Today, I am thankful for music.Be it instrumental or vocal, classical or pop, music is always there when I need it most. Creating music and listening to music are both actions of the soul, capable of altering a person's perception of the world for a lifetime.
Music is truly the love of my life. It is far more than a hobby or a past time, it is a way of living. It affects how I act, how I think, how I breath; music is in every part of my body and my soul at any given moment of any given day. And for me, there is no getting around it.
Music has been a part of my every day life since I was old enough to say the word "music." My dad, who is one of the best pianists I have ever met, instilled in me the idea that music is a gift we must share with the world. No matter what kind of day it is, we must sing or play our hearts out. At an early age I was taught the notes on the piano and how to match them in singing. I was taught to hold mallets and drum sticks; to beat rhythms on our many percussion instruments. I was taught to play chopsticks on the piano, the marimba, and the harp. I knew by the age of three what the difference was between a high note and a low note and began learning about everything found in between. In second grade, I began learning about the harp, which has been a passion of mine ever since. I also began to sing in choir when I was in fourth grade, and haven't missed an opportunity to sing since.
Music has been a constant throughout my life. It has been my form of expression as well as the way I have made the majority of my friends. When I have a bad day, music is what encourages me to keep on going. I now use practicing my harp as a reward for completing my homework assignments, a method which actually seems to work.
This week in particular has been a rather difficult week for me. Between writing and turning in major papers and studying for several tests, I have been a busy girl. And, between receiving a failing grade on a French test (I might have accidentally used the infinitive forms of verbs when they should have been conjugated in a particular tense...a huge mistake) and receiving no credit at all on my major history paper (which dropped my grade from an A to an F), it's also been a rather emotion-filled week. So, putting aside some homework assignments, I decided to hang out with my best friend, Pierre, my harp. I practiced past the point that my fingers were sore. I practiced past the point of pain and fatigue, until there was nothing else to feel but music. Then I stopped because I'd wasted too much time and needed to start working on my homework. After practicing, I felt rejuvenated. Yes, my fingers hurt, but my soul no longer hurt; I no longer felt pained about my grades and my performance in school. Music can alter the quality of life and I am tremendously grateful for the impact it has had on my life, especially during these difficult college times.
Dorm Food
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