In this blog, I will be discussing how I feel a sense of belonging, specifically cultural belonging through music in popular culture mediums such as TV shows, Movies, and Musical Plays. I will also make mention to other times I felt a sense of belonging through music, in terms of playing and listening.
Belonging Through Cultural Music
Belonging is defined as an emotional attachment to people, places, and ways of life. As a Jewish girl, I feel a strong attachment to the Jewish religion, which includes the music and songs within the religion. I recently went to see the play called Come From Away, a true story, about the many people that got stranded due to the closing of the airspace on 9/11. and in the play is a song called “Prayer”, this song has a mix of a few languages singing in harmony, including English, Hebrew, and Arabic. Seeing this live made me very happy, especially the Hebrew singing and Hebrew song, as it was a song that I have known since I was a young girl and from the many plays that I have seen unless it is a more Jewish play ( Fidler on the Roof) having the Hebrew language and an identifiably Jewish character is very rare and more often then not a absent aspect. The rabbi, who was singing in this song spoke about a true story of a man who was inspired by him being there ( in Gander) to tell his origin story. Hearing and seeing a Hebrew song, and a Jewish character in the play made me feel empowered as a young Jewish woman. Marsh (2017) found that when she was looking at the role of music activity, people begin to feel a sense of belonging and empowerment, this is especially helpful when words and the use of words for conversation is limited. When watching a play especially a musical there is limited conversation, so music and song is the way that these stories are told.
On January 16th, when speaking about belonging through music the term cultural intimacy was brought up. Cultural intimacy was loosely defined as a group of people understanding something and feel connected to something because of their culture. “Chanukah Song” written and performed by Adam Sandler is a great example as to how I feel cultural intimacy with my culture, but also what I believe to be a way for Jewish people ( of all ages) to feel like they belong on the holidays. Growing up, and till this date from around November- December the only music played on the radio and in shopping malls is Christmas music, and although I do like this music, I always feel upset that there is never a song that I can relate to and able to relate to the songs that were being played. So, when I first heard Adam Sandler’s Chanukah song I intently became very excited and felt like I belonged. There are four versions of this song, and in each of them Sandler goes through a list of Jewish and hearing this for myself makes me feel connected as a Jew.
Besides from playing Christmas music in the malls and on the radio, the holiday season is also filled with Christmas TV specials and movies, there are very little Chanukah themed ones, although Sandler again created a movie called Eight Crazy Nights, a movie where the Chanukah holiday sprit “awakens” someone, of their horrible year-round actions. Another than watching and listing to Sandler’s pieces during the holiday to feel a sense of belonging I remember that the TV show Glee, included the classic Chanukah song “Oh Hanukkah” on one of their holiday episodes. I remember enjoying this growing up and playing the video of the two characters performing this song over and over again. Like Marsh (2017) mentions, music allows for people to feel empowered, and hearing and seeing the music of my culture from a popular TV show and a popular actor made me feel very excited, I felt as though there are other people like me. These songs made me feel at “home”, which in class we learned is an aspect of belonging.
Belonging Through Participatory Music
Although this is not a video of me singing, I included it to symbolize how participating (via a school choir) in music, gave me a sense of belonging through elementary school. Thomas Turino, in ” Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation, speaks about the difference between participatory music and presentational music. He defines participatory music as a type of music that has no audience, one where everyone can participate in with the creation of sounds and dance. In this type of music, there is a focus on working together and being synchronized. Turino (2008) writes that participatory music creates a “Social Synchrony”, which allows/ creates a sense of being together and gives the participants a deep feeling of similarity ( to one another) and an identity( p.43). Working in/ with a choir gave me a sense of Social Synchrony. I remember when I was in the choir I enjoyed it, I became friends with people that I did not think I would before since we had a similar ground of being in the choir and enjoying to sing. We meet about three times a week during recess and sometimes before and after school. These meetings/ practices, working together, and the common love for singing all brought us together. By participating in music rather than performing we made music together rather than play music together. As a child, I participated in many different extracurricular activates, such as dance, gymnastics, and acting/voice lessons. All of these actives fall under the category of what I define as ” Musicking” which is literary just the process of making and listing to music, these actives ( especially the choir ), which allowed me to participate in music all gave me a sense of belonging, as I was working with people similar to me to create something ( a song, a play, a dance) that made us ALL happy.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I feel as though especially from my experiences that music is an excellent way for people to feel as though they belong. Music has made me feel that I belong in a cultural sense, from when I see songs of my culture ( Jewish/ Hebrew) in popular culture such as plays, TV shows, movies or even just songs sang by celebrities. I have also felt a major sense of belonging through participatory music, mainly singing in a choir but also through actives I participated in as child-like vocal lessons, dance classes, and acting classes. Music brings people together, and togetherness is an important aspect of belonging.
Bibliography
Boltonschoolmedia ( 2018, May 9). This is Me- Middle School Choir[Video File]. Retrieved from URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kre-Lci26bY
Happy Madison ( 2012, December 6). Adam Sandler Chanukah Song[Video File]. Retrieved from URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUCNAnp2QAI
Happy Madison ( 2015, November 25). Chanukah Song Part 4[Video File]. Retrieved from URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YSOZP_M6eM
Marsh, K. (2017). Creating bridges: music, play and well-being in the lives of refugee and immigrant children and young people. Music Education Research, 19(1), 60-73.
OnlyGlee RM ( 2015, December 12). GLEE “ Oh Hanukkah” ( Full Performance) From “ Glee, Actually”[Video File]. Retrieved from URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSjoeDQ8kkA&feature=youtu.be
Torafaruga. (2017, July 24). Prayer-Come From Away (Lyric Video)[Video File].Retrieved from URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BJcwDBRcsk
Turino, T. (2008). Music as social life: The politics of participation. Chicago. University of Chicago Press
Pollock, T (2020) Contemporary Children’s Culture: Music and Belonging. York University, [PowerPoint Slides 1- 14].Retrieved from: https://moodle.yorku.ca/moodle/course/view.php?id=151864#section-19
Jessica's Musical Autoethography 