The Best Reflection Ever!: Global Citizenship

             What does it mean to be a global citizen; what separates us humans from the animals or the insects? We have the power to make peace amongst countries and the will power to commit mass killings anywhere we choose. We create cultural formations that are sustained for generations and we seek out power from the people in hopes to gain the most control over them. There are positive and negative consequences to being a global citizen; however it is our duty to be as unified as possible. Unfortunately, this world cannot, nor will it ever, exist without hierarchal ideals and behaviors; if everyone looked exactly the same, we would still have a handful of people who would label themselves as “better than” the rest simply because of this virtuosic concept. The only way to coexist with each other is to respectfully acknowledge our differences as individuals and not in huge clumps or social groups.

            As impossible as it sounds, I believe this can be accomplished in small areas to then further branch out across the nation, and the later the world.  In order to appreciate the values of global citizenship, we must first appreciate our own communal values. Participating or contributing in any form during communal gatherings are ways to uplift a community. As a member of the Bloomington community, I want to be more musically involved. The performance at the Runcible Spoon, for example, was an awesome experience for me because I’d never heard live Irish music before, especially in that relaxed setting. I could speak to the musicians without feeling unworthy of their time. I could’ve played my fiddle along with them without feeling incompetent because of the welcoming atmosphere they created. I used to think that the most important concept of music in this society was to be more involved in studio art or high fidelity music, and that’s true. However, I’ve come to realize participatory music is much more valuable than other forms of music because I establish more connections with people in general; music should not be something designated for specific people, but it should be a spiritual way of sharing positive vibes amongst each other. The one thing I could honestly do forever, with or without money, is compose or perform various forms of music in a participatory or presentational setting. When people contribute to their community, the love shared in that community grows to such an extent, people experience and pass on the positive energy to outsiders, thus, eliminating the concept of “outsiders”.

            Despite the fact that there are various ways to be involved locally, music in my opinion is my favorite way to be an engaged global citizen. While playing music here is awesome, I will branch off into the world and discover other forms of music performed across the world in order to enhance my knowledge of other cultures. When observing other countries’ music, I acquire more knowledge of what their values are and why those values are so important. Just from listening to reggae music, I can hypothesize the people value freedom, unity, and love. Not to say other countries don’t value these concepts, but many of the songs illustrate these things. Much of the music also has Rastafarian or religious affiliation; people believe in the music because they believe in a higher being, Jah Rastafar “I” or the equivalent of saying “praise the Lord” in a Christian setting.

            The most important responsibility of global citizenship is continuing the traditions of one’s culture. The world would be such a boring place if everyone’s culture was the same because we would no longer be able to learn from one another. I’ve recently had the opportunity to travel to Vienna, Austria during this past spring break and I simply enjoyed the vacation. I was somewhat irritated with the fact that there were so many American fashion stores everywhere. I thought it was more difficult to take in the environment because it so similar to my; the only difference, in my opinion, between Vienna and Indianapolis was they spoke Czech or German and the food was twenty times better than American food. Other than the language, food, and land structure, most of Vienna was western. I expected a more distinguished environment and for while I witnessed the authenticity of the Austrian culture, but for the most part the city was way too similar to the U.S.

            When I travel to other countries, I love being in the cultural settings without the “westernized” aspects bleeding through. When I imagine myself in the interrelated local, national, and global communities, I find myself more respectful toward people of all nationalities, sexual orientations, and have a broader view of the individuality of people in general. As a local citizen, my connection with people is more intimate because I engage myself in activities with them more frequently. In the national setting, I am most recognized as being part of the stupid social groupings for lack of close relationships with people. In the global setting, people identify me with my country more so than they identify my individuality. I guess my dream of the world coexisting with each other through respectfully acknowledging our individuality cannot truly happen because we’re so far apart. However, if more people make more connections with people around the world, we could meet somewhere in the middle. Advance the indices of everyone to eliminate social grouping and promote encouraging cultural formations everywhere to further expand tradition. It takes a long time to mold a culture, so the sooner we start branching off to make positive relationships the sooner we attain a happier, less hierarchal world society.

The Runcible Spoon Experience

            For the first time ever, I journeyed with my IFS class to the Runcible Spoon in Bloomington, IN, where we witnessed Irish music performed by one of the world’s best flutists, Grey Larsen, along with four other accomplished musicians. The Runcible Spoon is a great place to drink a cup of coffee and relax while reading a favored book. In general this place is also wonderful for catching-up with friends or, in the evenings, drinking your favorite beer in the presence of awesome live Irish music. While I was there the musicians gathered around each other inside of the restaurant, laughing, talking, and some were messing around on their instrument. Nothing was rehearsed or prepared, but everything was all about the positive connections made between people, musicians and bystanders.  

            When I observed the musicians, I noticed there was a certain way they began each piece. They’d have small talk conversations for a while until Eric, the accordion player, occasionally chose a piece. Everyone would join in after each individual familiarized themselves with the tune. Although Eric was not the designated “song starter”, the common placed idea was for someone to leisurely begin a piece they desired to play both when just beginning a song and transitioning into the next. Most of the tunes were jigs in 6/8 or 4/4 and many of the songs had the flute and accordion as the lead instruments in rhythm. There was also guitar, mandolin, and “round knee” drum incorporated into the Irish pieces. The number of songs played depended on if the musicians felt like playing or if they were familiar with the song.

On tune was sung by an elderly woman without the incorporation of instruments. She sat off toward the side of the musicians and the guitarist, Cindy, asked her to sing something. Although I don’t know any of the musicians personally, I could tell that many of the melodies had deep internal meanings for each person because it was written on their faces. When the elderly woman sang her solo, I watched the face of each individual and saw various emotions through their facial expressions. Cindy, for instance, had the most solemn look on her face when it first began, as if the song reminded her of an important moment in her life. In some spots of the song, she smiled in appreciation.  I enjoyed the song more so than some of the others because the lyrics told an interesting story; a woman was on a journey and longed to be reunited with her loved ones.

            The majority of the music performed was in a participatory setting, despite the fact that the entire restaurant did not grab instruments to play along. The musicians did not distinguish themselves as artists on stage with an audience below them; the performers chose to blend in with their surroundings in order to create a sense of equality amongst everyone. No musician was better than the other, but even the people dinning were as welcomed to perform with the group as the group itself was appreciative of one another. I could not understand why some people in the restaurant did not join the musicians for the Irish jam session; there was no stage and no hierarchy. Perhaps it was because the cultural values of many of the bystanders prevented them from joining; those people might have thought of themselves as non-musical because they’re up-bringing lacked participatory music.

Many of the musicians agreed that they grew up with Irish music and performing it in a setting like the one at the Runcible Spoon, amongst people they enjoy spending time with without being recognized as virtuosic between each other, is something highly valuable; it’s their cultural formation. The entire performance exemplified the celebration of people coming together to enjoy each other’s company in music. The people in the restaurant were compelled to respond in some way, whether it be dancing subtly in their seats at the table or clapping to the rhythm of the melody; some individuals responded in more obvious ways than others.

               The globalization of music is inevitable, which explains why certain genres of music created in one region of the world are duplicated in another. In the documentary, The Punks Are Alright, the globalization of punk music was expressed in Indonesia, Brazil, and Canada. In Indonesia punk music conflicted with Islamic traditions, however provided comfort to the oppressed poverty stricken population. In Brazil punk music was a safe haven for the youth, saving them from the drug dealing communities, yet the music was also at odds with Catholicism. Music could be compared to stages of various lifestyles; when analyzing the difference between someone who prefers to listen to heavy metal music and one who listens to meditation music, the conclusion is both people lead different lifestyles. The heavy metal listener would not necessarily be able to listen to meditative music because it does not satisfy his needs. In light of this concept, listening to punk music releases people from the oppression they experience from their society and performing it reflects the hunger for freedom.

            Before watching the film, punk music was just some angry kid music according to what I believed. I never could grasp the significance of what punk music stood for until now. In both Brazil and Indonesia, punk music is a symbol of rebellion from the unjust hardships the people constantly attempt to endure. It seems like the people in impoverished areas of Indonesia and Brazil are rejects without anything good going for them in their future, but then punk music reminds them that they’re not alone and have each other to lean on. I understand how all their anger from their oppression, bottled up inside them, is released when people participate in the mosh pit at punk concerts. The youth of Brazil and Indonesia make my life seem like the equivalent of living in a palace because of the opportunities given to me here in the United States. I could say that I’m ashamed of ever feeling ungrateful for some things I take for granted like running water or a clean environment.

            Despite my lifestyle of opportunities, I can relate to the artists’ way of life because I apprehend their hardships on a moderate level. From what I understand, Dolly worked in a tennis shoe factory for $2.65 an hour, six days a week and he traveled to and from work in total of four hours. Although my life is nowhere near that difficult, I know what it’s like to work for peanuts. Women in general get paid less than men do in America, however that’s a fortune compared to what Dolly gets paid. Henricke worked as a teacher in Brazil’s youth educational facilities and he was exposed to their problems as well. Some of the students were sexually abused and others were into the drug dealing business. Undoubtedly, these things aren’t foreign problems here in America. I have relatives that have lived in impoverished areas, which included drug dealing and various abusive behaviors amongst the youth. The anxiety I feel for the youth in my grandfather’s neighborhood, Chicago’s west side, is now the same anxiety I feel for the youth of Brazil because they have the same struggles. When I think about the correlation between Brazil’s poor community and the American poor communities, it’s the same concept.

Brazil occupies the greatest number of Catholics in the world, which is to say that their society is largely religious. Punk artists, I imagine, are shunned because of the image they create; rebellious outfits and hair styles, outrageous music, and overall disrespect to the church. From a cultural aspect, Brazil and the U.S. are similar; the youth of Brazil are just as rebellious as the youth of America. For instance, many male teens refuse to do nothing but clown around in school with the pants hanging below their waists. Some of them are into rap music and others are into drug dealing, but few are into education. They seem to believe that there is no way out of their struggles in society, so the only way to survive is to do whatever is necessary. Despite the differentiating rebellions, both rebel groups are communicating with the world in hopes to belong to something greater than their oppressors.

Indonesia is known for its exquisite vacation resorts and American tourists visit for this reason. I used to wonder why it was such a big deal for American to travel to other countries and be regarded as “financially special” versus just normal people on a trip. Compared to the United States, Indonesia is in economic ruin for various reasons; one of those being corporate companies building factories, like the one Dolly works in, in favor of paying the locals cheaply and gaining profit in abundance. Despite Indonesia’s democratic government, the capitalist hand dominates their country.

After viewing the film, I believe my perception of youth culture in Brazil and Indonesia has caused me to become aware of the close relations we share with these people. I used think these places were much more contrasting to where I live, but now I know its very much the same. I don’t live in the exact same ways as they do; yet I can still relate to their hardships from looking at my own. I’ve also taken into account that punk music is more than random people making silly songs, but people expressing their thirst for justice, equality, and individuality.   

           

            

Farmer's Market Map

I Love Hip-hop in Morocco

                There are an innumerable amount of countries around the world that restrict people from the right to freedoms of speech and religion. Unfortunately, Morocco is one of the countries that enforce both restrictions in order to sustain their Islamic values and traditions. I Love Hip-hop in Morocco effectively expresses the trials of Morocco’s hip-hop artists, how they overcome their obstacles, and how they use their music to enlighten the youth. Although the goal of the Marrakeshan regime is to keep religion and worldly practices separate, the youth has been revolting against this notion through hip-hop music; they want their voices to be heard. Poverty stricken neighborhoods occupy their land and children have a predestined identity. Some say they’re terrorists and others say they’re Allah devoted Muslims, but overall, the choice to choose is theirs. Through hip-hop music, the youth have found a creative outlet for all the pressures and worries handed to them from society.

                Othman of H-Kayne has effectively discovered a way to start the revolution through hip-hop. He uses his musical compositions to express what the youth is feeling. Without withholding the truth, he and others rap about the oppression of the Marrakeshan people. DJ Key, for instance, also uses his turntable skills to exemplify freedom of music; if he can get the youth to realize just how powerful their creativeness in music is, they could possibly change their entire society. Despite the fact that Islamic values reject the idea of music creativity completely, the musicians continue to battle this aspect of their culture because music is associated with their individuality. Fatti is another wonderful example of someone who utilizes their musical identity to confront oppression; just because she’s a woman does not mean she cannot be musically creative, assertive, and feminine simultaneously. When society enforces unjust principles used solely to control their identities, they fight back using other examples from history to argue their case.

                The hip-hop movement began in the United States and was used to counteract racial oppression from all who were judgmental. Now that the same thing is happening in Morocco, artists have decided to utilize their musical gifts in order to resist the same kinds of prejudices. I find it interesting that the people of Morocco have not revolted through violence, but instead through music they attempt to reform their cultural fabric.  The difficulty in doing this is the Islamic regime believes the expression of hip-hop, among other freedoms, is a western product of which is evil or corrupt; the elders view Islamic principles and globalization as polar opposites. The artists also struggle with that notion; however they believe both are acceptable. Instead of producing pure westernized hip-hop, they merge similar Western hip-hop beats into a more Marrakeshan style.  By combining these two styles together, the artists create a link of equality; the western beat emphasizes freedom and the Marrakeshan style represents the youth’s individuality.

                America was delighted to support the “I Love Hip-hop in Morocco” festival for one of many reasons. The concert was not all that expensive to sponsor compared to other things spent by the United States. The concert was just another way to liberate possible “terrorists” and it makes America look good. At the concert, there was an amazing outcry of joy from Morocco’s youth because they were finally given a chance to express themselves in whatever way they deemed necessary. When Brownfingaz did some freestyle with MC Bigg, the crowd went crazy because the bare nakedness of the truth was revealed in his lyrics. The entire concert was all about freedom of not only music, but also speech, peace, and equality.

                The youth of Marrakesh will struggle for a while, but not for long. History has proven to us time and time again that through music, change will occur for better or for worse. Hip-hop in Morocco is serving as an escape route from the arbitrary Islamic culture. Instead of abandoning their religion, the youth are choosing to incorporate aspects of their individuality in order to express their freedom.

Reel Bad Arabs

            Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies A People has several captivating and important fact based sentiments concerning the way American culture views people associated with or from the Middle East. Various Hollywood films have been streaming false ideas about the identity of Arabs and people of Middle Eastern heritage; their men fight amongst each other, their women are submissive, seductive, and abused. The most common false apprehension is all Arabs conspiringly attempt to destroy the United States for radical religious reasons and that concept couldn’t be more inaccurate.

What I found to be most interesting was Walt Disney’s depiction of the protagonists and antagonists in Aladdin. Jasmine and Aladdin, unlike the rest of their village, speak English very well, which lead me to identify with them and not the other characters. Another disappointingly inaccurate prejudice was served to me through the film score. Never have I realized how demeaning the introduction song, Arabian Nights, was because as a child I just went along with the program. Here is an excerpt of the song:

“Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place

Where the caravan camels roam

Where they cut off your ear

If they don't like your face

It's barbaric, but hey, it's home”.

Knowing my love of film scores, this newly found information lead me to feel shameful and outraged; I had never stopped to acknowledge the inhumane aspects of what the media forced into my seven-year-old mind or even my mind today. Another movie I’ve seen with more false apprehensions of Middle Easterners is the Mummy. Brendan Fraser played the protagonist role and Arnold Vosloo was the antagonist, the Egyptian mummy. In one of the scenes, the protagonist and his team of mummy fighters fought to protect the damsel in distress, played by Rachel Weisz, from disease rampant Arabians, forced allies of the Mummy.  Before watching Reel Bad Arabs, I thought nothing of the way Hollywood depicted the characters in The Mummy; this movie was an exciting, adventurous fantasy and I loved it. However, now that my eyes have been opened to the unjustly provocative depictions of Arabians, they have also been opened for every social group I’m familiar with.

Of all the many comments from Dr. Jack Velenti about the way Arabians are falsely depicted in Hollywood movies, the most important comments were about the way American society depicts themselves in these movies. For the most part, the American character is always the protagonist or the beautiful damsel in distress; the American character’s intelligence, hygiene, charm, and overall health is much more superior than the primitive Arabian character. American women are portrayed as more attractive and more independent than Arabian women. Since Hollywood is using the American cultural values and ideologies to depict a completely different country, American society can view the other country as negatively as they feel necessary. These comments were the most memorable to me because I had never thought about why Hollywood would depict Americans as the more superior country; seems to me that America has a self-esteem issue.

            Although 9/11, I believe, is used as fuel to continue the prejudices and false portrayals of people from the Middle East, the choice to do so is nonsensical; the consequences for the actions of nineteen Saudi Arabians should not be the burden of an entire social group. People should be identified with their life’s story, not by the commonalities of their ethnicity because no one person is the same. Popular culture is more harmful than helpful to society in some aspects. When a society creates a social group, the individual who belongs to the group has no other choice than to play that role until it is changed.

In the end Dr. Velenti expressed his optimism for the transformation of the villainous depiction of the Middle Eastern world.  His confidence comes from previous cultural changes in history with African Americans, Jews, and even Russians. Personally, I totally agree with him on every possible level. America’s popular culture will one day accept people in general as just people and not as representations of their social groups.

            

Pop Music and War on Terror Opinion

            Every country experiences an exchange of similar habits and thought patterns. We experience these exchanges everyday through our cultural society. People associate various objects or ideas with what is most common amongst their society. For instance, the idea that country music is considered American music more so than hip-hop or jazz exemplifies stereotypical thinking. This iconic way of viewing culture enables a society to engage in acts of prejudice against each other. When society constructs topical conclusions based on a majority’s thought procession, there is no room for individuality. What’s worse is that after a culture has designated a social group into a specific category, it’s difficult to be seen as anything other than your iconic self.

The prejudice reputation given to a social group often causes dissension amongst that culture when disaster strikes. 9/11, one of the most devastating events in American history, changed the way society views terrorism. The suicide bombers who crashed an aircraft into the World Trade Center of New York were Middle Eastern. Considering most of the Middle Eastern heritage is structured upon Islamic faith, most of the population there is Muslim. Ever since the attack Americans have categorized Muslims as icons of terrorism. One attack changed the way American society apprehends its own cultural ideologies and furthermore we’ve lost sight of truth for all humanity.

The war on terror was deemed inevitable post-9/11 for various reasons; the people of America were distressed and someone had to pay for the damage. As a result, the war on terror was a means of revenge to stop the immense anxieties that took over the country at the time. No one stopped to analyze the immoralities of the war and how much anguish it would cause our “opponent” to have. So America justified the war on terror by labeling a social group that best represents the people responsible for the attack the terrorists----Middle Easterners, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, and anyone else affiliated with them.

One could only be for or against the war and there was no room to not belong to any one side; anything that questioned the logic of going to war was viewed as betraying America. Ideal music created post-9/11 played a predominant role in promoting the war on terror, such as Toby Keith’s Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue. This type of music encouraged the prolongation of prejudice America; social groups would continue to be blamed or judged according to the actions of mere individuals.

 However there were other songs that questioned the practicality of the war. For instance, Neil Young’s performance of Imagine by John Lennon effectively communicated the notion of peace, love, and mercy, ideas that many Americans did not want to acknowledge. Songs like this attempted with little success to destabilize the walls of a judgmental America. Although there has been very little improvement of eliminating prejudice institutions over the years, America must remember to do things truthfully and not selfishly; instead of blaming an entire culture for a terrible act of violence committed by terrorists, who are now dead, we should make amends.

Dixie Chicks

            What would planet Earth be like without music? Music is a means of communication through the subconscious thought procession; the emotions people feel when listening to music are extremely distinctive perceptions and cannot be repeated exactly as before. Music is also an essential way of expressing the character of various social groups. America alone has multiple social categories and each category has a specific framework. In every framework, there are certain icons and indexes that help build that culture’s identity. For instance, the idealistic music of America according to American society is country music. One would think American music is melodies created in the United States by an English speaking American, but that’s not the case. The reason for why country music is largely understood as “American music” has a great deal to do with its function in society. Most of the roles country music must exemplify are the ideal Americans as white, hard working southerners, and patriotic no matter what. The Dixie Chicks fit this profile perfectly; their appearance and musical messages clearly emphasize country music, thus, they are icons.

            A culture’s belief system is in charge of what or who should be considered as an icon. The Dixie Chicks were icons of country music because society appointed them into that position. Just as society has the power to accredit, they also have the power to reject. During the period of the 9/11 attack, the United States was in a state a fear and revenge. The government did everything in its power to assure the people of America that we needed to have war on terror because of the possibility of being in danger once again.  Through the manipulation of the media and innuendos of living in an unsafe country that believed it had no other choice than to go to war in order to regain safety, the government gained control and support of its citizens.  

            Although the Dixie Chicks were huge icons of country music, they also had individual identities that did not necessarily go along with their stage characters. For instance, Natalie Maines stated her controversial statement against the war on terror while touring in Europe and that caused her career and all involved to involuntarily become politically involved. The result of her opinion pushed forth a huge outcry from the American people; how could Natalie Maines disagree with going to war on terror? Is she even American? Although Natalie is just as American as George W. Bush, her lack of sensitivity to the situation of the war on terror cause her to be a primary target for dissension. What’s worse is that the Dixie Chicks were not the only artists to speak against the war on terror, however, they were made examples of simply because they were huge country icons; in the face of all adversaries, the Dixie Chicks were the last people on Earth to be considered as the enemy.

            Consequently, the Dixie Chicks were forced to try to make amends with the president, their fans, and overall the American society. From their experiences, which included the dismissal of their music from country radio and ostracized by almost everyone, one could understand when to speak, what to say, and how to say it in times of division among a country. In Natalie’s case, there was no correct way to state her position on the war on terror without having the comment backfire. The only way she could have been appreciated for her comment was to have stated it around the time when the rest of the world believed the war on terror was a mistake, yet, she would not have been able to change her iconic position from country to varied artist.

            The Dixie Chicks have become more than just the American country music icon and there is something more to be grasped from what happened to them in the past. Their music is recognized as the epitome of American spirit in country music, therefore, they must uphold their visage in order to sustain their cultural appraisal. Music is essential to winning the favor of the people in contemporary American political debates; it exemplifies the idea of what position the presidential candidates wish to uphold. What better way to win an election than to paint a picture of who you want people to think you are rather than show your true colors.

University Orchestral Festival Feedback

            Musical performers are well-known for their ability to entertain their audience. The type of audience will depend on what artist is performing and the level of participation allowed. Indiana University’s Symphonic Orchestra has a differentiating level of participation compared to a rock concert; all ages were welcomed and there were certain rules to be followed such as no drinking or speaking while the performance took place in the music hall. There was a specific level of respect expressed from both the audience and the artist. When the orchestra played a piece all activity and sound from the audience ceased, but when it ended the crowd applauded. The participation of an audience also has a great deal to do with the style of the music. In order to appreciate classical pieces, one must be willing to be tranquil in their listening and if not, the musical message could be compromised. For instance, the audience’s feedback to the symphonic concert was relatively low compared to a Dixie Chicks concert, where the audience does more to show their appreciation. As a result, the environment of the orchestral concert was much more calming.

            Nothing about the symphonic orchestra’s spectacle involved the musical participation of the audience; it was strictly an exchange of melodic expressions. However, the musicians within the orchestra itself played participatory music amongst each other; the higher the level of participation went, the greater the social bond. For instance, one of the pieces performed, Allegretto Piu Allegro by Beethoven perhaps, incorporated a wind section off stage. The intensity of the music emphasized a feeling of being embraced; there was an intimate connection between the performers and the listeners. The sound of the orchestra on stage combined with the wind section to the left and right off stage is what made that moment so profound. Although the listeners did not participate with the orchestra musically, the symphony’s wind section participated as both the audience and performer. Overall, the artist was successful in sustaining the interest of the audience not only because the level of participation was understood and exercised, but the artist created a relationship with their spectators.

            Many people have their own opinions about what concert setting they prefer. In this case people preferred to attend the symphony orchestral concert for specific reasons. The most obvious reason for coming would be to witness pure talent from the artist without technological enhancers; the idea of music being represented skillfully is what makes the performance so exquisite. People also want to feel distinguished for attending such a concert because of its sophisticated method of melodic expression; the tempo, dynamics, style, and overall arrangement of the piece is important in transmitting the musical message.  

Musical Experiences

 Shanty Town (007) by Ken Boothe & The Tamlins 

Pure Joy.

    

     Ken Boothe sings about rude boys (felons) in Shanty Town who rob and terrorize the neighborhood after they get out of jail. Despite the depressing concept of the lyrics, the musical structure of the song is what gets me excited. The bass line is a resemblance, or an icon, of my father's reggae music. When I listen to my father's music, I always feel jubilant because his bass lines have a simple way intertwining with the sophisticated melody. Whenever we compose songs together, he always has some really cool bass line to try out. Our goal is to always make the bass line simple to play, but smooth progression wise, giving all the other sounds more room to show off.  I am happy when I hear this song, but I'm happiest performing with my father.

After The Love Has Gone by Earth, Wind, & Fire

I reside here.

Maurice White, one of the lead singers, captivates my mind with his soothing voice. Personally, I think this is one of, if not the best musical group of all time because of the way their music is arranged. Every sound is clearly understood and distinctively different from the other, making the blend of sounds sweet to the ear. This song is a resemblance of how music sounds when my brother and I compose all the parts together. Whenever I hear Earth, Wind, & Fire, I envision our musical ideas in their music (the interpretant). Our compositions make me feel a sense of belonging as does this song.

Atlantic by Keane

"I don't want to be old and sleep alone. An empty house is not a home." 

Lead singer Tom Chaplin's melancholy words sung to a distorted, redundant beat and never ending arpeggios on key board emphasize the idea of a surreal and gothic world. Although toward the end of the song the melody becomes brighter, the dreamy tone is extended as if the dreamer could never wake up. The keyboard's melody reminds me of the Twilight Zone's theme song. I used to watch this show with my mom when I was younger and I could never feel content about the concepts in the show. In one episode, a beautiful woman was considered hideous in another world, so they exiled her with all the other "ugly" people. 

This song reminds me of the sadness I felt for the woman in that one episode.

Little L by Jamiroquai

L'amour. 

This song is the epitome of "groovy". The upbeat rhythm, funky bass line, and spotaneous guitar melody are essential to the groovy-ness of the song. The lyrics are a resemblance of my feelings for my kitten when she slept toward the end of my bed. Whenever she slept in my bed, her little hairs attached themselves to the sheets. The worst part is she used to end up on my pillow the next morning along with her many hairs. Although I hated this process of sleeping, I loved her because she meant more to me than my irritated emotions when I found fur on my pillow. With love I overcome obstacles.

You should know....

These are some of the songs I identify myself with.

Zimbabwe by Bob Marley

 

"When I first heard this song I realized that music is not only a means of communication, but it's also a way to persuade people to take action."       - Nhyla Reid

As the daughter of a Rasta Man, I have been heavily influenced by reggae music and Ratsafarian ideals; 

I am rasta. 

I come from a father who used to urge me to only wear dresses and never put on make-up because he wanted me to be as naturalistic as possible. When I was younger, I was afraid of how this type of influence would impact me because I felt ostracized in school for being "naturalistic". I realize now that I am only as confident as I believe I am.

I Love You More Today Than Yesterday by Spiral Staircase

Before I started IFS at Indiana University, I was worried about leaving my family. My mother and I are like sisters who don't ever run out of enjoyable topics to discuss. One night she sang this song as a practice run for her karaoke night with friends. Ever since her practice performance, I've fallen in love with the song and I would'nt love this song as much if my mother had not sung it first.

I value authentic, positive relationships with people. 

I Remember by Deadmau5

This was the first electronic/techno song I've ever been in love with. I was at a party with some friends from high school during winter break my junior year of high school. Everyone did their own thing, whether it was dancing, talking, or whatever; we were free to be ourselves and there was no one to say to us we were doing "this" or "that" incorrectly. We were free to be just people enjoying good music without the pressures of high school looming over our heads.

I envision myself leading a life of pure satisfaction in everything I do.

Messiah by Mavado

Mavado sings about his spiritual belief of his mesesiah, Haile Selassie. I identify myself with this song because I also believe in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We share a commonality.

Schindler's List (Theme) by Itzhak Perlman

I have actually had the privilege to see Itzhak Perlman perform at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and it was the most breath taking experience I've ever had in my life. He touched my soul then and continues to move me every time I here his music.