Being a Global Citizen

The role and importance of music in our lives is largely determined by perspective. We label different things with higher priority which creates diversity across the globe. The United States contains a predominantly capitalist culture. Our job and possessions largely determine the cultural formation in which we belong. The first question we often ask a stranger is, “what do you?” Americans tend to generalize people with certain professions as being the same. Thus, they can find a mutual interest and form a connection with the other person. Different societies have different values and practices, making up the plethora of cultural cohorts and formations. These groups of people are all considered global citizens and contribute to the overwhelming diversity of the human race.

Being a global citizen can mean many different things. By carrying different values and identifying with specific cultures I am a global citizen. I like to think of the Earth as one humongous form participatory expression. Playing music, being Jewish, performing, speaking English and coming from Indiana are several cultural practices I identify with. My combination of values and practices are unlike anyone else’s who makes me unique and just as valuable to our society as anyone else. When examining my musical values one can infer my other social practices and interactions. The greatest style of music I am exposed to is high fidelity. I am a part of society that measures success on the amount of money being accumulated. America’s high fidelity society differs greatly from many cultures that value participatory music making. In Zimbabwe were the Mbira is used in many different aspects of life, the people are much different. They raise children on the premise that music isn’t a specialized activity but an important part of society. By creating music as a family or a community people from the specific geographic location develop specialized ideas and beliefs. This all relates back to the role each person plays in the global community. Also, that perspective plays a key role in how people view different societies. The cultural differences that develop are also the key causes for conflict or disagreement between societies.

The way a society incorporates music into its culture says a lot about it. For example in the film “I Love Hip Hop in Morocco” the younger generation embraces the Americanized presentational music while the older cohort represses it. Being a part of any society has its responsibilities and consequences. It’s important to realize that it is impossible to agree on everything with everyone, and we should respect that. What makes us different from one group of people allows us to identify and relate to another. We should focus on humanizing other cultures instead of alienating them, and music can play an important role in that process. We easily connect with other people through making music or experiencing it together. The consequence of identifying yourself with a specific cultural formation is getting wrapped into the issues surrounding “your people.” For example many westerners now identify the Islamic faith with terrorism because of the actions carried out by a small group of radicals. The ideas of leaders within certain cultural formations have a huge influence over the relationship between their culture and another. These ideas are the foundation from which violence between groups or productive relationships grow. Identifying yourself with a cultural formation or cohort is a necessary part of the human experience. It bonds us to others and gives us a way to express emotions and values. Ultimately culture is what shapes our identity and helps us grow into an active global citizen.

Over the past two weeks our class has learned about music and its role in society. The different forms of music presentation represent differing values within specific cultures. By breaking down music to an individual level we discovered that music represents an entirely separate aspect of people; their global citizenship. The music we listen to is simply a representation of our cultural values and practices. Being a global citizen requires people to contribute to the diversity and growth of all societies. It isn’t a responsibility we should take lightly because through our ideas and actions we can change the world.