Video Series on Mindfulness

My Project

I chose to use my STEP Signature Project to create a video series on YouTube. This series discussed a broad range of topics, from physics to war to ethics, and had a central theme of being more mindful in our everyday lives. I researched, wrote, filmed, and edited one video per week for 10 weeks this summer.

Self-reflection

When I decided that I would create a video series, I thought that it would be a challenging, but manageable task. I felt that I had adequate understandings of the ideas that I wanted to talk about, but as I researched them to write the scripts, I began to realize how little I actually knew. By asking deep, important questions on these topics, and being unable to answer them myself, I was humbled. Initially I was overwhelmed by this, and I realized that I needed to change my perspective – I wasn’t just going to explain these complex ideas in a ten minute video, but I could share how I began to understand them and provoke the audience to think about them more on their own time.

My Transformation

In order to best present the information in the videos, I needed to research much more than I anticipated – nearly a third of the time spent on each video went into research, before I even started the script. For example, when I researched what makes art great, I thought it would be a pretty simple question to answer. But I was woefully wrong, that’s a significant question that requires more fundamental questions to be asked first: what makes art, what makes something good, etc.

This series of questions often led down similar paths – I would ask some question, then follow it with something that needed to be answered or defined before that could be answered, and perpetually ask why something was valuable or good until I was so far off on a tangent I forgot my original question. And often, I was unable to answer these fundamental questions. And it felt kind of silly to be making videos on very specific ideas like veganism and war-related research when I couldn’t answer basic questions, like what makes something intrinsically good? As I worked through the video series, there were multiple points where I became frustrated by my inability to reason out answers to these questions.

In my last video, I wanted to address some of these concerns and justify why this was all worth it. But that was no easy task, and I’m still not entirely satisfied by the way that these videos turned out. I’m happy with the videos – my initial goal was to encourage others to become more mindful about their lives – and from the feedback I’ve been receiving I believe I succeeded in that. This video series has definitely broadened my perspective – by questioning everything we know, we can figure out what we really know to be true and what we believe we know. But they aren’t a complete picture of these ideas, because by their very nature it’s impossible to accurately convey a fair picture in a 10 minute video entirely produced by one person, this was just my interpretation of them.

Significance

Academically, I created one video relating to physics with a demonstration that I’m proud of – using a speaker and a longboard to demonstrate the Doppler effect with animations I programmed myself. Many of the other videos touched on how to practice scientific reasoning and obtain truth, such as the videos on biases and mindfulness. Personally, I learned quite a bit about myself and the topics I researched for these videos. I feel that I’m more well-informed to have discussions about veganism, politics, ethics, and art after having read papers by experts in these fields. By practicing mindfulness and attempting to minimize the effects of my biases, I can search for answers and fight misinformation. It was a fantastic experience making these videos, and I don’t intend to let my curiosity on these issues fade, I want to continue learning more and challenging my perspective. Maybe I’ll even consider making more videos in the future.

A screenshot from my second video on physics

Here’s the link to my videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmC8fL9jrFQgBPFZ_Zw0Jbg?view_as=subscriber

Reflection on Improvning in the Violin

For my project, I practiced the violin and took private lessons for two months. This was to not only to relearn how to play the instrument, but to also learn how to keep a schedule and be more diligent in my work and endeavors by studying every day.

I always considered myself to be a procrastinator and that I would never be able to break this bad habit. I attempted this by giving myself the responsibilities of trying to practice violin every day and getting myself to and from my classes every Saturday morning. This showed me that the biggest goal in overcoming my procrastinating tendencies is to just start. It also showed me that a lot of the times I tell myself that I do not have time to do something, it is because I do not want to, not because of any time constraints. While I was not able to complete my goal of practicing every single day, there were only 8 days where I did not practice for the duration of my project.

Another thing my project taught me was to be more patient with myself. I am somewhat of a perfectionist and so it is not uncommon for me to ignore tasks that I do not think I could do perfectly on the first try. This causes me to delay starting things I know I need to do. When it came to violin practice, I sounded terrible when I first started. I was horribly off-key and every other note I played was screechy. Getting past how bad I sounded helped me be more accepting of mistakes I made along the way and be more forgiving to myself.

 

One person that changed my outlook on keeping good habits and working towards my goals was my violin instructor, Dannielle. We were about the same age and she was a music composition major at a local university and so it was much easier to connect with her than if my instructor was much older than me. Before my first lesson, I asked her for advice on how to maintain enthusiasm while practicing an hour every day easier and how I would be able to improve even when I would not be taking lessons in Ohio. Danielle replied that for her, trying to improve at an instrument is not necessarily about practicing every single day or practicing for a given amount of time every day.

This surprised me because I always believed the most important part to improvement was repetition. This was method I approached my school work with, and it was successful for me, so I assumed it also would work when trying to learn to play the violin. Danielle commented that the most important thing to remember when practicing the violin is that you need to practice more than whatever song you are learning. Continuously playing the same song for an hour straight would only help you remember what note comes next, but it does not improve your pitch, posture, wrist motions, or any of the other things that you have to keep in mind while playing. She also told me that while striving to play an hour a day was good, it was not necessary to improvement. In fact, even she did not practice every single day even though she is enrolled in a college of music. Taking Danielle’s advice, I decided to change my goals from practicing an hour every day, to working on a certain skill every day. Often this led me practicing about an hour, but I did not constrain myself to it and would sometimes practice more or less than that.

 

Another memorable event was during a lesson with Danielle, I was playing through a song, and would stop playing if I thought I got a note wrong or try and correct it and continue playing. Danielle told me that often when I think I have gotten a note wrong, I actually had not and that I was second guessing myself too much. She also recommended that I should not stop playing if a note is noticeably incorrect and instead continue to play through because I would not get further into the song if I stopped at every mistake I made. This made me realize that I had the mentality that if I was unable to do something correctly, that I should not continue with it, something that I would often do with my school work as well. Being aware of this habit I had made me realize that I procrastinate due to my inability to not accept perfect, work from myself. If I believe I will make a mistake on something, I will put off doing it until I need to. Being more accepting of mistakes and learning that it was okay to do and can be fixed is something that I have been more mindful of not inly when I practice violin, but in my daily life as well.

 

After applying Danielle’s approach to violin practice, I realized I could also do the same thing with my school work. Often when I’m studying I do so for a given amount of time, less with a certain goal in mind. Now, I have started to have more purpose for when I am studying. For example, instead of saying I will read until I finish chapter 2 of my textbook, I look more at what I am trying to learn from the chapter and focus on those sections of the text. This so far has been quite effective as I see myself being more active in my reading and taking less time to understand the materials I need to.

July Study Calendar

 

I have also added a link to a video of me playing a section of Gavotte  by P. Martini.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nfcL_OeufqL0qpFuznt9VTHS-jGQwk4Q

Chicago

For my STEP signature project I traveled to Chicago. I also spent some time in a smaller, more rural town The purpose of my project was to test my limitations as a disabled person traveling. At the say time I wanted to be able to take the information I gathered during my experience and communicate it to others in order to make travel more accessible for everyone.

I went into this project knowing that there were going to be things that were difficult. But I tried to push all of that out of my mind and go into the experience with a positive mindset. However, there were some very challenging moments to this trip. I learned a lot about myself and did things I never dreamed I would even attempt. Through this process I learned some things that I will never try and attempt again. However, at the the same time I found things that I couldn’t believe that I had been so afraid to try them before.

After going through all of this I came away with a few major things. Some of them were more personal and other things were things that could be applicable to a lot of people. First, I learned that I hate small towns. Second, I learned that I would never want to live in Chicago. Third, I learned that the united states public transportation system is highly unaccessible.  Fourth, Finally, I learned how important it is to try new things. There were a lot of separate events during my trip that made me come to these realizations.

I figured out that I didn’t like small towns pretty quickly. Small towns are not meant for me. You have to have a car to be able to get any where. Since I can not drive this is a major problem. The other really annoying thing about a small town is that I was an instant odd ball in their midsts. With so few people in their town a blind person was easy to spot. I stuck out like a sore thumb. But what was really annoying was that most of them didn’t even know what a blind person was, I had to explain it to them . So I quickly came to the conclusion that I needed to live and overall exist somewhere in the world that wasn’t a small town. However, as I also said I have no interest in living in Chicago either. At least not down town Chicago. Chicago was just a little bit too big and overwhelming. You didn’t have to have a car because there were tons of forms of public transportation but it was really confusing. Now, with proper instruction and time I might be able to learn a bus route or subway route but there was still a lot of visual information involved in this. I think one of the most disappointing things that I figured out on my trip was how unsafe it is for a blind person to take a Uber by themself. Uber was the main way people were getting around in downtown. Ubers are so visually difficult. You have to be able to locate your Uber driver on a map, find him on the street, then visually affirm that his car meets all the credentials the app gives you, and if you can’t or don’t do this you will either be charged for a missed ride or kidnapped by a random stranger. Chicago was definitely good experience but it was just a little too much for my every day.

I already touched on some of the problems I have found with the public transportation system. However, I found a lot more. To start with any transportation service can say whatever they would like about them allowing service animals but, you are going to run into problems eventually. I was only denied one ride my whole trip but it was not a fun experience. We were almost late to the place we were going because of the whole thing. Plus, the person who wouldn’t take us decided to charge us for the ride anyways. It took 4 emails, 2 phone calls, and 2 weeks to get the money back. Plus, even though there was only one person who flat out said no there were multiple people who let me in the vehicle and then proceeded to say not so nice things the entire ride about the fact that there was a dog in their car. In an effort to not be all negative one of the nicest experiences I had with transportation was oddly on a water taxi. The people working it were super nice. However, at the same time from my understanding that isn’t something you would take everyday. Its more of a touristy or once and a while type thing. The train station was also super difficult. I don’t know how a disabled person would ever figure that place out on there own. They were super aggressive there. They very so much expected you to get off there train as fast as possible and get out of there station like right now. Same went for getting on the train. A bunch of the cars were actually shut down on the train on our way back from Chicago. So when we were trying to get in a car we just kept getting screamed at that we were stupid and needed to go to this car. They just kept sending us back and forth. I think literally 2 minutes before the train let off this guy opened up one of the doors and was like what are you doing get on this one. So the train was not as easy as I would have thought it would have been.

I think the most important thing I learned from this trip is to always try something at least once. You never know what something will be like until you try it. One, of the coolest things I did which might seem kind of weird to a lot of people is walk back to my hotel from Navy Pier at night. This was about a mile and a half walk. I never have walked more than a couple hundred feet at night. Especially late at night. Any time any one has suggested it I flat out was just not interested. But we didn’t really have a choice that night. Which I am really happy about now even though at the time I was really not. A couple minutes into it I was completely fine though and really feeling kind of stupid. It was really cool getting to walk through the city late at night. I am glad that I didn’t miss that. A lot of times I assume that I am not going to be able to do something or like it so I just don’t. But I think this trip taught me that I need to stop doing that so much.

I am so glad that I got to experience this. After I came back from this trip I signed up for a class in the KNSFHP department because for two years I had been saying I was going to do it but kept making excuses of why it wouldn’t work. Now, I am two weeks into the the class and loving it. I also went to west campus the other day which I always said was impossible. I really feel like this has taught me that if I push myself outside my comfort zone some great things can happen. I am also really excited to be able to write my experiences out in better detail because I think the world is really lacking in accessibility. We do a really good job as a campus but we need to extend that out into the real world.

The Orcas of the San Juan Islands

STEP Project

For my STEP signature project, I traveled to the San Juan Islands, WA in order to educate myself deeper on the orcas and their declining populations. Through two kayak trips, a boat tour, and a tour at the whale museum, I was able to gather a deeper understanding as to what the root cause is for the declining numbers of the southern resident killer whales. In addition, I learned of several steps that can be taken to improve the whales chances of survival.

Transformation

Coming into my step project, I was aware of the challenges the orcas were facing and had a small idea as to why their populations were on the decline. However, it was during my trip where I fully understood how bad the issue is. Humans are at the root cause of the killer whale’s fate and it really opened my eyes that actions need to be taken now, otherwise these animals do not have a bright future. This trip has opened my eyes to the small, daily changes I can make and influence others to make that can help the future of the killer whales. Not only can this apply to killer whales, but to the earth and other species as well.

Activities and Interactions

While traveling around the islands of San Juan, I learned so much more about the orcas, all the way from their origin to the causes of their current state of life. One of the most valuable experiences was my trip to the whale museum. I took a guided tour with an employee at the museum.

The Salish Sea received its name in honor of the Coast Salish indigenous people that first inhabited Northwest Washington and British Columbia. The sea serves as an important watershed for a multitude of nutrients created from the estuary, that help the plants and animals flourish. The Coast Salish people valued orcas and believed that humans and orcas had parallel worlds and shared destinies. However, when comparing their belief to the beliefs of those today, orcas are currently viewed for their entertainment value, or as a focus for scientific study. Because of the desire to use killer whales in entertainment, the population has declined rapidly since the capture of the first killer whales in the 60’s and 70’s. In the 1990’s their population was reduced by 20%. In 2005, the Southern Resident killer whales were listed as an endangered species and later in 2008, seven more members of the family were lost.

Three major issues are on the rise that are impacting the killer whale population and are further inhibiting the population to grow and expand. First, there has been a noticeable food shortage, with the main source of food being the Chinook salmon. Many of these salmon are being threatened by damns, habitat loss, pollution, and farming and fishing. Second, the waters of the Salish Sea are becoming polluted. PBCs, DDT and flame-retardants build up in the food chain resulting in serious health issues, and with the orcas being at the top of the food chain, they contain high levels of these contaminants. Third, the Salish Sea has become noisy due to vessel traffic crossing the sea. Hundreds of boats past through the Salish every day and the engines make a lot of noise, interfering with the communication of several marine mammals.

Through my trip, I have learned not only of the importance of the animals that I value so deeply, but how important it is for us as people to step up and make the small changes to our daily lives that can improve the outcome for killer whales. We can help by reducing energy and water usage, recycle and reuse what we can, use biodegradable products, support sustainable fisheries and salmon recoveries, as well as getting politically involved. We have the option to speak to our representatives to help provoke change. These changes can help the planet and the life that inhabits it immensely and it is so important to help preserve the animals and resources that we have left.

Significance

This trip has brought great meaning to my life and I feel very lucky that I have gotten the opportunity to see these beautiful creatures before it is too late. Traveling to the islands, seeing the orcas in the sea, and talking to the people who live there year-round, has sparked an even greater interest and passion in me for these animals and the Salish Sea. I learned of several programs while on my trip that allow people to volunteer and help monitor boat speeds through the waters, contaminants, as well as oil spills and other dangerous factors to the salmon and orca populations. I would love to spend a summer of mine in the future to go volunteer with others working towards this common goal of ours to help the killer whales and save the Salish Sea.

These are a few of the orcas we saw from the T137 pod that swam by us

This is Lime Kiln Point State Park lighthouse that is known as the best on-land location to see orcas.

Step by Step: Adaptive Dance, A Program for Children with Down Syndrome

 

  1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

My STEP Signature Project required me to develop a curriculum based on goals I had for myself as a dance teacher and for the dancers in my class. Additionally, I planned and taught dance classes weekly as well as continuously meeting with my mentor to discuss each class and the final performance. Lastly, another component of my project included organizing a performance to culminate everything we worked on as a class and for the students to demonstrate what they learned.

  1. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

Before starting my STEP project, I was not sure what to expect, but I knew I would grow from the process. Although my project altered how I viewed many things, I found the most significant transformation to be my self-confidence. My project transformed my self-confidence in the way it pushed me out of my comfort zone to lead and instruct a class with individuals with Down syndrome. I assumed I would be nervous stepping into a classroom of unfamiliar faces having to take on a role of leadership, however, after a few exercises into my first class my apprehensions vanished, giving me the confidence I needed to guide the class in the direction I planned. This changed my understanding of myself because my self-confidence has always been something that has prevented me from doing something that I am capable of achieving, therefore my STEP project gave me the push I needed to prove to myself that I have the experience I need to go out of my comfort zone to work towards my goals.

Over time while completing my project, I gained confidence with each new class. This resulted a better response from the kids and more positive energy throughout the class from each student and volunteer. I learned that the energy I gave throughout the class truly determined the energy I received back which is crucial to an effective, encouraging learning environment for everyone. This experience was essential for me to continue my career and take what I have learned into each new opportunity.

  1. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

Over the course of my six-week session, in addition to the weeks prior I spent preparing I formed close relationships to my students, their parents, and my mentor. These close relationships were key to developing my confidence and giving me the tools I needed to lead a successful session. Because I felt comfortable due to the relationships I formed over time, it allowed me to in return create an environment where my students felt encouraged to experiment with new things themselves, giving them an outlet to grow. My interactions with these individuals allowed me to feel confident and create an environment conducive to learning and trying unfamiliar activities.

Working with individuals with capabilities different than my own pushed me to think of out of the box ways I could communicate with the dancers in order to get them to achieve the goals I had for them. Whether it was learning a new dance step, or working on something the dancers were familiar with, I was required to constantly think of new ways I could communicate the exercises, so it would make sense in their bodies. I found that using vivid imagery and analogies worked best to get the most consistent and accurate results from the dancers. Having to relay information differently than I have before when teaching opened my eyes to how crucial communication can be in addition to observing how each student learns. This experience altered what I previously knew about teaching dance by allowing me to gain a new perspective on how different individuals learn and how to create an environment that fosters creativity and individuality.

Additionally, feedback from the dancer’s parents was extremely helpful throughout the process. Hearing how the dance class was helping them at home or how they could see their child’s progress from the time before made me realize the difference that the class was making in each student’s life, helping me to continue pushing forward with the progress I was making in the class. Receiving additional insight of the dancer’s behaviors outside of class allowed me to alter the way I gave feedback to the students and how I prepared for each class. Having a more well-rounded view of each student was helpful in the planning stages of my class in addition to the physical component of each session.

Lastly, guidance from my mentor was extremely helpful in helping me structure my class, allowing me to feel confident that the material I was creating aligned with goals that we created for the class by the end of the session. Because I had never taught an Adaptive Dance class on my own before, planning the class seemed overwhelming, however having the help of my mentor to guide me allowed me to focus in on specific skills I wanted to teach the dancers and see the big picture of how I wanted the class to go overall. My mentor’s help was also useful in the administrative aspect of producing the program. I was able to work under the direction of someone with extensive experience in dance administration and see what goes into producing a dance program start to finish. Gaining these skills gave me confidence for my future career in becoming a dance teacher and arts administrator.

  1. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

Through my project, I learned that having preconceived expectations for yourself can hold you back. My assumptions for myself changed over the course of completing my project causing me to come out a more well-rounded dancer and teacher, giving me the tools I need to succeed in the future. Gaining confidence throughout this experience is a skill I can use not only in my artistic and academic career, but also in my day to day life. I learned that doubting myself holds me back from reaching my fullest potential and to trust in the skills I have learned in my courses at Ohio State and from previous life experiences. With the completion of my project I have learned many valuable skills that prepare me for a future in the field I want to pursue such as creating and directing a dance program, and how to build an inclusive community through dance. I now feel comfortable to push myself out of my comfort zone in order to create new possibilities in all aspects of my life including academic, personal, and professional.

 

 

 

Keys for Rooting Change: The Aftermath

My STEP Signature Project over the summer encompassed multiple aspects. Mainly, I was giving piano lessons to students at Columbus Global Academy through CRIS, or Community Refugee and Immigration Services. Additionally, I helped with CRIS’s fundraising and outreach programs, was involved in another project led by another OSU student, and took a music course at Columbus State Community College.

Prior to beginning this project, I was very excited but equally as nervous. For one, this project is incredibly unique. Unlike an internship or study abroad, there were no people I could talk to who had done the same project. I was looking forward to working with the students and giving them lessons but I also had concerns about possible language barriers or most of the students not having access to a piano outside of school. Luckily, I was able to push these thoughts aside as the students were all attentive and eager to learn.
A takeaway I got from this project is that no matter how hard you prepare for something, there is almost always bound to be some variable that will change the course of things, and that is completely ok! Every week, I would spend hours preparing the lesson plan for each student and would usually end up deviating from the outline I had set up. The recital, unfortunately, did not end up working out due to unforeseen events at the school, but even so, I do not regret anything. Flexibility and being able to adapt to abrupt changes was the key to success in this project and I am sure that this ability is very valuable in the work field. At the end of the day, I was happy and everyone else seemed to be as well.

One of my students had some previous music experience through playing the piano at his Church and I played piano at my school Masses during high school so we discussed our experiences with that. Most of the other students I worked with, however, did not have any experience playing the piano. It was interesting to note that everyone interacts with music to some degree, which was an assumption I held before even being involved with STEP.
One of my minors is music and this summer, I took a course called a Survey of Music History where I examined different eras of music and its characteristics including composers and styles. I incorporated the terminology and stylistic elements of music we had discussed in class in the lessons I constructed. I also embedded the knowledge I obtained from the music theory courses I took the last 2 semesters as well as my what I learned when I was taking piano lessons into my sessions. Typically, a lesson plan would start with 10 minutes of reviewing scales and the music flashcards I assigned to look over the previous week. Then, I would take 15 minutes to introduce a new scale following the circle of 5ths and start a new unit of flashcards with the student. Afterwards, we would spend the remainder of the session going over the piece that the student selected to learn.
A large component of this project that contributed to my development was my involvement in other programs and events taking place over the summer. I helped with fundraisers such as creating a report showing statistics relating to refugees for World Refugee Day and the 50/50 Crew Game. I ended up collaborating with another student on her project and we decided to set up our two projects up as a fun summer program for the students at Columbus Global Academy. The other project entailed us transforming the courtyard at the school into a garden. The objective of this summer program was to teach valuable skills such as planting, harvesting, and learning how to play an instrument in an enjoyable and inclusive environment.

This development matters because it allowed for me to connect two things I am passionate about- music and exposing myself to new cultures and perspectives. This is evident through my involvement in the International Affairs Scholars Program which is actually what introduced me to CRIS. It would have been wonderful to have done a study abroad but this project gave me insight in a way that none of the other categories could have done. After completing this project, I know for a fact that I want to be a piano teacher, whether it be a full time career or as a side job. Additionally, I would love to continue working with the refugee and immigrant population and will seek opportunities to connect what I am involved in with working with them. Some opportunities I have thought about include having a student organization that I am personally involved in, the Eritrean and Ethiopian Student Organization, reaching out to Eritrean or Ethiopian students in CRIS to give advice on college preparation and transitioning to a college campus and working on a study in a lab that I’m a research assistant for, the Music Cognition Lab, that involves examining cross-cultural similarities and/or differences of music.

One of the best things by far to come out of the summer program we started was getting to transform the barren courtyard into a beautiful garden!

Emily Sayre STEP Project: Yoga Retreat at Esalen

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.
a. For my STEP Signature Project, I went and spent a week in Big Sur, California at the Esalen Institute. Here, I participated in a yoga retreat where I learned lots of different kinds of yoga, meditating techniques, and how to incorporate sound/rhythm in my practice. It was truly a transformational experience and I honestly use at least one thing I learned at this retreat in my daily routine now.
2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?
a. One thing that I learned about myself at this retreat was how to be more freely myself. Being around so many individuals who live their lives in such a carefree way inspired myself to be more comfortable in my own skin. Yoga is a practice that some may find funny to watch (as you are doing postures that may look silly from the outside, or doing breathing techniques that are humorous to some) but after being around a group of people that were so unapologetically themselves, I walked away from this retreat not afraid to practice certain kinds of yoga/breathing techniques. I now can get the full benefits of the new strategies I learned, thanks to the individuals on this retreat.
3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?
a. One thing that led to this individual transformation involved actually learning the different strategies. During this retreat, I learned lots of different types of yoga and now incorporate these into my own individual practice. I also learned that there is really no “correct” way to do yoga. Yes, you have to have proper alignment and breathing, however you can change it around to fit your body type or cater it to what you need on a specific day. I never would have been confident enough to do this prior to this retreat.
b. Another thing that helped lead to this transformation was how different each instructor was that I had. Getting to learn from so many different instructors showed me that the teacher can really shape the class, and that each instructor could have a big impact on their class in different ways. All of the instructors were just so confident in themselves and truly radiated such positive energy. They were so inspirational, and each had a unique message to share with the class. They really celebrated being different and blazing a different path, which encouraged me to celebrate what makes me unique.
c. Lastly, I learned so much from the other people who were on the retreat. Most of the people at this retreat, other than the 7 other girls I went with that were from Ohio State, were middle aged and hearing their life stories was truly inspiring. Most of them were certified yoga instructors who had other professions on the side, so it showed me that it’s okay to not know exactly what you want to do with your life, but to always follow your passions.
4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?
a. This transformation was so significant in my life because I think it is slightly changing my career path. I still want to be a teacher, and I will definitely incorporate some of the techniques I learned in the classroom so I can help my students lead more well-rounded lives. I will still be teaching English, but it will be nice to incorporate skills they can use in all aspects of life. Other than being an English teacher, I really want to become a certified yoga instructor so I can inspire students just like I was inspired at Esalen.

Indian Classical Music & Harmonium

 

What was my STEP signature project?

My STEP signature project was to study Hindustani classical music through performance on a harmonium. For my project, I devoted 12 weeks during the summer of 2019 to taking harmonium music lessons from an expert. Throughout those 12 weeks, I recorded weekly progress videos to be able to visualize my musical progress that I underwent.

 

What about my understanding of myself, my assumptions, or my view of the world changed/transformed while completing my STEP Signature Project?

Prior to this STEP signature project, I had little to no background in music, let alone Indian classical music. Besides listening to Indian classical music, I had never played any sort of instrument or even understood the basic musical system. However, by immersing myself in this music for an entire summer, I began to realize and appreciate the beauty in music. Prior to this project, I had not fully realized the ingenuity that is in different forms of music, a direct reflection of the passion of musicians. Through the completion of this project, I came to realize that music is a passion that I want to keep with me for the rest of my life.

 

What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during my STEP Signature Project led to my change/transformation, and how did those affect me?

Each and every music lesson I had with my instructor was incredibly valuable. The first time I met him prior to starting the lessons, he wanted to see how serious I was about music. We talked for several minutes about my specific musical tastes within Indian classical music, and before leaving, he decided to play a short piece for me on the harmonium. While to him it was nothing out of the ordinary, for me it was the first time I had ever heard the instrument played live and it was that experience that really sparked a drive to pursue this endeavor.

 

The first couple sessions involved my instructor explaining the principles of Indian classical music, particularly basics of scales, melodies, and proper fingering technique while playing the instrument. While it took several weeks of tedious work to get a basic grasp of semi-elegantly moving my fingers around quick enough, understanding those fundamentals made the rest of the work a lot easier. I eventually began learning basic melodies and songs, eventually building up to more complex songs through the duration of the 12 weeks.

 

The progress I made in music is clearly illustrated in the 12 week progress video compilation I made. It is clear that my progress seems to grow a lot quicker after I have established a clear set of fundamental techniques. The progress video in itself is a very useful and motivational product of this project. While it does show the progress I made through the 12 weeks, it is far more useful as a source of motivation as I look forward into the future and consider how much progress I can make years from now if I continue approaching music with grit and rigor.

 

Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for my life (academically, personally, professionally, etc.)?

This STEP signature project is particularly transformative for me mainly because of how little experience I have had in music. In that sense, I certainly have developed a greater appreciation for the music and art, even those unique art forms that are significantly different from what I’ve grown accustomed to. However, it has not only taught me more about different music but has set me on a path towards further exploration and practice of music, a path that may possibly have never been discovered by me. This development is particularly important as it has allowed me a chance to redefine my personal passions to being beyond my career and those relating to my career. It is certainly refreshing to find a passion that is beyond my academic or professional goals, but striking at something more fundamental to me: my desire to express myself. Music is something that has become for me.

 

Link to 12 Week Progress Video

A Season in Drum Corps

Hello! My name is Glenn Jenkins and I spent this summer with Music City Drum Corps. A world class ensemble based out of Nashville, TN and competing under Drum Corps International. For more info on what drum corps is, click this link. https://www.dci.org/news/dci-parents-about-drum-corps

What is my STEP Signature Project?

I was a performing member of a world class drum corps this summer, travelling the control performing and competing in stadiums ranging from a small high school in upstate New York to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Atlanta, Georgia. Our corps consisted of 154 Brass, Percussion, and Color Guard performers who worked tirelessly to create an 11-minute show on the football field. I was one of the five bass drummers and learned a ton about the importance of teamwork, pushing back comfort zones, and confidence this summer, as well as getting tan and fit!

What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

I became much more comfortable being outside of my comfort zone. I had to live in close quarters with 150 other people for 75 days straight, on mattress pads in gym floors. We rehearsed more than we slept for the first four weeks, and then did half of our sleeping on tour busses for the remaining seven weeks. We rehearsed in heat indexes above 100 degrees multiple times and looking back I don’t know how I did it all. I learned that I can push myself much further than I think, and that the reward of pushing through the discomfort is worth it. I have always struggled with pushing past my comfort zone, and this summer was 75 straight days of having no choice but to do just that. Little things like studying during free time instead of watching TV, to big things like going to a foreign country are both something I could do. Though the summer was extremely physically challenging, I believe I had way more mental challenges. I wanted to quit and go home multiple times during spring training, as the 11-hour rehearsal days with people just as stressed and worn out as I was had finally gotten to me. I had to remember why I chose to do drum corps.

A few weeks later, we had our first regional (where all 22 world class drum corps compete on the same day) in San Antonio, Texas. My Dad was able to come and watch because he was in Houston for work that week. I remember standing in the tunnel as we prepared to take the field and I had a minute to myself to think. My father, who coached so many of my soccer and baseball teams growing up, sacrificed time and money for baseball and music lessons, came to all my concerts and tennis matches, was sitting in those stands, over a thousand miles away from my home. How amazing it must be for him to watch his son perform at the highest level of the activity he loves the most. Suddenly I felt incredibly humbled and all the work I had done up to that point became miniscule compared to the joy it would bring my father. Then later in the season, my Mom, sister, grandparents, friends who were able to come and see a show. It felt amazing to repay all of those who helped me reach my goal.

On a less positive note, I learned how difficult it is for a group of young people, all under 22 years, to persevere through a schedule like that. I learned how we naturally want to build up hate, cause division, and take the easy way out. It was incredibly difficult to be in that environment, as we were the only community we had. I thought that my drumline would be more supportive of each other, more willing to think of others before themselves, and more accepting than they were. Unfortunately, that was not the case. For example, my 5’7” seat partner took up more space on the bus than I did, and I’m 6’6”! I was far from perfect in keeping a positive attitude or being supportive, but as a rookie in the drum corps I felt like my hands were tied. Through it all I learned how to survive within a toxic community and manage to find joy. I had to remember who I was really doing this for.

What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

My drum corps experience began in November of 2018 at an audition camp in Knoxville, Tennessee. Audition and Rehearsal camps continued once a month through February, and then we had spring training move-ins on May 26th. Our housing site for the first half of spring training was a very small high school in Humboldt, Tennessee. I found a commencement pamphlet in the gym and saw that their graduating class was 50 people. This small high school was our ‘home’ for those first two weeks. We ate, slept, showered, and rehearsed there for 13 days straight. I barely knew anyone within the drumline, and no one outside of it when I got there. The intensive rehearsal schedule made it difficult to develop friendships, because there was no time to. These were two of the hardest weeks of the season, as I was very new to the drum corps culture and had an injury that sidelined me for five days. We got roughly half of our show done in these two weeks, and then left for our next spring training housing site.

Our next housing site was at a nicer high school in Columbia, Tennessee. I remember here was where I faced the most mental challenges. I have a very strong community here at Ohio State, and I felt the weight of not having it. My community within the corps was horrible. The people were not supportive, they were insensitive, and I felt excluded. We had to spend every waking moment together though, so I had no choice but to stay and do my best to enjoy my time there. I began counting down the days until we started tour, and I could see my family. I became very bitter in these two weeks, as they were probably the two worst weeks of the summer. We had our family and friends show on Saturday, 22nd, and here I got to see my parents and then go to dinner with them after our show. That was a great relief for me, but unfortunately, they had to listen to me vent about all the things I hated more than I wish they had to. Now it was time to begin tour, which is the ‘fun part’ of the drum corps season.

Our first show was in Evansville, Indiana. The school we stayed at was terrible, and tour was not off to a good start. The show itself was amazing though, as it was our first full run in uniform on a real field, and we received a standing ovation at the end. Our next show was in Pittsburgh, and I had a lot of family and friends come to see me, which was overwhelming but nice. We had 25 shows over the entire tour, and these were only the first two. I was not enjoying it much more than I was spring training though. I began making more friends outside of the drumline, which was well needed. I wish I had better words to say about the people in my drumline, but I honestly don’t. Everyone gossiped behind each other backs, and many people were inconsiderate. I grew a deep appreciation for good community this summer by having a terrible one.

The performances were my favorite part of the summer. We ended our show by playing Imagine by John Lennon, and it always felt so powerful to perform. We had more standing ovations than not, even though we were usually an ‘opening act’ for better and older groups. We toured through Massachusetts, down to Florida, over to Texas, through Tennessee, up to New York, and then finished in Indianapolis. As tour dragged on, I became more comfortable with my environment. Sleeping on a bus, waking up at 3am to go sleep on an air mattress until 9am, then rehearse all day. Living out of a suitcase was easy for all of us. I would never do this again, but I am grateful for the experience and all that it taught me.

Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

I was pushed out of my comfort zone all summer, and that is the only way to grow. I have gained confidence, a stronger work ethic, and a broader view of the world. When problems arose in drum corps, we had to solve them quickly. When plans changed, we had to quickly adjust to them and do what was best for the group. I can apply all of this to my relationships, and hopefully will be a better friend, husband, father, etc. because of the lessons I’ve learned in drum corps. When we were exhausted, we still had to find a way to give our best for the audience and each other. Though I spent every day this summer creating music, I firmly believe that I learned more about how to handle day to day life than I did music. I know how to set priorities and use time most efficiently. As an engineer, efficiency is of paramount importance so I will be able to apply my summer to my courses. When I set a goal, I will know how to reach it, starting at square one.

After a rehearsal in Pennsylvania, near the end of the season. I am to the left with the largest drum.

 

I marched bass 5, and we had funny looking fedoras.

First, a collection

A male model stands behind a volleyball net, set against a blue sky. He is dressed all in white, with one foot in front of the other, eyes closed.

I created the pants that this model is wearing.

Two teenagers standing in a backyard with all white clothes on, the one standing is holding a hose over the head of the other who is kneeling

I created the top of the female model, and the pants on the male model.

Over the summer I created a 3-piece clothing collection that centers around youth, and rebellion. After I was done creating the collection, I photographed models wearing the pieces, with my concept being something I had been taught as a child: “Never play outside while wearing white clothes,” and submitted these photos as a project to my summer photography class.

Some noticeable changes that happened as I was completing this project was my overall confidence. Every time I completed a new piece, or another assignment in my photography class (leading up to the final) I felt more and more comfortable in my ability/skill, but also how I began to find my voice in the two intersecting crafts. At the beginning, I was noticeably frustrated at how much I would mess up straight stitches, and measurements. However, toward the end, I realized there were parts of the process where I learned to be self-sufficient. I could think critically about next steps, and how the garment was constructed.

I would contribute the bulk of the transformation to the people I was able to spend time with summer. The three broad groups of people I spent the most time with this summer was my mom, my friends, and my photography class. Beginning with my mother, she was basically my mentor for the summer. She taught me all that I needed to know about constructing garments, and the time that I got to spend with her was invaluable. Not only did she help me in construction, she helped in improving my character. My mother is a incredibly strong, confident, and compassionate person. She is my role model, and I went through internal change because of her leadership.

This summer I got to spend a good chunk of time with friends. Whether they were modeling for my pictures, or we were just hanging out at each other’s houses, I became incredibly close to one family in particular. This family taught me patience, humility, and empathy. Every time our families hung out together, it always felt like we were united as one big family, and we were never afraid to be ourselves. When it came time to leave, I always felt rejuvenated–like my soul had been renewed because of the conversation and lessons I would bring home.

This summer I also had the privilege to take a photography class with a group of incredibly talented, and thoughtful individuals. This course taught me the importance of looking at other people’s work for inspiration, motivation, and also how other people interpret/think about assignments and concepts. These lessons that I have learned are invaluable because I used to think every class was about comparison. How well did I do in comparison to my classmates? How could I continue to be the best of the best? As a result of this course, I have gained an appreciation of other people’s unique work, as well as my own. Another thing that has grown on me, is the critique process. Whether or not people had nice things to say, I found that taking the time to thoughtfully analyze a work of art is truly powerful, and we as viewers have agency over how we choose to criticize/not criticize.

These lessons I have learned have helped me grow into a more well rounded person. Whether socially, artistically, or creatively, I have placed greater confidence in myself and have grown to love learning from others as well. In the future, these lessons will hold great benefit for my life because for the duration of everyone’s life, we will have to encounter and interact with people from different backgrounds. If I am able to understand the things that I can learn from all people, I will continue to grow. Additionally, critiquing is a big part of any art/design field. Being able to constructively criticize your work as well as other’s work is pivotal to success. Not only is this true, but instead of using critique as a tool to compare yourselves to others, rather using other people’s work as a stepping stone to improving your work, and inspiring your work–that is the magic of critique.