In this part we are compelled to start by acknowledging that there is no real ownership of roots and culture. An individual’s exposure to them varies in terms of time, the amount of immersion, and the openness and consciousness of the individual, making roots and culture part of an own and unique sonic identity, as unique as the uniqueness of the individual.
Through this acknowledgement, it becomes clear that the process of creating a unique sonic identity is a lifelong process and depends crucially on the immersion of the individual to new concepts. It is this immersion that creates a plethora of tools to accommodate diversity in music expression, while at the same time enables the individual to maintain a sound so unique that it becomes itself the music identity, and it is easily recognisable. This process can be rewarding and empowering, but also hides the danger of recreation of music characteristics that an individual has not really embodied, but they are replicated and reproduced at a much shallower level.
Time is once again a factor that could define how deep one can go into the understanding of musical novelties and if they serve as a personal tool, and how well they settle and blend with the pre-existing identity of an individual.
Finally, we have to clarify the difference between exposure and immersion as the result is crucial for the formation of sonic identities. Being exposed to new music idioms is a powerful tool for every musician but it does not necessarily mean that it occurs in their original environment. It is always easier to understand those idioms when you encounter them in their own environment, to hear, feel and observe them from different angles and a plethora of sources rather than one person, regardless of how knowledgeable that person might be.