Free Essay

Music

In:

Submitted By Papercollege
Words 516
Pages 3
Identity Assignment
(25 points)
Objective: To better understand how music reflects personal and social identities of an individual or group.
Requirements: Write a 700–1000 word essay (roughly three pages) discussing a particular song or composition that you feel best expresses your personal and social identity. Include a tape or CD (label it with your name) of the example along with your essay. DUE DATE: To be announced
_______________________________________________________________________
Music is a manifestation of the personal and social identities of an individual or group.
The function of the music, the structure of it, the context in which it is performed, etc., all reflect the cultural environment that surrounds a musical performance and indicate significant values of the people who create it. Recognizing and understanding how music reflects the identity of a community is an important means of “getting to know” other people and how music expresses “who they are.”
I want to “get to know you” and discover what music says about “who you are.”
As music majors, I assume that you consider music an important element of your life.
Undoubtedly, most of you listen to many kinds of music, i.e., classical, rock, rap, gamelan(?). Your task is to choose ONE example of music that you feel best expresses the many facets of YOU, i.e., your identity. This will prove more difficult than you think if you put some thought into it. Don't tell me what music means to you, explain how the example you have chosen represents who you are.
For example, as an American, what one example would you choose to reflect your
“American” identity? Does Rap define who we are? Britney Spears? Norah Jones? Does the music of Mozart and Beethoven represent us, even though its origin is European?
How about Jazz? What kind of Jazz? Which composer and from what era? Defining
“American” identity through one example of music is impossible, yet in this class (and others) we only have time to focus on a few examples from countries often much larger than the USA and with histories much older than our meager 225+ years of existence as a nation. Yet, through just a few music examples the spiritual beliefs, political philosophies, attitudes and activities of many aspects of life are revealed. We are able to learn something about the people of other cultures and gain a greater understanding of
“who they are.”
So, ask yourself some questions: What music do I like to listen to? What music do
I like to perform? Why? How does this music reflect me personally, my philosophy of life, my goals and desires, my spiritual beliefs, my personal history and life experiences?
How does this example reflect my social identity, i.e., the friends I have, the organizations I belong to, the activities I participate in, etc.? Start with some of these questions and soon you'll think of more. Then pick ONE example that says it all (or as much as it can) and tell me about it and why you picked it. I'm looking forward to
“getting to know you” better.

© Taylor & Francis

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

The Importance Of Music And Music

...yourself because literacy and music are related, and you decide what music means to you and what kind of music you will listen to. Regardless, whether it is listening or creating music, it inspires people to express and reflect on their emotions. The person I interviewed is a college freshman and creates electronic beats on Soundcloud during his free time. He describes himself as an introvert and a loner (Interviewee 2018). During our interview, we discussed how literacy defined as the ability to learn and understand was related to his creation of music and how it relates to his daily life. Every genre of music ignites a different emotion from the listener. Music is liberating, it is a place where you can find solace in times of need. This is certainly true for...

Words: 846 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Music

... Music is my friend, my doctor and love of my life. There are countless amount of people with headphones listening to music and simultaneously blocking out the outside world around them. Today stress is taking a huge toll on a person’s everyday life. We need some kind of escape and here is the music. It helps me to relax, to enjoy the life and make every moment better. I think that music has some biological connection with our body when we listening it. It has a great power. “Whithout music life would be a mistake.”- sad Friedrich Nietzsche. I tottaly agree. I can’t even imagine how the world would look like if there was no music. You can see many genres and artists in my playlist. Some of them gives me the strength, some gives me hope, some of them makes me to accept life as it is. Music is important part of life. It is a form of expression. It has no boundaries and it follows no guidelines. Essentially, to me, music is like air. It has no true shape or definiton, yet we need it to live. Imagine a world without music. All you’re left with is dust. Music is life istelf. As I mentioned, Music is one of the few things, that can help you escape your reality. No mater how bad things are, music has the potential to make you forget all about it. Music can spark any emotion. It can hold memories. It can tell stories. It will always be there. It will never vanish. You can’t touch music, but music can touch you. There are various type of music in the world. For instance...

Words: 578 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Music

...animals respond to music that's who they say. Music is for every occasion- from partying to Rock 'n' Rolla disco, from everyday life to a wedding anniversary and even to a somber funeral, everything has music embedded in it. Its magic alright- though we never reap every beat has our vocal cords vibrating, it causes adrenal to pump throughout the body and every muscle aching jump on the dance floor. So what is music? Well in a sense every sound produced from clapping two hands to slapping a person is music; The more recognized pundits define it as an arrangement of sounds in a pleasing sequence or combination to be sung; or played on instruments. Well who cares about music in a prolonged sense- music are something universal, something unique, and something which is soothing to our heart, our senses, which makes our nerves calm down- the effect is simply astonishing. Its like a web you have been caught in, a web of music, a web in which where ever you go you find music, music to touch your heart, to take you, in a sense, under its control. And why not- music tames the wildest beasts- even the critics have no answer to that Music is of many types- rock, jazz, classical raga, pop, flat, country, chamber, folk- yes folk is there too. Every community has some sort of traditional music to suit their rhythm. Then there is classical music that portrays the life's culture and tradition, rock music that tends to shake you up, and several other types of music that are all a pure...

Words: 724 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Music

...Music ever since the first note was played has always been beloved in some way by mankind; though different tastes come into play music still has that power that allows any individual to just get away from the stresses of the world. Music allows you to express yourself when you hide the rest of who you are to try to fit in or impress society. But most importantly music can help with certain types of depression because of how it affects each individual. Music helps with our society bond which in my opinion is one of the only few things I see our society bond on. Ever since I was a kid I always loved music or playing it, it was weird, I was able to pickup basically any instrument and play it like a natural, but that’s not why I kept playing music, I did it for the feeling of release it gave me. The release of stress from school, chores, homework, whatever stressed me out I put into my music and I started getting really good at playing music. See it’s not so much playing the music or listening to it which relieves the stress, it’s actually letting yourself hear the emotion in the song or the notes you play and allow yourself to just let go and allow that euphoria to take over to where it’s just you listening or playing and no one else in this world can interrupt you. Express yourself, a small quote I guess you could say everyone is afraid to do. Yet those who do are frowned upon in today’s society; everyone is afraid to show their true colors because they’re afraid of how other...

Words: 616 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Music

...Course: Tutor: Date: Music of Tin Pan Alley Popularity of Tin Pan Alley music The popularity of the music of these artists (Tin Pan Alley) can be said to have maintained popularity for such a long time due to its structure building, the laying of lyrics is awesome and the form makes the music flow well. The performance is totally in its own compared to the latest versions of music. There is creative which follows along and make it enjoyable. The dance rhythm of the music “kills” other versions since the natural balance of the accents remains to be superior all over. These writers began from amateur stage and their writing was perfect, coon songs which were rough and risqué made the unusual popularity to the music. Performances of Tin Pan Alley music I do like the way in which the performance was done by the Tin Pan Alley artists. This is because of their assimilation of the rhythm which remained to be ragtime. Once listening to the flow of the music, you will notice repeat choruses which maintain the theme in the song. You will find happiness once listening and watching the performance and you cannot avoid having different mood on the music. Even the latest version of the music is very cool. Response According to the discussion which was held on Friday January 24th 2014 at 5:43 pm, the students were seen to have made a very good approach in analyzing the music of Tin Pan Alley. This is because it’s evident that they really know the music genre and might have made...

Words: 300 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Music

...Takema Anderson February 22, 2016 Music 100-005 Chapter 2 1.Which of the four basic components of music is most helpful in identifying a world music tradition? Why? Out of the four basic components of music Timbre is most helpful in identifying a world music tradition. Timbre is best because you can get familiar with the music characteristics and sound. 2.Name at least three examples from each instrument category in the Sachs-Hornbostel system. In which subcategories do these examples belong? Aerophones: flutes, reeds, and trumpet. Chordsphones: lutes, zithers, and violins Idiophone: calves, bells, and rattle. Membranophones: drums, timpani, and tambourine. 3.How does pitch differ from tuning system? How does tuning system differ from scale? How does scale differ from range? Pitch is a tones specific frequency level while, tuning system is the entire collection of pitch frequencies commonly used in a given music tradition. Scale differs from tuning system because scale consists of a set of pitches, generally expressed in ascending order. Range differs from scale because range refers to the span of pitches a given voice or instrument is capable...

Words: 334 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Music

...Assignment 3 The Jacobs School of Music is a place that I have never been for class or performance. I love going to music events in unique venues that not only have interesting artists playing in them but also the actual venue. For a great live music experience it takes more then just music. There are specific things you look for when going to any type of musical event or any type of performance for that matter. I find it most fascinating to look at what’s going on when the concert is not preforming. There are three things to look for in order to gain the most out of an experience the venue, the artists and the history. As I walked into the auditorium in the Jacobs School Music it was clearly a venue for music performances. This is not an extremely aesthetically pleasing venue but a very nice place to listen to music. There are spot lights and other items like microphones and speakers that were not in use for this event. There were plain chairs and music stands for the two players in the ensemble and a box to sit on for the 3rd. The çeng player sits cross legged on the box and a music stand pops out of the box. The stage was built for acoustic excellence to amplify sound in the best way possible. There was a TV and a stage set up for the presentation and PowerPoint segment of the presentation. There is auditorium seating with a mix of adults and students filling about 1/3 of the auditorium. Most of the people come for the music and that’s what I found most interesting...

Words: 834 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Music

...Shuang Cen Nichole Poss Music 226 01-28-2012 Backyard Ethnomusicology If we observe meticulously what are happening in such small towns like Ashland, then lots of things are spring-like spewing out, of which, the creativity always goes along with cultural diversity. And it makes this small town forgotten by God more and more dynamistic and attractive. Among these new things happened in Ashland, different kinds of cultural music show an important position since there are more and more foreigners studying and working here, whose cultures are totally different from the traditional cultural in local. Without a doubt, music is one of significant aspect in their cultural life, which may includes holiday celebrations, religious beliefs and gathering activities, etc. The first experience is from my own country, China. As our student planer noticed, January22 is Chinese New Year; we call it the Spring Festival generally, since this is the beginning of spring. In recent twenty to thirty years, most Chinese families always get together for a family reunion dinner, and then watch the Spring Festival Gala held by China Central Television. In this year’s gala we watched last Saturday morning which was broadcast live, there was a very creative show performed by two young musicians, Leehom Wong and Yundi Li. The instruments they used were two pianos; they played a very famous Chinese folk music, Widely Dancing by Golden Snake. This piece of music usually was performed y Chinese traditional...

Words: 1067 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Music

...CEL 2103 WRITING ACADEMIC TEXTS MINI WRITING PORTFOLIO 1 FINAL DRAFT Cause and Effect Essay Topic: Music and the Human Brain Title: The Cause and Effect of Music on the Human Brain Introductory Paragraph: The definition of music varies to people, some call it art, some see it as the voice of one’s soul. The dictionary defines it as a pattern of sounds made by musical instruments, voices, or computers, or a combination of these. Music has many genres, ranging from instrumental to pop. Despite the variety, music’s whole purpose is to give pleasure for its listeners. The listeners of music might not notice, but subconsciously, music causes and affects one’s character. Music have some enchantment, an empowerment somehow on the human’s soul and it is almost inevitable to resist it. The causes that contributes to the change in human’s cognitive state are the lyrical content, the rhythm and the dynamics of music, which would affect one’s emotions, learning and memory, also their ability to perceive time. Body Paragraph 1: There are three main components that cause change in the human mind which are the lyrical content, the rhythm and the dynamics of music. First and foremost, the lyrical content have the ability to influence an individual through its explicit lyrics. Usually, heavy metal and rap music would contain drug abuse, violence, and sexual references; thus, themes of rebellion, alienation and vengeance are present in certain songs. Some songs contain...

Words: 423 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Music

...Silva Music is incredibly important to this story. In fact, the story has been called "the best verbal description of transcendent musical experience" by a noted musician and ethnomusicologist. In what ways does music figure in the story? Why is it important that Sonny wants to be a musician? How good a musician is he? Discuss the importance of the fact that both Sonny and his dead uncle are/were musicians. Finally, look very closely at the last two pages of the story and discuss what happens when the narrator really listens to his brother play. What understanding does the narrator come to--and how is that understanding related to the story as a whole? Title In the field of psychology there has been an idea that claims that music has a healing power on individuals. In correlation with this belief there is also proof at the biologically level t that music can reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels, as well to provided emotional healing (Friedman 1). In the story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, is a story shows the importance music plays in the life of people (Bausch 37). “Sonny's Blues” is a story about a young Jazz musician in the city of Harlem, NY. The story shows a character named Sonny and the healing power music has on him as it helps him deal with his suffering such as: drug addiction, growing up in poverty, and limited opportunities in life. Music was Sonny’s source of healing. In this paper we will examine the reasons why music meant so much...

Words: 324 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Music

...be very boring since I am particularly not a fan of classical music. I thought I was going to sit in my chair the whole time and not pay attention to the music being played. As soon as the music started, the orchestra had my full attention. The first song played was, “Piano concerto No.3 in C Minor 37” by Ludwig Van Beethoven. When it first starts off it sounds like to armies making their way to the battlefield. It also gave of the feel of being inside of a battle movie. Of course this piece of music had no vocals to it, but how the violins were being played; I thought that they were singing. As soon as Sandra Rivers started her piece on the piano I was instantly amazed. Her fingers moved so swiftly while she started playing, while the rest of the orchestra slowly began to join in behind her. The tempo of this piece I would say started with andante and worked its way up to allegro. It was also played in a duple meter. I believe this piece was also played in major keys. Throughout the song the volume of the music began to grow which is called crescendo. This piece of music was also played in rondo form. The last work that was played was, “Carmen Suite No.1” by George Bizet. Once this piece of work started, I felt as if it put you in the middle of a confrontation between two different sides. This piece had several movements as it went along. The next movement, I began to feel like they orchestra was playing music from early Egypt or India once the tambourine came in to play...

Words: 593 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Music

...Music is all I’ve ever known. Ever since I was in diapers, all I can remember is hearing and seeing my family play and dance to Latin music. It’s something that I grew very fond of as I got older. Being raised in a rough neighborhood was very hard at times. I thanked god every day for the family I had. They would support me with every decision I ever made, especially with music. Music became my escape from the troubles we faced living in our neighborhood; it played a very important role in my family. Everyone in my family had learned to play a few instruments and in every family party we had, they would show us their talents. Those memories were probably the best ones of my childhood. Although I never really learned how to play any instruments, I became the dancer of my family. I was amazed by all of the different types of dance forms in our Latin American culture. I started taking dance lessons for a few years and taught dance myself for quite some time. Once I got to college that stopped for me. I had different priorities. Between working, paying rent, bills, and tuition, I had no time to do what I loved anymore. I decided to take a music class last year in the Puerto Rican and Latino Studies department at Brooklyn College. It really took me back to all of those childhood memories. It was an amazing class and I learned so much about my Latin roots. That was what led me to my decision in taking this class. The reason I want to do my final project on Latin American...

Words: 359 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Music

...woman (Mary) appears kinder. Giotto’s Madonna is more modest. The woman (Mary) is covered up and appears hardened. 3. Describe at least three Renaissance “values.” Renaissance values are: Humanism: Learning was valued and art was inspired by ancient Greece. Individualism: People wanted to be recognized for who they were and the work (art/music) they created. Secularism: The people believed that the church shouldn’t have so much control over their affairs. 4. How did music fit into the life of an average person? Music was an important part of everyone’s life including the average people. Almost everyone know how to play an instrument. 5. How did the invention of the printing press impact the culture of the Renaissance? The printing press made it easier to record works. They were able to print books which encouraged learning. 6. How did humanism affect the role of the church in society? Humanism made it where the church didn’t have a role in their political or social affairs. 7. What objections about music were voiced by the Council of Trent, and what rules did they finally put forth regarding sacred music? The council demanded that polyphonic masses should be kept in Catholic worship. 8. What is declamation? Declamation is reciting. 9. What is imitative polyphony? Imitative polyphony is where a melody from a voice or instrument is played and then repeated immediately after. 10. Why...

Words: 365 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Music

...! ! ! ! There's so much technology and physicality to music – its a human thing. I'm blessed to have been born into an era where everything started evolving and I'm yet to see everything that does anything. Virtual machines that are able to manipulate our thoughts and inspire us to come up with new inventions everyday. Worlds greatest composers such as J S Bach , L V Beethoven, Mozart relied on the simplest system to compose the worlds greatest music from which the musicians in this era are inspired and influenced by. Even though a pencil and a paper was a bliss, musicians around the world today doesn't rely on it anymore. Ever since the birth of the computers the music industry has taken its strings to another level. Hollywood composers such as Hans Zimmer, Nick Glennie-Smith, and Brian Tyler has created the best scores that we have heard in the hollywood film and music industry today with computers and electronic hardware even-though The fact still remains the same. I couldn't agree more that the classical composers were more smart and had more original music than this era. What surprises me is that the living man with the most Oscar nominations, John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) an American composer, conductor and pianist who is considered one of the greatest film composers of all time. In a career spanning over six decades, he has composed some of the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history such as Star Wars, Jaws , Super...

Words: 308 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Music..

...Music…. Life Within “Music is life”, what does the quoted line state? You may have heard this phrase from mostly many of the youth in your society especially now that the rate of change and ‘rebelliousness’ is exceeding so prominently. But, just because they say this, does it really mean that music really means the life to them? Do they really understand what the idea behind this phrase is? As Jason M. Kemper says, ‘music is a reflection of the deepest emotions of its composers.’ Therefore, in order to understand any type of music it is essential not only to examine its musical content but also its historical context. Where does ‘music’ fit in a society? And, how the society treats music and everything connected to it? A question to be asked don’t you think, but then again does it have a definite answer? One may argue that this article has so many questions well isn’t life, or the place of music in a society a question itself? As we know, music is generally accepted in all the societies, not exactly. Music has countless genres out of which only a few are accepted by our society. The media says that rap should be blamed for the gang violence, drugs, devaluing women and male control; rock and metal is blamed for satanic rituals, suicides as an “alternative” or “solution,” sadism, and masochism. Do you think this is true? I believe not.  You see, music can become a culture and a culture that has, is and will only develop or rather change but never end. Gustave E. Von Grunebaum...

Words: 1003 - Pages: 5