Dear Music,

You've been there through the ups and downs, celebrations, holidays, losses, heartbreaks, and parties. It's said that you are the universal language, food for the soul. You have one of the rarest abilities something can have, and that is to truly bring people together. You can be used as an escape, to heal from grief, loss, or a broken heart, as a way to celebrate, to have conversation that you thought you couldn’t have, to relax, for background noise to focus, to do work or to sleep. You have been one of the few constants in my life because I have used you for everything I’ve said above and so much more.

Some of my earliest and favorite memories involve you, from listening to Jimmy Buffett and the Steve Miller Band with my mom when she would clean the house to hearing Eminem for the first time, courtesy of my older brother, to going to my very first concert (a Radio Disney concert with the A-Teens and the Baha Men) to going to Nashville over the summer and going out to see live music every night I was there.

Every genre of music has a special place of my heart, because it’s helped me become who I am. Pop, classical, hip hop/rap, indie, rock, blues, folk, country, EDM: all of these hold special meanings to me. Whenever I hear classical music it usually brings be back to chorus class where I spent at least one day a week for 12 years of my life. Me and my brother can go word for word to pretty much any Eminem song or we can just be chilling listening to Kid Cudi, Atmosphere, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Sublime or the Offspring. When I think of folk, Americana and the blues, I think of going to the Boogie and Blues festivals and camping with my mom. Sitting on the beach in the summer listening to some country music or going to indie concerts with my friends––music, you are always there and often go unappreciated.

Every big moment in my life, I have a song or an album I think of to go with it or that reminds me of it. Not only has music always been there for me, but it has inspired me, motivated me, comforted me, and most importantly music has helped shape me into who I am, and for that I will always be grateful.

Thank you,

A Music Lover