Music allows me to jump up and down, sing at the top of my lungs, and just be me. I dance in front of the mirror, feeling full of energy and as happy as can be. Music lets me let loose and have fun. I forget my worries and don’t fret about anything. The challenges and obstacles that follow me everywhere suddenly disappear. My tunes free me from the realities of life and I have time to jump around and sing like there is no tomorrow. I don’t have to worry about someone stereotyping or judging me. Music lets me horse around and get away from the “real world” and enjoy my self. Music provides an escape from the judgmental world that encompasses high school and gives me an outlet to be myself.

Songs blaring from my iPod give me the opportunity to no longer act like a mature young adult. I can act like a 6 year old and boogie to my tunes. In Simple Plan’s song “Grow Up,” Simple Plan sings, “I don’t want to be told to grow up/And I don’t wanna change/I just want to have fun.” “Grow Up” describes my views of life. I, Maddie, want to live my life to the fullest and spend as long as I can as an exuberant child. Why should I grow up when I have only 16 years under my belt? The sounds that blast through my headphones encourage and back my love of acting like a li’l kid. In day to day life, behaving maturely is required. At 6:30 am, I wake up to my radio sounding music from 106.1 Kiss FM. The jammin’ beats pump me up and suddenly exhaustion has slipped away. I brush my teeth with my sesame street toothbrush to rap and hip hop blaring from my radio. The music I listen to in the morning liberates me from having to pretend to be someone I’m not. Before the sun has risen, childishness encompasses me as I dance in my p.j.s. The songs that wake me up from my dreams give me an outlet to let my “inner child” out with out receiving reprimands for acting immature.

Around 7:20 am I get to school where people judge and gossip about each other. Acting one way will hurt my reputation, acting another will ruin me. Most of all, I better not be different. Stereo speakers emit harmonies that come together to form an escape, an escape from worrying about what others think. Amber Pacific, Hawk Nelson, and Relient K sing songs that free me from the concern that follows me. These three bands produce alternative and rock songs with beats that I have to sing along to. I shout the words that allow me to forget my troubles and bound around trying to dance. The feeling I get when listening to music is one of glee. I don’t have to conform to any rules or fit any images.

Music. Who knew that one word could hold so much power? Music provides the power to be different from the norms set by society, power to be immature, and power to have fun. The jams that flood my ears let me escape the chopping block where people degrade each other. Tunes also provide an outlet for me to just be me.