topic.
In addition to the readings, I wanted to incorporate an experiential piece so that I can feel the music and assess my reactions from being right in the middle of the sound. In order to do this, I've decided to go to a concert or performance for each era (and possibly hone in on a few specific composers- depending on what music is available and being performed in the Boston area). If some great opportunities present themselves, hopefully I'll be able to engage in pre-concert talks, interview some musicians, and maybe hear some reactions from patrons and attendees of the concerts.
All the technicalities aside, you may still have some questions about this blog. Maybe you don't know me. Maybe you're wondering why a college student is interested in taking on an independent study- let alone an independent study outside of her major... and in classical music.
Well, if you're wondering or curious, I organized some info to hopefully get us on the same page about who I am, what this blog is all about, and why I've already become so passionate about it! Hopefully that will tie up all the loose ends so that that I can start getting into the music and
you can (hopefully) have something to read about!
Who is this person writing this blog?
Well, for starters, my name is Elana and I am junior at Lesley University studying Holistic Psychology. You may be wondering what Classical Music has to do with Holistic Psychology. Well, for starters- EVERYTHING! Music feeds the mind, body, and spirit in so many ways and Holistic Psych explores the relationships and interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. How could we holistically examine human identity and psyche without exploring the parts of our lives that we elate in and how they effect our over all health? That is where I find most of my connections between Holistic Psych and music. And, as importantly, I have a music minor that I am hoping to fulfill passionately!
When not in the blogging or academic worlds, I love listening to and playing all manner of music, playing piano, reading, journaling, all types of dance, spending time with family and friends, visual art, poetry, biking, environmental science, going on walks, seltzer water, chewing gum, writing utensils, and learning new things. If you're still curious about me, post a comment or see my personal blog, "Scotch Tape & Sacred Things," for some of the things that interest me!
Why is she writing this blog?
I'm writing this blog because I have a lot to say! But besides me and my opinions and my ramblings, I hope to utilize this blog as a way to keep track of the research and information I gather. Additionally, I am using it so I can maintain a record of my opinions, thoughts, questions, and general comments about this process since I've got a lot of information to keep track of! I hope to reflect on experience of studying a topic independently and how that changes my experience (as opposed to being in a normal classroom.)
What kind of stuff should I expect to read here?
I will write about:
- My reflections/reactions about literature about each era of music
- "Factual" ideas from scholars and historians in the musical field
- My reflections about concerts and performances I attend
- A gamut of reactions, thoughts, opinions, ideas, and whatever else comes up for me during this process! My posts will not be limited to just text, but will also include videos, and links to music that I am exploring (should you care to explore as well!)
Why should I read this blog?
Well, who am I to say if you should really read this blog or not? I have a huge bias- I would love it you would follow my every word with intent and curiosity; but who has time for that? I barely have time to follow my own train of thought through!
But, I would like to say that I think I will bring some interesting ideas to the metaphoric table that I am in the process of setting for us; I'm hoping to learn a lot and I hope to share this experience with anyone else who is curious enough to follow it!
Specifically, if you're interested in classical music, music history, musical reviewing, and anything in between these closely knit disciplines, I hope you'll join me on this musical expedition. It has potential to be a very fun ride!
Thank you for your time and for reading! I can't wait to get started! Stay tuned for my first "academic" post to come soon!
Musically yours,
-Elana
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