I have always found a way to incorporate music into all aspects of my life. Whether it’s to help me destress or simply just for fun, music has always provided a sort of safe haven to escape both silence and noise.

Growing up in a big family with loud siblings and constantly energetic cousins, I rarely got quiet time, and I used to long for a time when all of the noise would eventually dim, and I could hear myself think. But as I’ve gotten older, I find that I can’t stand the silence. When it’s silent, my mind is blank, and everything around seems like a faded, lesser version of itself. But the same things happen when it’s too loud, and I need to have a personal bubble so I can have time to collect my thoughts. This was when music came in. I had a sanctuary where I could just relax and decompress after a long day; since then, it has been non-stop.

On the bus, at home, and every chance I get, I’ll have a song on, to null the eerie quiet in my head. In fact, I’m listening to music right now as I write this and try to find the precise words to best convey the swirl of thoughts in my brain. I choose from a wide variety of genres and artists depending on the mood and tone of music I feel like. From pop to classical, there is a type of music best suited to each situation, and I have a multitude of playlists acclimated to all sorts of things. 

Music is an outlet and means of catharsis for emotions I can’t express in other ways, and it can always soothe and lessen my stress from school and other anxieties. I can do nothing but listen to music for hours on end and never get bored as my mind entertains me with fantasies of other worlds and unattainable adventures I can only dream of. I become immersed in the alluring lyrics and find meaning in each and every verse as the words drift by blissfully and slowly draw me in until I know all the words by heart, and I wish to shout them at the top of my lungs.

I want to scream until I lose my voice and get lost in the everlasting peace that is music. 

So as the years fly by and the hourglass of my childhood rapidly cascades down to the last grains of sand, I turn to music as it provides the endless comfort it always has and will. Music will always be a constant for me and remain a sanctum for my thoughts and feelings throughout the accomplishments and challenges in my life.