My Musical Culture

   Hello, my name is Tanner Smith.  I am currently a Music Education student at Converse University, and my main instrument is voice.  I have been singing since I could speak, and music has always played an important role in my life.  I started singing in public at my old church when I was four years old, and ever since then, my love for performing has flourished.  I am a Christian, so music is a way for me to worship, and it is also a way for me to express what I am feeling when I can not express my feelings with words. At the age of eleven, I joined the Praise Band at the church I currently attend, Bethlehem Baptist Church.  I enjoy being able to perform each week and do what I love most, sing.  Once I graduate, I plan on getting a job as either a high school choir director or an elementary school music teacher; I have not yet decided which one I prefer.  

    I have lived in South Carolina my entire life.  I was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the only time I have moved houses was when we built a house in Roebuck, which is only about a twenty minute distance. I love where I live, and that is part of the reason I chose Converse as the school I wanted to attend.  I am an only child, and my parents have always been extremely supportive and encouraging about my music career which is what ultimately encouraged me to pursue my dreams of working with music for the rest of my life.  Along with my parents, I also have a dog named Blue that is supportive and loves to listen to me practice my music.  

                

    Overall, music is an essential part of who I am, and it will always be in my life. 

    A musical piece that I like right now is "Lose You Now, " by Lindsey Stirling and Mako. I love the melody in this piece because it is very beautiful and easy to listen to. My preferred style of music is the slower and sweeter type love songs and this fits perfectly into that category. The main thing that drew me to this song was the violin solo in it. When I first heard the song, I immediately loved the violin part, because it is so flowy and gorgeous.  I listen to music every chance that I get throughout the day, and this song is one that I play often.  I love the beautiful melody, how the vocal and instrumental parts work together, and it puts me in a good mood. 

    I am a Christian and my faith is a very large part of who I am not only as a person, but as a musician as well.  A song that is personally meaningful to me and has been for a while now is "How Can It Be," by Lauren Daigle.  When I started singing, it was in church, and from there I began to perform at other venues.  This songs resonate with me because it is a song that asks questions that I know every person has asked and points out all of the insecurities that we all face.  This song points out everything that I love in my faith, and it strengthens my faith as well.  The first time I sang this song was for a performance in middle school, and it was a really good experience. Overall, this song is very important to me and what I stand for. 

    I enjoy all types of music and there are very few songs that I do not enjoy.  One song that I have never really enjoyed or connected with is "Achy Breaky Heart," by Billy Ray Cyrus.  I am not the biggest fan of the melody, because I feel like it does not blend with the instrumental line.  Another reason I do not enjoy this song very much is because some of my family listened to it way too much, which means I heard it way too much for my liking.  Another reason I do not like it is because I prefer slower and sweeter love songs and this is definitely not that type of song.  Overall, I understand the sentiment behind the song, but I do not connect with the lyrics or the melody.