I’m not that big into music. Even though I’m a student at Rice University I’m not a student at the Shepherd school, I can’t name early musicians and state the impact each one made on music, and I can’t delve deep into poetic meanings of songs. I simply listen to music. The reason I listen to music so much; it’s like my drug. The alcoholic has his bottles, the stoner has his bong, and I have my airpods. Music has the same dynamic nature that can slowly change one’s mood that drugs have. It really just depends on the mood of the song: listening to a sad song while happy can make you introspective, listening to a happy song while sad can be encouraging, listening to a relaxing song while stressed can be calming, and (almost always) listening to your favorite song is euphoric. An alcoholic might need 2-3 beers to return to his state of euphoria, for me it just takes 20-30 minutes of Future. But Future might not be for everyone, he’s just my “drink of choice”.

Music is so personal, that’s what I love about it. If I’m hiring someone for a job, I could easily learn more about them as a person, their deepest self, from their spotify library than from formally interviewing them. For example, I might see Joji, Lana Del Ray, and Frank Ocean in their most played artists and infer that they’re a sweet, gentle soul. Or, I might see Dua Lipa, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars in their most played artists and come to the conclusion that they’re a more upbeat and cheery person. And of course, if I see Taylor Swift in your library I already know everything about you (just kidding). Almost every person you meet will have a different music taste than yourself, but that doesn’t make anyone’s music taste more or less valid.

This is another beauty of music: each song/type of music has a unique meaning to each person. For me, pop music from the 2000s/2010s reminds me of my elementary and middle school days. I vividly remember going to the roller rink as a 3rd grader with my childhood best friend Lane, trying to dance to Maroon 5 while also trying not to fall on my face in the middle of the rink. Kpop is what got me through covid lockdown. The late nights listening to BTS and playing minecraft with my friends were so good for my mental health. Rap music represents a time of maturing in my life, when I was moving on to high school. My parents didn’t allow me to listen to rap music before high school, but once I “aged into it” I really enjoyed the energetic flow of the music as well as the ability to relate and bond with my friends over rap. 

If you’re one of the few people who don’t like music or thinks it’s “just noise”, I promise you just haven’t found the right artist. Trying new things can be challenging, but especially when it comes to music, trying new things can be extremely rewarding. One of the best feelings in the world is discovering a new artist and listening to them nonstop until your ears are ringing. Just from that experience, you gain so much: You find your new jam, you learn more about that artist’s perspective on life, and you now have a new avenue to relate to others who also share a love for your newly discovered musician. It hasn’t happened to me (yet), but I’ve always dreamed of meeting my new best friend at a Drake/Future concert. Music has a certain power that nothing else has: It can take you back in time, it can change your mood, it can expose you to different cultures, it can help you connect with people, it can be a vessel to express yourself. In a way, music is everything to me. But if I’m to answer the question honestly, right now I’m listening to “Cardigan” by Don Toliver.