Music and Meaning Making

Writ 2011 

By Katie Cosgrove

This week I read the article Popular music, affective space and meaning by Christopher partridge. In this reading Partridge argues that popular music needs to be taken more seriously due to its influential relationship in society, personal identity formation and the construction of the Self (Partridge, 2012: 182).

Partridge discusses the concerning problem that there is a lack of scholarly investigation into the relationship of popular music and religion. Partridge argues that the relationship of music is so important in the construction of social identity and personal identity. That music helps to determine social groups, our relationship within the community and constructing our own personal identity (Partridge, 2012:182).   

Furthermore Partridge argues that popular music also plays an integral role in religious and social networks and the existential life (Partridge, 2012 182). That popular music needs to be studied and considered more seriously as it is influential to our feelings and thought. He backs this up with past studies by H.H Farmer who identified the cognitive effect of drugs and alcohol as similar to the “aesthetic intoxication” caused by listening to a chapel choir (Partridge,  2012:183). 

Why Popular music? Partridge argues that popular music is so ingrained in our everyday lives from the radio in the morning to the listening to music whilst commuting to work, therefore music plays an important part in everyday life. Consequently Partridge argues that popular music is constructing many aspects of peoples lives their personal identity emotion and social organisation (Partridge, 2012:185).  A beautiful quote in the article by Simon Frith sums up the importance of music,

"The question we should be asking is not what does popular music reveals about the people but how does it construct them. Because of its qualities of abstractness music is an individualizing form. We absorb songs into our own lives and rhythms into our own bodies" (Partridge, 2012: 185).

Indeed music is a medium for communicating meaning and emotion, personal identity and social likes and dislikes  (Partridge, 2012:186).  We can use it to regulate our moods and as a way to identify personal values and feelings and thoughts on political, social and religious issues.  Music can be used to shape the Self and for personal identity formation. Music can even be used to give meaning to situations such as in movies in a climatic event (Partridge, 186). Consequently when we listen to popular music we are being drawn into social and cultural alliances (Partridge, 2012:187).

References:

Partridge C. 2012. Popular Music, Affective Space and Meaning. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strhan. Eds., Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader. 182-193. London and New York: Routledge.

Images:

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