Personal Reflection Music and Identity

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Jacqueline Nordmeyer
Dr. Fiol
The Social Life of Music
4 November 2014
Assignment 3: Personal Reflection Essay
My entire life has been a series of musical journeys. When I was a child, my musical
involvement related more to dancing and instrumental lessons. As an adolescent, I became
involved in show choir and marching band, and as a college student I channel my musical
interests into listening to music.
Prior to my birth: About 25 years before I was born, my parents were five years old.
Both of my parents came from military families, so they were stationed at different parts of the
world at this time, Japan and Minnesota. When my parents met at Greenon High School in Enon,
Ohio, they were listening to the popular music of that time. They were also involved in their high
schools show choir, which eventually led to them encouraging my sister and me to join our
middle schools show choir. In the five or so years before I was born, my parents were getting
away from the mainstream popular music and discovering several small folk bands.
Early childhood: I have vivid memories of my musical experiences as a young child.
When I was four years old, my parents put me into piano lessons with a family friend. Even
though I do not remember these short-lived lessons, my first experiences with the piano exposed
me to other kinds of music than I heard regularly. After that, my parents introduced me to the
dancing aspect of music. So, my sister and I took ballet classes when we were five and six.
Through these, I became aware that despite me being bad at it, I loved dancing. My sister and I
would get caught dancing in our ballet tutus in the living room to Britney Spears, Godspell,
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Abba, N Sync, Great Big Sea (Celtic folk band), or Moxy Fruvous (folk band), thus showing
the combination of our peers and our parents influence on our musical tastes. During this time,
my musical identity was a blend of what I was surrounded with. I piggybacked off of my sisters
strong musical tastes in popular music and my parents liking of folk music, so I literally enjoyed
everything from Christian soundtracks to popular music.
Early in my childhood, my family went to see all of these small folk bands when they
came to Ohio. I remember getting my picture with my favorite player from Moxy Fruvous,
hearing a joke that went over my head at a Great Big Sea concert, and being in the front row of
an Eddie From Ohio performance. Because I knew the music so well, I was singing along with
and dancing to the songs at each of these concerts. It is because of these enjoyable early
experiences that I still love listening to this music. It brings me back to the days when I was
discovering the fun in the world without a care about the future.
Adolescence: In middle school I began developing friendships, especially within my
show choir, and my peers had a strong influence on the music that I identified with. I listened to
Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, and every popular song in the top 40 list. A
group of my friends and I even went to see the Hannah Montana concert when it came to movie
theaters. That was not my finest moment, but at the time we thought Hannah Montana was the
coolest artist around.
Being involved in show choir was one of the best activities to expand my musical
abilities. I discovered that music is a strong unifying practice in a group. By performing together
and having shared musical experiences, we bonded and became very cohesive. Through gaining
a musical identity as a group, I was able to obtain one for myself. The longer I performed in
show choir, the more confident I became in myself and my musical ability. As the same time, I
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was also in middle school band class. I started playing the flute, and in my eighth grade year, I
had solos on the flute and the piccolo. Both band and show choir allowed me to step outside of
my comfort zone, and that played a tremendous role in determining my activities for high school.
In high school, I usually listened to alternative rock and popular music, and I joined the
marching band. Unity played a large role in this activity because if one person played at an
incorrect time or was out of line, it was obvious. Marching band was the single most contributing
factor to my musical identity. Even as early as day one of marching band, my parents noted a
clear difference in my personality. Marching band taught me the discipline and focus that I
needed to be a confident player and marcher in the group. I applied this to other aspects of my
life as well. I became very ambitious and I joined multiple organizations, including being the
director of a flute choir. My adolescent musical life prepared all aspects of my life for the future
by teaching me the skills I could use to succeed in the future.
College: A part of me wanted to join the marching band when I came to UC, but I
decided against it because of the time commitment. My transition to college has not really
affected my tastes in music. If anything, I find myself listening more to the goofy folk music that
my parents played when I was little whenever I feel homesick, but I mostly listen to alternative
rock, popular music, and the music I played in marching band. My tastes in music are sometimes
a bonding factor, especially when someone elses favorite artist is Fun. and they love their entire
first album. The random mix of everything I listen to contributes to how I identify with certain
music. For example, because I listen to silly folk music sometimes, I know how to be silly with
others. Also, whenever I tell people my favorite artist is Fun., I think they view me as a unique
individual because Fun. is distinctive in their music. Music has always been a large part of my
life, and because I am no longer involved in musical activities, I listen to it often to fill that void.

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