Benedict’s Storymap – Geography 210: Geographic Dimensions of Human Development

The pounding beat of Rock and Roll, or the soaring melodies of a great Symphony are where I can find freedom and sanctuary, peace and anger, and love and hate. Music is a huge part of my identity, and it has played a crucial role in my life as I developed into the person that I am today. The music that I play on my instrument or listen to every day originates from all over the world. Some of my favorite artists are from very near by in the United States, but many others created their music in Western Europe or Russia, and some of the music has reached me all the way from Istanbul. The influence of the region in which an artist works can be heard in their music, and through their music I can catch a brief glimpse of the culture in the artist’s location. This Storymap takes us to these locations and tells a little about the artists from each location, and the influence that they have had on me. The story begins with the composers that first began to shape my musical identity as a young child, and then travels through the other locations in the order that those artists entered my life.

John Olszewski says:

October 1, 2015 at 12:45 pm

It’s interesting how technology has enabled Benedict to experience different types of music. Without being able to experience these artists live technology has allowed us to relive recordings of (more recent) artists playing their own music. In addition, the music can be spread even further and shared more easily. Benedict’s sister giving him a CD is an example of this but even him sharing the YouTube videos in his map shows the ease of sharing music in this time.

Gerardo Nolasco Pineda says:

October 1, 2015 at 12:45 pm

As a musician, I understand how music makes one a global citizen. However, I feel like it would have been great if you would have mentioned how you contributed into the global experience of others. I enjoyed the interactive videos you included, it causes the reader to attempt to distinguish a little how music sounds different depending on the location where it was produced/created.

Maggie says:

I love the focus of this StoryMap! I think you took a really interesting avenue to show how music is something important to you as well as something that connects the world at a broader level. The videos worked really well (love Queen, by the way) and you had a cohesive narrative with well-written commentary.