Music is all around us. It’s on our phones, on the tv, on the radio, in our school, it’s in us. Music has evolved over the years to be so much more than just a song you listen to on the radio. It’s people’s escape from reality, people’s outlet from the chaos there in, it’s people’s livelihood, and love. As a matter of fact, I’m listening to music as I’m writing this.

In the past 20 years it has become more common for artists to write a song that has something to do with them, something that’s personal. That’s why it’s so easy to connect with music these days, because it is written from the heart, from something someone else can relate too. The great thing about music is, it’s all about your mood. You need to get pumped up, let play some rock, you want to chill, let’s play some jazz, you wanna dance, let’s get the hip hop rolling. There is music for every single mood you could think of.

Music has this hypnotic affect on people. When you hit that certain song, this wave comes over you and you get totally lost within the music. Everything you’re thinking, everything outside you is gone, the music takes over you. Like I said before, it’s an escape from reality. And you know what, I know for a fact as you’re reading this you all are coming up with that song or two that does this.

Let me give you an example. The classic Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. One of Chatfield’s favorites. When we’re on the dance floor and we all hear that song come on, we are together. For 3 minutes and 21 seconds we aren’t the social groups we’ve all put ourselves into, we are all friends and family in that moment. We come together and sing and dance to this song celebrating us. It is definitely a memory I won’t forget.

Now I know the title reads “Musical Therapy” because it’s true, music is therapeutic. Music has literally been shown to wake people up from comas. Besides that, music heals the soul. Music has gotten people past some of their worst times. Whether it be to play, to sing, or listen to, as long as it contains music, it’s a form of therapy.

I’m gonna give you another example. The movie I Still Believe is a true story featuring this husband and wife fighting cancer and having music be what gives these two hope through it all. Through the movie you see how they use music to heal each other, to escape the horrible reality they were in, and to just connect with each other still through a tragic event.

Music is at the center of this world. It can be what brings people together, gets people through hard times, people’s escapes from the outside. Music is everything. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have music in my corner. And I believe that is true for most of you too.