The Impact Music Made on Me

                         As I entered fifth grade, I entered band and chorus as my parents had pushed me into trying something new, as I didn't have much to do or people to talk to. At the time I had trouble getting anything done at all, but music was about to become one of the driving forces that would help me succeed throughout the rest of my life. Gradually making my was through school, I would go on to play flute in the band, sing alto/tenor in two choirs, and discover a wide variety of genres to listen to through friends and the internet.

          I joined band when I was 11, but when sitting in an auditorium being told I was going to be a music student, I was very shy and indecisive. They had opened the cafeteria, displaying a wide variety of instruments to choose from, and when we had found one we wanted our parents could rent them out. My family wandered around for a while, and for some unknown reason I decided I wanted to play the flute. I'm pretty sure a kid joked that any other instrument would be to heavy for me, so I must have picked the lightest instrument for my small stature. Throughout learning how to commit to this instrument, I developed the disciniplinary skills to not only perfect a sheet of music, but my schoolwork outside of the band room. I think the joy of  seeing the progess we made and band, and hearing the final product made, me realize that applying this skill in real life would give the same results.  Altohugh this did create a good work ethic for me, it didn't last long.

             Later on I began to slack not only in the classroom but with my instrument as well, and this feeling resonated well the band as at the time, as our conductor had left us and our passion faultered. I eventually quit band due to the pain it was causing my shoulders, the lock jaw it would give me, and the sense that this type of music involvement just wasn't for me. Nevertheless I was still in a jazz choir that I had auditioned for and joined my freshman year, but little did I know it's hardest year was yet to come. When I became a junior, 16 out of our 19 members had graduated and I with only 2 others were left to guide a huge new group of young girls coming in. For the first time I actually had to learn the songs almost entirely by myself, not only for that group but the highschool choir I decided to join that year as well. The passion to flesh out these pieces inspired me to work hard again, and I almost had no choice since my work load was getting heftier the more my classes went in depth. I then ignored another part of my life that needed that spark, and wouldn't find it until I got spotify that my sister-also a music student-urged me to get.

              Whether I was working out or playing video games, I was slowly listening to a wide expanse of music genres, as I learned that each and every one interested me in some way. My sister introduced me to bands like Paramore and any that were popular at the time, but from then until now I have discovered so much more through the internet and this new music app. Some examples would be pop/soul music, dubstep/edm, lo-fi, heavy metal, punk rock, jazz, acapella, and even some songs from a couple favorite shows I have. Discovering so much music content not only help me push through loads of work, but helped me gain motivation to do more for myself, like furthering my hobbies in art, crocheting, and the plethora of other ones I would try and drop. I later figured out I had depression and anxiety because of a chemical inbalance, and along with other methods music had again and again calmed me down or helped me through some really tough times with these new found issues. Today, I can definetely say that music has impacted me in more ways than one, and was one of the factors that got me to where I am today.