Music Culture

In answer to the question ‘what is your music culture?’ there is not a clear answer. Culture is a knowledge acquired through education and exposure to art. Teachings learned through older generations as well as the surrounding society. I have a strong background in Irish, Italian, and German. Of these three, I have definitely gained a lot of knowledge about Irish music. From an uncle who tried to teach me to learn the bag pipe to fiddling on the accordion, attempts at learning the family instruments were unproductive. However, it did teach me to appreciate the less refined (somewhat) music. It takes a lot of patience and an acquired taste to play and/or enjoy these instruments. From my Irish background I was also introduced to Irish step dance. While this is more of dance than music, the music that they dance to is unique onto itself. It has a lively beat that makes you want to get up yourself and attempt to dance (something I do not recommend). From here I began to listen to Irish (and other nationalities) music. Not so much traditional music as much as Irish based bands such as Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys. While all kinds of people listen to these bands, I feel more connected to them then some because of my Irish heritage. I can personally relate to some of their lyrics because of the similar traditions in my own family. This is just one example of my music culture.
As for how did I learn about music, well…….it has been around since forever!!! Ever since I can remember there has been music playing, whether it was in the car, the house, or my mom singing me to sleep, music has constantly surrounded me. It was not until my high school years though that I began to branch out and listen to music apart from my parents (excluding the years of the Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, and Britney Spears). I pulled from friends’ playlists and the radio stations to find a genre I liked. At first it was country, but it quickly transitioned to everything. Now I range anywhere from emo to metal to soft rock and everything in between. Learning to listen to music is not something you learn, it is innate to a person.