Meaning in the Music

Music plays an influential role in many people’s lives, especially on a college campus.  Take a look around the next time you find yourself on University Ave, almost everyone’s got their headphones in and their heads down.  Chances are they’re probably listening to music.  

Now, I grew up in a very musical household.  My mom was always playing the piano and my sisters and I were always singing and dancing around the house, or sometimes, in the car, my dad would bellow out-of-tune to try and get a laugh from us.  

Music quickly became one of my scapegoats – a place to escape reality and a way to relay my feelings when the words themselves didn’t suffice. There is no better feeling than when you can entirely relate with a song.  It is so satisfying.  It reminds me of that feeling you get when you’ve had a long day and your mom (or whomever it may be) gives you a good tight squeeze to comfort and support you.  The peace of mind that this brings is synonymous with the emotions experienced when finding the meaning in the music.   

Music holds a tight grip on us whether we like it or not.  This is another reason I enjoy music so much.  The memories, the feelings, the emotions, all the things that hide amongst the melodies are so intriguing.  For example, it’s interesting how everytime I hear the song “Mississippi Girl” by Faith Hill, I find myself in the back of my dad’s truck on the way home from school.  Or isn’t it funny how everytime a 15-year-old girl hears “Teardrops on my guitar” by Taylor Swift they are instantly in tears.  It is the satisfaction of finally being able to put words to how you’ve been feeling and that sense of association that makes music so powerful.  

Because I have relied on music so heavily in the past, it only makes sense that as a twenty-year-old college student pushing her way through life and struggling to find peace that I would turn to music as I find myself in a strange place with my faith.  Being a junior in college is kinda bittersweet.  You are so close to graduating yet still so far, but then there is the realization that with graduation comes the real world and “what in the heck am I going to do with my life?”  So many unanswered questions and so many decisions to be made.  

The uncertainty of it all can be quite overwhelming, and it’s at times like these when I have learned I should turn to God.  I mean as a christian this answer seems almost obvious, but when you find yourself caught in this web of stress and concern and don’t quite know where to start untangling yourself from, your trust in God and the plan put in place can sometimes get lost in the mess. 

That being said, I perfectly curated a playlist of songs that has helped me reconcile my thoughts, questions and opinions based in faith and everyday life.  It’s the kind of music that makes me happy and fills me with joy, so don’t worry if the playlist is just not for you.  That’s the great thing about music, but christian music especially is that there are so many sub-genres.  So whether you are into folk music, indie artists, hip hop and rap, R&B, I know you’ll be able to find the music that speaks to your soul.  So, if you choose to give some of the songs a listen, I hope that you too will find yourself transported and transformed by the words of God.