Love Music and Music Will Love You Back - Amanda Guerrero

The best advice I’ve ever owned is “Love music and music will love you back”. My music teacher said this to our class several times, but no one seemed to care – including me. Now that I understand what she meant, I can deeply appreciate her words and her desire to share such important advice. I went through some very hard times that seemed to last forever. I lost a desire to do just about everything. My motivation was gone. I became a better actor after several weeks because those around me noticed my despair. Days were dull and blurry, but I still had hope somewhere in my mind and heart. In thinking about everything that I missed about high school, I was reminded by what my teacher told us, and her usual rants afterward. I remember one sentence clearly. She said, “Music will make you feel”.

I had all of these emotions inside, but didn’t know how to express them. It’s odd because I tried, and they should have been easy to figure out, but they weren’t. People recommended that I should listen to music, but mainstream music on the radio didn’t do much. Mainstream music is catchy, cool, glamorous, and recognized, but also shallow, repetitive and egotistic. They sing about fame, money, cars, and status. Somehow though, it all felt superficial. The point is that I had to go searching for music that would motivate and inspire me. Words and sounds are so powerful. The right words and sounds put together are simply expressive and uplifting. I had to explore and go through tons of songs and genres that I didn’t like in order to find songs with real stories and influence. I was frustrated at times because I knew that the right words and sounds were out there, but finding them took patience. Now I look forward to putting on my headphones to enter a world of quests.

Loving music led to learning how to listen, and process words and emotion at a whole new level. Then I learned about reading and writing. With time I also learned to empathize, to turn thoughts into words out loud. Eventually I found songs that seemed to talk to me directly. They seemed to know what I was going through. Certain songs became sparks for doing, thinking, and understanding life from perspectives beyond my own. Their words were thought provoking. Feeling hopeful pushed me to ask questions and determined to find simple answers. I also learned to let go of the weight on my shoulders because sometimes thinking too much of the same thing is pointless. It sounds simple, but it has taken time and practice. I’ve learned to love and search for music that puts my thoughts at ease. One amazing artist or genre led to another, and another. Now I have playlists for tough days, great days, and everything in-between. I would like to pass on the advice that was once given to me. Use music to inspire awesome living. My interests will be different than yours, but the right sound and lyric will bring energy and perspective that will lead to another day of trying to build a better version of you. Explore, find, vibe and repeat!