The love and appreciation I have come to know for the beats and lyrics grow as everyday comes. When I sit and think about the impact music has made on my soul, I can only remember the lines that sang through my radio when my good friend introduced a band called Paradise Fears into my life. The lead singer's voice filled my car with the words that describe the meaning that you hold to me:
"these are the words that set up the verses that let us free ourselves through rock n’ roll. This is music, this is spirit, this is passion if you’ll let yourself hear it. Cause there’s mercy in the verse, a story in the chorus, a bridge to get over the sea of doubt before us."
The lyrics say the things we cannot.
We all have that song we hear and automatically relate to. For me, I have a few and they are found in all genres. When my parents started moving forward with their divorce and nothing else made sense, my life came crashing down around me and music became my outlet. The words that I sang and I heard were my crutch. I listened to the lyrics and they became a part of me.
Music can make you feel all the feels.
When I say this, I don't mean when you're sitting there thinking about your ex or the test you just failed. I mean the state of euphoria that comes over me when I listen to something like Justin Bieber throwbacks (yes, i'm that girl) or Lee DeWyze's beautiful voice singing me "Sweet Serendipity," and also the sadness you can feel when you listen to Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud." (Yes, that was supposed to be a pun). We all know when something like "Can't Touch This" comes on, the words just come out. Music makes it possible to dance in the kitchen and then have the "emotional feels" with the next song.
It helps us relate to people of all cultures.
We speak different languages, have different customs, and learn different ways, but what is the common thing? Everyone knows music. Maybe we know it on a different level, but we can communicate with the rhythm and beats of the songs. For example, most people react the same to *scary music* in a movie: you know something will happen. In the absence of words, music speaks.
Music is good for mental health.
Whether it's just to make you smile or deeper than that, music is an outlet that I can always count on. An artist, Ron Pope, sang things that helped me get my life back to a bearable place (shameless promotion). He introduced me to a new world of loving music because of the new genre I was introduced to through him. When I thought I had no one to turn to, this one way conversation always proved to be my greatest friend.
There is something for everyone.
Into hard core rock-n-roll? There's songs for that. Love story, happy ending? There's songs for that. Something that will have you rolling in laughter? You guessed it, there's songs for that. There are songs and genres for everyone. There's hip hop, country, rap, alternative, jazz.. just to name a few.
So, thank you for all the memories and the entrance to a new world. I can't wait to see what changes are next.
XOXO,
Madison
