I Spent My Last 2 Euro on Gelato and I have No Regrets (Second Impressions)

This morning, I sat on the steps by myself and enjoyed my last gelato. I know, but cannot believe, that this is my last day here in Perugia. I began to think about just how much I have grown as a person over the past 6 weeks and it is truly incredible. Then, after reading my entire blog stream, the mental growth was also obvious. Before coming on this trip, my knowledge of the Renaissance was extremely limited. I had a small background from high school history classes and then we touched on this period in Western Civilization I and Music Survey. To be completely honest, I am not sure if I could have even made a reasonable guess at the dates (ca.1350-1600 CE, for those of you who are wondering).

I am not saying that I am not an expert in the Italian Renaissance; however, I feel like I now have a pretty good grasp on the most important highlights. For philosophy, I continually practiced applying the four central concepts (humanism, individualism, secularism, and historical self-consciousness) to different works in my blogs. Just over the semester, I have a much better understanding of them also. I no longer confuse humanism and the humanities. I now understand that secularism is not a sinful concept, but instead a focus on this world. I believe strongly that Christians can have a secularist outlook, in fact they should. Christ does not want people to follow Him just so they can reserve a place in Heaven, instead He wants people to follow him because they love Him.

I had absolutely no knowledge of art before this class, thus I didn't really feel comfortable writing about it early on in the semester. However, after working with the professors and viewing a plethora of all kinds of art, I now feel comfortable analyzing it. As for music, I had a fairly extensive background before the trip because I played saxophone for four years and I also completed music survey in college. However, I never spent that much time with Renaissance music, so I definitely grew in that aspect. In my blog stream, as I became more comfortable as view as music as art, I was able to look at music in a new way. At the beginning of the semester I would just analyze the physical components of the music itself.

This course has far exceeded my expectations. In my first blog, I mainly just stated that I wanted to grow. I have definitely achieved that, as I have already been discussing. I wanted to learn in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. I think those out of the classroom experiences have definitely been the most memorable and probably the most beneficial to me. Again, in my first blog, I expressed my excitement for getting to see in person what I usually just view in textbooks. That was amazing because I would find myself standing in front of works of art and monuments that I have seen depicted my entire life, such as The David or The Birth of Venus.

One of the most awe striking out of classroom experiences was seeing the Colosseum. Again, this is something that I have learned about my entire life and I never thought I would see in person. However, our last day in Rome we took a long and hot ride on the metro across town. I was already annoyed because I was starving, I have to have my breakfast. And then, being Rome, there were tons of people crowding around me the entire ride there. But as soon as we exited the metro building, there it was, in all its glory. Just bam. Walk out of the dark underground and you get hit by the sunlight and a larger-than-life structure that is centuries old. It was incredible.

I also see a change in my self-understanding throughout the semester. Most of the changes are small or vague, but I think the best example would have to be the blog I wrote about Plato's Allegory of the Cave. Since I have not really dealt with philosophy that much in my life, I had a lot to learn about. It also changed my understanding of the world and myself, it definitely opened my mind up. Reading and understanding the piece proved to me that I am capable of understanding philosophy. The actual content help to show me where I have come out of some caves, coming on this trip for example. It also showed me where I need to grow and try to help other people learn as well.

I would like to take this last little bit of my blog to thank some special people. Thank you to Dr. Bonner and Gardner-Webb for making this trip possible. It has provided me with some very priceless growth and knowledge. Your generosity is unreal. Thank you to my professors, Dr. Lininger and Mrs. Adkins. You guys are amazing and have facilitated my academic growth in ways that I didn't know were possible. I also see how much you care about us personally and that means more than you know. Thank you to my parents, who have supported me 100%. You guys are wonderful and I love you. Also, thank you if you are reading this, your support means so much to me.

  

Girl Talk

At some point in every girls life, they have probably sat around and talked with their girlfriends about the qualities that they want their future partner to have. They might have even gone as far as to write it down somewhere, almost like a checklist when they meet someone. As it turns out, this is not a new concept. Noblemen in the 1500s would sit around, giggle, paint each other's nails, and talk about the qualities that they would like their Courtier to have. Who knew?

But seriously, they really did do this. The Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione is a conversation between several noblemen about the qualities that their Courtier should have. They wanted the perfect leader, so they made sure that they were prepared with their checklist. Sometimes they disagreed, but essentially they came up with: military leader; impeccable character; master of: the arts, humanities, and sports. Oh, and too, he needed to be attractive: “I would have the Courtier favoured in this regard also, and endowed by nature not only with talent and beauty of person and feature, but with a certain grace and (as we say) air that shall make him at first sight pleasing and agreeable to all who see him” (75).

Sounds easy, right? Did I forget to mention that master of the arts not only means that he needs to be educated in the arts, but also be able to read music, play an instrument, draw, and paint well? The same basis goes for the humanities and sports. Okay, maybe it doesn't sound quite so easy anymore. It actually sounds like they want the Courtier to be perfect in every way, shape, and form. Not only perfect in the sense that we use today, but Plato's perfect form (which is unattainable on this earth, according to him). It makes me wonder if this list is just something they would like to aim for or if they actually expected to find a person that fit every criteria.

This was very “Renaissance” of them though, the central concepts can definitely be found in this piece. Humanism is evident: “I would have him...conversant not only with the Latin language but with the Greek, for the sake of the many different things that have been admirably written therin. Let him be well versed in the poets, and not less in the orators and historians” (76). Clearly there is an celebration of the individual because they expect the Courtier to be able to do many things and do them well. Orientation is clearly on this world and they expect the Courtier to have impeccable character for the sake of humanity and not for a reward in the afterlife. Lastly, these guys knew they were living in a ground breaking time and they needed a very special leader to guide them into increased strength.

However, I can't help but think that they were being a bit too picky. I completely understand the desire for a perfect man, don't we all? Perhaps though they should have focused their interests on the qualities that they needed the most? Sure, it would be amazing to find a perfect leader with all of these qualities, but why not just zero in on the qualities that are most importance for improving their country and protecting it? While they definitely should not settle, if they try to wait on someone who meets every criteria, they are going to turn away some great leaders and essentially never end up with a Courtier.

What is Your Opinion?

The other day, we were discussing people preoccupation with school and their particular majors. So many students with intensive programs get so sucked into achieving the perfect grade and getting to their degree that they begin to neglect everything else around them. They do not make the effort to make friends outside of their department and they neglect the ones that they do have. They disconnect with their family. They refuse to participate in any extra activities not pertaining to their major. They develop a superior attitude and forget that other people also have difficult programs. They start to make everyone around them miserable.

This is probably one of the most frustrating things to me because if your life ended tomorrow, it would not matter what your GPA was or how much you knew about education, nursing, or religion. What would matter would be how you lived your life and how you impacted others lives. As I thought about it more, I began to wonder what some of the great philosophers and men of the Renaissance would say. I believe that Pico would say that we are “constrained by no limits” and that we should not confine ourselves to one area (Oration on the Dignity of Man, 72). He would probably say that humans are of indeterminate nature and are beautiful creatures that are full of possibilities, so we should be reaching higher towards the Divine.

Plato would instruct us to kindly step out of the cave that we are living in. He would show us that there is so very much out there in the world than ourselves. And by staying in a cave where we think the world consists of ourselves and the few shadows surrounding us, is essentially limiting ourselves. After seeing that there is more to the world and expanding our minds, we would then want to do the same for others: “Let him be reminded of his first habitation, and what was wisdom in that place, and of his fellow-prisoners there; don't you think he would bless himself for the change, and pity them” (“Allegory of the Cave” from The Republic)? I think he would also say that through understanding more of the world outside of the cave would help us better understand our life within the cave (in this case our area of study).

Petrarch would probably tell us something a little different than the others. He would tell us to stick to our studies and not try to take the easy way out because it never really turns out the way you want it to. As far as the social aspect, he would probably tell us to take the advice of St. Augustine and first exam and perfect ourselves before we can take interest in other things. We must first exam ourselves and work on achieving a better relationship with God. Only then should we focus on external issues and be able to appreciate the beauty of the world along with human life.

Aristotle would, of course, advise us that there is a golden mean to everything. There is solely studying and solely socializing- neither are correct. Somewhere in there is a balance between the two and when it is found, one can better appreciate both. A perfectionist student may have to aim towards over-socializing to hit the mean. On the other hand, a socialite may have to work toward being over studious. I tend to agree with Aristotle the most because I do think there is a mean to everything and, if achieved, is a beautiful thing.

Lastly, Machiavelli would say that there is a balance, however one should focus on whatever is most beneficial. To Machiavelli, it doesn't really matter if you are making the people around you miserable: “a prince ought not to worry about a reputation for being cruel in order to keep his subjects unified and loyal” (The Prince, 284). I don't think he would have advised us to take interest in other people's lives just to help them, only to help us.

Clearly there are some conflicting opinions, in theory, between the philosophers and men of the Renaissance. However, there is still an overarching theme of balance and taking interest in the world around us. There is so much more out there in the world than the tiny sphere so many people confine themselves to. If we are able to break our of our caves, we might discover a whole new beautiful life and wonder how we even lived before.

Music and Math?

Even those who are not musicians or mathematicians know that the two subject matters are related. Well, sort of. It is much easier to find math in music than music in math (literally speaking). Music is written on stanzas of five lines, divided into different types of time measures, notes are measured by fractions, and instruments have a various number of holes to produce different sounds. All of this, even to the non-musicians, seems like common sense. Most people just don't associate music and math together because one is a fine art and the other is a science.

The part that is incredible, and almost mind blowing, is to think that pitches are also determined by math. In circa 500 BCE, Pythagoras figured out the arithmetical ratios for perfect musical intervals. This is oh about 2,400 years before calculators and he is breaking ground on mathematical concepts that we still use today. In the most simplistic form, he figured out that a 2:1 ratio will render the same pitch, only one octave up. This may seem logical, but it is actually much more complex than that. Also, as a reminder, this is 500 BCE.

In ancient Greece, music was a part of life everywhere and it was considered to be very powerful. It was to believed to be so powerful that some philosophers, such as Plato, did not believe that it should be used here in this world. Since there were no CDs or iPods in those days, the people of the Renaissance did not have much of an idea as to what music sounded like in the days of ancient Greece. All they had were some artifacts that described music and some pieces of instruments. So music of the Renaissance was not so much the rebirth of ancient Greek music, but more of the ideas of music.

The people of the Renaissance explored some with music and made huge advancements. However, it was still extremely different than most music today. Many pieces today, especially mainstream music, has no organization or control and is very open for interpretation. Music of the Renaissance was still considered art and usually followed the principals of organization. One could listen to a piece and hear the balance, unity, focal area, and dynamics. Those principals of organization are not promised in every piece created today. One of the biggest ideas of the Renaissance was control and that could definitely be found in music. Tempo was controlled and even the dynamics were not that dramatic. I doubt many people today have a “Music of the Renaissance” playlist on their iPod, but I know that if the people of the Renaissance heard our music, they wouldn't even consider it music.

Just All of the Essentials

When I was college “shopping” a few years ago, I found that any Liberal Arts foundation would stress the importance of an Liberal Arts education. I thought it sounded nice and would look great on a resume, so I bought into it. At the time, I thought that the institutes were pushing Liberal Arts so they could boost enrollment, but after completing half of my college education at a Liberal Arts institute, I have found that the Liberal Arts education really is important.

So what exactly is a Liberal Arts education? Well, in simplistic terms, it is getting a little taste of everything with, of course, a concentration in one's major. The student, no matter what major, is required to take a few English classes, a fine art, a science, a math, a history, a religion, and so on. Liberal is often thought of being opposite of conservative, but I don't think in this instance that it really means that. I believe that, in this sense, liberal means more free; to have the freedom of an open-minded education instead of being confined to one subject matter.

Liberal Arts educations are not only beneficial, but essential. Most of the time education is viewed as being skill oriented or “learning” oriented. Skill oriented educations would be the ones focused on achieving a specific degree to work a certain job, such as in the medical field, engineering, or accounting. A “learning” oriented education would be one that is much more flexible, such as psychology, religion, or philosophy. However, there should not be such a distinction between the truth because for either education to reach its full potential, the two types of learning should be combined.

All subject matters- reading, writing, arithmetic, science, fine arts, communication, history, religion, philosophy, health, and physical fitness- are intertwined together. For example, one has to master reading before they can comprehend math word problems or read about history. Also, a student must understand math before they can learn chemistry or create proportionally correct art. That is why I am so glad I chose Gardner-Webb to complete my nursing degree, instead of going to a community college. In nursing, it is important to be able read the doctor's orders and instructions for medications. In addition, we need to be able to write well to document as well as communicate with the patient, other nurses, and doctors. It is essential to be competent in math to calculate drug doses. A nurse also needs to have a great grasp on cultures and religions so they can not only respect their patients, but connect with them. It useful for the nurse to understand psychology because it helps them to better understand why their patients are acting a certain way and how to respond therapeutically to them. The nurse, of course, needs to be master of science, health, and physical fitness. The list goes on, but it is fairly obvious that it is important to incorporate these liberal arts in all types of education.

Educating the Governed

The world around us is constantly changing. Every day, new ideas are produced, old lives pass, new lives are born, better technology is invented, knowledge is gained, and mistakes are made. However, it seems that human principal remains the same throughout the ages. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 and while I may not agree with all of his ideals, they seem to fairly represent the same government that we have today.

The Prince is a model for how Machiavelli thinks the rulers of a providence should conduct themselves. One of Machiavelli's priority suggestions for the Prince, is to maintain control of the state. The Prince should achieve this control by finding the balance between being cruel and being loved . This concept is similar to Aristotle's “means” and how there is balance to everything. I highly doubt that Aristotle would have agreed with cruelty and war, but it is the same concept. The Prince has to be cruel enough to be respected, but admirable enough to not be overthrown by the people.

This mean may have to be adjusted, though. Just an anorexic may have to aim towards gluttony to be able to achieve the mean of proper sustenance, the Prince may have to adjust his methods to maintain power of the state. According to Machiavelli, “the prince should be both feared and loved, if possible. But since it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be given up” (285). This is a valid point because if the prince is just loved, he becomes weak and will be overthrown by the people.

This is where many rulers make the fatal mistake of wanting to just be loved. The truth is, every one will never be pleased with the actions of a ruler. The ruler, according to Machiavelli, should be wise and cunning like a fox while being powerful like a lion. They have to be strong enough to make the best decision for their state and cannot focus on pleasing every one or pleasing the surrounding states. This principal not applies to governmental rulers, but also other rulers, such as teachers or parents. I have seen so many teachers loose compete control of their learning environment because they care more about being loved by their students than educating them. By doing so, their students do love them, but do not respect them. After this point, the teacher cannot regain respect no matter how tyrannical they act.

Machiavelli also believes the Prince should appear to be, “pious, faithful, humane, honest, religious, and to be so. But he should have his mind so prepared that when occasion requires, he is able to change to the opposite” (288). This is incredibly gilded and it is outraging to know that most of our leaders probably follow this philosophy. However, upon reading a little bit further, one realizes that it only the follower's fault for letting the leader get away with these behaviors. The majority follows blindly and sees what is pleasant to the mind. Machiavelli summarizes it perfectly, “people in general judge more with their eyes than with their minds. Everyone can see; few have understanding. Everyone sees what you seem to be; few know what you really are. And those few do not dare oppose the opinion of the many, who have the power of the state to support them” (288).

The Prince, is an opinionated and powerful novel that may not have the best strategies, but there is so much truth that should not be overlooked. This is not a novel that should be read by rulers, it is a novel that should be read by followers. It would help the system work better because the governed would be able to see how the governors work and would not be fooled so easily. When the blind lead the blind, they both fall in a ditch. But when the seeing lead the blind, they go wherever the one with sight wishes to go.

The Respectable Side of Music

The Renaissance was a great time of growth for humanity, a time where there was a huge emphasis on thought, reason, and sensory experiences. Two different aspects of sensory experiences are visual art and music. Music may be one of the most under respected art forms, especially today. However, during the Renaissance, composers such as Francesca Landini and Josquin de Prez crafted music that was so beautiful that it demanded respect. In their works, they used the same central concepts and principals of organization that writers and visuals artists used.

If Frncesca Landini's Ballata is taken for an example, the words show a huge emphasis on secularism. The entire song is about the celebration of Spring and the beauty that comes with that time of the year. The composer encourages us to stop and appreciate what present has to offer, instead of rushing around preparing for the future. There is also an element of individualism in the third stanza when it says, “In this happy time/ Everything has beauty.” This statement implies that nature is not the only beautiful thing, but also the life surrounding it.

In visual art, we talk about how it hold four principals of organization: balance, unity, focal area, and dynamics. Like visual art, music also holds these principals or the music might even be inspired by a piece of art. Josquin de Prez's Ave Maria is a great example of this. Within this beautiful motet, balance can be found not only in the music, but also in the words. The song opens with a Salutation to the Virgin, followed by 5 strophes in praise, and closed with a petition, invoking the protection of the protection of the Virgin. Unity is perfected as the voice(s) come together with the music. Unity in the words is clear, as the entire song is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The focal area of the music is definitely centered on the voice(s) and not the music. The words, again, are focused on Mary. Lastly, dynamics are dependent on the particular rendition of the song, but most of the ones I have heard tend to peak in the middle and are softer at the beginning and end.

Music in the Renaissance also increased in clarity, rhythm, and melody as time progressed. Composers learned to use text painting, which is a way of using music to bring texts and pieces of art to life through music. There was also an increasing virtuosity and versatility of the preformer and composer of music throughout this time period. The Renaissance man would be able to play an instrument or even also be able to compose music. This was truly a great time of growth for the art of music.