Michael Nolan W&R 13300 9-9-11 Goodbyes in C#minor Reection Paper !

This assignment was an incredible experience, for I had the opportunity to

explore my creativity while also incorporating formal writing and drafting techniques. When thinking of a topic, I had two ideas. The rst was my experiences of saying goodbye to my friends when I left for college. I was going to talk about the difculties and the tears, and explore how I managed to get through it. The second idea I had was about the power of music and how it shapes and helps us form memories. I noticed that I tended to associate songs with memories I had, so I wanted to explore how those connections were formed. I knew I had a lot to say about each idea, so I decided to nd a way to incorporate both. I decided to talk mostly of how music has formed my memories, and use the goodbyes as a couple of examples. As soon as I discovered a ow, the ideas kept coming out. I found a topic I was passionate about, had evidence for, and had a good time discussing. ! I believe the path I took regarding the process was exactly what was described

by all of our readings. I started with several ideas in a brainstorming phase, developed evidence, wrote my shitty rst draft, tested different recording styles in different environments with different microphones, wrote the up draft, and nally wrote the dental draft and recorded the nal recording. The three areas I enjoyed the most were the original brainstorming phase where I dove into my two ideas and created a cohesive thesis, writing the shitty rst draft, and nally editing the nal product. Editing the recording was so fun because I love my incorporation of music into the narrative. I was very proud of my song choices and the way I timed the music with my words to

empower my content. It was one of the most creative projects Ive worked on, and that is why it was so enjoyable. ! I have never felt more proud of a project than I do about this. Not only do I

believe the recording is very clean and the editing was as precise as I could make it, but I was very passionate about the idea. That passion helped me make this project fulll everything that a rhetorical work should embody. I believe my narrative was planned well, designed for an intended audience (my peers), reveals my motives and beliefs, is responsive to my situation of leaving my hometown and the friends I left there, and seeks persuasion. In addition, my narrative also explains a lot about my identity as a musician and about the relationships I have built in my community. As a musician, I see more than notes on a page, and my experiences of saying goodbye to Eva, Sam, and my Grandma describe the relationships I have. I am proud of this project because of how well I believe it ts the criteria and of the passion I put into this narrative. I hope you appreciate it as much as I have.