Music is the most important thing in my entire life. Honestly, I think that music is the most important thing in the world. There are so many things and movements that are shaped or changed by music. Like the Vietnam war protests, some of the BLM protests, or even anti-Trump protests. Think about it… All songs have a meaning or a message. There is also rhetoric in every single song that you listen to.
My whole life all I can remember is music. There is not a single time in my life that I wasn’t listening to music. My first concert was Bob Dylan when I was only six months old, and I have been to many other concerts since then. I and my dad have always had a very close relationship. However, in the last two years, we have gone through some really hard times where we haven’t talked and fought a lot. But throughout the year’s music is what we have in common and still have. My dad contributes to everything that I know and love about music. I remember when I was young, my dad would play this game with me. He would play a song and tell me to guess who sang the song or what band played the song. He would say, “Maya, if you can guess who sings this song I’ll give you five dollars.” Of course, because I was so young I would get it wrong nine times out of ten, but he still does this to me and I get them right most of the time because I wanted to make him happy and proud (and he is).
Music has also gotten me through extremely low points. At times I have felt that I have had nothing in my life that could make me happy besides music. My personal therapy is laying on my bedroom floor and letting the music consume my emotions and make me happy and make me feel loved. For me when I listen to music I feel loved. Even if I may not have physical love at the moment the music creates that for me. I remember this really vivid time in my life where I was going to a dead and company show with my best friend at the time. I was going with just her and I didn’t have my dad with me like I usually do at concerts. When we got to the venue and took our seats, the band played a few songs and it was overall an amazing experience. But, when they played the song “Brokedown Palace” all of the people hugged their friends and family and I was standing alone. However, as the song played on tears filled my eyes and I let the music take me and basically give me a metaphorical hug.
When I look at the music I see that all music has a deep meaning and rhetoric. A lot of people may say that I’m crazy for saying that but that is one of the main reasons that I chose the rhetoric of music through generations for my project. I want to prove a point not only to others but also to myself. I personally have seen that the rhetoric of music can shape people and their beliefs whether those are good or bad. For example, my sister listens to a lot of rap music that has a lot of bad language in it. My dad doesn’t love this. However, I think that he understands that everyone should listen to music that makes them happy or feel the emotion in any way.
Overall this project is one of the most meaningful projects that I will probably ever do. I would not be the person that I am today without music. The world would not be the world that it is today without music. Honestly, it would be so boring. Think about it… What would be playing in elevators or in grocery stores or what would people do in the summer? Not go to concerts? Music has been around for a really long time. There is not one human on this earth that has lived without music. Because without music who would we be?