Revising and Re-Evaluating

     I originally thought that the Re-Genre project would be a breeze for me. I had always been interested in radio and the power of words and music, and could think of no better situation with which to get my feet wet and test the waters.
     I thought that creating my radio essay would be extremely easy, seeing as I had a personal essay full of perfect content and the proper production software. It wouldn't just be easy, it would be fun!
It most definitely was fun - because I had proper content, I was really able to focus on the production aspect. I knew I needed to cut back on my content to give the audience time to think, but I chalked that up to it being a draft.
    I expected all of your comments about the pace of the radio essay, and plan to address that in my final draft. What I didn't expect were the comments about the music and it's application in a radio essay. I was a bit dismayed to find that some of you thought that the music added artistic and production value, and that others thought it took away from what I was saying - and not only that- that it actually diminished the importance of what I had to say.
     Although I can see both sides of the argument, as a musician, I am inclined to think that music enhances the message. Walk into any non-denominational Christian church and I will guarantee that the pastor will have some sort of music playing behind the final part of his message, to set the mood. I went into my radio essay with the same approach. I thought that the almost poetry-slam mood would enhance the content of my essay and bring it to life. Apparently, not everyone felt the same.
     Though I will most likely include music in my final draft, I will do so a bit reluctantly. I respect all of you as my classmates, and hold your criticism in high regard. If anything, this project is teaching me how and when to accept criticism and how to use it to revise your work. I just wish I knew how to discern better which criticism I will accept.