Music is a major part of my life. Pandora is definitely one of my top apps used, with the music choices ranging from pop all the way to slow jazz. I love just about everything and have a different mood that can connect with the music I listen to. Music is a beautiful thing. After thinking through my favorite music, one artist that I connect with and really enjoy is Fun.. In case you were wondering, yes, there is a period in the title so it makes it look awkward at the end of a sentence.
I chose to analyze three of
their songs: “Carry On”, “We Are Young”, and “Some Nights”. These three are my
favorites by Fun. and come up most on my Pandora as well! Each inspires me in
different ways and makes me appreciate how amazing life can be.
Three major connections between the songs are inspiration, truth,
and life. I start with inspiration because each song has emotion that inspires
people to believe in their self and follow their dreams. We have hard times
when we are young, in our love lives, and even in understanding who we are, and
that is ok. These songs connect with real experiences that everyone today has,
and it truly is inspiring.
This leads to the second connection, truth. Fun. has a lot
of music that connects with personal experiences and challenges he has had in
life. “Some Nights” is a key example of bringing the truth out and being true to
yourself. He is uncertain what he believes in, what he stands for, and if he
even wants to sing anymore. That honesty is so powerful because he isn't trying
to convince everyone else, but more trying to convince himself. It is his
release to understand exactly what he wants in life and all of the pressures
that come with it.
Lastly, life ties each of these points and emotions
together. Life can be very challenging and hard at times, even as an artist.
These songs connect the emotions of everyday life – hurt, uncertainty,
loneliness, happiness, passion, etc. Life isn’t a clear, simple road, but more
of a complex path with barriers and obstacles along the way. It is amazing how
he can tie in these emotions and feelings together and express them in a unique
way.
I connect with this music because I often feel the same and
connect exactly with the issues in the lyrics. Life is complicated, and it isn’t
exactly easy to decide what matters the most, what I believe in, and where I
want to go with it. It’s been amazing and I am inspired by life, and this
continues to help that grow and help me develop my impression. I think it
mostly connects with culture ethnographies because these lyrics are emotions
that are deeply felt. Different people can connect on each level, forming
cultures from their emotion. Culture really does have symbolic meaning behind
it. Geertz (1973) explained that culture denotes “…a system of inherited
conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men [sic]
communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes towards
life.” (Martin & Nakayama, p.91) This expresses culture in the terms of emotions and symbolic
significance for different activities. This view allows us to understand the
connection between culture and communication in a different light.
Lyrics to each song:
Sources:
Martin & Nakayama (2012). Intercultural Communication in Contexts, Sixth Edition.
Carry On - Fun. Retrieved on 1/24/13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7yCLn-O-Y0
We Are Young - Fun. Retrieved on 1/24/13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6dMFF_yts
Some Nights - Fun. Retrieved on 1/24/13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQkBeOisNM0
I liked your connections. I have also related to their music, for me it reminds me of times when I felt more optimistic or less stressed and burdened with life but I think their music is definitely a facet of american culture and one that college students can very easily relate to.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! I like that you included both the videos and the song lyrics. In future blogs, expand on the connection between the text, key concepts, and the application. You include Geertz in the text, but also include citations for the book as well. You cite the text at the end, but don't include it in the blog.
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