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Pilgrimage - Julia Allen

 I had for so long in my life misunderstood the true meaning of a pilgrim, and I loved how the reading and discussion in class re-framed what a pilgrim is. Someone who is focused on the experience of their journey rather than an end goal is the broadest definition of pilgrim that I can take away from this. I had only thought of pilgrims as either religious pilgrims or the image of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, but what a pilgrim really is is someone on a spiritual journey of some kind. In class, we discussed Chris McCandless was a pilgrim going on a journey that people really misunderstood. He separated himself from society and left to find himself, and people struggle to understand actions like this that they see as reckless or dangerous. Pilgrims are liminal, the cease to be productive in society and remove themselves from it in order to connect with nature/god, and in a productivity focused society like ours it is hard to appreciate these people and their pursuit of higher self. It
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Guest Speaker - Julia Allen

 When our Turkish guest came in to play music for us, I loved it. Turkish music has been something that I have heard relatively frequently because my parents love it, and I could draw so many stylistic similarities between it and Arabic music. Watching people from class react to this new sound and genre was a great way for me to see other perspectives on music in the Middle East because I am so accustomed to it that it's a nice way to see the whole picture. Listening to other's interpretations helped give me a broader view of what music can be to ears of different cultures, and in order to get the full picture of any art piece it is important to listen to an untrained eye or ear. This will always show you new aspects of the art that are easy to look over when you are used to it.
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Drama from Sacred and Profound Beauty 12/01/21–Maddie

  Drama is the combination of music, dance, and song. Van Der Leeuw says that drama can be without words or music, but it cannot exist without movement or dance. I agree with his stance because drama is used to tell a story, but you don’t necessarily need sound or words to do so. Dance is a universal language, and as such needs no translation for others to understand its meaning. 
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Pilgrimage as Spiritual Journey or Aesthetic Tourism Along the Appalachian Trail 10/20/21–Maddie

  Before reading this paper, I had never put too much thought into pilgrimism versus tourism. I had thought the two could be interchangeable, but with subtle differences. Pilgrims and tourists may share an aesthetic experience, however it is the journey that differentiates them. WIth pilgrims, the journey itself can be the aesthetic experience, while with tourists, the end is the experience.
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Glow in the dark acapella 11/13/21–Maddie

  The glow in the dark acapella was a great experience. Although I sat on the third level of the theater, I could clearly hear the performers, and it was awe inspiring. I heard so much talent, and I was bewildered how some of those sounds were organically produced.
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Drive Home 11/28/21–Maddie

  I left for school on Sunday, Nov. 28, I put my house address in the GPS, and was on my way. The GPS led me towards the Blueridge Parkway, which cut right through the Blueridge Mountains. It was a scenic, beautiful route that led me around, over, and through mountains. I could see the vibrancy of the orange and red leaves on the trees and the blue-ish hue of the mountains. Although this scenic route added 30 minutes to my trip, it was enjoyable none-the-less
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Lions Gate 9/30/21–Maddie

  Having class at the Lion’s Gate Bridge was a nice change of pace from normal class. During sunset, the light shined through the tree line casting a warm glow on the patch we were sitting on. Sunsets are always a sight to see, and they bring a perspective to life. Sunsets can mean an end to another day, the start of another, or just a sunset. It means something different to everyone, and that is what makes it beautiful.
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