About Me
My name is Chaning Smith, and I am from Mount Holly, NC. I am majoring in Interior Design, and thinking about minoring in piano. I am so excited to be at High Point University!
Music Life History
How has music impacted me throughout my life? My first memory of music, was when I was three. I remember my mom had an old rocking chair she would sing and rock to us on. The comfort I remember is something I will never forget, even at such a young age. Throughout my life, my mom implemented a variety of music. She says she has always tried to play music throughout our home to cheer our spirits. It has always made our home feel welcoming to new people and stand out from other households. When I was younger I remember waking up to worship music and hearing her sing around the house.
My mom dislikes hard rock however she loves gospels, hymns, old country, and classical music. Because of this, we never heard hard rock or rap music in our home. As I have grown older my music has been closely aligned with my mom's. I am not quite sure if it is because of how my mom raised me, or just my own opinion on that kind of music. Throughout her life, she said gospel music has had the most impact on her life. She listens to it in the morning to start her day. I have realized I implement this throughout my day as well. Whether that is worship music or just positive music in general, I like to listen to it throughout my day. I especially do this when I am walking to class for an early lecture.
I have realized how much music has affected me in my life. An example would be when I am feeling down I like to listen to sad music. Some people would say this is silly, but I have found if I listen to sad music when I am sad and I have a good cry, I don’t feel sad anymore. Listening to upbeat music is something I have learned to do from my mom. This is just one example of how much music can affect my mood and impact me. For example, it is like others are saying how I am feeling. When I don’t understand my own emotions, music helps me. Music has been and will continue to be a form of therapy.
Musical Self Profile
As I went over the exercises in The Music Within You chapter 8 I realized how much the music people listen to shows what kind of person they are. The music I listen to the most is upbeat music that is calming and easygoing. It has a lot of guitars, pianos, and in most cases, one person singing. This reflects my personality immensely because I wouldn’t listen to or at least I wouldn’t enjoy listening to music that is chaotic or has a lot going on. I enjoy upbeat music and music that has more of a simple monophonic texture. I will listen to rap but it has a polyphonic texture and always has a lot going on. For example, when I listen to rap It is like my brain is overloaded, I understand now that this indicates that I feel overwhelmed with doing several things at once or I have felt overwhelmed in the past. When I listen to calming/relaxing music I feel the most comfortable because I prefer working on one thing at a time. I think for me it is a strength because when I sit down and focus on one thing at a time I get things done faster. I have noticed that the music I prefer to listen to are the ones I can relate to the most. Whenever I try and listen to music I used to like a year or even two years ago I do not like it anymore. Why don’t I like it? Simple, because I cannot relate to the lyrics anymore. That doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t like the beat/rhythm anymore. I think I get confused when I stop liking a song because I think the song is overplayed, which can be true in some instances. However, It also means I have moved passed the chapter of my life when I played the song the most. I would say a year ago I would have listened to a lot more songs that were more depressing, however, over the last two years I have replaced them with uplifting songs. This has altogether improved my mental health because I believe what we listen to affects our emotions. If all we do is listen to sad music when we are sad that doesn’t really help anything, or at least it doesn’t for me personally. Some of my favorite artists are the ones I relate to and I think that goes for a lot of people. Overall what makes music so beautiful is that there is something out there for everyone no matter what they're going through.
Go through the assignments from the first half of the semester and choose one that demonstrates something that you learned to do in this course. a) Describe what you learned from the assignment, b) How much satisfaction do you take in this accomplishment? c) Do you feel that you could complete another assignment of this type, or even take it to a higher level?
As I reviewed the assignments we have completed throughout the first part of this semester, I have realized that I have learned and accomplished several new skills. From learning to understand music in a more in-depth way and looking deeper into how music affects our emotions. To also finding new exercises that have had a positive effect on me throughout my week. I already feel like I have a better understanding of several new things. My favorite assignment over the first half of the semester has been making my own music. Analyzing music also plays a key role in making music because when you can understand why there are different parts to songs it will help you when writing/making your own. The assignment that I have learned the most from would be the analyzing exercises. Listening to music prior to class I didn’t really think about the verses, chorus, or bridges. It is very interesting to me because now I have a better understanding of how songs are written and specifically how songs are put together by these different parts. I also understand that sometimes artists/musicians don’t change the outlines of songs as much as they could. Why not try something new instead of having a simple intro verse chorus and then verse and chorus again? Because I have a better understanding of how songs are made, I can easily make songs myself. Using Bandlab to create my own music is one of my favorite assignments for the first half of this semester. I can now take things that I have learned from listening and learning and apply them to my own music that I make. When I am making my own music I can also use other exercises that we have done in this class to help inspire me as well. For example, like the nature exercise, I can sit outside and find inspiration all around me to help with the creative process. For the exercise assignment, I could possibly think about how my heart slowly gets faster as I do more intense exercises. In music, I could use this as a build or deep drum beat that slowly gets louder and faster. Using a decrescendo effect throughout the song will create the same kind of rhythm/texture in my music piece. Learning this new skill has expanded my creative abilities immensely because now I can be creative through music, not just in drawing or painting. I can find inspiration from so many different things from what I see to what I hear. The only hard part about making music is putting all the sounds together to make an actual song. I think I could complete another one of these assignments on a more complicated level. I could definitely continue to practice making songs on the Bandlab website and put a verse, chorus, and bridge. Like we have talked about in class, by understanding more about music I have more confidence in myself because I understand more, and I have high self-esteem because of it.
Looking back over the Resilience Challenges from the journals (Mindful Noting, Nature, Sleep, etc.), which have been the most useful or impactful? Which have you continued? How have these exercises affected your experience at HPU?
The resilience exercise that I have noticed has the most impact on me throughout the week we tried them would be self-talk. I found it very interesting how the more I did it the easier it got at hyping myself up so to speak. I would prefer to write things down more rather than talking to myself. If I were to talk to myself out loud I would feel like I was going absolutely crazy. So I wrote the good things down rather than saying them out loud to myself. If I was talking out loud to myself I think my roommate would actually think I was crazy. I really enjoyed listening to a new style of music that I was not used to because it allowed me to have a better understanding of classical music. The more I understand about a new kind of music the more confidence I have in myself and my abilities to learn and comprehend new things. I want to continue to learn new things not just in music but in other areas of my life as well. Whether that is learning a new instrument to maybe learning a new sport. The resilience exercises have all been trying something new, from getting out of our comfort zones to trying out new ways to do things we already know. This has been very good for me personally because the whole reason I came to college was to step out of my comfort zone and try something new and exciting that would also push me to be the best version of myself. Trying new things and getting out of my comfort zone has taught me a lot about how I shouldn't be scared to try new things just because I might be scared to fail. This class has improved my sense of accountability for myself and how I handle stressful situations by remaining calm and staying focused. It has also pushed me to try new things that might be completely new for me.
We had Craig Curty from the Peer-Assisted Learning Service (PALS) , Samantha Gates-Reese from Career Services/Professional Development, and Bryan Nicholls from the Smith Library come in to give short introductions to student services. Besides Bryan (which was required), have you followed up with either of the other offices? Is it easy or difficult to access student services?
I find it very helpful how High Point offers so many student resources that make being a student here so much smoother. I have only followed up with going to see Bryan in the Library. I also plan to visit Career Services/Professional Services for help with my portfolio to submit to the interior design school. The information Bryan explained to the class about all the resources the library has is so helpful, he is right it is kind of like a cheat code for research papers. This is one of the things I love about High Point because of all of the resources they have for the students. This is one of the reasons that HPU stands out from other colleges. When I met with Bryan he showed me so many useful tips and tricks on how to find information on the HPU library website, and other websites like Wikipedia. He also explained to me how easy it is to find articles just by looking up exactly what you want to know on the Library website. From books to articles to bibliographies, the website has everything, and if HPU's website doesn’t have it, then it will direct you to a website that does. The student services are pretty easy to find location-wise, however, I would not know about them if it wasn’t for them coming to speak in this class. Which is why I found it very helpful. I am sure I could look up information about them, however, I liked how they visited the class to speak because I was able to learn more information that way rather than from the HPU website. The only thing is I feel like a lot of people don’t know about them or they would sue them a lot more. When I went to my appointment with Bryan he said hardly anyone schedules visits for research help. Because of the meeting with Bryan I feel more confident about my annotated bibliography and doing research going forward.
Has this course impacted your experience at HPU thus far? If so, how?
This class has definitely impacted my experience here at High Point University. Due to the variety of exercises we have done, I have learned so many new skills. I have realized just from being in the class how some music makes me feel and how music is completely aligned with our emotions. It is very interesting to me how our own rhymes sometimes don’t align with other people, and to realize that is okay. I don’t have to change my rhythm to make it align with someone else's. I have noticed that before reading “The Music Within You” chapter about our own natural rhythms, I hadn’t realized how much I was changing myself to fit other people's personalities/rhythms. I have changed since reading the book and how I react to people not agreeing with me instead of trying to please them even if it was compromising who I was. To now be okay with not matching rhythms with everyone. This is a big part of how I look at friendships here at HPU and possible friendships as well. I want the people I surround myself with to have a positive impact on my life and college experience, and if they do not add to that then there is no point in trying to make it work and change myself. I guess you could say I am tired of trying to constantly please other people because, in the process of making them happy, I am just draining myself more. I have also learned to let go of old friendships that just didn’t work as well as they used to. From moving to college and growing so much in these past couple of weeks. I have just realized just because I let a friendship go because we don’t work well together anymore does not mean I do not love them anymore. This is the main thing this class has taught me so far. To take a deeper look into my emotions and how my music tastes reflect that. Also how I am as a person and my own morals not aligning with others. To understand more about my rhythmic pattern and also others.
How do you feel this course has impacted your current academic skills? These might include (but not be limited to) any of the following: resilience, research, writing, teamwork, networking, reading/studying, analysis, critical thinking, and creative thinking.
This course has taught me how to use my creative skills and critical thinking skills more. One thing I have enjoyed about this course is that we are free to express ourselves in our writing, website, and through music. I have appreciated how instead of being very critical of how we write you allow us to write and express ourselves freely. I have also definitely grown in resilience and drive to accomplish things other than just academically. This course has taught me to be more confident in myself and my abilities. It has also given me a better understanding of music and how it affects our emotions. Research writing is something that is not one of my stronger traits, however, after this semester and visiting Bryan the librarian. I feel like I have learned so much more about sitting, websites, and research. I have also learned a lot about teamwork and how everyone has to put in work for the whole team to succeed. However, I have also realized that not everyone is willing to put in the work to help benefit the team as a whole. Certain individuals just really do not care about their grades or the team's grades they are on. I will say having to help carry the weight of others' work during teamwork exercises was not ideal. However, I am very appreciative of the fact that you graded my work not based on my teammates. I have enjoyed being challenged on my ideas and the things I believe in, it has allowed me to speak in front of people more confidently. I have improved my creative thinking abilities as well, in how I write and design things. For example, when I am designing I have learned to use music to inspire me. I have also learned to use music when writing, even if it is just being played softly in the background it helps me focus so much more.
What new skills have you learned in this course?
I talk about how I think music affects human beings and our emotions, however, I want to first say that none of this is proven material, just personal experiences.
There have been several new skills that I have learned during my time in this class. The first one has been to appreciate music, in general, more because I never really noticed how much music is connected with emotions. Through these past couple of months, I have learned to use music to my advantage when I am amidst the creative process. For instance, when designing I have recently been using music to help influence and inspire my designs. I have also found that when I listen to music more in my everyday life I am so much more in touch with my emotions. A question I have been asking myself over the past couple of months is this, does music affect our emotions or does it reflect them? I have concluded that music does both, it affects our emotions, but it does not have a long-lasting impact. Music does however reflect our already present emotions, and the music and specific songs mirror those feelings. For example, it can influence non-permanent emotions and give inspiration when designing but does not, at least for me, result in a lasting emotional effect. Another way music can briefly influence our feelings is through memories. As an example, when a song comes on it takes an individual back to a memory along with emotions they experienced during that time. This influences them to have the same short emotional responses. It can also reflect emotions that we are already feeling, like when someone is sad and they listen to sad music to become in touch with their emotions during that time. This can also happen when someone is playing joyful and uplifting songs that reflect the happy feeling they are experiencing. By understanding how music is related to our emotions and how they influence them. I can use music to my advantage when designing as inspiration, using it to better understand my emotions and to also re-experience memories.
What assignment do you feel represents your best work, and how does it do so?
This is a very hard question because I am very proud of my work this semester. I have pushed myself to try the best I can even when I don’t feel like it. I did not allow myself to not do assignments and I even tried to get all my assignments turned in on time which should be the standard. However, I will admit unfortunately that some of my assignments were turned in late. Going along with assignments in general I would say the assignment I am most proud of would be my full website. I could say that one assignment in particular was my favorite or I think I did well achieving. However, I can say with confidence that I am proud of my full website because I have attempted to express myself through it. I have used my favorite colors, pictures, and even fun fonts. I could have left my website some would say boring and not expressive by leaving it in white. However, I wanted it to be like an art project, a creative work. Something unique and unlike other sites. It represents my best work because I have tried my very best to always add a fun and artistic feel to the site to show my ability to be creative. I am an interior design student and I learned about the creative process and principles and elements of design, which I think helped with this class throughout the semester. Another thing that has helped me in the assignment is being a piano minor. It has given me the upper hand in the music-making assignments because I am familiar with the different aspects of music like texture, rhythm, and harmony. Through all of this, I have had the opportunity to design my website to what I like and would want in a website of my own.
How has this course affected your worldview or perspective?
I think the biggest way this course has impacted me along with the first semester here would be by how others view things differently than me. How people work with others and how they treat assignments differently than me. It is like they almost see them as an option not an assignment in itself. If you think about it, yes, an assignment is an option but if you do not do it it affects the outcome of your final grade. Another thing this semester and course has taught me is how different individual beliefs and morals are different. How their idea of fun is so much different than what I think is fun. I have also had to learn that even though I might not agree with them, I can still be friends with them and we can still do things together. Also just because I don't agree with them I don’t have to put my feelings aside to try and please them. I can stand strong for what I believe in while not disregarding their feelings in the process. Before I would put my feelings aside and not stand up for what I believe. However, through this first semester, I would say I have changed my mindset on pleasing other people and their opinions and feelings over my own. From a worldwide perspective, I have discovered that everyone lives different lives. They have different majors, classes, jobs, and environments. However, I would say that even though someone's life appears to be better than yours, you never know what they are going through behind closed doors. It is up to me to stop disregarding my life and experiences and to learn to be appreciative of my environment and experiences. Just because my memories are different from someone else's doesn’t make theirs or mine any better than the others.
How has this course affected your understanding of yourself or your identity?
Before coming to High Point University, I was more shy and reserved, I was scared to speak up about my opinions. I was intimidated by others who had “bigger personalities " than I did and as a result of that, I began to shrink myself and my personality when around others. I began to second guess not only my intelligence but also how I perceived myself and who I truly was as an individual. I would second guess myself in my writing skills and my creativity and compare it to my friends or other students in my classes. However, because of this class and others throughout this semester, I have found my voice, I finally understand that I am just as capable as everyone else and that yes sometimes it might be beneficial to compare and contrast your creative works with others to possibly see what each other could have done better. I have found also that when I used to compare my work to others I would disregard the work and effort I put into mine because I thought theirs was better than mine. The main thing that I have stopped doing is letting myself think that my work is not good simply because it is my work. I think if it was somebody else project, paper, or presentation, I would say and think it was good. I would say now after going through this throughout high school, having a good mindset changes everything. Having a mindset where I thought everyone was better, smarter, and more talented was draining and exhausting. The truth that I have to tell myself is this, I am intelligent, I am creative, and I have the drive to achieve my goals. I am not exactly sure where to put this under for this course in particular. It could be critical thinking, creative thinking, or even the recognizing your own strengths assignment. With help from this class, I can see my strengths more clearly and stop disregarding them and telling myself they weren’t strengths or characteristics of myself. Changing my mindset on these simple but impactful things has completely changed how my first semester attending HPU was going.