CarolineLeonard

September17,2014
PreliminaryReflectionPaper
STA446
Aftermyboardingschoolexperience,IknewthatIwouldgainauniquetransition
tocollegebecauseIwasalreadyanindependent,confidentindividual.Thisperspective
hasallowedmetodelvedeeperintomyundergraduatestudyandconsidertheparallelsto
mydevelopingglobalviewpoint.Asacommunicationsmajorandareligiousstudies
minor,alotofmydailystudiesrelatedirectlytorealworldapplication.
Themostsignificantaspectsofthesestudiesarethewritingskillsandreading
materialsthatIhavelearnedoverthepasttwoyears.Forme,writingisoneofthemost
importantskillsthatanindividualcanmaster;andformyfutureprofessionitisan
invaluabletrait.AsIcontinueonthepathofpublicrelations,Ihavealsolearnedthat
readingthenewsisakeyfeatureofkeepingupwiththeworldandtheprofession.Thisis
nowsomethingthatIcantgoadaywithoutdoing.
Onedistinctiveconnectionbetweenmyreligionclassesandcommunication
classesistherealworldexperiencethatwasaddedintothecoursesyllabus.Formy
Hinduismclass,wetraveledtoatempleinCarytoobserveasacredceremonywiththe
localsofthetown.Formymediawritingclass,weactedasjournalistsonseveral
accountsandinterviewedstudentsaroundcampus.Bothoftheseexperiencesforcedme
tostepoutsidemycomfortzoneandlookbeyondmyownpersonalperspectivessoI
couldlearnfromthestrangersIencountered.Thisenabledmetostrengthenmy
communicationandlisteningskillsinordertogainthematerialandunderstandingofthe
assignment.
WhenIthinkaboutthefoundationsofthisGSTCapstone,Ihopetoexplorehow
musichasinfluencedthemediaandthepopularartistsoftodayssociety.Lookinginto
howhistoryhascreatedafoundationforthefutureissomethingthatseveralofmy
classeshaveexamined.Everythingthatweunderstandandknowinthemodernworld
wascreatedorinfluencedbysomethinglongago,andIthinkthatthereisalarge
connectionbetweeneighteenthcenturycomposersandmoderndaymusicians.Musicis
alsoauniversalphenomenonthateverynation,ethnicity,andindividualcanrelateto.
Thereisnorequirementinordertounderstand,love,andenjoythesoundofamelody,
andforthismusicpossessesaspecialpowerinsociety.Asaprimarylensthroughwhich
thiscourseexaminescontent,Iameagertolearntheeffectsofmusicinsocietybothnow,
andbackinthenineteenthcentury.
Outsideofmymainstudies,Iamalsointerestedinphotographyandfashion.I
havealwayshadanimaginativemindandaloveforusingthatcreativitywhenever
possible.Thischaractertraitissomethingthatdrewmetothecourse,becauseAustriaisa
countryrichwithcultureandcreativity.Musicwithoutadoubtisapartoftheartsand

continuestobeawayforpeopletoexpressthemselves.Allofthesetraitsare
interconnectedbecausetheyallowindividualstocreatetheirownpath.Musicisalso
somethingthatIhavenothadtochancetostudyindepth,althoughithasalwaysbeena
partofmylife.MyfatherhasapassionformusicandwhenIwaslittleIwouldoften
wakeuptohimplayingthepiano.Iknowthatbytheendofthiscourseandourtripin
AustriaIwillhaveastrongerconnectionwithmusicbecauseIwillunderstandthe
influenceithashadinsocietyoverthepast400years.