Emotion and Meaning In Music

Somewhere Only We Know - Keane



For the last 9 years I have attended a sleep away camp called Camp Towanda, in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The relationships and experiences that I formed there will be with me and guide me forever. The lessons that I have learned are lessons that I have taken with me, applied and will continue to apply as I extend my life outside of my camp and my comfort zone. Going to sleep away camp has provided me with experiences that I have the ability to utilize right here at IU. It has made me stronger as a person as well as very independent and reliable.

There are many traditions that we do at camp, which is what makes camp well.... camp. The traditions have been carried out for years and will continue to be carried out for many more years to come. I spent 7 weeks at this 500 person camp every summer for the last 9 years and I couldn't have asked for anything better. This song means the absolute world to me because of the connection and memories I have associated with it.

I know this song inside and out, and whenever it is played whether I am alone, with my friends who don't even know it, or just anyone random I begin to cry (frame). When this song is played with the girls who have the same connection to it as I do, it is like the entire world stops and we are all as one, back in bunk 00 in a huge circle with one big string wrapped around all of our wrists to represent our togetherness and eternal bond.

When I hear this very personal song, Somewhere Only We Know (sign) I remember my unbelievable summers at camp and the exact moment when this was played for my group of 29 best friends (object). Every time that I now hear this song I begin to cry because of the emotional attachment that I have to it and the memories that flood my memory of some of the best experiences of my entire life. (interpretant)

This specific memory that is triggered by hearing just the first beat of this song is my indexical relationship or indices with this song. I hope that here at IU I can create the same feelings and memories to many other songs and situations as well.