After talking to and interviewing different people in my life about the way music affects them, I’ve gathered a lot of interesting thoughts and come to a few conclusions. It’s nice to see how the perspective and opinions change in the different age groups I’ve chosen that are only a few years apart. There are similarities that occur but also some ideas that differ including the way in which each person has made music a part of their own lives. If there’s one thing for sure it’s that even if you don’t study music or intend to make it a career it’s still a huge part of so many people’s lives regardless of their walk of life.
My first interview was my best friend's little brother Yokhai. Yokhai turned twelve recently and has just started playing the tenor sax at public school but has not taken any formal lessons outside of school since he was just introduced to his instrument. Although playing a musical instrument may be a new concept for him, music definitely isn’,t especially since he’s seen his older siblings take on musical instruments before. When asked about why he likes music, Yokhai talks about how music helps him express his emotions, it’s an artistic and interesting pastime, and an interesting skill to learn. Yokhai is still exploring music and what it means to him but he does have a basic idea of all of its benefits. He was eager to play his tenor sax for me when he first started playing and was able to apply embouchure correctly to make sounds. Yokhai’s enthusiasm shows his love for music and whether or not he continues to pursue it, it’s evident that it brings him happiness and joy nonetheless.
My next interview was with my best friend Avital. Avital’s eighteen and has just entered university as well and currently is enrolled in a nutritional food science course at Ryerson University. Avital has a really rich musical background. She took formal piano classes when she was younger, then learned piano from a family member who was willing to pass down the skill. In school elementary school she started playing flute and in high school continued to cultivate her skills on the flute at an Art’s High School as part of the instrumental music program. Although Avital is no longer pursuing music, In university she’s finding her own ways of keeping her love for music alive. She still plays the guitar and the flute in her spare time and is even considering auditioning for local bands in the future. It’s interesting to see that although Avital is not pursuing music further as a career, she’s prioritizing it in her life and finds herself making room for it in her lifestyle. Music has had a huge impact on Avital’s life. Although she hasn’t taken any formal lessons outside of her schooling, Avital is considering taking lessons in the future. In the meantime, she is trying to improve her abilities on her own with the knowledge she has, continuing to learn informally about different aspects of music.
The last person I decided to interview was my friend Matthew. Matthew is twenty-two years old and is currently working in retail. He is someone who has made music a part of his life by learning it on his own, informally. Matthew likes to compose his own music in his free time as a hobby and has developed a good ear for music by playing piano. He’s a self-taught musician and has learned the piano, ukulele, and guitar mostly on his own during his free time. He took a few piano classes when he was younger but found that he wasn’t learning as much as he thought he could. For Matthew formal music learning didn’t work and it was easier to learn instinctively or informally.  For further insight into music, Matthew uses platforms like youtube to learn more about music from other musicians who most tutorials and instructional videos.
What I can see from these interviews is that most people’s intrigue from music comes from a prior connection or love for it and it prompts them to further explore it whether that be through formal learning at school or informal learning at home on their own. Music can be traditional too. This can be seen with Yokhai who’s intrigue for music may be affected by the fact that his older brother and sister have both studied an instrument at some point in their lives and have artistic ways of expressing themselves. Some people like Avital, use music to help them develop other skills as well. For example, time management etc but most importantly every person I interviewed talked about having an emotional connection to music and it being a way for them to express themselves. In a way music is a way for them to connect with their inner selves and sometimes even other people. It allows them to be able to convey things that wouldn’t easily be conveyed otherwise through words. Overall, these interviews were really insightful and it was nice to see how music affects different people in my life. Â