Rethinking the Roles of Music through Its Association with Life Narratives

Abstract

The intertwinement of music with time does not only emphasize the necessary sociological investigation of the phenomenological relationships between individuals and everyday contexts as mediated by music. Research on music consumption must also allude to how the moments of interactions with music form a broader sense of musical accompaniment over time. For instance, in the first chapter of this book, I explore the evolution of music technologies and modes of consumption over the last 15 years, hinting towards a longitudinal perspective on how individuals of various generations adopt — and eventually abandon — certain technologies. In general, research on music consumption highlights its increasing omnipresence in everyday life and therefore its resource value for individuals. Such an approach evokes issues of the evolution of individuals’ everyday lives. As a consequence, it is underpinned by the question of who they are. In partaking in individuals’ everyday lives, music is said to contribute to constructing self-identities. For example, as Peter Martin states, ‘… [music] is often an important factor for the assertion or imputation of identity, both for individuals and social groups’ (2006, p. 28). However, the role of music on individuals’ identity construction and/or management remains unclear and debatable.