Katie H- Music's Connection To The Self

We were prompted with the question in class today about music's connection to our emotions and our identity. For example, I play James Taylor when im anxious and when I feel homesick I play House At Pooh Corner because my dad used to play it for me when I was a kid to get me to fall asleep. TAPS always makes me cry and Frank Sinatra reminds me of my mom and I dancing in the kitchen. There is no question that music has a connection to our souls (if you believe in a soul) and who we are/ how we relate to the world. Another student spoke about how the music played today made him feel and I think the word he was looking for is contentment. live music seems to do that to most people, hence why they have live music playing in some Irish pubs and restaurants. While American culture lacks the well-spread traditional music we were shown today, we have plenty of traditions surrounding music and plenty of traditions that involve music. it just seems our culture isn't very picky about what songs are used. Music has found its way into every aspect of life, I am sure every student has experienced a teacher try and explain a concept using a song on Youtube or use Schoolhouse Rock. And everyone that just read Schoolhouse rock that remembers it just got really excited because it is a core part of our childhood memories and, if prompted, a way we could identify ourselves. A common ice-breaker is "what is your favorite song" for a reason. The question is meant to pull a piece of information that people can then use to learn about who you are and is supposed to say a lot about you as a person. while I personally think that is completely useless, our culture still views your music taste as a core part of your personality that people can learn about you from.