Data Analysis Update #1
Here’s a quick and dirty chart on which playing styles (Traditions) have been catalogued so far! UCN means “Unique Catalogue Number”. It’s a code consisting of numbers and letters, that uniquely describes every technique / motion study, that has been added to the technique catalogue. There is still a lot of material to go through and I’ll continue collecting more data in Europe throughout the year. However, it’s already evident that this trip to Hawaii has brought in a lot of viable data.
Apart from editing video motion studies, I’ve started to transcribe the audio interviews that come along with the videos. It’s hugely interesting and just lovely to relive these precious experiences with all those wonderful players. And while doing that, I add bits and pieces to the actual thesis, so it’s slowly growing in different places, which is really encouraging to see.
One thing that helps me sit down to do the work every day, are writing groups. You might remember my Sunday Morning Writing Group at Ala Moana (miss those guys!). Being part of that group already gave me a notion that writers live in herds and have a really helpful tendency to connect in groups (obviously, this might not be for everyone, but many take advantage). What I liked about that group was that any type of writer was welcome and so I might sit between the guy who writes his fantasy kraken poetry and a lady who works on her non-fiction finance guide for the recently heart-broken single person. Now, the University of Surrey also offers bi-weekly Writing Retreats, which I find helpful, but I was absolutely overjoyed when I learned about “Shut Up and Write” (www.shutupwrite.com). It’s a free website with loads of lovely writers and there are real-life events, but more importantly, there are Zoom-Meetings basically around the clock that anyone can attend. Usually, there is a short check-in in the beginning, where people briefly say what they’re working on and then there’s a brief checkout to hear, how it went. The rest of the time we all write in silence (cameras turned on or off, whatever the preference). So, I’ve attended a meeting that runs every day with people from all over the world and I really enjoy seeing a lot of familiar faces after a while. Anyways, if any of you have project that just doesn’t get done and all you need is a timeslot to put in your calendar and some accountability, Shut Up and Write is for you. (if anyone knows of other communities, feel free to comment!)
If you’re interested in smaller updates on my work in academia, consider following me on Bluesky: @elisabethpfeiffer.bsky.social
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