Personal Music Biography/Songprint

Who I am, where I am from, what kind of life I lead, and what I value; all explained through music.

Family is, undoubtedly, the most important part of my life. There is nothing I value more than the relationships I have with my parents and all eight of my siblings. We have always been there for one another, and I cannot imagine who I would be without them. I can think of no better way to illustrate that then with this song from the movie Brother Bear, a story all about finding oneself through the people s/he loves.

Following along with the family and loving everybody theme, I think I will throw this song in now. It explains clearly what it is I value most in my life. It is a favorite of mine, as well as of all my brothers and sisters. 

I apologize for using another cheesy Disney song as a part of this assignment, but Belle from the movie Beauty and the Beast, was a childhood role model and has been a significant character in the development of my identity. Unlike other less-inspiring heroines of fairytale origin, Belle carries an inner courage and strength that I admit to still admiring to this day. She is intelligent and thoughtful, quick-witted and curious; she loves to read. She is different from others in her community, but she does not feel the need to conform to others' ideals. She dreams of having her adventures and unafraid of asking for more from life. There is no traditional helpless Damsel here; rather it is Belle who plays the archetypical role of the Rescuer and the Hero in the final scenes of the movie. And she is brunette, another reason why I probably identify with her so readily. 

This next song represents what music is to me. I play the viola, and I performed this piece, "Nimrod" from Elgar's Enigma Variations, during my freshmen year in high school in our chamber orchestra. Our performance of this piece marks the first time I was ever seriously asked to think about music as anything beyond what was written on the page. We wrote poetry with our instruments during this performance; we painted a story in the air for ourselves and our audience. The music was alive and breathing, and it was beautiful. 

This next song needs a little bit of explanation because its significance as a part of my identity is not actually about the song itself, but instead the significance of the people and memories associated with it. I have already mentioned that I play the viola, but many others in my family are equally talented as musicians. My little sister is studying cello, one of my brothers plays the guitar, another sings, and so on and so forth, and although it is often difficult to find time, we love to come together musically to play something we love. This song by the Weepies was the first song we successfully were able to perform for an audience (which only consisted of my extended family). Because of this, it always reminds me of my siblings, and for me, it represents the bond we share. 

My next song is by a French-Canadian artist who goes by the name Coeur de Pirate. Although I do not speak French, nor am I able to understand more than a handful of phrases from this song, my attraction to it is, to me, a clear manifestation of my natural and instinctual love of languages. I have studied Spanish and Chinese and will continue to do so while I am at IU. I have an interest in all languages and foreign cultures, and maybe someday I will learn French, too; in the mean time, I still try my best to sing along to this song, although my words can probably only be translated as gibberish.

I chose this last song because at this point in my life, I have absolutely no idea where I will be in "5 Years Time," and much of who I am and how I define myself is based upon this inability to predict the future or to find assurance of my place in the world. I may guess at what will come next or try to make a plan, but more so than ever before in my life, tomorrow and the next day and next month and next year are unclear. Five years time, ten years time; it is all a mystery to me.