Norah Week 4: Me, Myself, and Music
We’ve all had phases at some point in our lives, whether it be playing games like Minecraft and Genshin Impact, reading, or writing books for fun. As for me, while I’ve had all of these phases, there is one particular phase that has become essential to my identity: music.
Music is what brings me joy and motivates me to work, to study, and to be productive while I’m stuck in the depths of schoolwork. However, music is also more than that; it is the root of some of my strongest friendships.
Last year around this time, I began listening to music from SEVENTEEN, a K-pop group. This was honestly pretty significant for me because I had stopped listening to K-pop for around three years.
While I enjoyed their music, I don’t think I would’ve gotten as into them as I did if it wasn’t for my friend. After finding out that she liked SEVENTEEN, I became much more interested in the group itself.
At that time, I had known her for a year, but we were more of class friends than close friends who hung out in our free time. However, simply liking the same music group changed everything.
The fangirling we did together, the fun of sharing an obsession with a friend: these memories were what I truly enjoyed.
Although this initial fervor has calmed down, I still love discussing new updates with my friend, impulse buying albums together, and so much more.
These shared moments are exactly why music has become such an important part of my identity. It is what gets me through all the homework of junior year; it is my most time-consuming yet fulfilling extracurricular, one I never could’ve imagined myself doing five years ago; and, most importantly, it is what has shaped who I am and the relationships I cherish today.
Aftermath of impulse buying albums
Hey Norah, I thought it was really cool how you were able to connect with SEVENTEEN as a band. I remember one of my friends made me listen to the song “Darl+ing” and I remember it being such a significant song that I basically listened to it on a daily. I was still figuring out what type of music I liked and it was a song that was a break from the BTS version of K-Pop. But recently I’ve started listening to Tory Lanez and his album Alone at Prom, which has become my safe space when it comes to music. But I do agree with your idea of music making friends too. I remember once I was listening to a Tory Lanez song next to my friend, and he was like “You listen to him too?”. We got into a 20 minute conversation on how good of a song it was, and it was so nice to connect with a friend over something as simple as a song.
ReplyDeleteHey Norah! I really liked how you explained that music can be more than something you listen to; it can also bring people closer together. I especially like how discovering SEVETEEN helped become closer to your friend because it shows how sharing interests can strengthen relationships and can help with shaping one's identity. I also think its interesting how something as simple as listening to the same type of music can make classmates into friends that you cherish for life. It made me think about how some of the people I value most in life came into my life in a similar way, listening to the same music. I think you blog emphasizes on how music brings together people and creates memories and I agree.
ReplyDeleteI relate so much to your blog, Norah. Music has been such an integral part of my life since the day I was born. My mom tells me that she used to sing to me when I was in her belly and that is why I have such a beautiful voice. But even after I was born, she put me in singing lessons, piano classes, and even dance lessons. My family has always been very musically inclined, and my mom took it to a whole new level with me.
ReplyDeleteAs I grew up, I started to experiment with singing different songs while playing the piano—and I fell in love. I would try out pop songs and even Indian ones on my piano. My parents would always ask me to play these songs that I had learned when guests came to our house. It was always a hit. They loved seeing how I would play piano and sing at the same time. Now, as a junior, it has been increasingly hard to find time to play the piano in the midst of my busy schedule, but I always try my best to make time. Sometimes I will listen to a new song and try to play it, or even when I am feeling down, I love sitting on my piano bench and just experimenting with the keys.
I started learning the piano when I was just four years old, so it has been one of the foundations of who I am. There truly is nothing I love more than watching my hands click the keys and feeling the satisfaction of knowing what beautiful music I am producing. I think it is safe to say that music really does have a transformative effect on people’s lives.
Not feeling bad after impulse buying, impressive! It’s so nice to read about how much you love fangirling about SEVENTEEN, my niece loves that group! I like how you used SEVENTEEN as a catalyst to help you grow closer to your friends. Having something to soothe you from the week’s worries is nice to know, school can be very stressful! Thank you for opening up about the phases of your life, ranging from Minecraft to Genshin Impact to (currently) SEVENTEEN. It’s amazing how you can turn moments like these into something part of your identity.
ReplyDeleteHi Norah! Thank you for sharing this piece of your life with us! Music is so special! There’s so many different types and each has its own authentic background that makes it culturally rich.
ReplyDeleteI also love music because of how it takes me away from the struggles of school! Getting back from a long day filled with math and chemistry, I listen to Ariana Grande and the Weeknd! This takes me so far away from school; consider it a vacation.
We’re the same except you just happen to find a different type of music appealing! That’s what’s great about music! Everyone around you has different tastes, even if we go to the same school and live in the same taste. I think diversity in music taste really shows personality from person to person, and people who do have the same taste as you are automatically your friend!