Music and Identity
Are you into soft pop or hardcore punk? You probably listen to the music you think represents you, but choose wisely: It will be the soundtrack of your life.
Keywords
- personal identity (n.)
- independent (adj.)
- collective identity (n.)
- adolescence (n.)
- preference (n.)
Identity Creation
Our identity is shaped by many things: the place we grow up, the people we surround ourselves with and the choices we make. Music also plays a role in the formation of our identities, but the question is whether music just affirms who we already are, or if it shapes and alters our identity. Does the young man listen to hardcore punk because he does not like authority? Or does he dislike authority because he listens to hardcore punk?
The answer is probably both. As a child, you may be intrigued by the values and opinions expressed in a new style of music, and it may change how you see the world. As you get older, you become part of a community of people who listen to the same music. Look around you the next time you are at a concert. Chances are that most of the audience are the same gender and approximately the same age as you, and that you all wear the same style of clothing. By listening to the same music, you show that have something in common and all belong to the same group.
What Is Identity?
Your personal identity is your sense of self, or self-image. It is who you think you are and how you want others to see you. The formation of your personal identity is an ongoing, dynamic process. This means that your self-image will change during your lifetime. The picture you have of yourself now, as a teenager, is different from how you saw yourself as a child.
As a child, your identity is linked to your parents' ideas, values and beliefs. Just think about what matters to your parents socially, politically and religiously – and how you felt about the same things when you were a child. As you become older, you start to experiment with the music you listen to and the way you dress and talk to figure out who you are, becoming more independent from your parents in the process. Even though your personal identity changes throughout your life, the core of it is created during adolescence.
Collective Identity
While personal identity determines who you are as an individual, collective identity determines what characterises a group and sets it apart from other groups.
When we sing the national anthem, we affirm that we are all part of the same group. In this case, music helps create a collective identity – a sense of togetherness.
Your homeland or state can also influence your music preference. In California, pop is the preferred style of music, and in Tennessee, country is most predominant. This means that the collective identity of people from Tennessee is often connected to country music.
Did you know
that music is found in every known culture, past and present?
Music Preference
When you are a child, you may choose to listen to the same music as your friends and older siblings to feel like you have something in common. As you get older, you may try to rebel and listen to a completely different style of music from the one your parents enjoy, because choosing something different is a step towards independence.
Gender also seems to play a role in deciding what style of music you like. For example, females prefer pop more often than males. So, if you are a female living in California, there is a good chance you like pop music.
Some studies even suggest that our music preference is more about what music culture we want to be a part of than what we actually like to listen to. Just imagine a group of people you would like to be friends with – taking an interest in their music could be a way to get to know them.
Your Life with Music
Even though identity is shaped over time and music has a role to play in shaping it, most people continue to listen to the same style of music all their lives. That is probably because the core of a person's identity is shaped during adolescence. With your sense of self always changing, sticking to a particular music genre may be a way of reminding yourself who you really are.
What will be the soundtrack of your life?