Smells and Bells

       I think the hardest part of this blog was simply the name, because I wasn't sure what to describe this as. The Qur'an recitations described in Rasmussen's book isn't entirely song, but it is something that falls within a lyrical tradition. Likewise, where my thoughts go towards my own personal experiences, the lyrical tradition I am most familiar with would be song. So, sound seemed an appropriate word, if just in my mind and how I felt after spending probably entirely too long trying to think of what I wanted to describe it as.      The Qur'an recitations are beautiful. The tradition behind it is beautiful. The performances are beautiful. Rasmussen's accounts are beautiful, if just by the descriptions of sound coming from everywhere and the craft that goes into this tradition of recitation. Even though it might, or likely, isn't song, I wanted to try to link it to the very minimal experience with organized, large religion I have, and I realized...

I was heavily involved in my church growing up whether it was teaching CCD classes, being a lead retreat team member, or an altar server. It was natural to me, to want to be involved in my church because of how I was raised. Waking up at 6:00 every Sunday, kneeling on the altar for an hour before teaching two classes was normal for me. Our 7:30 masses at my church were the "no music masses". They were faster and sometimes easier to just rush through because we didn't have to stop and sit for the hymns. Being one of the lead altar servers and since my grandfather always attended the 7:30's, that was where I would be each Sunday. After I graduated from high school, I was no longer able to be an altar server for my church. During winter breaks, I would try to head to the usual 7:30 mass to get back in the habit. It was much harder than I had remembered. After sleeping in for a few weeks, I decided to go to the 10:30 instead. This mass was new to me, it was something di...

While reading the book Women, the Recited Qur'an and Islamic Music in Indonesia I found myself taking notes of the different commentary on the dancing that goes along with the music. At the beginning of this book, Rasmussen talks about the importance of women in the rituals, but late in the book, she talks about their role in music and dance. Before this semester I did not really have much exposure to dance, but I have always participated in Zumba on Tuesday nights. For this semester I was really looking for a 4th class that wasn't too hard for my senior spring semester, and Julie Searles sent out an email to the Zumba people about this dance class she was teaching. (an academic dance class not like a ballet class!) So I decided to try it out because she said it shouldn't be too hard. So this semester I learned about different ways that dance has made it into American vernacular culture from popular dance styles to the way some people walk! It has actually been really f...