There are times when everything is easy and everyone is having a great time. Juxtapose, there are times when we get upset. When the task at hand seems to daunting or a loss feels too severe to overcome. No matter what emotions we feel, we never have to be alone. That’s why I believe in the power of music. I believe that music heightens the greatest feelings of joy, and helps us to defeat profound sadness. I believe that music has something to offer to everyone.
Think about the best times you’ve had at Penn State. Whether they were at a football game, THON, a party with your friends or out at a bar, they all have one thing in common. There was music playing for at least some of the event.
Why do they play music at football games in between plays? Because music pumps people up. The song Zombie Nation functions as a form of celebration. It brings people to their feet and has them jump for joy. The alma mater and fight song fill our hearts with pride and remind us how glad we are to attend Penn State. Music makes us dance, it makes us smile, and it brings us together.
We all know what it is like to feel down; therefore, I am not going to detail any stages of my life specifically where I was hurting. Instead, I will ask you to consider a time when you were. Hopefully you had friends or family to comfort you. Maybe you did not, or maybe you just wanted to be alone.
Music is always there for you. It does not judge, it does not kick you when you’re down, it serves any function that you wish. You might start out listening to sad songs to help you grieve, but then a more optimistic one sneaks in. It lets you know that everything is going to be okay. That at times everyone feels like this, but that feeling does not last forever.
Music can also serve as a creative outlet. Many children take piano lessons but abandon the craft when they begin to grow up and have less time on their hands. I hated taking piano lessons as a child, but my parents would never let me quit. The ten years of piano instructions and five years of guitar lessons equipped me with the skills to write my own music. Now I play in a band and write my own lyrics. I can use music to express how I’m feeling at the time and hopefully my music will serve a purpose for others someday.