Music is one of the most important aspects of human culture. It is a way of expression for an individual culture, and is one of the longest standing traditions of humanity. Whether it be listening with your headphones by yourself in your room, or hearing it performed live just ten feet in front of you, it can have a profound impact. Music can make you feel happy, feel sad, want to dance, want to cry, or question your entire existence (Adele). For me, and I know countless others, music holds a special place in my life.
Growing up, I listened to a lot of bands my dad liked, such as Green Day, U2, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others. Around middle school, I started listening to new bands, like Panic! at the Disco, The Killers, Fall Out Boy, and The All-American Rejects. I know it wasn't the typical teenage angsty music, but I loved it nonetheless. Whenever I was bored, reading, or in the car, I loved having music on. I had (and still do) an uncanny ability to remember lyrics to a song I only heard once, and I loved singing along. Music has always been a part of my life, and the experiences music contributes to can be truly life changing.
The first concert for a band I really liked was the band Fun; it was in the spring of 2013. It was amazing hearing songs I had been listening to for a few years be performed live in front of my face. The emotion you can hear and see while bands are performing live is something I will always love, and keeps me going to more concerts.Over the next few years, my liking for concerts has turned into one of my favorite things in the world. In 2015, I attended two music festivals, and saw 150 plus bands.
Photo credit: Amanda Stephens
The single band that has had the most profound impact on my life is the band twenty one pilots. I first started listening to them in the middle of 2013, and was enchanted. The lyrics and uniquely different sound in every song was something I had never heard before. Their music quickly grew on me, and I found myself listening to their songs every day. During this time, I was going through a particularly rough patch in my life. On days when nothing was going right for me, I knew I could always turn to their music. It helped me through the roughest parts of my life, and quite literally saved my life.
I know the phrase, "music saves lives," can sound extremely cliche, but it really is true for me. The first time I saw twenty one pilots was September of 2014, and it was truly something I will never forget. Hearing the songs that helped me so much live for the first time was incredible. I met so many people through this band who share my experience of being helped and even saved by this music. Music is one of the most powerful and unifying aspects of our culture, and cannot be matched.
Music has the power to change peoples' lives, bring a group of people together, make them dance, make them happy, or even make them sad. In my opinion, no other thing can match the power music has. Concerts are my favorite events in the world, and as my mom would say, I spend way too much money on them. But if you enjoy them, I don't see a problem with doing something that makes you happy (just make sure you can still pay the bills). Music is that powerful force that can impact so many people, and music will always hold a special place in my life, as it does with countless others.
Me, Joshua Dun and Tyler Joseh (from twenty one pilots)
