Tuesday, September 29, 2009

HUM 223: What role does music play in your daily life?

Today, we'll continue our discussion of music, art and culture by taking a little survey: What role does music play in your daily life? It will help us see what role plays in our own culture as 21st-century Americans.

Please post your answers as comments to this post. Write four or five sentences. Be specific. Always be specific.

If you sing or play an instrument, mention it. If you don't and all you can play is a radio or a CD changer, mention it. If your voice is so bad you scare the cats when you try to sing (don't ask), mention that too. Where are you when you listen to music? What are you doing? When do you first hear music in the morning? Through the day? At night?

If you're short on inspiration, here's results of in-class survey in HUM 223 three years ago that may give you some ideas.

And here's a quote from an Englishman in Russia who compared the music he heard there in the 1600s to "a flight of screech owls, a nest of Jackdaws, a pack of hungry Wolves, seven Hogs on a windy day and as many cats."

16 comments:

Violet Rose said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Violet Rose said...

i see on tv and the streets music plays a big role. gets you moving. it also stirs you emotinaly. music also helps remind us of where we come from and helps lead us to where we're going. for me that the role it plays. along side helping me forget about the day.

Unknown said...

I consider music my life. I listen to it everyday, and everyday i try to broaden the variety to which I listen. I sing, an am currently teaching myself the piano.

smcpherson said...

I listen to music very often. I deliver pizzas for a living so themajority of my time while working is spent driving around listening to music. I've also played the guitar for around 5 years now.

2Kings said...

I listen to music as much as I can. I listen to it in the car, at home, even at work. Music really is like food for the soul to me. When I am going through something a song can inspire me. Its interesting cause melody and music is all around you.

lhscheerleader2 said...

I love music. I listen to music eveyday..at work, in the shower, at home, on my phone, and in my truck! I'm not sure where alot of people would be without music. I cannot sing what so ever but i like to. I listen to many kinds of music. I teach Tai Chi at my job so i even listen to that kind of music on a daily basis. Music can change your attitude in many ways. Music helps me get through my day. Music plays a role in my life as a partial motivator.

htorricelli said...

I listen to music everyday, all the time. Music greatly influnce my dancing, without music it would make teaching dance almost impossible. I also listen to music every time I get in my car. When I was much younger, I played the flute for three years, and really enjoyed it. Without music in my life, it would be quite boring.

Stac said...

Music is one of the most major influences in my life. My family is very musically gifted and that is how we spend the majority of our family time. I play the guitar, I personally own 2 a Washburn acoustic and an Ovation acoustic, I also sing and play harmonica. My father plays many insturments but plays a mean guitar. His prized possesion is a double-neck electric ovation and he can rock it! Music is and will always be a huge part of my life and I will continue to enjoy it.

Shakeria said...

I dont think i do anything without music. i play it when im cooking, cleanig, working, or just wanna hear something to get me up ad moving
. i can think of every mood i tend to go through daily and think of a song to match that particular mood. i love music evereything from the beat to the lyrics to the tempo. i think music is the universal language.

cen90 said...

Music is everywhere around us. i work at Walgreens and hear it everyday. it can be quite dreary and old-fashioned. Music is also played on my computer and in the car. I even have a cd player in my shower to sing along too.

steve said...

Music playes a huge role in my life. I listen to it everyday while I am driving to help stay awake. I also listen to it while I work out or before games to get myself prepared mentally. Music is also a good tool to use to relax, and sometimes it even helps me fall asleep.

Sara Howard said...

I love music. Its eveywhere around us. i listen to it everyday. without it i would probably go insane. Music makes everything more enjoyable. for example while cleaning, driving in traffic, hanging out with friends, partying, or just hanging out listening to music.

Chyndian said...

Music is a huge part of my life. Music helps me no matter what mood i'm in. It's helps me whether I am happy or sad I listen to music. I mainly listen to music everyday at home or in the car, I also listen to music before I go to bed. I don't listen to many popular genres of today like rap or pop music. I prefer listening to regaee music, or African music. It is not very popular today but it is what I grew up listening to at home that's why I like to listen to it. Instruments that I play are the piano and the clarinet. I also sing alittle bit too.

hosby said...

Music is the one of the first things turned on in my home in the morning. It is the last to go off at night. I listen to music for a variety of houshold and everyday functions. My son and I listen to Jazz, blues, or classical at bedtime. Listening to mellow music helps to sleep. In the morning depending on what day and whom is getting ready we listen to RAP and Hip Hop, if I am not in the mood for Rap then I will turn to a more R& B station without RAP. If I want to listen and I want a Reagee feel then we will listen to Reagee or Reageeton on the latin stations. On Sunday mornings we always listen to Praise and Worship gospel.
For all my workouts that I do outside I have to have my MP3 and headphones. The music I listen to will vary depending on the mood I am in to workout. If I want a fast paced workout then RAP and oldies R& B, and Reageeton.
If I need to walk and reflect inward then it could be gospel. If I need to just listen then I could listen to Jazz or R & B.

In my car music has to be playing my mood will determine what I play and my sons requests.
When I cook in the evening and doing homework smooth Jazz or Blues will play. When I am cleaning I have to have upbeat music to keep me moving and working. Not having music withing a day would be very hard

Cassie said...

The first memory I have of music is when I was three or four and would beg my mom to put on some music, (probably Garth Brooks or Brooks and Dunn do to the fact that we lived in the country) give me her high heals, and I would dance around on the coffee table. I later in life began to play the piano, and later the saxophone. I sang in church and at school, now realizing that the only person I sounded good to was myself. I went through different stages in life, for example there was a point in my life where I really liked r&b and rap, I later grew to like rock and metal. I think it is important to test new music and figure out what speaks to you and sticks, and what falls off and you find yourself thinking what was i thinking? Now, I like to go to shows outdoors such as Dave Matthews, G. Love, Devotchka and Pete Yorn. I listen to music constantly in my car or at home while I am cleaning. I also frequently go to shows or concerts for the music mainly but also for the atmosphere. I think it is important to differentiate between what is "Popular" and what you love. It is also good to be open to new types of music or even art for that matter. I still play the piano on occasion and wish I did more.

Unknown said...

I love music. I listen to music while I do homework, clean up, read, anything. Other than school im a stay at home mom so me and my three year old listen to a great deal of music to get us through the day. She loves to sing and dance and so do I. Music helps gets you through any kind of emtional time. I agree with another student that without music life would just be boring.