Music has always played a very important role in my life. Before school began, church was my biggest social event and my favorite parts about it were listening to the special music that the modest and talented artists performed and getting out the hymnal and pretending to follow along with the rest of the congregation as they sang at the beginning, middle, and end of the service. It created a wonder and curiosity within me that nothing else did. I vividly remember being in the bathtub as a toddler and my cousin babysitting me and singing one of her choir songs as she bathed me. I loved the sound of her voice and the pretty melodies she could produce. It always lulled me into a state of serenity, something I often only experienced through music as a child. This creation of an inner peace from music led to something deep within me experiencing a beautiful sense of hope when I listen to music, and I think a lot of people experience the same thing.

It can't be denied that a beautiful song or piece of art can change a person's perspective on life. Sometimes a song can touch something so deep within us that we break down and weep. Sometimes a song can take us to another place. It's a beautiful thing to hear a song and get chills just from a simple melody. The power of music is strong and it has the power to affect almost everyone.

In dark times, I turn to music to lift me up, as I know many others do as well. Many young teenagers turn to angsty punk music in order to feel not so alone just as I did at a young age. At an age of insecurity and oftentimes wanting to isolate ourselves from the world, relatable lyrics from pop punk music such as "I'm sorry I don't laugh at the right times" (from "There, There" by The Wonder Years) provide reassurance that we aren't as different from everyone else as we originally thought. Music helped me on my road to recovery from anxiety and depression and I know it has helped many others as well. Music provides a light at the end of the tunnel, guiding broken people through their internal struggles and helping them fend off their inner demons.

A sense of serenity can often be found in classical music, my own sense being found in Ludovico Einaudi's "Primavera." The rise and fall of orchestras has the ability to lull us into something like a trance. Close your eyes and just follow the music and I'm sure you'll find some semblance of what I'm talking about.

Music gives hope to the world because there is an intrinsic need to express ourselves and find reassurance, and music often provides those things.