The Sound of Life
Imagine a world with no sound, absolute silence, like the Quiet Place except in real life.
The world would have an eerie blanket cast over it as if life had stopped. However thanks to
music, our world is full of life. The definition of music is subjective because a bird song to us is
a unique language to them and construction noise may be the start of a new beat for an avid
musician. Music is seen in many cultures and walks of life. Even those who are hearing impaired
can feel the vibrations of music. But music isn’t only for entertainment purposes, there have been
studies that state music education correlates with higher cognitive skills in students. The
numerous benefits music harnesses is why I believe music is a necessity of life.
Prior to picking up the viola in sixth grade, I was always doing something: whether that
be studying for classes or rushing to extracurriculars. It was as if I could never catch a break.
Back then I believed there was only one route to being truly happy which was studying hard in
school to get into a good college and then eventually get a good paying job. So when I was told
to pick an elective in sixth grade I was hesitant because we were only given 4 choices: band,
orchestra, theatre, or art. None of them seemed to be challenging, or so I thought. I decided to
pick orchestra because I have always wanted to play an instrument but never seemed to have
time and this would be a good excuse to finally learn. In the first few days of orchestra we
learned the parts of our instrument and how to take care of it. When we got to actually learning
how to play I was in for a surprise because I knew how to read treble clef from some elementary
music classes, but the viola had a whole new clef I hadn’t seen before it was like reading a
completely different language. That’s when I realized that learning how to play viola and make
music was going to be just as challenging as learning math or science. Throughout the years I
have been in orchestra, I have recognized it to be a challenging yet stress-relieving class. Unlike
equations we’re not forced to memorize scales or music, it just becomes a part of us once we
learn it. Once music enters your life, there’s no going back.