Musical Identityour experience of music - of music making and music listening - is best understood as an experience of [a] self-in-process. Simon FrithWho are you? What makes you who you are? Are you the same person all the time? Are you the same person with your friends that you are with your grandparents? How has your relationship with music helped you envision who you are, have been, or want to be? The fact is that identity is fluid. It changes over time and between relationships. It is influenced by your desires, family and peer expectations, and a host of other factors. See the next slide for more detail. Definitions of Identity Peoples ideas about who they are and what unites them with or distinguishes them from other people and entities (Bakan)Derived from our family, gender, cultural, ethnic, and individual socialization process (Ting-Toomey).IndividualGenderSocial ClassSexualityRaceEthnic GroupAgeAbilitiesReligionRegionSelf Identity is the story we tell ourselves about ourselves and we gather the material for our unique story from a plethora of places and people. We also express that sense of identity visually, verbally, through body language, through the objects we cherish, and through our engagement with the arts. Levels of IdentityIndividualSocietyCultureNation or Nation-StateDiasporaVirtual CommunityYour personal identity also intersects with many other identities you wear or take on. Selected Social IdentitiesRacial Identity a socially constructed idea that still persists in the United States.Ethnic Identity derived from a sense of shared heritage, history, traditions, values, area of origin, and sometimes language.Gender Identity (different than sexual identity) how a particular culture differentiates masculine and feminine social roles.National Identity the nation/country one was born into (or a sense of place).Aside from our personal identity, we have many social identities. Consider how the above social identities overlap. Can you express them through a venn diagram like the one used in the previous slide? Three ExamplesDescribe what you hearAnalyze how its organizedCollect DataInterpret your dataEvaluate the valueInterpret DataHow do they express a National identity?What do they have in common and how do they differ?DescribeAnalyzeInterpretEvaluateWhat?How?Why?Is?For the moment, lets examine the idea of national identity. To do this, lets employ an easy technique of analyzing any artistic expression. This is the Feldman method of aesthetic analysis: description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. First, describe, in nonjudgmental terms, what you hear or see. Be Captain Obvious! and just stick to the facts. Next, analyze how it works or comes together as an art object, e.g., a piece of music, a painting, a poem, a film, etc. Stick to the formal rules for how it comes together. Again, try to remain objective.Then, interpret why it works. What impact does it have? Why is something successful as an art object or not successful? Finally, you can offer your judgement but only after fully collecting your data and analyzing it. Do you like it? Do this for the following three examples. On a piece of paper (real or digital), listen/watch the following examples with the Feldman model of analysis as your guide.

National AnthemWhat do you hear? What is the instrumentation? Who is performing? Is it improvised or composed and rehearsed? Listen to the notes and how they are performed. Is everyone playing together or doing separate things? What is the texture? Is there a leader? Describe the rhythm. Describe the dynamics. When is this typically performed? How does it make you feel and why? You may have to listen to this twice to answer all of the questions. Try not to advance to the next slide until all of your questions have been answered thoroughly.

Jimi Hendrix (1969)Next, listen to Hendrixs rendition of the National Anthem played at Woodstock. Staying objective throughout, describe what you hear. How does it make sense? What is he doing (in non-judgemental terms), especially in the middle section. Sing the words in your head as he plays. Does the music match the words? How does this make you feel?

Jimi Hendrix (1969)Now listen again. Did you hear the rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in air? Hendrix, who served in the air force, is painting a picture of war. War is not pleasant. War results in death. War causes trauma. Listen for how he captures this musically. He uses the distorted guitar to paint a picture of war. Instead of the music being orderly and composed, it is improvised and messy. Chaotic, even. Without words, this is a commentary or a description of war.

Jennifer Hudson (2008)Finally, listen to Jennifer Hudson singing at President Obamas inauguration. Dont forget the objective Feldman model of analysis. How is this similar or different than the first two renditions? Is this composed or improvised? Can you hear the gospel influence in her vocal style? What we have is a combination of improvised and composed rendition. It is played by a racially integrated ensemble and her gospel roots bring an inclusiveness to this piece that isnt in the previous examples. How does this version make you feel and why? Music Does Identity WorkOrients the listener to:TimeSpace/PlaceEmotionRelationshipHow does it do this work?RhythmDynamicsTextureTimbreMusic does a great deal of work! To DoFind a recording of one national anthem from a country other than your own. Do a Feldman analysis.How does it compare to the United States anthem?Post your informed opinion with a link in the appropriate discussion board on Blackboard and comment on three of your classmates submissions.