In three days, junior year will be officially over. Though it’s been nine months since that first day, it feels like the year only just started.
I still remember all those late-night paste-ups with Chance the Rapper blaring in the background, the excitement about writing my first Musical Musings blog this year (“Merging band and orchestra—is it really a good idea?”) and the many hours spent trying to figure out what to write about in my next blog.
Nearly all of the 25 music blogs I’ve written this year have been a great source of anxiety: I spend the entire week trying to think of what to write about, but I’m still left clueless late on Sunday night, when my blog is supposed to be due.
As the year progressed, my number of ideas dwindled, leaving me with more and more hours spent desperately trying to figure out what to write about.
That’s the situation I found myself in just before writing this one.
I knew this was going to be my last blog of the year, so I wanted it to be special and insightful. I considered doing an album review (I love Strangeland by Keane) or maybe another post on why the band and orchestra should separate again next year. (End the way you start, right?)
But none of that seemed quite right. Instead, I decided on making my last musical message this: listen to what you like and what makes you feel good.
If there’s anything I’ve learned this year, it’s that people are different. Even within one person, there can be a multitude of interests.
I mean, throughout this year I’ve gone through Justin Bieber, Beethoven, One Direction, Lana Del Rey, Idina Menzel, Gustavo Galindo, Indila, Edward Elgar and The Mountain Goats phases. (Sorry, I still can’t take jazz or rap!)
So, I guess the point is: listen to whatever you want to listen to.
Music is supposed to be a way to relax and understand yourself on a deeper level—perhaps that’s the only reason I’ve survived writing this blog for so long!
