The Hero's Journey: Choral Music Edition

Voiceover

Presenter(s)

Danna Villarey

Abstract or Description

Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey talks about embarking on an inner journey of transformation, leading to one’s enlightenment, hence becoming a true hero. It follows a series of stages that the “hero” would go through before becoming enlightened, a concept often evident in fairy tales and movies. While The Hero’s Journey can often play a role in fairy tales and movie analyses, it can also play a role in musical analysis. This poster interprets a choral music piece called Peace Flows Into Me by Michael John Trotta through the context of Joseph Campbell's The Hero’s Journey. By using the lyrics and musical dynamics of the choral music piece, this poster will show that a musical composition — such as Peace Flows Into Me — could also be admired and interpreted not just as an emotional and dynamic piece but as a journey, conveying a story of how the persona of the song achieves peace within after going through the stages of becoming a hero.

Mentor

Gregory Jones