Question 1
I am an African American middle-aged man (32-years old) born and living in Mississippi. My parents have been living in the United States for a very long time. All my life, I have been staying in this area, and I currently reside in Leland. I come from a small Christian family k known for its love of Church and music. My father works as a grain inspector while my mother is a school secretary. The only sibling I had is deceased. My parents are staunch Christians, and they raised us in the Christian way. They also love music, and it has developed to become part of my life. As a result, I am a music and church lover.
I would describe my culture as being a mixture of African and modern American ways. After settling in Mississippi, United States, my parents made sure that they raise us in the best possible way. They are Christian believers, and Christianity would be the primary reference point in terms of cultural upbringing. Our daily activities also incorporated some ancestral ways of life. This is how we identified ourselves as Africans. As a result, the music we listened to had some Africa-American backgrounds in it. Till now, I am a lover of jazz music because of the cool lifestyle I have.
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Question 2
There are several kinds of music associated with African American culture. Some of them include hip-hop and jazz. There are several others, but these are the main ones because of their rich African attributes and the impact they had on African-American history. Hip-hop music provided a major platform through which the artists spoke against various forms of oppression against the blacks. Peace and love messages were the primary content of raps in the songs. The instrumentals were a blend of African and American cultures to make the song melodious.
In the late 19th century, jazz music was invented by the African-American communities coming from New Orleans. Jazz was a combination of roots in blues and ragtime music. It is currently referred to as American classical music. During its development, jazz music incorporated African rhythms harmonized using European music structure. Due to its composition and classical nature, jazz music is loved by many Americans with a taste for cool music. My ethnic background is also influenced by the Christian way of life. This might be one of the reasons why I fell in love with jazz.
Question 3
I grew up with my parents in Greenville, Mississippi. This makes my childhood memories to revolve around life with my parents and a little input from the schools I attended. My parents were staunch Christians making, and our daily family routine was influenced by the basic doctrines of a Christian family. My parents loved to sing, and they were part of the church music group. My father played guitar. He owned one which he would be playing as we sing at home. Right from my childhood, music became part of me. I began learning to play guitar at the age of six-years-old.
To my family, music was happiness. It was a source of joy because it brought us together. Each of us had a specific role in our family music. We would occasionally host various family friends and play music together. My love for music was extended to the school I attended. I was a member of the school music band, where I also had a leadership position. Also, my grades in music-related subjects were excellent. This made me consider pursuing a music-related course in college. My childhood life in music and Christianity largely influenced what I am today.
Question 4
Music was only important to my family but also its way of life. My parents had spent all their lives in different community bands and Church choirs. They had also led various music groups. The importance of music to my family as due to several reasons; first, it brought the family together as well as uniting us with friends. We would spend some hours at night or during the weekends, practicing, singing, and talking about music. Music also strengthened our bonds among ourselves and with our friends. Whenever there was a problem, it would be solved during family music sessions.
For a long time, the African-American community has been expressing itself through music. It began in the era of slavery and oppression was various musicians would compose love and unity songs to preach peace, love, and unity. Music was also used to air grievances by communicating with the authorities through song. Up to this moment, music has remained to be a way of expressing love and unity. There are occasional incidences of racial discrimination. We use music to compose songs of peace and love among people of different backgrounds. In Church, music is used to show Christ’s love to the people.
Question 5
Music serves different purposes depending on its composition, performance, rhythms, and other characteristics. This is why there are different kinds and genres of music. Some of these elements are valued due to the cultural impacts they have on people. For example, jazz is valued due to its calmness, rhythm, and traditional origin. Jazz is a blend of various traditional genres. It combines the essential characteristics of roots, blues, and ragtime. Jazz music brings together lovers of traditional and modern American music.
Improvisation and rhythms characterize the music. The rhythms have origins in traditional African music but have been harmonized using European music. This element makes the music relevant to many people with different backgrounds and tastes for music. The instrumentals also make jazz lovable to the individuals who love rhythms or tunes more than lyrics. At the same time, jazz composition involves carefully made lyrics to make the message clear. Music was used by African-Americans to preach messages of peace and love. To the communities, music was a way of communication. This means that a song should be judged based on the lyrics. This element has made jazz a relevant song to my community members.
Question 6
After completing high school, I graduated with an Associate of Arts degree before getting another degree in Bachelor of Arts. I also play bass guitar for various gospel artists and participates as a band member of the 41st Army Band. This means that I have a sufficient educational background in music. I attended schools and music colleges with students from other cultural backgrounds. This means that my musical education was a reflection of cultural diversity. I learned about music and its relevance to different communities. Music has different traits and interpretations, depending on the culture of reference. This is why many artists and musicians try to harmonize the traits to come up with universal music.
The music curriculum incorporated my community music. First, we learned about music in general, including its general characteristics. We then proceeded to different genres of music, their origins and history, and defining characteristics. This is where students were taught about jazz and hip-hop music. The two are associated with African-American culture, which is an essential component of American history.
Question 7
The music my family listened to was mainly gospel, jazz, and country music. Many of the songs were represented the family’s way of life and the African-American culture. However, getting into music education and having a childhood friend from different cultural communities exposed me to different kinds of music. I remember the first time I got exposed to hard rock music. I first listened to this music at a friend, and I honestly failed to understand its relevance. I was used to music with a blend of instrumentals and lyrics. But here is music where the lyrical aspect was not substantial. I, however, came to learn about hard rock music and why some people love it. As a music student and teacher, I have learned to appreciate the roles and traits of many different genres.
Question 8
I would choose jazz music as a true representation of my cultural background. I come from an African-American community and a family which loves music. The family also has a strong belief in Christianity and has music roles in Church. Jazz music has a blend of rhythmic and lyrical traits, making it the perfect music genre representing my cultural community. From history, African-Americans used music to send messages and communicate with one another. It means that a piece of good music must have a clear message communicated through the lyrics composition. The community also used music for entertainment. Therefore, instruments and rhythm are essential components of perfect music. Dancing, performance, and celebrations are also an important characteristic of African culture. Rituals and cultural ceremonies would be marked with strong musical performances. People would dance and sing according to the ways of the community. Christian music, on the other hand, is meant to preach and speak to the believers' souls. This means that their songs focus more on the lyrics than the instrumentals. African-American music presentations in terms of composition and performance are a typical representation of the culture.
