In my research, I intend to work with three non-Christian religious institutions to discover the role of musical performance in each institution during regular services. My intended locations of research are the Charleston Tibetan Society, Brith Sholom Beth Israel Synagogue, and the Central Mosque of Charleston. Through this research, I expect to evaluate the similarities and differences of the sacred music performed by these three institutions in the context of Charleston.
My choice of topic is mostly due to my recently declared minor in Religious Studies.  I feel I will personally benefit from the research by earning an inside perspective to Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam in Charleston. As a participant observer, I am excited to be able to potentially learn chants and songs from the institutions.  Conducting the interviews should also be a fascinating experience, as I am certain to learn a great deal of information from attending and from the respondents.
Since I was brought up in the Christian community, branching out into other religious institutions is an entirely new experience for me.  Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam are minority religions in Charleston, so I am incredibly interested to meet those who attend regularly. I feel that what I will be able to learn from my research will provide me with a broader perspective and greater understanding of the Charleston religious community.
The three of my sites seem to be easily accessible. All are within walking distance to my current residence and are all open to the public. The only restrictions I expect to encounter will be based on scheduling conflicts, since services are only held at certain hours. I will generally only be able to attend each one once a week, but hopefully this will not hinder my research drastically.
I expect to be able to utilize a variety of types of fieldwork. I would like to incorporate video, interviews, participant observation, unobtrusive observation and fieldnote-taking into my research. I am concerned that my desire to film will seem intrusive, but hopefully I will be able to receive permission. The items listed in my bibliography will be used to provide direction and structure to my fieldwork.
In the past I have been able to visit the Charleston Tibetan Society and the Central Mosque, and based on those few experiences I believe gaining entrée is feasible. When I last visited the CTS, I spoke with a man who seemed to be a regular attendant and provided me with some insight to the institution.  I was unable to speak with the teacher, Geshe Topgyal, but hopefully he will become more available at another time.
My research goals may prove to be somewhat difficult, but I am sure that my intention to learn more about the role of sacred music will be no less than fascinating. Without drawing prior conclusions, I am hoping the comparisons will reveal themselves as I delve into research. Though I will be focusing centrally on the role of music, I expect my work over this semester will also be a very enlightening experience in understanding the development of non-Christian religious communities in Charleston.

This will be done in a movie/documentary style.

-Michael