Music To My Ears

Native American Identity

“Native American Identity” By Perry G Horse is about how we see our self as Native American people and how we can manage to be like “white” people such as speaking like them or having a school system like them or doing certain things the way they manage to do things, but we also have to keep in mind that we are all native people. The story was referring to how our identity is very important. It also mentions that anyone can easily consider themselves as Native Americans especially when they are not. Native Americans struggle with racial problems that the white have agents us such as the whites getting the scholars easily. I think that this article really covers a lot of big things such as how we can be connected to white in a way that we are losing the language and are getting used to speaking English all the time. We should mainly be focusing on learning our traditions and language as we are growing older so we will be able to understand how things are property done in our culture. And one thing that triggered me and I know that would trigger a lot of other natives is that we are getting used to costumes that whites put on for like Halloween which is definitely not okay. It offends our culture and it is very disrespectful because it's like the whites are mocking how we are or the way we look or dress.it makes me feel angered because of how their actions are being taken towards us natives who went through a lot and is still going through a lot to this day.

MLA: Citations:

Benedict, J. Without Reservation: How a Controversial Indian Tribe Rose to Power and Built the World’s Largest Casino. New York: Perennial, 2001.

Cohen, F. S. Handbook of Federal Indian Law. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1942.

Horse, P. G. “Reflections on American Indian Identity.” In C. L. Wijeyesinghe and B. W.

Jackson III (eds.), New Perspectives on Racial Identity Development: A Theoretical and Practical Anthology. New York: New York University Press, 2001.

Jensen, R. “White Privilege Shapes the U.S.” Baltimore Sun, July 19, 1998. http://www.baltimoresun.com. Accessed Feb. 12, 2004

Wijeyesinghe, C. L. “Racial Identity in Multiracial People: An Alternative Paradigm.” In C. L. Wijeyesinghe and B. W. Jackson III (eds.), New Perspectives on Racial Identity Development: A Theoretical and Practical Anthology. New York: New York University Press, 2001

Lifesongs

Lifesongs is an article about an art program that brings local communities together and also helps heal from their struggles that they encounter such as fear , illness. Many people of all ages including elders have found music to be very powerful, the lifesongs programs brings family members youth and elders all together to share some of their great stories and also their life experiences they have run into. As community members share great ideas and creative sides to one another it brings them closer and helps build strong bonds with one another, when they are working one on one with each other the participants develop great works that involve music, movements, and are able to see the positive things of every stage of life.

After the program has worked for many months they put on some public concerts by musicians and choir groups including different aged artists , as people see elders songs and their very own stories that they share that connect everyone together based on what separates people from their own community. Through music they help each other bless and heal their pass.I honestly think that this is an amazing program and I kind of wish that we had a program like that in my own community trying to bring everyone together through music.

Lifesongs was founded in 2007 by the Santa Fe Opera. Overall the program just brings everyone together and expresses their emotions and feelings in their creative expressions through music and regardless of the ages, ethnicity , language they all find ways to make things work in to make everyone feel comfortable being a part of the program.

Personally I think that having a program like this can and would help many people in my community because I know that music is very calming for everyone in my community especially when it comes to having dances and feast days we are all well known to be surrounded by music and during these events music is very healing for my people . we all come together , spend a whole day with family going to go watch dances.

MLA: Citations:

Solo Movement. “Lifesongs.” Academy for the Love of Learning, 5 Feb. 2020, aloveoflearning.org/academy-programs/institute-for-living-story/lifesongs/

Music Therapy

Music Therapy is an article about how music incorporates different techniques that includes listening to , reflecting on and creating to help improve others health and well beings. Having people listen to music is easy for other people to express themselves and process troubles that they have been experiencing. It is a way that people can simply find emotional release when holding in difficult feelings which is most difficult to understand. Communication skills can also be improved during the music process.

The process of music healing is led by a board- certified music therapist, this therapist can help anyone that is interested in taking music therapy , they can help you get through the process of trying to improve their live style by turning to music power. Most therapists can provide sessions one on one or having a group of people work together during the process. Music therapy can be used in many situations with any aged group from young children to adults as well as elders .With the help of the music therapy process it helps people who suffer with depression, anxiety, and traumas to reduce the pain that they have been carrying for so long. With the amount of the power music itself carries it can also help people who have Alzheimer’s disease , dementia and brain damage that can be caused by strokes.

It surprises me in so many ways. I keep learning and learning that music can’t only be helpful with people who suffer with emotional problems but it can also help people that are suffering with physically medical situations. I was surprised when I read that music can help people who have had serious brain damage or anyone that suffers with any type of disease. All along i always thought music was only a cure for helping lower depression or anxiety because for a few years now i've just been using music to calm me down when I hit a bad anxiety attack from time to time, and also a way to help me focus on school work. Who knows sounds, lyrics and beats can do so much for the human body in positive ways.

Music is formed in many ways, there is a variety of music forms such as , Country, reggae, pop, R&B the list goes on and on. If people I am close with and i knew they are struggling with a lot in the moment I would send them some songs i feel would help them realize that things can get better that most times no matter what tends to knock us down we have to look at the bright side of life , and we should all know that life is beautiful and we should go out and let our light shine, the music is really love and enjoy is reggae. The music is just so calming and has many life lessons, it helps me realize that there are better days to come to me. It is very healing. On any day I would turn to music.

MLA: Citations:

“Music Therapy.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/music-therapy.

Music Therapy : Global Perspectives

Patera Kern was a past president of the World Federation of Music Therapy. They were hoping to get that out of this program conference attendees would be able to take home some new perspectives and some new ideas including a sense of belonging to a worldwide music therapy community. Around about 1,4000 professionals and students from Seoul, South Korea from 45 countries all came together to be able to experience and explore music therapy. One example of the power of music is that it helps build relationships and build some common bonds with other people from other places.

When joining this program for people all around the world they are asked to “ Talk Music” which is a groundbreaking multicultural project that allows relationships to grow between immigrants from different countries such as France, Ethiopia , Uruguay and Russia including more. These groups would be able to develop connections through music. With a music therapist that will be hosting the event, students are allowed to present their own music from where they are from and to show how some part of their culture is performed. With so many disasters that have been occuring around the world , music therapy for a crisis intervention has become commonplace. Music therapists have been on call for helping those in need.

This is a very interesting program on how many students from basically all around the world are able to have a chance to connect with each other through the power of music. I have learned a variety of reasons why music is helpful. It helps connect people, bring positivity, and over all music can be anyone's best friend. Music does play a huge role not only in people's lives but in communities and cultural events that have taken place.

I wish there was a music center in all pueblos where people would be able to attend all ages to connect through music and see how music would affect them. That would be a wonderful program especially some community members that really enjoy listening to music and they feel that music is their escape from all the bad events they have encountered in their lives. Where they would have safe places and with the powerful help of music they will be able to express anything that may seem to have triggered their mental problems.

MLA Citation:

Kaplan, Ronna. “Can Songs Help Resolve Trauma?” HuffPost, HuffPost, 20 Sept. 2011, www.huffpost.com/entry/music-therapy-world-congress_b_912791