American culture writing work

Music and Identity

The introductory material for this unit consists of the video below, "Music and Identity". The content referenced in the video is linked below, in this video guide. 

SONG 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TDeBi34OtE

(:30-1:20)

SONG 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFxaG2lFrOE

(:27-1:22)

Bobby McFerrin Demonstration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk

Gracyk, Theodore. Listening to Popular Music, University of Michigan Press, 2007.

READ

"Sound" (KACS web), Kun (link)

https://keywords.nyupress.org/american-cultural-studies/essay/sound/

Hopper_Accessible. Pdf

This first reading is a web essay adjunct to our Keywords text. To find it, click on the link above. The second reading is a short essay from Jessica Hopper, the prominent pop-music critic pictured  to the right. When reading, notice any place in the text where you see Hopper's social life coming together with her musical listening. 

WATCh

Sound Garden, "Black Hole Sun"

Bikini Kill, "Rebel Girl"

These two songs are exemplary of the kinds of music played by Soundgarden and Bikini Kill, two of the bands that are referenced in your reading by Jessica Hopper. While listening to this music, pay attention to the sounds that you hear. What do they signify or symbolize? How would you describe these songs? What do they sound like? In the case of Soundgarden, you also have a video to consult for clues. What kinds of imagery are used in the video? What do you think that it's "about", and what do you notice as being significant? 

Discussion: Music and Identity

This discussion will use Hopper's text as a jumping-off point to discuss your own musical listening habits and how you understand their relation to your own identities. Throughout the course of your response, please address the following questions:

After listening to Soundgarden and Bikini Kill, what do you think it was about the music that caused Hopper to identify with one over the other? Include at least one quotation from Hopper and use proper in-text citations with page numbers.

Changing gears, what kind of music do you most identify with, and why?  

Discussions are graded pass/fail. Follow all instructions to pass. If you do not include any element, you will fail.