Looking back on this course, I think I will remember and appreciate the research and writing process. I really enjoyed learning to evaluate sources and investigating topics about which I had little background. In the past, I have sometimes had trouble coming up with an arguable thesis, and the writing I’ve\u00a0done in this class has helped me feel more confident in this respect. I also had never had to change papers into podcasts, and I found the podcast part of the class to be an educational experience. While I secretly hope I won\u2019t have to make too many more podcasts in the future, I feel happy to know that I can if asked.<\/p>\n
I think another specific take-away from this class for me will be the research I am doing on my last paper. I am currently writing this paper about a Bach cantata, and I wish I had written this paper earlier in the semester. It is forcing me to think critically about the Bach and Luther articles we read for class. Since my first two research topics involved non-Lutheran, non-Bach traditions, I felt like class discussions didn\u2019t have a lot in common with my research. Now that I\u2019m researching a Bach cantata, I am finding so many connections! I am excited\u00a0for this paper to\u00a0help solidify in my mind some of the topics we have covered in class conversations.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, getting to choose my own topics motivated me to want to do\u00a0extensive research, and reading articles from a variety of traditions inspired me to seek out music I previously didn’t even know existed. I highly valued\u00a0the time I spent researching the shofar and Sacred Harp singing, and I loved reading articles such as those about the Suy\u00e1 and Sufi traditions. For this reason, I wish we had spent a little more time exploring non-Christian, non-Western traditions (although I do realize that \u201cMusic and Religion\u201d is a huge topic, so it would be impossible to include everything).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Looking back on this course, I think I will remember and appreciate the research and writing process. I really enjoyed learning to evaluate sources and investigating topics about which I had little background. In the past, I have sometimes had … Continue reading