Music and the Mind

こんにちは！

Today was a very entertaining and educational day at the Academy. We received a guest lecture from Dr. Doering, Randolph-Macon’s professor of music. Dr. Doering started with a lecture about the history and application of music in Japanese silent film, accompanied with live music. There was also a demonstration on how traditional live theater worked in Japan, with live music and a narrator, or べんし (benshi), brought to us during Dr. Doering’s presentation by our very own Kyle-sensei.

After lunch and afternoon language classes, Joseph-sensei spoke to us about Japanese philosophy, specifically Nishida Kitaro, a famous Japanese philosopher. We learned about Nishida’s life, his teachings, and how his ideas impacted not only Japan, but also the world as a whole.

To end our day, we had a second movie night, watching Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away (千と千尋). Along with enjoying the movie on its own, we learned about underlying cultural symbolism and common themes in Ghibli films. We’re excited to share this movie, along with all of our other knowledge, with our families at home!
じゃあ、また！