This is only tangentially related to my minor.
I majored in English in college because it was the coursework that I felt I could pursue without failing. I enjoy reading, and I enjoy discussing what I've read. I knew for sure that I didn't want to teach. Maybe somewhere along the way while watching Thirtysomething I thought, "I could go into advertising." My family never ]encouraged/acknowledged our adolescent career desires so I kept this to myself. I never actually thought, "There are industries where good writers are needed."
Hell no! I literally thought I can read and write . . . English it is!
Of course, you aren't allowed to take classes in only your concentration. Part of the benefit of being college educated is that you have a well-rounded world view and take courses that challenge and push you. But, I tried my damndest to choose electives that would just let me keep reading, writing and talking.
Once I got through the Requirements I was free to take the classes I wanted as long as they fit under my curriculum. My last two years of school were the best ever. I had to take an ass load of electives in an area of approved concentration. The feminist in me gravitated towards Womens' and Gender Studies. Also, this program cross-referenced a lot of courses with the English Department. As a result, I graduated with a Women's and Gender Studies Minor.
I loved it!!! I was with a group of women who revelled in their femaleness. They WERE NOT MAN HATERS, they simply refused to be seen as "lesser than" because they had ovaries. It was a wonderful time to be a young woman in my 20s. We weren't Gloria Steinem or Betty Freidan or Belle Hooks, but we sure felt we had the potential to be.
So here I was surrounded by all of this amazing female energy and I don't ever remember being exposed to: L7, The Indigo Girls, Lucinda Williams, Ani DiFranco . . .
What the fuck happened to my musical education?
