Another Friday almost done! If it seems like my blog posts are getting later than later, it’s because for the past month or so, as part of my final project for my ethnomusicology I’ve been going into Boston to volunteer and observe an El Sistema music education program at a local charter school. Because this is a public platform, and my project is a semi-critical analysis of El Sistema ideologies, I won’t go too much into the details. But I’m feeling really good about my project. I don’t praise myself too often, but I’m really proud of myself for choosing this topic and making the first hand experience happen. Besides the intellectual interest, I genuinely enjoy getting to be around and observe the kids. It’s nice to see a different world from Wellesley for a couple hours, particularly by the time Friday afternoons roll around. The school has their big spring concert coming up tomorrow morning, and so I’m going into Boston again to volunteer and see the final performance.
Technically, I’m helping to run two concerts tomorrow. Besides volunteering the culminating spring concert for the school, I work as an usher for the Wellesley College Concert Series, and we have jazz pianist Arturo O’Farrell coming tomorrow night. This is actually our second high profile concert weekend in a row. Last weekend, we had Wu Man and the Shanghai Quartet come, and honestly, it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen here at Wellesley, and I’ve been to quite a few. As a violinist myself, I can’t help but admire their precision, the way their bow strokes are perfectly aligned, the way the dynamic contrasts are so carefully choreographed. And Wu Man herself, one of the foremost players of the “pipa” (see photo below) really showcased the instrument to its full potential.
Recycling a daily shot, so you can see for yourself what exactly a pipa is
As happy as I’d normally be to be spending my weekends attending concerts, the experience is somewhat dampened by cell bio stress. Cellular biology, one of the hardest 200-level bio classes at Wellesley, is the kind of class that demands full weekends devoted to it. We had our second midterm this past Monday, so last weekend was unofficially “cell bio test weekend.” We also had to go in and culture or Chinese Hamster Ovary cells, which we’re using for our next lab series on apoptosis (programmed cell death). And then we have our yeast secretory pathway lab paper due next week, which makes this weekend unofficially “cell bio paper weekend.” Managing my work schedule with the constant demands of cell bio has been proving difficult. Last weekend, midway through Wu-Man’s dreamy piece about a Chinese courtyard, I started thinking about motor proteins, myosins, kinesins and dyneins, oh my! And it wouldn’t turn off. I guess that’s the liberal arts experience for you.
Chinese hamster ovary cells, or the moon?
Anyways, I’m looking forward to seeing some of you for Spring Open campus this weekend! I’m going to go try and get an introduction for my yeast secretory pathway paper done tonight, so I’m signing off now.
Ever lovely yours,
Eleanor