I am a freckled, Caucasian, red-haired, Lutheran and Catholic mix, small town, and middle-class girl. My mother’s side shows their traditional Catholicism by attending church every Sunday in classy, elegant attire. My father’s side is loud, supportive, and flamboyant. I was raised on old-fashioned family values and the idea of money being a tool to help achieve goals.” My father’s family was generally lower class his whole life, and now he is always working very hard to give my sister and me endless opportunities. My mother’s side was middle class with conventional values and lifestyle attributes. My parents, Tony, a hard working mechanic, and Tanya, a Bennie accountant, own a greasy car repair shop just outside of town, and the only employees are family and friends. I am proud of my Norwegian, Scottish, German, and non-Irish heritage. Even though my hair is an “Irish” red, I am not the slightest bit Irish. In fact, red heads are considered unlucky in Irish culture. This typecast is one that I have had to overcome since elementary school. Although there are no negative implications attached when people assume I am Irish, it is bothersome to have to correct someone on something he or she knows nothing about. I went to a public, non-diverse, local school in Lakeville, Minnesota. My high school education was the most traditional time in my schooling because of fine arts budget cuts. These cuts proved to be the strongest “push” for me to pursue a career in the fine arts.
One specific teacher in my public instruction pushed me further using negativity. My passion for music started in 5th grade beginning band. She was a phenomenal elementary director, and music quickly became my favorite subject. Elementary and middle school swiftly p...
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... music appreciators. If I was more outgoing, I might have a further diverse friend group. Musicians stereotypically come from middle class and upper class families because of the instrument and sheet music requirements. Most intermediate instruments costs $1000 and above, and one flute concerto with piano accompaniment costs $35. It is tough to be diverse in different cultures because of the standard musician’s time commitment. Generally, a musician has ensembles five or six times a week for one hour, lessons for one and a half hours, and independent practicing for 10-15 hours a week. Most of my life I have been surrounded with Caucasians because of the lifestyle choices my parents and I have made. When I complete my education and go out into the world, I will have a close-minded view on race and culture because I have not had many opportunities for such diversity.
As a European immigrant in the USA, I have encountered many new cultural phenomena in the last 4 _ years that have challenged me to perceive who I am differently. This experience has been even more polarized by the fact that I have lived most of that time in Los Angeles, a melting pot to be reckoned with. Coming to America, I expected these adaptations to my Irish self but the intensity of becoming cognizant of my label of 'whiteness' has mocked the limitations of my anticipations.
Race, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits (“Merriam-Webster” 2016). “The concept of race, as a construct distinguishing one group of humans from another on the basis of shared biological appearances, emerges from a legacy of human-different making that traces across humanity” (Radano and Bohlman 2000: 10). In my opinion, it is inevitable for musicians to subconsciously incorporate their ideas of racial differences in music making. With the influence of the mass media, racial differences are communicated through music, which then modifies the pre-existing perceptions of racial identities of the audiences. First, I will
Living in a world where African Americans are judged because of their skin color, while whites are passed by with no other thought is confusing. What do people think when they see me? I am biracial, and because of this, I’ve faced the struggle of having to explain my races to those who can’t tell, or just make an incorrect assumption. It’s not a bad thing, having two races and two cultures, because I’ve been open to multiple traditions my entire life, but sometimes it’s hard not being considered a whole person because I’m not considered one race or the other. Being biracial has shaped my life experience and the way I see the world in countless ways.
Music in every country has a history going back hundreds of years. It is an excellent type of entertainment that any person can enjoy. America being such a diverse country, any person regardless of race or gender needs to be given a fair shot in an opportunity to showcase his or her talent. However, there is a lack of Asians Americans represented in America. Asian Americans must go above and beyond on what is expected in the industry, compared to white and black Americans who seem to have it much easier. “Always, it is the Asian who assimilates, who must explain his or her prese...
My day started kind of rough, because I and my wife couldn’t agree to manage our diverse schedule. I was scheduled to meet with members of my class in downtown San Diego, and she was scheduled for her event at work. Ultimately, after a brief argument, we utilized two different vehicles heading the same direction. A conflict in timing was the cause of our disagreement. As a result, the day for me started chaotic resulting in no inner peace of mind. I didn’t sense no normal pattern of tranquility in my thoughts. I felt mentally exhausted, anguish and pain at the knowledge I that couldn’t be trusted to go to a museum on my own. I started my day with an attitude of frustration and anger. To make matters worse, I thought I was going to a place where historically I found peace and tranquility in my mind. I was always very fond of art, and believe artist today have the freedom to express themselves with whatever style and methodology they have in life. Contemporary artist have greater freedom and influence than artist in the past, because they can use their artistic works to persuade individuals and help them realize or understand they have psychological or emotional personal problems. I believe art can help identify and expose underlying emotional and personal issues that some would normally be reluctant to share openly. This is my own profound personal self-realization.
Ethnical ambiguity is my specialty. Since I was a child, I have always been mistaken for either being Mexican or Indian. At first I enjoyed the puzzled faces, but experience has taught me the dangers of racial profiling. There is an apparent juxtaposition between my high school and my university. I lived in a predominantly Spanish-speaking area and also attended a diverse high school. This was a privilege and at the time, I did not realize how lucky I was to be learn cultural competency without actively seeking it. In college, I am surrounded by people of similar traditions, upbringings, and mentalities. Transitioning from a suburban, diverse high school to a rural, predominantly white institution generated a culture shock. I was accustomed
When I was a toddler, I had blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin, and still presently do. My parents are Guatemalan, however they fit the stereotype of a Guatemalan, small, a bit chunky, and tan. My siblings also carry the same genes as my parents, but yet I stand out like the moon in a night sky. But just like the moon, the public looks at me different. Growing up in a hispanic community and having a Latino family I gained numerous titles for my abnormality. “Canche” is the George Clooney of my nicknames, it means white boy.
I grew up in a world where I was torn between who I was and what others wanted me to be. I was a biracial child in a monoracial society. My Guatemalan father and my Casuauain mother were often ridiculed for having “impurities”
It’s also interesting to think about how music plays a role in someone’s identity. Many articles found discuss the Social Identity Theory, and the people who conduct these experiments always keep this in mind, “Social identity theory (SIT; Tajfel, 1978; Tajfel & Turner, 1979) maintains that individuals gain a social identity from the groups to which they belong. The theorists claim that members have a desire to evaluate their own group positively and that they achieve positive evaluations through social comparisons with relevant other groups along valued dimensions. One maintains positive social identity and self-esteem through in-group favoritism, positive distinction from the out-group, and, occasionally, out-group derogation (e.g., Noel, Wann, & Branscombe, 1995)” (Tarrant, North, Hargreaves, 2001). Towson’s online database is an excellent place to research what has been found on music’s effects on psychology, and ...
When you love to do something, you want to do it every day, all the time, till you get sick of it. Even then that excitement and devotion to do it is still there. That is how I feel about art. I have a great passion for it. It is a form where I can express myself in a way words can’t.
My parents and grandparents had a very strong work ethic, along with strong beliefs about other cultures and races. I was raised to be a respectful of others, to believe in the American dream, and the live by the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matt. 7:12). Growing up in the 1960’s my parents were very protective, and I was not exposed to or aware of the civil unrest going on in our country. The only mention of ethnicity were generalizations of nationality: the Italians were good Catholics, the Polish were hard workers, or the German’s made good sausage. My maternal grandmother emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1923, and was discriminated against as a young Irish woman living in New York City. She had little tolerance for those who complained about cultural discrimination, she believed it was a rite of passage as an immigrant, and if you worked hard you would be rewarded. As a small child and young adult, my world was very small culturally. I lived in a small town, mostly white, and of the Christian faith. My family had a summer home in New Hampshire, therefore my travels were limited to the East Coast. Similar to the Chimamanda Adichie (TED Talks, 2009) discussion in the video “The Danger of a Single Story,” for most of my formative years, I had one story of culture, my
I am female and of Scot-Irish decent. These and those mentioned above are all physical traits that submit me into a sub-culture. There are also emotional and lifestyle factors that include me in numerous other sub-groups. I am a graduate of high school and someone who is attending college. I am currently employed and have had many different jobs ranging from food service, telemarketing, customer service representative, event planning, and retail. Each one of these jobs also puts me in a sub-group as others in the world have participated in these industries. This allows them to relate to me and have knowledge that others outside of this group of workers would not have. I am an only child who has heterosexual parents w...
Since day one of lessons, I disliked the guitar with a passion. My teacher was old, grumpy, and did not like young children. We did not get off to a promising start, especially after I told him I hated the guitar, which made my instructor even angrier. Guitar lessons were something for which I had no enthusiasm. I wanted to play soccer as much as I could. However, what is a ten year-old supposed to do when his parents promise to punish him for not applying himself to something other than sports. I was a regular child who just wanted to enjoy life. I did not believe in learning something that did not interest me.
My short term goal is to graduate from Academy of Art University as soon as possible. Afterwards I want to find a job in an established company so that I gain some experience. In my country, although animations has started been produced to entertain people, I do not think that the graphic, storyline, and other qualities meet the industry standard when compared internationally. So for my long term goal, I would want to build my own animation studio back in my country. I want to improve the overall quality so that animations in my country can go international.
The arts have influenced my life in amazing ways. Throughout my life, art has been the place I run to and my escape from the world. As I’ve grown older, art has become so much more than that. Every piece of art I create is a journey into my soul. It’s a priceless way to deal with my emotions and my struggles. I create art not only because I enjoy it and because I want to, but because I have to. Somewhere deep inside there is a driving force, urging me to put my heart down on paper. I become emotionally attached to each of my pieces because they are like dashes on the wall marking my growth. Each one is the solution to a problem I have dealt with and overcome.