Blog Post #1—Music in my life

Blog Post #1—Music in my life

            Music has been a huge part of my life since I was introduced to the piano in first grade. Although I was never a very talented piano player or singer, that never deterred my love of music and how it made me feel. I would often sit for hours at a time listening to the radio finding songs that I wanted to teach myself. Because I was a shy child, I would music as a way to express myself in a way that I could never do with words. Although I no longer attempt the piano, music continues to be an outlet for me in times of stress. 

Often times when I am feeling stressed or anxious the only thing that is truly able to calm me down. By listening to the words and thinking about how the artist was feeling when they wrote it takes my mind off what is causing me stress. Whether I was listening to it or playing it, music has helped me through many of the tough times I have encountered. There is not a day that goes by that it is not incorporated into my life. Whether I am singing in the car with friends or just using it as background noise, music is a central aspect of my life.

Once I began high school, I found that I was using music as a form of motivation to study for a test or get ready for a hard practice. The types of songs I was listening to were directly correlated to how I was feeling or what I was doing. During times of distress or heartache I was often listening to slow or sad songs and during times of excitement I was listening to upbeat and positive music. Music made me feel less alone, like I always had someone who understood what I was going through or what I was feeling.

Some of my fondest memories are based certain songs or genres of music. When I hear a certain song, it will bring me back to a time of happiness with a person that I love or an event that was a special memory. I love attending concerts with friends and family and sharing my love of music with them. I have found that music often brings people together, a love of a song or artist can help make two people friends. 

Music is central not only in my life, but also in society. The music played on the radio is meant to make people feel something. For this reason and my love of music I thought I would enjoy this class and I cannot wait to learn more about music and society.