During the year we delved into the culture of various different countries and learned about their ways and religion. We did it, however, in a completely different way than what is normally done when examining and studying other cultures; we have learned an incredible amount of information about these cultures simply by watching their music. This semester I learned about fascinating cultures from different cultures such as Indonesia, India, and Africa, and I learned how exactly these countries expressed their cultures through their music. It was a really interesting semester that taught me a lot. Indonesia was the first culture we examined in class. Compared to the other cultures we examined during the semester, this was, at least in my opinion, the most unique culture. The most unique musical style of this culture is certainly gamelan. Gamelan is perhaps the most interesting musical style I have ever experienced. This style of music isn't even written or even rehearsed, from what I understand in the videos shown in class. The music “revolves” around a basic gong cycle, which serves as the backing track and is almost entirely improvised. One group of musicians will do their own thing, and another section of musicians responsible for different instruments follows and starts playing, following the rhythm that the other group had started and adding to it. This is done many times, until you have a variety of intertwining rhythms that come together and form a soothing yet mesmerizing sound. Aside from its distinctive sound and style, gamelan is very symbolic and religious. For example, the interlocking pattern of rhythmic patterns of the kilitan telu is a musical symbol of the common i... half of the card... composed of. Things like improvisation, complex polyphonic textures, and layered ostinatos are all elements found in the drum-dominated music of African culture. All of the different musics studied this semester were rich in information and provided a symbolic way in which to express their respective cultures. While they had this in common, they all had their own unique style and personality. The intertwined rhythms of Indonesian gamelan, the raga and tala of the Karnatak and Hindustani Hindu traditions, and the drum dominated the music of African culture. This course has really taught me to analyze and look beyond just the sound of music, but to also look at the history and symbolic nature of music, and it's really paid off, it's taught me so much about all these different cultures and I'm really grateful for that.