Smells and Bells

 While it isn't the only prominent example of smells in Jewish texts, one that logically made many appearances was the smell of the priestly offerings, both the offerings of animals or other sacrifices, and the burning of special incense. It's no wonder that this was considered an important smell during the time period that these texts was written. Until the destruction of the second temple sacrifice was essential to the way that the Jewish people worshiped. It's a theme of great importance throughout the Tanach and the commentary texts that followed. However in a modern context, smell is less prevalent of a sense in Jewish worship. It's not completely absent, aromatic spices are a major part of the Havdallah ritual for example, and probably others I just don't know about, but the burnt offering is no longer a part of Jewish life, which seems like it might take the central importance of smell out in some way too. An example of a Havadallah spice box from 19th centur...

Festivals are held worldwide for many purposes. Most festivals have religious origins if not still a religious purpose. Anne K. Rasmussen's book Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia , as the name implies, discusses Islamic music in Indonesia. The chapter on festivals was of particular interest to me. Rasmussen wrote, "religious festivals at which competition is the focus exist to reward excellence; however they also serve the function of introducing, teaching, and reinforcing an Islamic praxis on global, national, and regional levels. Festivals and competitive events that feature Islamic arts - from fashion to calligraphy and from recitation to pageantry - are part of a culture of competition that thoroughly saturates the performing arts" (Rasmussen, 2010). These festivals function to reinforce religious tradition and contain many elements of culture as well. This can be seen in other religions and cultures as well. While I was studying abroa...

Over the past month, I got really sick. It got to the point where they thought I had gotten the coronavirus and I spent a really “wonderful” day visiting 2 hospitals and being put in the COVID section. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t open my eyes to see because light would send piercing pain throughout my head. I got accustomed to being wrapped in a blanket when I got intense chills. I couldn’t smell because of my stuffed up nose. I was used to hearing my doctor on the phone asking the question, “have you been in contact with anyone who has been investigated for corona?”  My senses were overloaded and not working at the same time. I couldn’t enjoy what I used to enjoy. Have no fear, I did not have the corona. Instead, I got a really fun case of mono. How’d I get that in quarantine? I have no idea. Already being chronically ill, getting any other disease makes it feel ten times worse.   The view I had of my crocs in hospital room #2  All I wanted was to go back t...

I wasn't sure about how I wanted to finish the blog posts for this course, so I decided to spend some time with my senses and just share some observations. It is a sunny evening and so I figured it would be perfect to sit outside and reflect on what I have learned over the course of this semester. Smell : The smell of nature is difficult to describe, but there is definitely a smell. I don't know if I can put the smells of nature into words, but I feel like there is a slight smell in the air after a snow or rain storm or in the morning when there is still dew on the grass. Ackerman states that "nothing is more memorable than a smell" and I couldn't agree more (Ackerman, 5). When I thought about the smell of nature it made me immediately think about mornings walking to the bus stop as a kid after it had snowed and there was always a fresh smell in the air. Taste : I don't know if there is a specific taste that I notice right now as I sit on the porch, but ...

“Musical tones mean something only in relation to one another, when they're teamed up” (205). When listening to one speak, what is heard is uniform, but the meaning of what is heard differs between individuals. This statement remains true when it applies to music. Everyone’s musical palettes differ, some may have a more diverse palette with a broader range of interests, while others invest more time into a more specific genre. There is a common saying known as “a picture paints a thousand words,” similarly, a song paints not only pictures but tells a story. Growing up learning piano taught me that music is a story in itself. The notes of each measure serve to tell a small part of the whole story.  To me, one piece that progresses to be one of the greatest stories is Ballade no. 1 in G minor, composed by Frederic Chopin. I have attached the link of this piece at the end of this post if anyone was interested in listening to it. The reason I wanted to focus on this piece specifical...

All my life I’ve attended a catholic church. During church, I have been used to hearing the English language in a way to express the word of the Lord. Except, it usually stops there. For one hour every Sunday, I listen to a priest talk about God and the lessons we can adopt into our own lives. The music, at least in my church, is generally reserved and not too exciting. The performance of language outside of the church seems to stop when we walk out that door. We take the lesson and think about it. Some may apply it to their lives and some may forget about it when they get back home.  However, Islam has a beautiful relationship with the performance of language. I see their relationship with their spiritual journey with hearing as one of a kind. They truly listen to musical techniques and aesthetics with the Arabic language. Anne Rasmussen wrote in her book, Rethinking Women, Music, and Islam , that music is almost part of “almost all rituals, programs, competitions, and fes...

The sense of hearing has many levels of importance to us such as hearing a loved one's voice, sensing a potentially dangerous situation, listening to music, or just simply hearing the sound of leaves crunch under foot in autumn. One of the first things I think about with the importance of hearing would be music. In Diane Ackerman's Natural History of the Senses she discusses this relationship that humans Our Christmas ornament from when I played trumpet.  have to sound and music and states that "the odd thing about music is that we understand and respond to it without actually having to learn it" which is one thing I find amazing about music and sounds in general (Ackerman, 205). I have long forgotten the details about scales, notes, and measures that I learned while playing trumpet in eighth grade, but that does not mean I cannot enjoy, appreciate, and feel emotions that the song evokes. Music is so universal regardless of language or genre and it can be enjoyed...

I found “Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia” by Anne K. Rasmussen to be very insightful on Islam, the women of Islam, and how western culture is viewed in the east. I have never really learned much about Islam in my life and I have met very few muslims in person as well. But, I was very eager to learn more going into this reading. I was fascinated learning about the true nature of Islam when it came to sounds, like she states in the second chapter, I had only heard sound in Islam depicted as in her words, “A chilling voice that slices through the air.” I was very pleased to learn that that was not the case. I was fascinated to learn that it is a group of voices all reciting the Qu’ran in a loose free-meter fashion. I feel that learning about religion in its true form is crucial in a world where seemingly all media outlets have a bias.  I have always been involved with sound in the context of religion. When I was very young I was in the choir at my local...