I can vividly remember sitting in my seventh grade English class five years ago. I wasn’t listening to the teacher; instead, I was writing the lyrics to some songs by my favorite band, My Chemical Romance, on my little green folder. It gave me something to do and made the teacher think I was actually writing notes. I had nothing against the teacher personally, but music meant so much more to me than English class at that time. When I felt bad, my English teacher wasn’t there to make me feel better, but my music was. I would wake up in the morning to the sound of my radio playing my favorite songs consecutively, and I could feel in my soul that was the start of a good day.
Music molded my life. When I had no music to occupy my mind, it seemed like there was always silence in my head. I was hearing people but never really understanding them. I could read a page in a book, but not remember any of it by the time I got to the next page. At the time, I never really thought about how much rhythm and melody had affected me. When the kind of music I listened to changed, I realized that I changed along with it.
I didn’t want to admit that I was dependent on my music to survive the hardships of teenage life, but after reading literature like “The Colored Museum” by George C. Wolfe, I realized that I’m not the only one who uses music to endure the struggle. Wolfe helped me realized that black people throughout history have used music in the same way. Slaves sang in the fields to make the days go by. During the Civil Right Movement, people sang songs as they marched for change.
So the idea that music clears your mind is not just some excuse that hippies used; it’s the truth for some people, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. No matter what kind of music it is, there is at least one song in the world for everyone. I recently learned from Norton Juster’s “The Phantom Tollbooth” that there is even beauty in silence. Think about it!
Previous Comments
This is great, Ambrose. Keep ’em coming!
#149690 | Author: DonnaLadd | Date: Jul 17 2009
Great article. Let’s think about incorporating music in the youth workforce mentoring project. Keep up the good work.
#150016 | Author: kwmanad | Date: Jul 24 2009
^ I say, it doesn’t form and mold, but only changes, alters one’s life… Nice article…
#150058 | Author: The-Great | Date: Jul 24 2009
The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.