People have a reputation for being incredibly particular. About what we eat, about where we live, about what we wear: we have an opinion, style, and taste on just about everything. And this is by no means a bad thing: it creates individuality, and it promotes creativity. Any of my friends wouldn't hesitate to tell you how picky I myself am. Yet still, even I feel like there are plenty of places to draw the line between fighting for someone to agree with you, and understanding that there's more than one way to see the world. Since I'm emotionally exhausted from anything relating to politics, let's talk about music.

Personally, music has been one of the most important parts of my life to date, in a multitude of ways. I've played it for the majority of my existence, first with piano lessons, then teaching myself guitar, forming a band with my best friends, and releasing two original albums to date. I love playing and writing music, to the point where I lugged multiple guitars and various pieces of gear cross-country from Reno to my tiny dorm room in Chicago. I'm crazy enough that I want to bring them home for winter break, too. One of my most precious dreams is becoming a touring musician, and I'll never play enough open mics.

However, I love listening to music as well, and spend at least 75% of my day doing so: walking to class, studying, working out, during my time on shift at the student cafe I work for. Through different moods and memories, my go-to playlist has become the strangest amalgamation of indie folk and alternative, 70's rock, and less-than-profound pop. But I love it. I feel like it says something about who I am, putting my personality, memories, and identity into a tracklist. And the kind of music I listen to has always been incredibly important to me, whether it was seeing the world with new eyes with My Chemical Romance in my existential middle school phase, coming to understand myself with Tegan and Sara during my early coming out days in high school, or just finding the perfect soundtrack for a night with friends. It's been part of my most important moments, through voicing what I couldn't say, connecting me with like-minded individuals, and preserving too many memories to count.

And, from what I can tell, this experience isn't completely exclusive to me. Plenty of people feel this way: that's why human beings love music so much, it speaks to us in an incredibly profound way. And while it's cool and hipster to look down on everyone else's "mainstream" or "sell-out" choices, having a different taste in music simply means someone has had a different experience. Maybe it's what you consider a crappy pop song, but for them, it could be associated with one of their favorite memories or people. Or, maybe it's just got a great dance beat. So, don't be a music snob. Wear the hipster boots and flannel (I definitely do), but don't write off someone's taste in music. Have an open ear, be open to hearing something new and learning something about someone else. Who knows, you might even end up adding their favorite song to your daily listening session, and you could end up understanding them just a little better in the process.

To finish things off, a little music recommendation of my own!