My Musical Identity
I never really thought of myself as having a musical identity. In elementary school we had music class once a week where we learned certain songs to sing and how to play the recorder for the spring concert. Once springtime came and the concert was over, it seemed as though everything we learned was soon forgotten. By the seventh grade music class was no longer mandatory and I became too involved in sports and other activities to even think about taking a music class.
Since I have taken this class, it has forced me to think about myself and my musical abilities. Looking back now, I might have wanted to join the choir or try an instrument, but I don’t think I would have given up any of the sports or my other activities to make time to do so. I really enjoy singing and have been enjoying learning to play the ukulele, but I’m not sure if I would have said the same back then. I can’t name one person in my family that plays an instrument and I think that definitely plays a part in my musical (or lack thereof) background.
I have always loved to listen to music and sing along but it is still hard for me to do this in front of other people. I grew up listening to “pop”, groups like N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys, artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera as well as the soft rock my mom listened to. I started listening to country music in high school and to this day it is still my favorite genre. These days I listen to a wide variety of music and I can’t think of any I really dislike off of the top of my head. There are a few genres such as jazz, classical, and folk that I just don’t listen to as much because of the culture I live in, but this doesn’t mean I don’t like these genres.
This class has taught me so much about music. Before this semester I could not have told you the difference in tone and meter. I learned that music isn’t just about songs but also about movements. In my own classroom I hope to incorporate music in many ways. I really like the idea of having soft music on in the background to help students focus on their work, or using music for transitions. I would also like to incorporate music into my lessons by using songs or chants or rhymes to help students remember the material. There are so many ways to use music in the regular classroom and many of them I would have never thought about before taking this class.
Since I grew up without much knowledge of music, I didn’t consider myself to have a musical identity. After taking this class I know that this is not true. Everyone has a musical identity in some way or form. It could be simply based upon the music they listen to, the instruments they play, the movements they make while listening to music or something completely different. The school I will teach in, in the future, might not have a good music program but that doesn’t mean my students can’t get some music education from me in my regular classroom. There are many ways to incorporate music into everyday lessons.
Photo courtesy of: http://sunsetintherearview.com/throwback-thursday-crafting-musical-identity/
Since I have taken this class, it has forced me to think about myself and my musical abilities. Looking back now, I might have wanted to join the choir or try an instrument, but I don’t think I would have given up any of the sports or my other activities to make time to do so. I really enjoy singing and have been enjoying learning to play the ukulele, but I’m not sure if I would have said the same back then. I can’t name one person in my family that plays an instrument and I think that definitely plays a part in my musical (or lack thereof) background.
I have always loved to listen to music and sing along but it is still hard for me to do this in front of other people. I grew up listening to “pop”, groups like N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys, artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera as well as the soft rock my mom listened to. I started listening to country music in high school and to this day it is still my favorite genre. These days I listen to a wide variety of music and I can’t think of any I really dislike off of the top of my head. There are a few genres such as jazz, classical, and folk that I just don’t listen to as much because of the culture I live in, but this doesn’t mean I don’t like these genres.
This class has taught me so much about music. Before this semester I could not have told you the difference in tone and meter. I learned that music isn’t just about songs but also about movements. In my own classroom I hope to incorporate music in many ways. I really like the idea of having soft music on in the background to help students focus on their work, or using music for transitions. I would also like to incorporate music into my lessons by using songs or chants or rhymes to help students remember the material. There are so many ways to use music in the regular classroom and many of them I would have never thought about before taking this class.
Since I grew up without much knowledge of music, I didn’t consider myself to have a musical identity. After taking this class I know that this is not true. Everyone has a musical identity in some way or form. It could be simply based upon the music they listen to, the instruments they play, the movements they make while listening to music or something completely different. The school I will teach in, in the future, might not have a good music program but that doesn’t mean my students can’t get some music education from me in my regular classroom. There are many ways to incorporate music into everyday lessons.
Photo courtesy of: http://sunsetintherearview.com/throwback-thursday-crafting-musical-identity/