My, Go Your Own Way By Fleetwood Mac

Music is often considered “the universal language.” Throughout, history it has symbolized love, brought people together, and has been the cornerstone of many lives. In the 1950s, a new form of music entered American mass culture that drastically changed the culture of the United States (U.S.): rock music. In the U.S., it began as Rock ‘n’ Roll, a originally “black” music genre that was then taken and promulgated by white Americans. Post WWII, many Americans—especially teenagers—struggled with the newfound societal conformity and normalcy, and rock provided them a form of retaliation. From its beginning, Rock united the younger generation of Americans, stirring up a sense of community amongst teenagers and troubling many adults by their actions—heightening

Popular singer Elton John once said; “music has healing power; it has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours”, and for most, music is the portal to an out of body experience. African American lyricists especially have been found to use the art of music to escape the real world, commencing from the slavery era and onward. The blues song titled The Tracks of My Tears does just that; expresses the ability to remove your soul from a treacherous reality. Similarly, the lyrics from popular modern songs, written by black artists, speak volumes about what is presently going on in the country, parallel to the way African American slavery songs did. Music written at an earlier period have been found to correlate to music of the past through providing strong emotion toward present day commentary.

Music used to be about connections between listeners and the song lyrics. Now it is not much about the connection, but rather people just trying to keep up with the in-crowd. This often leads people into listening to music they dislike only to gain popularity or to feel like they fit in. In Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” the role of music is considerably more than first appeared within the story. It is much more than just background noise and should not be overlooked. Music influences people’s characters from the way they act, to what they think, and even what they want. It is not as innocent as first thought.

I have come a very long way; the four years since I started have only progressed with intensity and involvement with music. I know the next years of my life will only be more intense and more involved with music, and I hope that it can become a career one day. Music has allowed me to express myself during my happy moments, my teenage angst, my depression, my heartbreaks, and it has always gotten stronger, and it carries me with it. I cannot wait to see what music I’m creating in five, ten, or fifteen years. One day, I’ll look back to the songs I have finished in my younger days, and I will be reminded of my high school years, and what I was going through during those times, because, to me, music is

In the memoir A Long Way Gone, author Ishmael Beah describes his survival journey as a lost child in his country, because of the civil war in Sierra Leone, then becoming a child soldier facing war daily, afterward the process that Beah went through during rehabilitation and finally in fear escaping the civil war. Ishmael Beah emotional journey has three stages of development in which Beah utilized music. In the first stage, Beah uses music as a survival mechanism to keep sane and safe. In the second stage, begins when he loses his brother and friends, Beah reaches the lowest point with the loss of his entire family again, some friends, music, and being forced to join the war. In the final stage, is the process of rehabilitation where Beah connects with music once again. Ishmael Beah exposure to music at a young age stayed with him throughout his life. (Beah, 2007, p. 5-218)

The song “I Will Follow You into the Dark”, by Death Cab for Cutie, has always been a special song to me. When I was younger my brother was a big influence on me, he was the one that would show me new music that he was listening to. I knew he really loved this song, so I always listened to it, hoping to be as cool as I thought he was. To me, the song lyrics mean that if you find someone that truly cares about you and will spend the rest of their life with you, they will always be by your side no matter what. For example, “Love of mine, someday you will die,

From the day we’re in our mother's stomachs, to the day we die, we have always been listening to music. For me, listening to music all my life helped me develop a passion for it. When I was around the age of 6 my dad introduced me into the world of Rock. The very first band I remember listening to was System of a Down and ever since then, I fell in love with rock music and all its possible variations; for a long time this was all I listened to. It wasn’t until high school that I started listening to all sorts of genres and realized that I wanted to have a career in the music industry. That's when I learned about producing music.

Music has always been integral in my life. During my childhood, when I was four years old, I pressed my fingers on an oven handle like a piano. Throughout my childhood years I listened to my mom’s old-school mix CD’s, along with the Pandora music app on my old Kindle. In fifth grade, I picked up the piano. My alto saxophone studies began in seventh grade. When high school arrived, I turned my focus to guitar and voice. The more knowledge I absorbed, the more knowledge I craved. My decision to pursue music was also influenced by the inspirations I’ve encountered on my journey so far.

On the eve of November 23rd 2015, I interviewed my grandfather, Benny Reno Emerson, on the influence of music in his life. During the interview we talked about how long music has been a part of his life and how it has shaped who he is today. We also touched on three songs that meant the most to him. The three songs that he claimed to be the most significant to him were “K.T.”, “Kill the Pain”, and “I’m a girl watcher”; all songs that he has performed live, at stages across the Midwest, including the well know Wisconsin summer musical festival Summer Fest.

There was not a single song on the album that did not come to life and cause all of us to relate to every emotion within their songs. When listening to “Go Your Own Way” one hears the lyrics, “Loving you isn't the right thing to do. / How can I ever change things that I feel? / If I could baby I'd give you my world. / How can I when you won't take it from me? / You can go your own way, go your own way.” These lyrics capture your soul. They speak of the pain that accompanies the demise of a relationship. On the other hand, “Don’t Stop” provokes feelings of hope and optimism instead of wallowing in the past. The entire playlist of Rumors causes lovers to reflect upon their own past heartbreak and relate. The album’s ability to make that kind impression on a person’s heart makes it phenomenal. We all desire to be able to relate to others and to feel understood. Once we make that connection, it remains with us always.

Throughout its history, music has permeated the significant events of American history. Its effect on American society and the way the American people cope with each event has only grown as popular music evolves and new genres reach more and more individuals. People can remember where they were and their exact surroundings to amazing detail when asked about life-changing events in history. Older generations will remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Their children will remember when Kennedy was assassinated and when man walked on the moon. Their grandchildren will remember much of the turmoil of the ‘70s and ‘80s and their great grandchildren grew up in the world impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. Even one’s surroundings during the start or end of a relationship or personal events such as graduation, getting a driver’s license, or getting married can all be paired with the music that was popular at the time.

The ability to portray a narrative through a song helps visualize the meaning of a unique story. Depending on the message the song delineates, can either put a saccharine smile on one’s face or generate a cascade of tears. The impactfulness of a story, especially through a song, provides meaningful lyrics which may relate to a dramatic event in a person’s life. Since the days of Native Americans singing songs and telling oracles, the lyrics a song possesses forms special stories that helps a person with their individual struggles in life. Therefore, people often refer to songs to revitalize an unpleasant day. Notable artists usually achieve significant success when they produce impactful songs that many can relate to. Their awareness

Do you ever wonder what is the meaning behind what you so proudly sing whenever you hear it? Music is an art form of culture which organizes sound with times It first came around in prehistoric times, however, as times passes, music is drastically changing. As a result, in the last decades music has experienced drastic changes in the themes they are talking about. These changes are due to the generations and what they are living, political and social actions of the time. For example, the decade of the 80s was the rise of hip-hop and rap music from a local phenomenon to a worldwide known genre of music. Previously, a crack cocaine epidemic had stroke major cities in the USA and it coincided with the rise of hip-hop in black communities as these

In 1973, exactly twenty-five years prior to my birth, my parents were just in elementary school. They told me stories about their lives back then but none contained any traces of music. The only stories about music back in those years were from my grandmother. Back then, my parents grew up in Viet Nam in a poor family with no televisions so they couldn’t really listen to any music growing up. Although my parents could not listen to music on television like how we can now; they were able to come to live performances by local artists held at the district’s performance center every other month because the shows were free. My grandmother told me that the music back then was really different than how it is now. The songs served many purposes to the citizens, it was an encouragement to soldiers at war, it was the rhythm that put kids to sleep, it was the comfort food for everyone who listen. Grandma told me the style

Ever since I was born, there’s something about music that takes me away and focuses my mind on the music and lyric you could say it traditional, contemporary or anything. I used to imagine it’s impossible for me to become a musician because of where I am from and of my age but there’s something that pushes me to