Finding One's Voice

Abstract

Self-identity formation and how we learn to express that identity to others is a lifelong process for so many people. My research explores the potential ways that the medium of music plays a role in the formation and expression of a self-identity. Through my qualitative data analysis from 12 interviews with college students who are self-defined as ‘music lovers,’ I argue that music does in fact play an integral role in the formation of this self-identity for some people. The ways in which that identity is expressed to others, whether it be physical manifestations of the music or the behaviors of the individual, can be centered around an us vs. them narrative, desire to find others like themselves, or aim to control the ways in which they are perceived through their music engagement, among other justifications. Additionally, I illustrate that individuals use music to mold a personal, almost autobiographical narrative of their own lives, weaving integral memories, people, and experiences together through their relation to music.