I can confidently say music has not only affected lives in the past but continues to change people’s lives and will always be used to feel and grasp feelings. Whether you listen to rock, metal, pop, rap, reggae, etc you should spend some time thinking about how music is really making you feel, and how certain lyrics resonate with you, as you feel the beat through your mind and just listen for a while. In this article, I’ve asked teachers to share their experience with music and how it impacted them. I will be writing a student version for the next edition so be sure to read that one too! Rock on!

Mr. Knight

“Hi, my name is Mr. Knight. Music has been a lifeline for me since I was around ten and discovered KISS. In my early teens, my brother joined the Navy and I got his bedroom and his record player and all his albums. I started listening to Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, SuperTramp, Steve Miller, etc.  I then learned to play guitar and played in bands. Later when I was older and the kids were self-sufficient, my wife and I started a band named The Knight Crew. Had a blast playing every weekend. In fact, our picture is in a yearbook from a few years ago.”

Mr. Hannon                                

“Music has impacted my life by providing great memories that I can look back on, smile, and remember fondly.  Some of my favorite memories growing up involve listening to music in the car on family road trips.  In addition, dancing to music at weddings is one of my all-time favorite things to do. I can really cut a rug. My daughter is just over five months old, and I can’t wait to make my own memories with her involving music.  I especially can’t wait to show her all my dance moves.”

Mr. Meetze

“As a kid growing up music when hip hop began to rise in the late 80's became the music and culture I was enamored with.  Creating mixtapes and bringing my Boom Box on bus trips for sports, in the locker room, creating warm-up music for games, and even to the park for pick-up basketball listening to music has been and continues to be a great joy in my life.  Over time my musical tastes have changed to include a steady dose of Alternative and Folk Rock music as well as some Pop and Country I always have music on for whatever I do.” 

Mrs. Leary

“Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My best memories are singing duets with my grandfather, and my dad taking me to my weekly piano lessons. I’ve always wanted to teach music and I hope to continue to bring some of the light that I think music can provide to students for many years to come.”

Millie: My Honest Opinion

I am lucky enough to have grown up with Abba, Elton John, The Beatles, and many more. As I got older I began to show signs of depression, at a point in my life where things felt too heavy for me I turned to music to feel again. I started listening to Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and a lot of Led Zeppelin. That's the thing about music: it doesn't judge you and it always listens. I think the world could use less judgment in it. If I could leave you one thing from this article I would like you to just realize that it’s all going to be ok, and instead of judging other people for their music taste, race, gender, sexuality, or living conditions, we should try to have empathy for them because you truly never know what someones going through. Music is a connector, not a breaker; use it to build, not to destroy. I hope you enjoy this article and I hope you tune in for the student version of it. Thank you and rock on!