The following are my 10 chosen curated songs from the list of 27 in no particular order.

  1. Flowing Streams
  2. Crane in their nest
  3. Beethoven 5th, Part 1
  4. Senegal
  5. 31/31 String Quartet No. 13 In B Flat, Opus 130
  6. Bach, Brandenburg no. 2, Part 1
  7. Bach – Gavotte en Rondo
  8. Jaat Kahan Ho
  9. Fairie Round
  10. Navajo Night Chant

To me, music is similar to writing where it is formal, personal, durable and monological (Dobson & Willinskly, 2009). This is due to the precision and intention of its planned bars, notes and accompaniments.  I chose these songs based on personal experience (New London Group, 1996): people in my lives that the songs remind me of their identity, songs that remind me of my identity, and songs that are situated in the emotions I feel in my life. It was not an easy task as it was actually hard to relate to these songs or find my own identity in relation to these songs. As differences are used as productive resource and differences are the norms (New London Group, 1996), I felt that majority of the songs were very singular or did not show cultural and linguistic diversity (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009) as much as I had hoped. Although I had grown up playing in concert band, the symphony and orchestra band where I was exposed to Beethoven and Bach, I would not consider those songs part of who I am, or their music the language that shapes the way I think (Boroditsky, 2011). However, I do see those songs as a very important part of my life, where I found the love for singing, music and instruments. Particularly,  Crane’s nest reminded me of the time I spent in Japan teaching English. The instruments utilized also reminded me a lot of my own culture.  Flowing Streams, a song that originated in the country in which my parents were born, represented who I was. The traditional instruments that sounded like the Erhu and Guqin, reminded me of music that my grandfather sang in his opera. Jaat Kahan Ho, took me back to my childhood, where I spent time at my friend’s Aqsa’s house and similar music would be playing. Navajo Night Chant  represented Canada. As it is an Indigenous song, I felt it represented the country in which I was born and raised.

References:

Boroditsky, L. (2011). How language shapes thoughtLinks to an external site.. Scientific American, 304(2), 62-65.

Dobson, T. & Willinsky, J. (2009). Digital literacy. Retrieved from https://pkp.sfu.ca/files/Digital%20Literacy.pdf

The New London Group.  (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. (Links to an external site.)  Harvard Educational Review 66(1), 60-92.