Abdalla 1

Sarah Abdalla

Professor Cerri- Morgan

English Composition 1302

Race and Ethnic Identity- Descriptive

Week 3/ 02 February 2018

Time to Stop or Time to Start

It is not unusual to have a routine or idea of played out scenarios in one’s life.

Birth, education, marriage, family, career, retirement, and inevitably death. The idea of

retirement is intimidating or some, having to be isolated from what was once the stable

structure of their lives. Retirement proves to be a challenge for those who derived their

sense of self from their work, from their peers, and even from their experiences. But

when someone finds themselves with all this time and don’t know what to do with

themselves, more precisely, what makes them themselves, people turn to music. When

there is no longer a rhythmic system of routine in a worker’s life, “the loss of networks

that defined them for much of their adult lives can engender feelings of sadness and

depression even if the change proves advantageous on the balance.” (Music and Identity

Formation, 2)

Having a community, one filled with joyous music and jubilant participation,

makes the transition from careers to retirement much more smooth and without any

friction. By inputting oneself into a group of supportive individuals who are going

through the same obstacles and isolation as you are, there is a sense of love and

unconditional elation that allows members to rediscover themes in a safe haven.

"Although band members offered concerts primarily to share the pleasure of music,
 Abdalla 2

contact with individuals of diminished physical or intellectual capacity inevitably

prompted reflection.” (Music and Identity Formation, 7)

By and far, music has served as an environment that fosters excellence and

failure. Even in the midst of this confusion and what to do with themselves, music has

provided that crutch, that nurture touch for people to get lost in the music and find

themselves on the other side. After some digging of psychological research that supports

the cognitive function of the brain with the aid of music, a journal study expresses “in

her keynote address at the 2009 International Symposium on the Sociology of Music

Education in Limerick, Ireland, Lucy Green positioned the field at the intersection of

musical meaning, social perception, and the role of social interactions in constructing

reality.” (Music and Identity Formation, 3). Moreover, the personal experiences of these

members emphasizes the formation of identity after the majority of a lifespan has

passed. There is no deadline in character development as shown by an amateur trumpet

player’s experience: “’Take away the music and you don’t have much. To be a

community we would have to relate to each more for what we are, not [just] the music

we love.’” (Virtual Culture, 128).

Even though these musical performances may not be of the highest caliber,

“community performances in assisted-living or long-term care facilities especially aided

members in confirming their self-perceptions as healthy older adults.” (Music and

Identity Formation, 7). Music gives the community a space of love, a space where

building hopes and dreams is not frowned upon in a later stage in life. There is a start of

a dream at every start of a piece, and everybody deserves to experience that at least once

in their lives.
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Works Cited

Dabback , William M. . “Music and Identity Formation in Older Adults .” ACT, May Day
Group , act.maydaygroup.org/.
Jones , Steven F. . Virtual Culture: Identity and Communication in Cybersociety. Sage,
2002,
books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=3KeHAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq
=case study music and
culture&ots=f10C2ATCw_&sig=zvlEqA7c8IrqKQkbtY2OJlCPcxA#v=onepage&q
=case%20study%20music%20and%20culture&f=false.
Taylor, Timothy Dean. Strange Sounds: Music, Technology and Culture. Routledge,
2001,
books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MDyMAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&d
q=how culture is affected by music&ots=ZVFn-lpz7P&sig=jGCuR-
Cym2lcnpImHmvycWHk6iM#v=snippet&q=identity&f=false.