Musical chords have always thrilled me: they travel through me like a musical pulse, leaving me with an exhilarated and excited feeling inside. For a long time now, I’ve known that music is my passion. I’ve played piano for ten years and violin for eight. Activities in my life have been dominated by music: orchestra class every day in school five days a week, one lesson for each instrument a week, rehearsals with my string quartet, practicing each almost every day, and then the concerts that result from all this practicing. When I look back on it, I realize that music has dominated the extracurricular and hobby-part of my life since I was eight years old. However, I can think of one aspect in particular that has left me with no doubt of my passion for music.
Before I became a serious music student, I watched the movie Man On Fire. A little girl in it played the piano and at one of her lessons, I first heard the opening notes of “Clair de Lune.” I knew at once that I wanted to learn the piece. At the end of the movie, I waited for the music credits to roll and copied down all possible names for it.
I found the sheet music for “Clair de Lune” at a local music store and asked my teacher if I could play it. She told me that the piece was too difficult and it would have to wait. Determined, I asked a friend for the audio music for “Clair de Lune.” As I listened to the beautiful and uplifting music, I was inspired and began working on the piece independently. It was much more challenging than anything I had played. I persisted despite my frustration with the technical difficulty of the piece. The piece was often the only reason I practiced as much as I did. I worked with more discipline than I had ever shown toward any other activities. My desire to hear “Clair de Lune” coming from my own hands pushed me along in the difficult task. The beauty of the music heightened my interest and commitment over the next two years. As my skill improved I began to hear the beauty in other pieces as well. I found myself listening to classical music selections while studying or perusing sheet music online and trying out pianos for fun at our local music store. Over the next couple of years, I practiced harder and longer and my technique improved dramatically. Music became a substantial part of my life and I knew I wanted to continue with it in college. I have realized that “to live [my] life to its fullest,” I must have music with me for the rest of my life (Course Anthology 254).
“Clair de Lune” is the influence I needed to realize my love of music. Now, music is with me everywhere. I listen to the selections that play in the hallways in between classes at my school, to CDs I have made for my car, on my computer as I do my homework, and to myself as I practice piano and violin. Whatever type of music it is, I love to listen to it. I could never answer the surveys that asked my favorite type of music, because I see beauty in all of its forms.
This recognition of all types of music has also connected me better with the world. In a speech a music camp I attended, a man told us that music is special because it is a universal language understood by all. Music can connect those who may not understand each other. For example, if a leader of one country is visiting the leader of another, the host country will typically choose to display their country’s culture through music. Music can represent a large part of the art of another country and through these displays, people can better understand each other when coming from different backgrounds. In a book I read, the son of the main character was explaining to his father why he loved music so much and why he wanted to attend Juliard. He told him, “Music can also give cultures a sense of identity that others can connect with. For example, I love listening to music that originates from India. Not only do I appreciate the connection I feel to their culture through this music, but I enjoy it simply because it sounds nice. Music heightens my interest in learning about other cultures, and I think that many can feel the same way after listening to the beautiful music that other nations produce. Music, for me, is much like that “intuitive awareness” that Ram Dass discusses—the awareness “that links us most intimately to the universe and, in allegiance with the heart, binds us together in generosity and compassion” (Course Anthology 269).
My friend and me dancing to Indian music.
In addition to connecting people around the world, I have found that music can help people see within themselves. People who are reserved and have trouble expressing themselves can often do so through music. As someone who doesn’t have trouble expressing myself, I still find that music has helped me through many difficult emotional situations. When I’m frustrated and angry, I can play dark and ominous pieces on the piano (in minor keys) that help me express myself without lashing out at others or bottling up my emotions. When I’m happy or excited, I can play special CD’s that I’ve created for that very purpose in my car: the windows down, the music blasting loudly out of my speakers, with me shouting out the words for all the world to hear and share my joy. However, I can see how music can help those who do feel the need to keep what they feel to themselves. They can turn to music when they can’t bear to hold what they are feeling inside them anymore without hurting themselves or other people. Music is a way for a person who has difficulty expressing themselves to do so; when they find that they can’t bear to hold their emotions in any longer, they can turn to music as an outlet. By doing something enjoyable as a way of venting emotions, it becomes an activity of self-awareness in which people can look inside themselves and understand what is going on.
Music can also be used for practical reasons. Lots of people throw concerts to raise money for various causes. For example, benefit concerts are being thrown to raise money and awareness for the problem in Darfur. These concerts bring all sorts of different people together who can then join in the cause for something important around the world. Thus, these concerts not only bring strangers together, but they also educate people about issues around the globe.
Music is not only my passion, but I can see it as something that connects me to the world. I love playing piano and I’m looking to major in music so I can learn as much as possib
le. I also enjoy listening to all kinds of music. Whether it’s rock and roll, rap, or classical music, I usually enjoy it. Music has always inspired me in a way nothing else quite amounts to. For example, after I see a musical, the songs and the scenes stick with me for weeks after hearing it. After mastering a piece on the piano, I like to play it over and over again, even if it’s years after I’ve played the piece. The pattern that my voice or fingers can follow is soothing and brings me happiness. The only thing that I can imagine coming close to my passion for music would be taking care of children. In an ideal world, I could see myself bringing these two aspects of my passion together. I cannot see myself being a musician, but I cannot “deny [myself] and others 
the full resources of [my] being” (Course Anthology 266) and by bringing these two aspects together, I think I would be able to help children through music. My stepsister runs an art program at a camp (that she started herself) to promote the mental well being of children. I would love to be able to help children connect with the world and maybe understand each others’ cultures better through music. There are so many ways I can see myself helping kids through music and by incorporating both of these things together, I think I am realizing my full potential to do some good. As a cowgirl speaking to future generations of UT students, follow your dreams and they’ll be a part of your life forever in some way even if it isn’t what you planned. I never thought I could be a musician and I still don’t, but I can still pursue what I love by helping others through music.
Word count w/ quotes: 1601
Word count w/o quotes: 1519
Pictures provided by the author
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3iORDe7Mxw
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