Songprint

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.