Music significantly impacts most people’s lives, whether it's listening to workout tunes, choosing soundtracks to enhance studying, cultivating playlists to sing along to in the car, or learning how to play an instrument through music lessons. However music permeates and enhances your life, it plays a key role in shaping your identity. Read on to learn how music influences and solidifies your sense of self.

How Music Helps People Belong  

Social groups can form based on shared interests, including particular musical genres or artists. Consider country music, for example. While many types of people listen to country, its most avid fans tend to fit a particular demographic, one that’s notably different than heavy metal or hip-hop fans. Enjoying a particular type of music or artist provides a sense of social identity, influencing numerous aspects of a person’s self-identity and expression, from philosophy to fashion. 

Moreover, being an avid enthusiast of a particular genre or artist initiates a person into a troop of fellow fans, providing a sense of belonging and psychological safety. The same concept applies to cultural identity. Cultures can celebrate a specific type of music or instrument, uniting people by reinforcing a sense of cohesion or even social responsibility to preserve musical and cultural norms. Music can be particularly crucial in uniting those who live outside of their homeland and long to connect with their cultural and historical roots.

Learning to play traditional or cultural music by taking music lessons can provide individuals with a sense of camaraderie as well. After all, once you've learned how to play a certain instrument, making music together with friends and family can be a great way to bond and partake in a shared culture or heritage.  

How Music Affects Memory & Emotion 

Music is closely associated with emotions and memories by prompting feelings and recollections. Specifically, listening to happy or soothing music can boost oxytocin, the hormone associated with connectiveness, love, and protection. When individuals listen to such music, it can improve their outlook on life and reinforce a positive sense of self. Listening to music can also prompt a person to recall autobiographical events. Taking music lessons, singing, or playing an instrument can have similar effects.  

If you’re passionate about learning a musical instrument, turn to Hawaii MusicWorks in Pearl City, Oahu for music lessons. Since 1995, this owner-operated music school has offered a range of classes for kids, from piano and guitar lessons to vocal lessons to music composition lessons. Call (808) 486-8600 to talk with a music coach, or visit the website to learn more about the lessons they offer.