Georgia Nott from the group “Broods” sings the lines, “We are the people that rule the world/A force running in every boy and girl/All rejoicing in the world,” a cover of Empire of the Sun’s “We Are the People” in a London Spotify Session. It’s crazy that for my second piece, I’m already running into the arms of writer’s block.

I sat here thinking about what I wanted to write and one of the biggest things bothering me this week is the feud that has started over the policy of transgender bathrooms. I’m refraining from writing on it because I’m not a confrontational person and I don’t want to bring heat over my second piece.

But as this song plays on repeat on my computer and I come up with a thousand ideas on what to write and why not to write them, I thought about music. I’ve thought about what part it plays in my life and what it’s done for me. There are articles thanking family, friends, teachers, this person and that person, and if I could thank every single artist I’ve ever listened to, everyone that’s given me a song to belt out to, I would.

This is my thank you to music. To artists, to songs, to bands. I’ve heard people say, “Music saved my life,” and for the longest time I thought this was the most ridiculous statement someone has ever made. I contemplated how music doesn’t necessarily give you vitals and how this generation is so plugged in – and we are. Why I ever thought this way though is beyond me.

It’s been said that when my mom was pregnant with me, she always put headphones over her stomach to get me to “calm down.” Even after making my entrance, not able to walk or talk, I could still be found with headphones on.

If I wasn’t passed out asleep to music in the car, I was singing along (terribly) and admiring the view outside of my window. I was asking my dad to burn a Pearl Jam CD or Dave Matthews Band, or sitting next to my mom’s stereo playing Paula Abdul and Rod Stewart. My parents blessed me with such an immense music taste that over the years has become the greatest thing about me. I’ve had parents of friends compliment the music I listen to.

I have music to thank for balance. There’s music that makes me feel like I’m on top of the world as I belt out every line in my car. There’s music to cry to that brings back memories I never knew I had. There’s music that makes me feel powerful and gives me the foreign feeling of confidence.

Music has also given me two of my best friends.
One of the first things I remember about my best friend of five years was sitting in my car and listening to “Hail Mary” by Tupac. I remember having it blaring in my car in a parking lot of McDonald’s and in the car next to me sat two girls, one being my best friend. As she heard the song playing she became excited, got out of the other girl’s car and into mine and sang with me. From this point, we established the foundation of our friendship on music among other things.
Or there’s a few months ago where out of nowhere, I shared Carla Morrison’s “Todo Pasa” with someone I’d had Spanish classes with, that I knew was passionate about the language. So I felt compelled to share this song with him and felt as though he’d really enjoy the song. Some 5,000+ Facebook messages, two concerts, and an abundance of YouTube videos (all songs) later, I found another best friend of mine.

Music is one of the biggest things that brings my brother and I together when we’re an hour or two apart. I love getting random texts from him asking me to listen to this song or that one. Or the days he surprises me by listening to songs I enjoy.

No matter my mood, there’s a song to match. When I can’t calm down, there’s a song to take my hand. When I have a lot of energy to blow off, there’s a song to dance to. Music inspires me to create things, to view things a certain way, to establish a more empathetic nature. In a world where we find every little thing to argue about as people, where we find every little flaw to point out in each other, music unifies. This is by far the best thing about music – unity. In the days where I can’t stand to pull up a social media account and see hatred for one person and the next over their choices, I have music to thank for being a tool in love. Just think about any concert you’ve ever been to, and the feeling of singing along to your favorite song in a room full of strangers. If that isn’t powerful, I don’t know what is.