This week I had the opportunity to take a break at school and play the ukulele. There were other students there doing the same thing and being taught, by an instructor, some basic chords. I just sat down and started to play the songs I knew and to sing my heart out. Even though it was only for a short 15 minutes, it really helped me feel at peace. Before I departed, the instructor asked me to write down a quote, something that I wanted to let people know. I didn’t even have to think about it, I just simply wrote down “Music gives your life a sense of worth.”
If I haven’t mentioned this before, I will mention it now. Music is a vital part of my life. Without it, I am lost, confused, unstable, worthless. It may seem quite ridiculous that music could make that big of a difference in someone’s life, however, that is true in my life. Like I’ve mentioned before, I am an emotional man, probably too emotional, depending on who’s perspective you are wanting to view. With so much emotions being bottled up for years, I needed to find something that would help me keep them in control. That is when I found my love for music.
If you were to peek into my Spotify, you’d see such a variety of music. My love for music started when I was young, listening to B98.7 sounds of the 80’s and 90’s. My father always had that radio on in the car, and I enjoyed all the songs that were played. I got into rap in the late 90’s early 2000’s and so forth, reggae, hip-hop, Latino music, even to rock (and all its genre’s, except screamo emo), jazz, pop and even oldies from 50’s and on. I despised country for a long time, but before you all come at me, I have since changed and you will find some country on my playlists. I even have some screamo emo, as you may call it, techno, house, dubstep, and much much more. You can follow me, but that is not what I am trying to get at today.
All the songs that I have on my playlists have helped me in one way to keep my emotions in control. When I say to keep them in control, it means a lot of things. For example, calming me down when I am angry or upset, helping me relax when I am stressed or having an anxiety attack. Pumps me up when I am working out, working, doing homework, cleaning the house or any occasion that needs a boost of enthusiasm. Brings me down to the depth of sorrow and even in times, when I’m alone, helps me cry to release all that has been inside. Each song means something to me, memories, words of wisdom, comfort, motivation, strength. I have memorized most of the lyrics and can sing them all, of course no guarantees that I won’t mess up, seeing that I have so many things to remember, and occasionally forget a line or two.
Music has gotten me through all the good times and all the bad times, when even though I was surrounded by loved ones, I felt alone and misunderstood. It is really what makes me feel sane in a world that forces me to insanity. I express everything in song. Romance, love, happiness, joy, sadness, and just plain relaxation. My wife can agree that if a song reminds me of her or explains my love to her more thoroughly than my own words, I dedicate it to her without any hesitation. It is what brings a sense of worth in my life and all I desire is to share my experience so that you all can come to love music and appreciate it as much as I do.
I’m grateful for music in my life and I am so glad I get to share my love for music to my daughter. Hopefully she gets the same interests as her father, ha. In my first blog, I did mention I would be doing a 52-week challenge, which consists of posting a video every week of me singing and playing the ukulele. That is coming soon, so stay tuned. If any of you have any suggestions you would like to hear me sing, feel free to leave a comment.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” -- Plato
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