I fell into the world of Metalcore, which is a genre of music that was created from the combination of metal and hardcore. I won't go into much about the history of the genre, but most people incorrectly call it "Screamo."

I've received SO much hate from people outside this music world simply because it's still extremely unknown, so people aren't open about understanding. I hope one day it will be popular and scatter the radio stations, but for now, I'm here to open eyes and ears to what this genre is about.

Vans Warped Tour is my favorite event for Metalcore. It is a summer-long tour, bringing along 30+ bands and small artists. Warped Tour was created for small, upcoming bands who haven't made a big name for themselves yet. It spans across the U.S. and adds one to two new cities a year. The creator of Warped Tour, Kevin Lyman, wanted to create this event to give the fans of this music a safe place to enjoy the music they love, and hopefully start a professional career for new bands. Warped Tour is also connected to many non-profit organizations, including Feed Our Children Now, Hope For a Day, Keep A Breast, Music Saves Lives, and To Write Love On Her Arms.

To gain early entry into the event, Feed Our Children Now allows people to bring three canned good items in good condition, $5, or an old phone in exchange for an early entry pass. The early entry line ends up being longer than the normal line! For the possibility of nabbing a backstage pass for the band of your choice, through Music Saves Lives, Warped Tour has paired up with blood banks across the nation. After donating a pint of blood, the blood bank will give you a voucher. To redeem the voucher, you must go to the Music Saves Lives tent at Warped and redeem the backstage pass. The first 100 people to the tent are the lucky pass winners!

Today, I went and donated blood for the first time at Bonfils (pronounced Bon-Fee). My body did NOT handle it well and I ended up being grabbed out of my chair and laid out on the floor before I passed out, but after sitting there for another hour, I was okay to go home. Even though I donated for a potential backstage pass, it was really heartening to go into the blood bank and see how excited all the employees were. Everyone was extremely kind, open, and joyful. I have an extreme fear of needles, but I didn't even notice when the needle entered my body because the manager was laughing with me about Warped Tour!

If you ever see Vans Warped Tour in your area, remember, we're raising money, food, and awareness for so many great causes, in addition to enjoying the music we love in a safe environment.