Blog Post #4 – How does music reflect and relate to our cultural values, traditions, and identity?

Hello everyone and welcome back to my fourth blog post of the semester. To recap on my previous blog posts, for this inquiry, I chose to research “How and Why Does Music Impact Our Lives, and In What Way?”. In my last blog post, I focused more on how music can change or affect someone’s life. I discussed the pros and cons of this and how this change can be both negative and positive. For this week’s blog post I was previously going to be discussing how music can affect our mood and in what way; however, as I mentioned this a lot in my last blog post, I chose to change this sub-question. My new sub-question relates to how music is different in each culture and how it reflects our unique cultural differences and traditions. My question is “How does music reflect our cultural values, traditions, and identity?”. By understanding the cultural relation music has and holds for some people, I will be able to understand why it is so significant in some people’s lives. 

Since music is so unique and different for everyone, I believe it is something everyone can enjoy despite cultural differences or language barriers. Music holds its own significance to every culture and person. for centuries, music has been a way for people to share their thoughts, stories and memories with others. It’s a “soundtrack of our lives” and the lives of our ancestors (1). These songs and lyrics are significant in our lives and help “define our cultural [identity]” (1). Music is an art form that unites people together and helps communities grow stronger. Certain songs and rhythms are significant to certain cultures and play an important role in their history. Through these lyrics and rhythms, different communities pass on their knowledge to future generations. In different cultures, it is used to “connect with the divine” along with “[expressing] devotion [and cultural] rituals” (1). Music is seen as a universal language that almost everyone can resonate with. In different cultures, music is unique in its own way. in Indigenous cultures, music is used to pass down traditions and stories to future generations (2). In Europe and Greece, people use music in religious ceremonies and events (2). Additionally, every country also has their own national anthem which is written in the form of a song. This is unique and important to each country and its people. Music also reflects our cultural identity through lyrics, instruments and rhythms (2). Lyrics in songs can not only tell us a story but also “verbalize” the values and history of a culture (2). Additionally, lyrics can also inform us about social issues and difficulties a certain community may be facing and inform future generations on current issues. Sounds of different musical instruments also tell us different stories and were used for different purposes in the past; for example, the sound of the drum was used during wars to celebrate (2). In some Canadian Indigenous cultures, throat singing is taught to new generations. This is a form of celebration and is important in this culture. Music is also one of the earliest forms of communication in all languages. As children, we learn important things through songs and music such as the alphabet (3). Due to these tones and rhythms, our mind finds it easy to remember and understand the song being sung. This is also why some people use music to remember things. Even if you don’t speak a certain language, through music, we all understand certain bits and pieces of different languages through songs; which helps grow our cultural identity (3). Music is also used for almost all celebrations; when it’s someone’s birthday, we sing a song to celebrate. Even the first dance at a wedding or different festivals and holidays have songs attached to them (3). however, most importantly, music is a way for us to connect with our roots. it is a way for us to learn more about our history and culture and connect with our ancestors. This helps shape our cultural identity by creating a connection “across decades, age groups and even countries” (3). 

Links I used to help me with my research;

1. https://mavreel.medium.com/how-music-defines-our-cultural-identity-146fd448e78f#:~:text=Music%20is%20deeply%20connected%20to,a%20catalyst%20for%20social%20change.
2. https://www.trala.com/resources/how-does-music-influence-culture#
3. https://www.contiki.com/six-two/article/10-ways-music-helps-cultural-identity/