“So, what did you do this summer?” It’s a familiar refrain during the early weeks of fall term.

Summer for PhD student Cody Norling meant finding that elusive balance across research, writing, and teaching. He kicked off his dissertation research by spending a week in Northern Illinois University’s “Historic Scenic Collection, 1865–2012,” which houses an abundant supply of materials relating to Chicago’s Civic Opera company.

He also finished an article manuscript on the Iowa State Normal Academy of Music for a forthcoming volume on Midwestern identity formation in the 19th century.

And, finally, Cody designed a new course titled “Rhetorics in/of Western Music” for UI’s Department of Rhetoric, where he serve as a TA. Intended as an undergraduate introduction to rhetorical inquiry and participation, the course utilizes the analysis of musical sounds, processes, and discourses within the study of persuasion and academic argumentation.