I really enjoyed hearing about your musical songprints today. More than anything, I enjoyed hearing about where you came from, how you got to Indiana University, and where you see yourself going in the future.
As I read through your blogs, I realized that there is a great deal of diversity in this class. Many of you grew up in a small rural towns in Indiana. Others were raised in urban environments like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Chicago. And finally, several of you are from suburbs of major metropolitan areas. Likewise, you have a very diverse palette of musical tastes, from hip hop to country to folk and everything in between. Many of you have siblings whom you love dearly. Others have persevered through family challenges, divorces, and moves.
However, despite the many differences, in many ways, you are all dealing with the same issues, struggling with the same pressures, and seeking the same answers. I'm hoping that throughout our course discussions, we'll be able to bring some of these things to light, to recognize our differences while seeking out our commonalities.
We've also made great progress on learning to play the mbira. I'm proud to say that you have learned one half of your first song. Tomorrow we will begin by rehearsing what we've already learned, and hopefully, learning the next part of the song, "Karigamombe." Don't give up. Keep practicing. I promise it gets easier the more you play.
For tomorrow, I'm looking forward to hearing about emotion and meaning in music. We are going to be discussing the chapter, “habits of the self,” as well as the four fields of music making. We have a lot to do, but I promise it will be worth it.
