Music

 Hip Hop played a special role in the other Wes Moore’s life. Hip Hop was more than just music and lyrics for him. Being that he went to a different school from the kids in his neighborhood, it was a way to still feel connected to those kids. The other Wes Moore connected to the words in Hip Hop music and being able to share this kind of music with the students in his school gave people more perspective of how his life was. It gave those students a perspective of not only things he goes through but also how other people in his race feel and experience. Because the words in this type of music related to his life, he felt that he was not alone in feeling the things he felt. 

I love how versatile music can be. Music can create many kinds of emotions and it can be used for different occasions. Music allows me to get in tune with my emotions. Sometimes music with no lyrics can be so intense that I can create a vivid situation in my head and will have me feel different emotions from sad to happy. Then there is music that has lyrics that I can easily relate to. I usually have a hard time expressing my thoughts and feelings, but when I listen to a song with lyrics that I relate to, it helps me with being able to express what I am feeling. Similar to the other Wes Moore, music reassures me that I am not alone or the only person who has ever felt certain ways.

I remember going through a breakup with an old boyfriend. I was so sad and I knew that, but I did not have the words to be able to describe my sadness. I created a playlist with some of the sad songs I knew and had them on repeat. Some sad songs did not even relate to my break-up situation, but there was sadness in the song and that is what I needed to let it all out of my system. Just as music can bring out any sadness that I am feeling, it can also bring me joy. With the right kind of music, I will be nonstop dancing around. I use music to make me productive with physical chores. If I have to do cleaning around the house, upbeat music will make my time more enjoyable. When I am getting ready to go out by doing my hair and makeup, I like to have music on. It makes me feel happy and gets me pumped. 

I can never be in my car without some kind of music on. There is something about a sunny day, in my car, with whatever music I am craving to hear on that specific day, that just makes me feel really good and my mood is also good and positive. And of course, what's a party without music? But music can also be calming and relaxing. I also use it to focus when I need to do work. For some odd reason, Disney classical music gets me in my zone and I concentrate so well to get my homework done.