When I was in 6th grade I was required to play an instrument or to sing. At the time I was going through puberty and my voice sounded like if Morgan Freeman had inhaled Helium and spoke through a broken speaker, making his voice come out in all sorts of different pitches and volumes. I chose the instrument, specifically the Alto Saxophone. One of my cousins plays music, also sax, plus drums, so I thought it would be pretty cool. It was hard, as all things are at first, but I got better. My mom put me in private lessons and I learned about music in both theory and practice. He had me listen to music, usually jazz but also swing, funk and hip hop. My ears were filled with the magic that was Coltrane, the intensity that was Buddy Rich and so on. I even learned the basics of the piano. I haven't played since high school, but I continue to listen. Music acts like my mood, when I listen to EDM, Electric Dance Music, I'm pumped up and probably working out. When I listen to country, I'm either drinking with friends or out in the prairie shooting guns. Or I'm listening to Jazz and relaxing as I lose my self in the sound. I began to notice music in all aspects of my life and how I feel depending on where I hear it and what song is playing.
Recently, I watched the movie Whiplash starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. It is about the story of a college student at a prestigious music school where he is playing as the drummer in one of the lower tier jazz bands. J.K. Simmons is the foul mouth veteran music teacher who spends as much time teaching his students as he does tearing them fifty new holes every practice. As the movie progressed the main character, Andrew, truly shows his emotions when he plays and J.K. Simmons character, Fletcher, sees this and gives him a chance in the studio band, it compares to being brought up to varsity from JV. Fletcher berates Andrew, even throwing a metal folding chair at his head, and when Andrew is alone, practicing, you can feel the anger and frustration in it. It helps that Miles Teller is an extraordinary drummer. Music has this hold on all of us, it makes us happy and sad, energized and sleepy, it controls our emotions and we never expect it.
Music acts as a trigger for us too. When you watch a movie or play a video game and the tone of the music drops and you get the ominous feeling that not all is well anymore, that's the music taking the reigns of our basic emotions. The best part is that we all experience them in our own ways. Sad music will make one person burst out crying and another remain stoic. As I write this article, I listen to a medley of different music. During this very sentence I am listening to the original, and slightly strange, sounds of Bon Iver. I bet the tone of my words changed as I write this as music changes through the shuffle.
To me music is more than noise to fill the silence, it is one of the things I base my day off of. When Friday comes around and one of my favorite artists has come out with new music, I know that it will be a good day. When I'm stressed from school and work and life, I have the choice to play music that will enhance those feelings, but get me through it, or play something to try and change my mood in an instant.
It is truly a gift when people connect over music. Music is truly the universal language. many of my friends share music tastes with me not all my friends all like the same thing though. I have my friend who I listen to R/B and Rap with. I have other friends with I listen to Disney music. The power music holds over us is immense and welcome. So as you walk to class or go to the gym or settle in at work, play music that makes you feel something. Let yourself experience something new. Instead of the top ten, play a genre that you never have before. Life is all about the experiences we have in it, so why not experience something that will affect you at your very core.
