Jake Grimsley

MUED 373

Community of Singing Reflection

1. Music can, in a sense, be a way of bringing a community together for certain places. It all

depends on the values of the community. Some communities are more close knit than

others, and in those communities, a music program can reflect common values through

public performances, outreach, and purpose. Purpose is very important, as it is the more

philosophical approaches of groups that can reflect communities. A music program in a

community where people commonly reach out and provide services for others can do the

exact same thing, acting as a sort of smaller and more visible version of the community

as a whole.

2. An overall sense of identity would be greatly useful in other programs. There are many

great programs which are simply many talented people individually doing their jobs well.

If you would be able to create a sense of friendship and community on a small scale

within the ensemble however, you could find a greater sense of blend as knowing each

other personally would transfer to knowing each other musically. While identity can be

simple, ethos may be a bit harder. Full beliefs had by a community as well as values are

much harder to transfer. To gain a sense of community is just for members of a program

to know each other well and to know that they have a common goal. To gain an entire

culture though, takes a lot more time and building for all beliefs to align in this way.