University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Division
Better Than We Knew Ourselves: An Exploration of Midwest Emo and How Music Makes Connections
Presenter Hometown
Richmond
Major
Model Laboratory High School Senior
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Jilliane McCardle
Recommended Citation
Hale, Malcolm J., "Better Than We Knew Ourselves: An Exploration of Midwest Emo and How Music Makes Connections" (2023). University Presentation Showcase Event. 16.
https://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2023/undergraduate/16
Abstract
Throughout the United States, in basements, bars, and backyards, emo music has made its place in the hearts of many through emotional lyrics and instrumentals. Better Than We Knew Ourselves seeks to explore this scene that not many know of, and to 22see how the music itself affects personal connections made within the emo scene, and how the scene is so “tight”. These questions are answered through interviews with many musicians all coming from a different corner of emo focusing on their outlook on aspects of the scene and why they think it may be so interconnected. These interviews find that many believe a large part of why personal connections are so easy to make and why the scene is so tight is because of the emotion that comes through the music itself. This study also finds that they believe a large part of this is the amount of people in the scene in multiple bands. Because of this data, we can conclude that the emotion in emo music is a way to help people vent; both through making and listening to music. One could conclude that emo knew us better than we knew ourselves.
Presentation format
Other
Better Than We Knew Ourselves: An Exploration of Midwest Emo and How Music Makes Connections
Throughout the United States, in basements, bars, and backyards, emo music has made its place in the hearts of many through emotional lyrics and instrumentals. Better Than We Knew Ourselves seeks to explore this scene that not many know of, and to 22see how the music itself affects personal connections made within the emo scene, and how the scene is so “tight”. These questions are answered through interviews with many musicians all coming from a different corner of emo focusing on their outlook on aspects of the scene and why they think it may be so interconnected. These interviews find that many believe a large part of why personal connections are so easy to make and why the scene is so tight is because of the emotion that comes through the music itself. This study also finds that they believe a large part of this is the amount of people in the scene in multiple bands. Because of this data, we can conclude that the emotion in emo music is a way to help people vent; both through making and listening to music. One could conclude that emo knew us better than we knew ourselves.
