As another hurricane bears down on the Florida coast, I stop to ponder my own storm. Preparing for the Watson Fellowship has turned my life into a maelstrom of activity. List-making, supply buying, letter writing, book-researching, language learning, family send-offs and friendly goodbyes. This morning I sit in the eye of the storm, calmly checking and rechecking my lists. Bacon sizzles in the kitchen and I am considering a pre-breakfast swim.
At high noon today the calm eye of Hurricane Watson passes over and the furious activity begins again, picking me up and taking me on what will certainly be the adventure of a lifetime. I shy away from this overused expression though, because I see life itself as a "the adventure of a lifetime" even if that adventure means driving over to the quickie mart to pick up a Moxie (the official soda of the state of Maine). I like to think of this Watson as one whopping, whale of a chapter in a pretty cool book, life.
This is an online record of my Watson Fellowship Journey. For those of you who don't know me, I am a February 2005 graduate of Middlebury College, with majors in Environmental Studies, Music and Anthropology. The Watson fellowship is given to graduating seniors of "outstanding promise" from a group of select group colleges to pursue a project of personal and cultural significance. This makes me chuckle because the only promise I represent is the promise I made to my half-sister Torrie yesterday when I vowed to eat something so outlandish that would make her ill just thinking about it. I guess that's outstanding in it's own way.
My project is most pithily described with this official blurb:
"Haul Away, Joe": Exploring Musical Labor of the Land and Sea
The Netherlands, Germany, Ghana, Tanzania, Vietnam, Switzerland, Mongolia
From shipboard chants to cattle yodels, people all over the world have found musical ways to make difficult work more enjoyable. How do people merge song and labor in unique settings? What do you sing to a corn seedling? How do you calm a pregnant Yak through song? Sea shanties and river songs, farming chants and herding yodels are the subject of this participatory exploration of work and song. By working and singing alongside farmers, herders, and sailors, I will learn and record just how and why people around the world "whistle while they work."
This project is clearly outlandish and yet perfect for me. I was reflecting yesterday with my close family how lucky I've been to not only have a great education, but to have it in the areas I am most excited about: music, people and land. I feel my project blends all of these interests perfectly.
My itinerary is not fully written in stone, but I know what I want to see and when I need to be there to see it. Here is a rough schedule so you can follow along in your favorite heavy, tome of an atlas.
July 16-31: Bra, Italy
August -September: Harderwijk, Netherlands
October- November: Kwesi Nyarko, Ghana
December- January: Sukumaland, Tanzania
February- March: Northwestern Vietnam
April-May: Muotathal, Switzerland
June-July: Northern Mongolia
More on what I am doing in each place later, but for now my time's up: I've got to go jump on the plane! I'd love to hear any questions you have about how things are going just email me at konesni@gmail.com . Don't expect a rapid reply, but I will make an effort to get back to you.
Expect more as the adventure unfolds ...
To life!
Bennett