Music has the ability to elicit several emotions from an individual: joy being a popular emotion. Putting a smile on my face has been a task that music has never failed to complete. In fact music can effortlessly put me in the best mood at any time of the day. The interpretant (feeling) that this song makes me feel is one of happiness and joy, and it physically puts a smile on my face with every listen. There are certain things in life that really make me feel joy- being in the comfort of my own home is one. My home acts as a sign that reminds me of family. At home I am at peace, and with family as my object I feel joy and comfort. I think of my home as my own peaceful temple where I can just be myself worry free. My family plays a large part in my happiness as well and the song describes my thoughts perfectly, "home, let me come home, home is whenever I'm with you".
Sadness/Mourning:
"Take It All"- Adele
I usually am not one to openly talk about my personal feelings with other people, but I sometimes feel that talking is the only way alleviate stress. This song certainly evoked a strong sense of sadness for me during a difficult time in my life. I can't tell you how many times this one song has made me cry, but for some reason it always had a way of pulling me back. This Adele song personally stands for the end of an extremely close relationship between me and my boyfriend of over two years (sign). Since he was/is the only guy I've ever dated our breakup led to my immediate loneliness (object). The thought of being alone made me extremely sad. It wasn't just the end of a relationship that I valued, but the end of a meaningful friendship that I missed. I try not to listen to this anymore because I don't like to think about old memories.
Anger:
"Unfaithful"-Rihanna
Although I don't always listen to Rihanna due to personal preference I knew immediately that this song would be my selection for anger. I find cheating to be abhorrent, and I don't understand why it ever happens in a relationship. If a relationship does not seem to be working rather then being unfaithful I believe in talking. In this semiotic rapport cheating (sign) is the direct result of a dishonest relationship (object), which in turn leads to anger and frustration (interpretant). Through my experience in a relationship I have learned that the truth always finds a way to make itself known. That is why I don't agree with generally all of Rihanna's vapid song lyrics- "and to him I just can't be true". The thought of using another genuine person makes me question their morals. As a sensitive young woman I have always found it appalling that people have the capacity to take advantage of something good in a negative manner. Every individual is given the power to make a choice, and using that choice to ruin something with potential makes me extremely angry.
Family:
"We Are One"- The Lion King
Instead of discussing the feeling of 'family' which I felt to be a broad term I changed it to the sense of belonging. This song delivers a meaningful message that symbolizes unity as a family (object). The object of unity as family is a sign for home. Every person just wants to feel like they belong to something important. As we stated in class, in order to express our identity we must form and sustain social groups as an essential part of our culture. It is certainly comforting knowing that I will always have a place where I belong which is my family. Having a solid relationship with my family has been my inspiration to branch out and form other relationships with different people. I learned to build my confidence with making new friendships based off of my tight relationship with my family. The reason my confidence has strengthened is because of the trust I have knowing that if it doesn't work out my family will be there. "But you'll see every day that we'll never turn away"
Sexuality:
"Can't Hold Us Down"- Christina Aguilera
Creating your own voice as a woman is essential to your growth and maturity as you age. In a society full of stereotypes about how a woman should act, talk, eat, and dress I find myself apprehensive to begin. Finding your own voice (object) by establishing a solid sense of self is terrifying to most women. Vulnerability hinders the progress of searching for our own voice as a result of fear. From society's perspective our minds have been influenced to seeing women as the stay-at-home moms, cooks, and cleaners. It takes courage to step outside of a comfort zone in order to prove to the rest of the world that you are to be taken seriously. By establishing your own voice and opinions you are able to resist (sign) preconceived notions and stereotypes that you, as a woman, find wrong. Not only will a new voice give you a sense of credibility it will also give you confidence. There is nothing more powerful than a group of women with opinions and confidence. (Of course this is my own opinion- I am not arguing that I think men are powerless) Christina Aguilera effectively communicates the need for women to join together in order stand up for themselves. I think her strategy turns out to be successful because she approaches this issue as a common concern for every type of woman worldwide. By telling us that this issue should be a concern to any woman it makes us feel comfortable enough to know that we aren't alone. By using a universal approach we feel empowered.
As I ponder about the word 'identity' and its definition I am left thinking about who I truly am. Of course, over 18 years, I've been able to grow, learn, and change my ways of thinking about concepts and ideas, but have I really figured out my true identity? Truthfully, I believe that my identity is never stagnant and forever changing- molding and reshaping the person I am over time.
Girl Talk- "Like This"
So, who am I? I am a person composed of raw emotion, empathy, questions, opinions, passion, laughter, tears, and uncertainty. Not one song alone can define who I am because I'm always changing. In order to express this to the class I chose a song by Girl Talk off of his album "Feed The Animals". My reasoning behind choosing this specific song was because I think it perfectly emulates my rapidly changing identity. Since the song is composed of various samples of different songs I felt that it effectively communicated two important ideas: change and differences. My junior year of high school I switched from a large public school to an extremely small private school. I can honestly say that it was the hardest adjustment of my life, but I grew to value that challenge which essentially set me up to conquer more challenges ahead. Change in my life has been inevitable, and its powerful effect has molded me into the practical, bubbly, outspoken girl that I am.
Louis Armstrong- "When you're smiling"
Shakira- "Hips don't lie"
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana I was surrounded by jazz music. Whether it be smooth jazz or hot jazz I remember always hearing it at any type of celebration. In class we began to talk about musical environments which made me think about mine. Of course I listened to Britney Spears and Destiny's Child growing up mostly through influence of my older sisters, but as a child my musical environment was certainly different. I have always wondered how certain beats and rhythms have the capacity to elicit a certain sentiment from a person. Listening to old Vallenato music that my mother blasted throughout the house in New Orleans has and will always be considered normal to me. Even as a little girl the repetitive drumming and complex guitar rhythms ignited a sort of fire inside of me that has never gone away. I grew up immersed in the Colombian culture from the very start. My parents spoke only Spanish to me, music was always playing, screaming was considered talking, and parties were always happening. I am certain that what I've been exposed to from a young age has stuck with me and will always be a part of me. Jazz and Colombian music are not just types of music to me: they have been adopted into my redundant lifestyle and have become a part of what I know.
Frank Sinatra-"My Way"
My vision has always been to just live my life making mistakes and learning from them by myself. Of course guidance from parents or mentors is necessary and helpful, but I've always told myself that I want to live my own life my own way. While I am still young I know I have plenty of mistakes and lessons to learn in the future, but I have had my share in the past as well. I see life as a continuous learning experience that forces a person to grow through mistakes they have committed. This song embodies my ideal of the type of life I lead. Frank Sinatra talks about how he's gone through his life, made mistakes, learned from them, but always remained true to himself and did it 'his way'. I want to, "live a life that's full", "do what I have to do without exemption", and "face it all and stand tall" by still remaining myself just continuously growing into a mature woman. I want to be able to ask a bunch of questions, go on adventures, learn from different cultures, and meet different people by remaining true to myself and my values. I believe that fear motivates a person to step outside of their comfort zone, and when that happens I want to be able to say that I did it my own way.
Dave Matthews Band- "Funny the way it is"
Family, education, my comfortable life of liesure that my parents have provided me. When I thought about how I would answer this question I immediately thought of my mom and dad. I imagine coming to a foreign country with nothing but hopes of becoming doctors. I have never met anyone as determined, hard working, and persistent as my parents. I give them every inch of credit, and I honestly do admire their work ethics. Through high school I never thought to take a step back and look at the way I live my life. Honestly, I live an extremely comfortable life of liesure that would not have been possible if it weren't for my parents. In comparison to thousands of other people around the world I don't feel like I even have the right to complain. It was not until this summer when it actually hit me that I was going to college, and that I would be away from my family for quite some time. I am not the type of girl to get home sick, but before I came to IFS from Pittsburgh I really thought about how much my parents have done for me. They have given me the amazing opportunity to move to a great new town, but even the small mundane aspects I appreciate so much. Not only do I value my parents and family tremendously, but I also value my heritage. Being Colombian makes me proud, and through my parents I was given the chance to visit and volunteer at an all girl's orphanage for children that had been displaced by Guerilla warfare. To say the least it blew my mind. The clothes, food, and conditions that these girls had been living in was terrible. I couldn't help but ask myself why it was that I get to sleep in a warm bed each night when these girls don't have enough beds for all of the orphans. Just by putting a simple smile on their face ignited a spark inside of me to do more. I wanted to do my part, even if it was just by painting their nails and putting their hair in pigtails. I will always live by the idea that a person won't remember what you did or said, but they will always remember the way you made them feel. When a person experiences something so moving, like I did, you can't help but to appreciate. That's why everyday I thank my parents for the tylenol they secretly left me in my purse, or the 'have a good day' note on my desk. Even the smallest things in life can change a persons mood. This song has always been one of my favorites because it compares the opposites of every day life. Dave powerfully points out the dichotomies between people, "somebody is going hungry, and someone is eating out". He brings out the realities of life without holding back exposing the truth that many people tend to overlook or avoid. Not only does the message of this song create a sense of awareness, it also makes me think about what I value most- my hardworking parents.
