Week 15: Backup and Review

May 5: Cinco de Mayo. In Mexico, the Cinco de Mayo holiday is not a national holiday (it is celebrated mainly in the state of Puebla, in east-central Mexico), but in other countries, especially the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become an important holiday to celebrate Hispanic cultural heritage and traditions. You can read more about the holiday in this Wikipedia article, which is also the source for this great image of a children's Cinco de Mayo parade in Minnesota:

Week 15: Famous Last Words

This week I finished up my portfolio! I did some small revisions to each of my stories and made sure that the portfolio index was clear and easy to navigate. 
I am so grateful that this class has introduced me to one of my new all-time favorite literary characters. I definitely plan to keep looking into the character of Amba, in all her various forms, to discover more about her portrayal across different sources.

I also finished up several of my other classes. I will never attend another flute studio class, which was a very bittersweet realization; studio has been a bit of an oasis in the dessert of music school, and my professor is a truly lovely human who can make any terrible day better. I love my colleagues in the studio and am so grateful for their friendship -- I wish I didn't have to leave them! However, I'm excited to see the direction that the studio is heading in and I know that we are only going to continue to improve.

We also had our last concert with El Sistema! As always, concerts are stressful, exhausting, hectic, but SO WORTH IT. Every single ensemble played brilliantly -- by far the best all year. We also got to feature several performances from smaller chamber ensembles and I know that those students will cherish that opportunity to display their skills on a more individual basis forever. We even had a guest STUDENT conductor on one of the pieces. Next week, we will have a recital featuring all of the works my students have been composing this semester! I can't wait for their hard work to to validated during this experience. Some of my students have found a real love for expressing themselves through original compositions and I am so excited to see them grow and develop as musicians and as people with important things to contribute to our world! I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful organization. 

An El Sistema orchstra; Source

Tech Tip: Blogger Privacy

This week I removed the "posted by" attribution on my blog posts. I try to remain very low-key in all of my internet doings -- I am very diligent in making sure that my online and social media presence is under my control and exactly how I want it. As a teacher, it's super important that my employers and students see only what I want when they search for me. I don't have anything to hide, but I do know that the current state of technology and social media necessitates an abundance of caution in this area. 

Week 15 Learning Challenge: The power of vulnerability

Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability

This week, I have been trying to incorporate the lessons in this TED talk into my thought processes and actions. I have a lot of trouble with the topics and habits she addresses, so this has been a real eye-opener for me and something I have been working very hard to begin to internalize.

Week 15 Growth Mindset Challenge: Ready for a challenge!

Found at the Growth Mindset Blog

I chose this meme for my growth mindset challenge this week because I have several big challenges coming up in my life. The first is finals week. Obviously. We'll see how that goes...

The second is my student teaching semester in the fall. I will be working at a school with a 98% free and reduced lunch student population. It is going to be a big challenge! But this is the path I have chosen for my life and I'm ready for my first real test as a public school educator. 

Third, I have recently begun to address some health concerns with a counselor and although I'm dreading the long slog through my own unhealthy brain, I know that this is important for my own happiness for the rest of my life.

Week 15: Readings

I most enjoyed following along with reading options that had an accompanying reading guide and many images. The online options that had a blog post with links to each story were my favorite, as those were the easiest to navigate, whether it be reading everything in one go or coming back several times throughout the week -- I could just find where I left off and jump right back into the story. I also liked that they had summaries of each story to accompany the link; if it had been several days since my last opportunity to read, the refreshers on the plot were really helpful!

I honestly found a lot of the commenting to be a bit tedious toward the end of the semester when we were connecting with 5 people per week (3 storybooks/portfolios, 2 storytelling+intros). I do think the word limits were really helpful in inspiring me to really think about what I could respond to in order to make the most productive comment possible.

Week 15: Reflections

This semester, I am most excited by what I have learned about the history and culture of India. My obsession with the Mahabharata (and one character in particular, haha) have provided me a link to the India of old and of the present that I never would have felt without this class. I feel that I have a better understanding of the values inherent in Indian culture and the amazing worth of their traditions. Through learning about the ancient characters that they hold dear, I can make connections to more modern figures who have already and continue today to shape India and its people. 

As far as the blogging aspect of the class, I have had a lot of fun reconnecting with my creative writing roots and flexing a part of my brain that has been severely under-appreciated throughout my college years. I've learned a lot about what it means to blog, as well -- from the technology to the design to the content -- especially from seeing the amazing art many of my peers have made of their blogs! I have very much enjoyed gaining a glimpse into a random selection of OU students' lives and getting to know some of them on a deeper level through repeated visits to their posts and comments.

Portfolio Index

Story 1: The Brief Afterlife of Amba
This story describes the short time between Amba's suicide and her reincarnation, wherein the goddess Ganga receives her with much sadness.

Story 2: Sikhandini and Sthuna
Another story of Amba suspended between her past and her fate; this time, her Sikhandini incarnation meets the benevolent yaksha Sthuna, who promises to help her however he can.

Story 3: Riddles at the Lake
A break from Amba; this is a humorous take on the episode in which the Pandavas come across a dangerous, answer-seeking body of water.

Story 4: Sikhandin after Bhishma
The conclusion to the Amba/Sikhandini/Sikhandin trilogy, in which the character is finally met with victory and must create his own peace from the emptiness left.

Week 14: Back up and review

This week's review comes from the Saturday, April 30th blog post. As a future crazy cat lady who has loved many a calico, I couldn't resist diving into the Indian Word in English. :)

Indian Words in English: Today's word from India in English is CALICO, via Arabic Qaliqut (Malayalam Kolikodu), a city on the Malabar coast of India. It originally described a type of colorful fabric from that city but now it most often refers to tricolor cats. For details, see this blog post.

Week 14: Famous Last Words

This week I read Twenty Jataka Tales, which was a really cool break from my obsession with the Mahabharata! I picked three favorites for each reading diary, and then three bonus tales for my extra credit reading. It was really neat seeing how the stories were similar to the nursery rhymes of western culture. There were so many parallels in some, right down to the cheesy moral of the story and the "happily ever after" line that ended every single story. One story, about a hare convinced that the earth was breaking apart, reminded me of a way cooler, more interesting version of Chicken Little. Animals misinterpreting the natural actions of trees as the end of times must be a common theme in many cultures, haha!
Others, however, were entirely new stories, and those were actually my favorites! Some struck me as a little odd and seemingly pointless (like the one about sailors trapped in a goblin-town saved by a random winged horse), but I'm sure many western fairy tales and fables inspire the same feeling in those who didn't grow up with them.

Outside of this class, the big event for me this week has been my second senior recital! I presented a lecture recital on the topic of Darius Milhaud's Sonatine pour flûte et piano. The piece was one of the first instances of "authentic" jazz used in a classical setting, and includes a lot of Milhaud's unique version of the futurism movement in music, so doing all the research was really fun and interesting. It was a great experience to try something new as a performer, since I've never given a lecture recital and only ever attended a few as an audience member. I'm super grateful for the opportunity to grow as a musician, expand my knowledge, and challenge myself as a student of music! 
With all that being said... I'm so glad it's over. It was crazy stressful to have to prepare a recital on two very different fronts. Not only did I have to do months of research into the historical context of the piece, then analyze it structurally and theoretically for the influences that the research pointed to, but I also had to prepare the piece itself and perform it. It was a lot to try to fit into this crazy part of the semester, especially just a few months after my other senior recital. I wouldn't recommend the experience of trying to do more than one of those in a 3-month span to ANYONE, haha. But, it's over and it went well, so I'm happy!

Source

Darius Milhaud, the composer I've devoted the last two months of my life to

Tech Tip: Embedding NPR Interviews

I noticed in my Learning Challenge this week that the NPR article I referenced had an "Embed" button, so this week I'm experimenting with how I can include the interview in a blog post!

Week 14 Learning Challenge: Mindfulness

This week I read a really interesting NPR article based on an interview with a researcher discussing the benefits of mindfulness and demonstrating an exercise to increase mindfulness. It reminded me a lot of the little bits of meditation I've dabbled in. In fact, it was just similar enough to remind me that I really, really need to take this lesson to heart! 
Everything the researcher was describing as a symptom of low mindfulness -- constant feelings of rushing around, being stressed mind racing, lack of appreciation for the moment one is living in -- we're extremely familiar to me. He discusses how these feelings in people with low mindfulness act as a constant stimulus to the amygdala, which triggers the fight-or-flight response. Basically, my stress and inability to handle it has tricked my brain into constantly feeling like I'm being chased by a tiger. Whoops.
I was also really interested by the idea of performing the mindfulness activity with children. I know from talking with my students that their school experience is different from mine and the generations before me in that the stakes feel infinitely higher -- constant standardized testing, pressure to exceed not only in academics but a plethora of extracurricular activities, and the various home problems my students face. I'm not convinced some of my younger, wigglier classes could handle a minute of mindfulness, but I'm very tempted to try this with some of my older students. 

Source

Week 14 Growth Mindset: Multiple Intelligences

From the Growth Mindset Blog

I'm a big believer in the idea of multiple intelligences and the potential of ALL humans to make contributions and shine in their unique talents. I like the different examples Marek Bennett has listed here of ways one can be gifted and intelligent .
However, I worry that this idea -- and some of these specific categories -- lend themselves to a mindset of limited growth. For example, a class I took for my music education coursework had us take a "musical aptitude" test, to see where we rate on our inherent aptitude for melodic and rhythmic capabilities. I am a decently accomplished musician and feel confident in my musical intelligence, but I scored very low on aptitude in both areas. If I had taken that test as a kid with an idea of multiple intelligences, I might have thought of myself as not "intelligent" in this field and been discouraged from devoting myself to it. I think it's important to remember that even though intelligence is a much wider field than its typically thought of, hard work is still the most important factor in success!

Week 14 Reading Diary: Twenty Jatakas Tales (Extra)

The End of the World: Hare sitting under fruit tree, pondering the end of the world; piece of fruit falls and makes a sound behind him; hare assumes it's the world ending, runs away; sees other hares, they ask why he's running, he says the world is ending; all run away
More animals see hares running, panic, run with them; wise lion sees thousands of animals running away, worries that they will run over cliff; roars to stop them; asks what's going on
"The earth is breaking to pieces"
"Who saw it breaking to pieces?"
No one!
Asks elephants if they saw it, they so no the lions did, lions say no the tigers did, tigers say no the rhinoceros did, etc. etc. Finally to the hares, who say the one little one saw it, he says yes I did!
Lion says get on my back, take me to where the earth broke; hare guides him to fruit tree; lion sees fallen fruit and knows what happened
Happy ever after

Source

The Goblin Town: sailors ship-wrecked on shore; see a bunch of women calling to them, enamored with their beauty; secretly women cast invisible chains binding them; they live there for some time; at night one sailor wakes up and hears goblin voices, goes to look around and sees that the women are secretly goblins! Tries to warn the others but many don't believe him; those that do ask how they can escape, since they are bound with magic chains, he has no answer; white horse descends from heaven, says that it is there to save them and if they climb on his back, their chains will break; some do, others stay; those that escape live happy ever after

The Master's Test: Wise old masters tells his pupils that they need to find him money; they say that begging will not work because the people in their town are greedy; master says that stealing is okay as long as no one is watching, tells his students to find a rich person and wait until no one sees, then silently grab their wallet and bring it back to him; all eagerly run off to do so except one student, who says he can not carry out the task because he can never be somewhere where no one sees, "Even when I am quite alone, my self is watching." Would rather beg than see himself steal. Master smiles and says he passes the test, other students are ashamed. Moral: your self is always watching!

Week 14 Reading Diary: Twenty Jataka Tales

Source

The Two Pigs: Two pigs in forest, taken home by old woman; grow up with her as their mother; men in town get drunk and want to eat pigs, offer to buy them, woman says no until they get her drunk; offers one pig but not the other; pig to be eaten sees men with ropes and runs back to brother; brother tells him not be afraid, they will bathe in water until they smell perfume, this is what he was raised for; his words soften the hearts of the men and woman; pigs taken to live with king, happy ever after

Quarrelsome Quails: Quails keep getting caught in net by hunter; he casts it over their heads and catches 100 at a time; king quail advises his subjects: if he casts the net over your head,put your heads through the holes and fly up as one to a hill so you can free yourselves, but don't argue or you'll get caught! It works for a while, until two quails start arguing over an accident; they get caught, but king never does

The Noble Horse: Brahmadatta has a beautiful horse; 7 kingdom's declare war on his kingdom; brave knight says he can vanquish the armies if he has Brahmadatta's horse; 6 armies in a row beaten, but horse wounded; knight decides to use a different horse but Brahmadatta's says no, knight can only beat 7th army with him, no other horse; knight binds up his wounds and takes him to war; 7th army vanquished; horse says to be merciful and release the prisoners of war, then dies; memory lives on, happy ever after

Week 14 Reading Diary: Inayat's Twenty Jatakas Tales

The Monkey Bridge:
Monkey chief rules over 80,000 monkeys in mango tree; mango falls, floats down to kingdom, is most delicious mango ever; Brishmadatta and men go off in search of mango tree, find it, plan to shoot monkeys and eat mangos; monkeys overhear plan; monkey chief makes bridge out of reed to next tree, but reed is too short, must use his body too; his back is broken; "Forget not that your life is but little to give if in giving you secure the happiness of your people. Rule them not through power because they are your subjects; nay, rule them through love because they are your children."

The Guilty Dogs:
Palace dogs eat leather straps of royal chariot; king is angry and orders all city dogs killed; city dog chief goes to king, tells him he's got it wrong, proves it; city dogs given food and royal care

The Hare and the Fairy:
Hare has three friends, jackal, water-weasel, and monkey; each finds some food, calls out "whose is this?", no answer, takes it; fairy changes herself into old beggar, asks each animal for food, each offers them what he found; hare has nothing but himself, offers to jump into flame; fairy places his image on the moon

Source

Week 13 Reading Diary: Wilson (Extra)

Nala the Gamester:
Nala is a prince; Damayanti a princess (daughter of King Bhima)
Nala catches a bird, who offers to talk him up to Damayanti if set free; Nala agrees, bird does; Damayanti reciprocates
Time for Dama to pick her suitor, all princes from across the land gather to try to be chosen, including 4 gods; gods tell Nala to go tell Dama to pick between them, he does, she says she still picks Nala; gods make themselves appear as Nala, distressing Dama; they feel bad and reveal themselves, give Nala gifts and abilities
Evil god Kali consorts with Pushkari, Nala's brother; challenge Nala to a game of rigged dice; he loses everything; they are outcast into the forest; Nala begs Dama to leave him and return to her father but she will not; he decides he must leave her for her own good; he runs away in the night; she tries to find him, is caught by snake; rescued by hunter
Travels through forest; comes across a hermitage, where the hermits tell her everything will be okay; prays to a tree that ends sorrows; meets merchants, hangs with them for a while, eventually blamed for elephant stampede; finally finds shining city, greeted by king's mother, invited to stay
Lala finds snake that bites him with venom to torture demon in his soul, tells him to go to city and live in disguise as charioteer
Dama returned to her father, hears rumor of Nala as charioteer, holds second festival to find love
Nala's raja hears about festival and has Nala take him there; raja has gift of numbers, which he gives to Nala, which frees him of Kali
Nala goes to Damayanti, reveals himself; they travel back to their city with Bhima's army, Pushkari gives it back

Source

Tech tips: Embedding Sound Cloud

Weel 13: Back Up and Review

I really like this image from Friday's blog post. I think the value of creative writing is so poorly understood and misrepresented by so many people, and this image perfectly captures why I still love to write creatively, even if it has nothing to do with my career or life goals.


Why We Need Creative Writing. Here's why:

Week 13: Famous Last Words

What a week!
In this class, I read The Five Tall Sons of Pandu, which was a really quick and easy-to-read version of the Mahabharata that focused on the five Pandava brothers. It was interesting to read the same stories with almost all of the mystical or spiritual elements removed; it was very much grounded in a possible reality. To be honest, I found myself missing those more fantastical elements a bit. I wouldn't have guessed it, since I'm a huge history nerd and not typically big on fantasy, but I really felt like they added a unique charm to the epics.
I was also able to wrap up my trilogy on Amba/Sikhandini/Sikhandin with my story about Bishma's death and Sikhandin's reaction. I really loved going in depth into this fascinating character in all of her/his various lives. It's also been neat reading the comments from classmates, most of whom didn't seem particularly stricken by this character throughout their readings of the Mahabharata. It's nice to think that my obsession may have led someone else to reconsider the role of the character in the various stories.
I also learned from a friend that I had been pronouncing "Mahabharata" REALLY incorrectly throughout my time in this class. I guess that's the pitfall of an online class! I was really grateful to learn and correct my mistake, even if it happened a bit late in the semester.

Bhishma's death, from my final story

In my other classes, it has been a very stressful week musically. I had my second Recital Preview -- where you play a bit of your recital for your entire area faculty, and they say whether or not you're ready to give the recital on your preferred date. Since I am double majoring in two separate music fields, I've had to give two senior recitals this semester, which has been INCREDIBLY stressful. Happily, I passed, and my second and final recital is a go! I will be presenting a brief lecture on Darius Milhaud's life and influences, exploring in detail his associations with jazz and futurism, and then performing his Sonatine pour flûte et piano. I've never given a lecture recital before, so I'm nervous but excited about this new experience.
I also performed with the OU Symphony Orchestra yesterday for the last time ever! Throughout my time at OU, I've played in pretty much every large ensemble, but the Orchestra has definitely been my favorite. I'm so grateful for all that I've learned and pushed myself to achieve from being in such a high standards environment, surrounded by mostly grad students!
I am also performing with the OU Civic Orchestra on Tuesday night. I'm excited to play a really great program with some inspirational colleagues -- most of the members of Civic are non-majors or community members who have decided to keep up their life in music.

Week 13 Growth Mindset: Even geniuses have to work hard

This week I reflected on this little nugget of wisdom from our favorite internet cats. In many areas, but for my life particularly in music, I think we tend to be more impressed by people who can perform tasks effortlessly than those who have the dedication and courage to work really tirelessly at something; this seems totally backward to me! 
For one, even those who perform effortlessly probably put in a ton of work just to get to that point. See my last growth mindset about the difference in what we see with regard to preparation versus performance.
Two, working really hard is in itself an ability -- that's why music teachers stress not just the importance of practice, but the importance of GOOD practice. Even at my level, with musicians who will go on to lead big, important careers, I know of peers who have reputations for not being able to practice well. They get by on natural talent, but everyone knows that the second they find a piece outside of their ability level, they won't ever be able to conquer it because they don't have that skill set or mindset.

From the blog

Week 13 Learn by HEART Challenge: Buddhist Teachings on Happiness

This week I read an article that shares 10 lessons Buddhist philosophy has to teach us about happiness. I usually do empathy growth mindset, but as the end of the semester nears, and I've gotten more in touch with my (hilariously abysmal) emotional health these past few weeks, I thought this might be more relevant to my current needs.
I've always been very interested in Buddhism; I've been a vegetarian for 9 years, and always a big believer in pacifism and peace, so a lot about this philosophy appeals to me. I thought this article did a great job summing of some of the major points of Buddhism in small, easily understandable and applicable bits of wisdom.
In particular, I felt drawn to points 2 (I often have to remind myself that my worth as a human is not determined by my GPA), 6 (I am often bogged down by negative emotions), and 7 (stressing about the future won't help me in the present!).

Source

Week 13 Storytelling: Skihandin After Bhishma

Source

Sikhandin stared with fury into the eyes of Bhishma. Bhishma stared with sadness back. The great leader had recognized Sikhandin, though he had never seen his physical form. The stories had traveled far. Bhishma knew.

Sikhandin's heart pounded. A wild scream tried to escape from his throat, got caught, and became a sharp inhale. He had waited for this moment. Across three lifetimes, he had imagined himself in this very position, locking eyes with his sworn foe. He had imagined the feel of the weapon in his hand. He had felt the tension in every muscle, each night as he closed his eyes to sleep. 

He imagined himself speaking bold words across the battlefield, words to make his enemy fearful and angry, but also to make him understand the wrong he had done. He opened his mouth again, tried to speak those words, but they did not come. His memory of this detail -- what was he to say? -- had been so clear and brittle only a moment ago. Now the words were a crackling fire: passionate, writhing, sparking, and dangerous, but impossible to grab; they had no form, no outline, only light and shadows and fury. He tried to conjure up a memory of his own voice -- the words he had mentally rehearsed every night across multiple existences -- but heard only the echoing voice of a young girl who had been driven mad with pain, as her words became water, then silent stone.

This moment of hesitation, as Bhishma stared at Sikhandi unwilling to speak, and Sikhandi stared back, unable to form words, was enough, and soon arrows from the Pandava army darkened the sky as they rained down upon Bhishma, who made no motion to escape them.

Sikhandin watched as arrow after arrow pierced Bhishma's armor, then his flesh. Bhishma fell. Soldiers from both sides ceased their fighting, rushing to the leader out of despair or triumph or grotesque curiosity. 
An urge arose in Sikhandin to turn away, but he remained still as a stone, watching more and more faceless bodies gathering around where Bhishma had stood. Leaders of both armies arrived, united momentarily by their grief. Bhishma had been universally revered. This one leader's death was so tragic, it stopped an entire war, if only for a moment. Sikhandin, meanwhile, stood alone. The fire in him was quietly extinguished. All that remained was smoking, grey ash.

His mind emptied in one great sweep of darkness. All desire, every trace of passion or determination or righteous hatred disappeared, gone as quickly as an arrow loosed from an archer's bow. The blank abyss that was left of Sikhandin's spirit felt enormously heavy. It felt overwhelming. It felt like staring into a starless night sky. He lost himself in it for what could have been an eternity, disappeared from his surroundings into the embrace of his own emptiness. It felt good.

He became gradually aware that his body had begun moving, carrying him away from the scene as if guided by some celestial hand. As he emerged from within his own mind, he became keenly aware of every movement made by this suddenly foreign vessel of a body. His legs bent, picking up his feet, which came down in front of his body, again and again and again, for an acre and then a mile; his eyes stared straight ahead, dull as two lifeless stones; and yet he was not controlling these actions. They happened and he experienced them without thought or concern.

After what could have been minutes or hours, he was taken by his body to a river he had not previously known was there. The movement stopped and his body relinquished its hold on its passenger. Sihkandin stood at the banks for a long time, eyes closed, listening to the trickling water. 
He started moving again, this time entirely of his own will. Each movement now was deliberate and slow. He entered the water, eyes still closed. It rose up to greet him, enveloping his form like a cold embrace. Finally, he was submerged, and he opened his eyes. 
Blackness became calm blue. 
Sikhandin was no longer fire or stone. He was at peace.

A voice wrapped itself lovingly around the remnants of his physical form before it slipped away with the current of the river.

"Welcome home, Amba."

Author's Note: I wanted to conclude my Amba/Skihandini/Sikhandin series with the resolution to this character's lifetime of strife: the achievement of her/his ultimate goal, the death of Bhishma. 
I think the epics themselves do just fine describing what happens in the lead-up to this event, describing the war, then telling of Bhishma's death and funeral. It's clear from the stories that Bhishma was well-regarded in life and in death, and we get a lot of details to show this, including a brief ceasefire to honor the fallen leader. His story is wrapped up in a neat bow and concluded with great care.
However, we never receive any resolution to the struggle of Sikhandin. This is what I imagine happened.
I wanted to include some references to the previous lives of this character, both as depicted in the various versions of the epics (s)he pops up in, and as written in my versions. Throughout my Amba series, I've associated her with various elements or natural forces to represent her struggles, emotions, and strengths. In the first story, she was fiery hatred, and each time she felt the passion that drives her, I used fiery language. In the second story, she was stoic stone, and I used that imagery to portray her quiet yet unwavering persistence. Finally, throughout each story, I've associated water with moments of peace. Thus, my version of the character seeks this element to ultimately rest.

Source: Wilson's Five Tall Sons of Pandu

Week 13 Reading Diary: Wilson's Five Tall Sons of Pandu (B)

Yudhishthir wants to be king of his own realm Duryodhana objects
Preparations made for war
War council at Virata's
Older brother of Krishna advises peace efforts; Satyaki calls for immediate war; Draupad offers compromise
Dhitra (blind king) begs Duryodhana to consider peace offer "Grieve not the declining years of your father with the shadow of death", Drona agrees
Duryodhana feels betrayed: "we have such warriors as Drona and Karna"
"Tell them that they seek in vain the restoration of their kingdom. Nay, they shall not win back form me such a space that a needle's point would cover"

Bhima: "Your cause is unjust, Duryodhana, and the gods do not favor you."

Sikhandin gets his revenge: fights for Pandavas, Bisma knows he was "born a woman", can not fight him; stands defenseless "overwhelmed by a shower of arrows and spears"
Leaders united to mourn Bhishma, laid on "a couch" of Arjun's arrows

Bhishma begs Dury and Karna to end the war, but both too consumed by bitterness to listen
Karna learns he is Arjuna's brother, still hates
Drona becomes army leader, thinks his son has died, falls

Karna becomes leader; fights Arjuna, then Yudhishthira; neither battle ends in victory
Finally meets with Arjuna again, doesn't stop fighting even when Arjuna's bow is broken; killed

Source

Week 13 Reading Diary: Wilson's Five Tall Sons of Pandu (A)

Pandora brothers live 12 years in wilderness in exile
Duryodhan comes to mock them, is captured by gandharvas
Yudhisththura and brothers save him, causing him to resent them even more

Story idea: Duryodhan's capture, his perspective and thoughts while being rescued by Pandava's


After exile, brothers + Draupadi disguise themselves in court of King Virata:
Yudh becomes Brahmin, Bhima a cook, Arjuna dance/music teacher, Nakula keeps horses, Sahadeva cattle; Draupadi waiting woman in princess's court
Dry comes to steal Virata's cattle, Arjuna tries to become charioteer to defend kingdom

Story idea: Music lessons with Arjuna


Arjuna reveals himself to Prince Uttara: "The position of the two princes was now reversed. Arjun was the leader, and Uttara rejoiced in his leadership."
Pursues Dury's army, catches them: "...with boyish glee he entered into the battle, bending his wonderful bow and rejoicing in the music it made."

Story idea: Uttara's perspective of Arjuna's ride into battle

Source

Week 11 Reading Diary: Kincaid's Mahabharata (A)

Source: Kincaid's Mahabharata

King Bharata is origin of "another great line of Aryan princes" (in spirit of Rama)
     Descended from "moon-god"
Vichitravirya = g-g-grand son of Bharata, dies leaving behind two widows who each bear a son
Dhritarashtra is older, but blind
Pandu is younger, becomes king
     wives: Kunti (oldest 3 sons), Madri (younger 2 sons)
     sons: Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna; Nakula, Sahadev
Pandu dies, Dhitarashtra ascends; welcomes Kunti + Pandu sons
Drona appointed to teach sons weaponry
     Pandu brothers surpass Dhit brothers, eldest Dhit Duryodhan is jealous

Duryodhan's jealousy: Pandava's are better warriors, more beloved, more successful; Dhit names Yudhishthira as successor because he is oldest
     lies to father about pride of Pandavas, "hinted falsely that they aspired to depose" King Dhit and "take from him the kingdom"
     invents plan to kill Pandavas -- trap them in a burning building

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Week 8 Review

March 11: Douglas Adams. Today marks the birthday of Douglas Adams,one of my most beloved writers, who sadly left this world in 2001. Adams is most famous as the creator of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and his two books about the detective Dirk Gently are also priceless. Happy birthday to you, Douglas Adams, wherever in the galaxy you may be! Here is a YouTube video interview where Douglas Adams talks about his career, life, the universe, and everything:

Douglas Adams is one of my favorite writers EVER, so seeing this interview made my whole week! So long and thanks for all the fish, Mr. Adams. :)

Growth Mindset Challenge: Preparation vs. Performance

The growth mindset meme about a butterfly undergoing radical changes before it is appreciated reminded me of this image macro I've seen floating around Facebook lately. This idea that one only sees a tiny part of what goes into a finished product can help in two ways:
If you're an observer, don't forget to appreciate the work you don't see,

and if you're a performer, don't forget to keep the image of the finished product always in your mind!

Posted by Classic FM on Thursday, March 17, 2016

Learning Challenge: Empathy with Shining Eyes

My favorite YouTube video of all time is a Ted Talk given by Benjamin Zander entitled, "The Transformative Power of Classical Music." In it, he discusses the idea that all people can love classical music, most of them have just never had the opportunity to.

It's about 20 minutes long, and it changed my life. 

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If you have time, I highly recommend watching the video in its entirety, even (especially!) if you don't think you like classical music. Zander touches on so many facets of life, I think you'll find it worth the time investment.

The part relevant to my Learning Challenge, however, starts at around 16 minutes in. For context, he's just discussed a bit of the theory behind a Chopin Prelude -- why Chopin chose the notes and chords he did, and how it ultimately creates both a mood and a story. He then instructs the audience to listen to the Prelude with this new context, but also with one added caveat: that they picture someone very dear to them who has been lost.

The story he tells around the 16 minute mark is about a boy who participated in this same exercise shortly after the death of his brother, for whom he had never properly mourned, and how the power of the music allowed him to embrace those emotions for the first time.

This idea of truly feeling music as a listener, or embodying the feeling as a performer, and both experiencing and inspiring the sensation of "shining eyes" reminds me of why I love music, and how it relates to the concept of a shared human empathy. Even though we all have different stories, music unites us.

Here's a link to a transcript of the entire Ted Talk for those without audio capabilities. 

Also source of the following image.

Tech Tip: Embedding YouTube Playlists

I decided to add something a little more populist to my Comment Wall in the way of music, since I figure most people don't jam to 20th century flute music (although really I think everyone should try it once, y'know). 
The original reason I picked the Piazzolla over one of my favorite pop tunes was because I simply have too many favorites to pick just one. Music is my passion in every form, so I'm just as obsessed with popular music as I am with art ("classical") music. One of the most confusing things in the world for me is when somebody loves one but not the other --whether that's classically-trained musicians who don't know how to get down to a groovy beat or self-described "music lover"s who can't lose themselves in Ravel. 
Anyway, all of that is to say that this playlist is just a teeny, tiny sampling of some of my favorite feel good songs. 
YouTube used to be my main music streaming platform, but I switched to Spotify a few years ago and never looked back. Nowadays I don't use YouTube for much except for keeping up with the few content creators I'm subscribed to.

Blog Ideas

I noticed that Audra and I used very similar designs, but hers is quite a bit easier to read, especially in the comments section. She has inspired me to polish the smaller details in mine, so that it is exactly how I want it, and not just good enough.

Jessica's blog is is memorable for several reasons, but my favorite is the aesthetic layout, with a bright, colorful background and minimalist text presentation. I remembered viewing her blog from weeks ago, so I would like to make mine as memorable (in a positive light!) as hers.

Finally, I am so impressed by Christina's post layout! I love that we only get a preview of each post, but with the pictures showing on one side. That is so cool! It gives you an idea of what's inside, and gives the overall blog a very professional feel. I so want to utilize this in my blog!

Week 7: Review

I chose this video from Friday, March 4's post because I was so impressed by the musical talent it shows! The two singers have incredible voices, the clarinetist is great, and whoever arranged this mash-up has some seriously impressive theoretical skills -- it is NOT easy to get to very different musical systems (like, different versions of scales, right notes vs. wrong notes, etc) to sound so consonant together. Very cool!

Today's Video: Chaiyya Chaiyya Mash-Up. It's Bollywood-meets-Michael Jackson, featuring the amazing Shankar Tucker on clarinet.

And of course the shout-out to the opera below this segment made me happy. I hope some of you were able to come out and see it!

Week 7: Famous Last Words

This week was a crazy mic of exciting and exhausting! Just looking back on everything that happened is making me tired again, haha.

I had fun this week revising the Mahabharata from a different perspective. My favorite character, Amba, got a depressing but awesome starring role in Sister Nevedita's version, so I was pretty stoked to read more about her incarnation Sikhandin(i), and to get to write about her again. I tried a more traditional prose approach this time, since a lot of the comments on my previous Amba story said that the more poetic, stream-of-consciousness style was a bit confusing. 

El Sistema had their mid-winter concert on Wednesday -- concerts are always SO stressful from the teacher standpoint, because when you have 220 children divided into three orchestras, things tend to get a little hectic. Luckily, the logistics behind the scenes of this concert were amazingly smooth, so things ran just like they were supposed to. Most importantly, our students played AMAZINGLY! We were so proud, and even more excited for the future of our program! At our staff meeting the next day, I was notified that I will be getting a promotion after spring break, so things ended on a very happy note after all of the stress.

And finally, the rest of my whole life this week has been dominated by the OPERA. Woof. This has been such an exhausting activity. The opera is three hours long, which is a long time to be sitting in a dark pit (literally, that's where the orchestra goes). Add to that the fact that we've had dress rehearsals or performances every single day since last Sunday, and you can see why I'm happy that it's over. However, I have to admit that it was a great opportunity and I know I came out of it a better musician... just also a very tired musician.

If you came to see Eugene Onegin last week, you heard me! Hope I sounded okay!

The poster for OU's production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin

Tech Tip: Embedded Facebook Post

Thank you to Sigma Alpha Iota for letting us stop by and sing to you all last night. Happy early Valentine's Day!

Posted by Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia- Mu Chapter on Thursday, February 11, 2016

I didn't know you could embed Facebook posts! I don't use Facebook a ton, but I'm sure this is good information to know! I'm the president of OU's chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, a sorority for women musicians. This particular post is from when our male counterparts, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, made a sweet visit to our chapter.

Learning Challenge: Post Secret

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I think this particular postcard really connected with the theme of empathy. It's so common for us to assume that those sad stories of people in tragic circumstances could never happen to anyone we know, and definitely not to us. It's uncomfortable to think about the hardships our peers may have experienced, especially when they're someone we have a distaste for. However, this postcard perfectly demonstrates Frank Warren's words: "Every single person has at least one secret that would break your heart." I try to remember this when I deal with difficult students, but I think I can do a better job of applying it to every single person I meet and interact with.

Growth Mindset: Practice to Get Good Results

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As a musician, I connected to this Growth Mindset in two ways. 

One, consistent practice is the only way to get better. Duh! This one was obvious, and it's something that every practicer of any skill knows. However, it can still be a tedious, time-consuming activity; therefore, one must remember the reward!

The second is less obvious, and even more difficult: if practice is the act of repeating something until it's easy, then I have to make sure what I'm repeating is absolutely the perfect result I want. It's tempting during long practice sessions to speed things up, get a little careless, and let a few mistakes slip in without much worry. However, there's a mantra musicians repeat to ourselves that I think can be applied to much of life: Don't practice until you can play it right. Practice until you can never play it wrong.

Week 7 Reading Diary: Nedevita's Mahabharata (B)

The Maiden Who Became a Knight:
Story of Amba's incarnation Sikhandini
Drupada prays to Shiva for a son who can defeat Drona; Shiva says he will have a son who is born as a daughter
Sikhandin id betrothed to princess, whose father discovers her true gender and threatens war
Sikhandini overhears her parents discussing their seemingly doomed fate and runs away to hut of generous yaksha Sthuni
Sthuni wants to do whatever he can to help Sikhandini; offers to trade her bodies temporarily
    Sthuni's master comes by and sees him in woman form, makes trade permanent (until Sikhandin's death)
Bhima learns that Sikhandin is Amba reincarnated, story of Amba is told


Battle of Bhishma, Arjuna, and Sikhandin
Chishma recognizes Sikhandin as Sikhandini, refuses to fight back against him/her. Arjuna uses this to his advantage, basically using Sikhandin as a human shield. Finally Bhishma falls, mother Ganga sends swans, Bhishma will lay on bed of arrows until winter

Sikhandin battle Kripa; Source