Introduction to the Girl Behind the Pseudonym
As said in my first post, my name is not Rebecka Mendelssohn. I was trying to figure out how to do an introduction post for my Indian Epics class while maintaining my pseudonym and came to the conclusion that it isn't feasible; it would not be an introduction to me but to a made up, perfected version of me. I'm definitely not perfect and I do not want to portray myself as such, so even though I've only posted for a short time as Rebecka Mendelssohn, I think it's time to post as myself. Before introducing myself, I want to explain my reasoning behind my short-lived pseudonym.
I decided to take on the name of a female musician, because I wanted to tip my hat to them and their unrecognized work for most of history. At first I was going to take the name of Fanny Mendelssohn, who is a better known female composer and someone I admire. But when looking up more information about her in preparation for this blog, I learned about a lesser known Mendelssohn, a musician like her siblings, her only easily accessible biography a scant section in a Wikipedia article about her husband. Maybe it was that I shared her name, or it was how she had been overshadowed by history, but I was intrigued. I took her name as my pseudonym, hoping to do her justice through my writings. But I cannot give a voice to someone I know nothing about, and to try to do so would be an injustice to her and me.
My name is Rebecca and I'm a Music Education major at the University of Oklahoma. I have played the trumpet since the fifth grade and that's what brought me to Norman, but it was my desire to teach elementary music that has kept me here. I (obviously) love music, and my favorite artists span almost every genre from John Denver and Buddy Holly to trumpet greats such as Arturo Sandoval, Louis Armstrong, and Doc Severinsen. These names barely scratch the surface of what I listen to, so feel free to comment if you're curious for more.
I also love reading books and have been a voracious reader of Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and Mystery novels since the Third Grade. In addition to reading, I love to write. I have a story idea that I play with at least once a year, but I'm more active in writing poetry, mostly blackout poetry. I love to cook, especially the Italian recipes that have been passed down from my great grandmother, but I also love trying to come up with my own recipes.
The biggest part of who I am is my Catholic faith and I try to approach every aspect of my life within the tenets of my faith. I'm not perfect and I still have so much I want to learn about Catholicism, but I do my best every day to love others as Christ loves us all.
I think that's the best I can do for a blanket introduction, because it's much more fun to introduce yourself to another person and get to learn about them too. Don't hesitate to say hello and ask questions in the comments, I'm more than happy to talk and get to know you too!
I was so excited to read this post, Rebecca! It sounds like this might be a really useful class for you, since there is so much overlap between teaching writing and teaching music, or any kind of teaching, and I try to make this class as transparent as I can, explaining the "why" of the class in terms of teaching and learning goals. Someone who has been a big influence on me is actually a music educator, a cellist who lives in England, and just this month she released a new book; you might even want to check it out! Many of her examples come from teaching and learning music: Laura Ritchie's New Book: Yes I Can ... and it was also so cool to read this after having just binge-watched Ken Burns's Jazz last week. I can still hear Louis Armstrong on his trumpet in my head (and the way Wynton Marsalis talks about music, he makes me feel like I can really UNDERSTAND it, as well as just enjoying it). If you have any videos of yourself performing, you can include them in a blog post sometime, and I would be so delighted to share them with the class. (Videos-in-blogs: one of the best things about blogging!) And when we jump into the actual reading for class starting in Week 3 and the UnTextbook, I highly recommend the Women Saints option! They are legends from the massive Golden Legend compilation, and I can imagine you will find so much resonance with your Catholic reading, and you might also recognize some of them. The stories of the saints are one of the great contributions of Catholicism and also Orthodoxy to the world of storytelling. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca! I think it is so cool how you wanted to do justice to Rebecca Mendelssohn through your writings, but I understand why you decided not to here. I will say, I had never heard of her before so you have already introduced one other person to her life! If you ever look over at my blog, one thing you'd see is that I am also a big reader. My favorites are all in the YA fantasy genre, but I do have a few favorites in the adult section as well. I also enjoy historical fiction like you, though I do not typically characterize it as my favorite. One book duology I have read that I think does a great job of blending fantasy and historical fiction together is the Wolf by Wolf duology by Ryan Graudin, which is a story where Hitler did not lose or die in World War 2, and the main character Yael aims to assassinate him by magically changing her appearance to impersonate a famous motorcycle racer. It has been a few years since I've read it, but it was a great story!
ReplyDeleteHey Rebecca! I have to admit that your pseudonym is much more creative than MangoMan, ha. Your approach is really creative and thank you for introducing me to Rebecka Mendelssohn. Although I’ve spent quarantine trying to learn how to cook, and it’s really cool that you use your great grandmother’s Italian recipes. I feel like family recipes always produce the best dishes, and I wish you luck in making your own recipes!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca! I think bringing more recognition to underappreciated female artists is really important, so I'm glad we at least get to learn about the other Rebecka here. I had a close friend from middle school who played trumpet; it is cool that you want to go into music education and teach others like him! I am part-Italian, but I do not have family recipes passed down from any Italian relatives, sadly. However, during quarantine, I made ravioli from scratch, which was fun!
ReplyDeleteHi! I really admire the reason behind your pseudonym. I think it is both interesting and admirable of you to try and give representation to someone that was overshadowed. I also think it is very humble of you to admit that it was not be fair of you to give a voice to someone that you do not know. This shows your respect for her and her work as well your knowledge of your own limitations. I am sure you are really enjoying this class seeing as you have such love for reading and writing! I once shared those passions when I was a child, but seem to have lost my desire to read and write for fun. Maybe this class will help me rediscover those passions that I once had. Good luck to you this semester!
ReplyDeleteHey Rebecca!
ReplyDeleteI think it is amazing how you want to give credit to Rebecca Mendelssohn by your writing. I like that we get to know a little more about you in this post. I have never heard of Rebecca Mendelssohn, so after this post, I am going to look her up. My best friend has also been playing the trumpet since the 5th grade. I do have an appreciation for music and cooking. I love to learn to cook new recipes and to bake. I prefer to bake desserts, but my sister only likes to cook. So, I say we are the perfect combo. I love to read as well. I have not gotten much time to read since the pandemic though.
Hey Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteThis was a very creative introduction I must say. I also love music however, I am just not that great at playing any instruments. Unfortunately for me, I am super picky on the things that I read and am not huge into reading books. That is kind of funny because this class has a lot of reading, but I do it and I actually enjoy the stories we read in this class. I can already tell you are going to do great things in this class simply because of this super cool introduction. I am so excited to see what else you write about in this class and cannot wait to read your stories. I also think it is really cool that you are catholic. I myself am not catholic but my 3 other roommates are! Glad it is such a huge part of your life.
Hi Rebecca! Long time no see :) I loved your pseudonym because it reminded me of what we learned in music history. I don't know if you ever knew this, but my dad is actually a band director and plays trumpet too! He calls his trumpet Excalibur! Do you have a name for your trumpet? I could DEFINITELY see you being such an amazing elementary teacher. You are so kind and have such a good personality that works well with kids. If you ever need anything, feel free to reach out to me!
ReplyDeleteHey Rebecca! I want to start with my admiration of you in how you began this introduction by stating you are not a perfect person. I relate to that of course because no one is perfect, but I appreciate how you can see that and how that can be a powerful thought. Once you understand you can never be perfect, more growth is allowed like in our growth mindset assignment. Also I also loved your musician pseudonym and how you decided on that to bring the much deserved recognition to many under-respected female musicians. I can see your passion for music in your introduction post and I cannot wait for those lives to be influenced by you!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca, super dope to see that you have your own pseudonym. I forgot that authors sometimes took different monikers, so it's refreshing to see that still being practiced today. I was also a brass musician when I was younger, playing the trombone for 3 years in middle school. I was a part of the jazz club and really enjoyed improv whenever I got the chance to play for a section. You seem like you're very motivated with a solid direction in your life, good luck in all your future endeavors!
ReplyDeleteHello Rebecca! I must say, this was a very fun to read introduction post! Though you must be significantly better than me, I also have some experience playing the trumpet. My favorite trumpet musician to listen to is the late Maynard Ferguson. I wish you the best of luck on your journey to becoming an elementary school music teacher. That sounds like such a fun job!
ReplyDeleteAmazing pseudonym! I also wanted to maintain one for this class but had the same mindset as you. Its difficult to be honest with myself and understand my own personal growth. The fact that you have conquered this is truly amendable. I wish you luck in your journey. My favorite teacher in elementary school was actually my music teacher! Through her, music became my artistic endeavor I use to escape reality every now and then.
ReplyDeleteHello Rebecca!
ReplyDeleteYour story of your short lived pseudonym was very intriguing. I really liked how you chose someone less known, not many people would. I learned about blackout poetry in middle school and I think it is the coolest thing, because you are using words that have already been written to tell a completely different story, that is all your own. I haven't thought about this type of poetry in a while, but thank you for reminding me of something I used to love!
ReplyDeleteHello Rebecca, I think it is so cool that you used a pseudonym even if it was short lived but it could always come back. I also liked that fact that you also used it to bring light to other great artists. I am also so happy that you have found happiness within the arts because they can be so powerful. I wish you luck on the rest of your semester!
Hi Rebecca! Your introduction is great and I loved learning more about you and why you love music so much. I’m also a musician, a drummer, but your library of artists puts me to shame. I always wanted to become an expert in great drummers like you’ve done with trumpet players, but I’ve never gotten around to it. I can tell you like to write by how good your stories are! I’m also a writer, but poetry has never been my vein. Blackout poetry can be so much fun, though. I’d love to see some of your work if you ever decided to post any! No pressure, though. I’ve enjoyed meeting you, and I hope your semester is going well enough that you find some time to read and cook soon!
ReplyDeleteHey Rebecca! I'm a musician as well, primarily a pianist, so I can definitely appreciate wanting to bring attention to some of the (very many) forgotten composers and musicians scattered throughout history - the Mendelssohn family is a great choice for that. I really respect your choice to be a music education major. It can be extremely stressful, but it's such a rewarding area. I write as well (outside of this class, obviously) but I never did much with poetry, which is a big regret of mine. Have you ever read "The Ode Less Traveled" by Stephen Fry? It's not exactly a poetry textbook, but really educational nonetheless and an entertaining read.
ReplyDeleteHey Rebecca! It was very interesting to learn about your reasoning behind using the pseudonym, and then not using the pseudonym. I really respect what you had to say regarding not knowing much about her, and how you didn't want to project a perfected version of yourself. I love your obvious passion for music and how dedicated you are to that, and other art-forms like poetry. You are really interesting and I really enjoyed reading your introduction!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca. I think that it is really cool you like to read. I also enjoy reading. The latest book that I have read was called Signals and Systems by Alan V. Oppenheimer and Alan S. Willsky. It was a good read, and I learned a lot. I also think that it is cool that you a music education major as I really enjoy listening to music.
ReplyDeleteHey Rebecca. I think I learned something new today from your introduction post. I guess that I learned more about you and the PSEUDONYM that you took from a musician. I think what you are doing is amazing. You have such a good heart and I hope that one day will you be able to teach like you want to. I am trying to get into reading as well. Do you have any book that you'd like to recommend?
ReplyDeleteHello Nhan, thank you for your kind words! As for a book recommendation, it is hard to narrow it down to just one! If you have some time on your hands and like the fantasy genre, I would suggest The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. A warning about reading them though; they are usually numbered by a timeline of Narnian history, but it is much better to read them in the order that C.S. Lewis published them. If you enjoy nonfiction more, I would suggest Devil in the White City, Dead Wake, or The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. He has such a knack for taking primary sources from history and shaping them into a compelling narrative of key moments in history. Devil in the White City is about the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and the serial killer H.H. Holmes who plucked his victims from the fair's enormous crowds; Dead Wake is about the sinking of the Lusitania; and The Splendid and the Vile is about Winston Churchill and the London Blitz. I hope one of these novels strikes your fancy!
DeleteHi Rebecca! I hope you are doing well are studying hard for finals and what not that is coming up! I admire that you and your degree as the music educators in my life impacted me so much. I cannot wait for you to be able to do the same wherever you may end up! I find the way that you came up with your name to be very cool and kinda wish I had done something similar. Good luck and good day!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca!
ReplyDeleteI hope that your semester is going well and smoothly. I know with everything going on in the world it is much easier said than done, but I hope that you have been able to make the best of it. I love to listen to music but to be honest I don't much about composers at all in fact, so I find it very interesting that you really enjoy that! I hope you have a great rest of your semester!
Hi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteI think being a Music Education major is so cool, and I love to read to! Music has been something very close to me but I really can't play a lot. I recently got a ukulele that I have been trying to learn. I just finished reading "The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo" and I absolutely loved it. That's a book recommendation if you wanna read celebrity fiction & drama. Have a great rest of the semester!
Good evening Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteYou seem very sure of you are are and who/what you want to be later in life. One thing I've never heard about until now is blackout poetry! I looked it up after you mentioned it here, and it's very unique and fascinating - MANY different poems could derive from this one blog post alone if I'm not mistaken...Anyway, along the lines of musical instruments, I played the viola when I was in elementary school, but stopped playing once I got to middle school. Thanks for sharing Rebecca!