Music: Not Just Background Noise

To me, music is more than just noise in the background. It’s my anchor, a daily companion, and a connection that lets me enjoy my favorite hobbies on much deeper levels. Whether I need to concentrate during a chaotic class, or the monotone sounds of driving make me reach for music as a support and companion, music plays an important role in my everyday experiences and my life as a whole. Throughout this article I will explore the different aspects of my life that music uniquely affects, just universally following the idea that music is a major support system for me.

Staying Present Behind the Wheel -

While being focused on the road is obviously my number one priority when I’m driving, I find that music works really well to keep me centered and present. As a first-time driver who had just gotten her permit, the fear and anxiety of learning how to do something I wasn’t entirely comfortable with kept me from drifting into my thoughts or getting distracted by whatever was going on outside my car windows. Like most teenagers, the idea that I knew everything about driving after only a couple of months created a sort of “trust” in the road, and that original focus on being present became an increasingly more difficult task.

In the weeks that followed me getting my permit, the nonnegotiable rules made by my mom were set in stone before I was even allowed to turn on the car. No talking, no music, and no distractions were the sparknotes of our very long discussions while I learned the basics of driving. That unrelenting silence while on the road was only broken when I would almost run over the curb or accidentally didn’t see a stop sign and would keep driving. When I finally made it over that learning curve, my extensive practicing let me gain more privileges and talking, as well as music were back up for discussion.

As I got more comfortable, the monotonous sounds of the car humming on the road or the seemingly endless red lights would send me deep into my thoughts, and being present and focused was an effort that became more challenging because now, a different sort of silence accompanied my car rides. Because of this, I found that surprisingly, music was what could keep me afloat.

In terms of multitasking, most people would group having a conversation and listening to music in the same entertainment category, but I’ve personally found that it is much harder for me to have a conversation in the car than it is for me to just listen to my playlist absentmindedly. When I’m listening to music, it’s second nature to know the lyrics and half a thought has me reciting an entire song, just because it's familiar and comfortable.

On the other hand, when I have to engage in a conversation, first I have to focus on listening to information I haven’t heard before, and then spend time thinking about what my response should be. While this is obviously done in seconds, that effort still takes much more attention from the road than just having music playing. In general, for most people, listening to music while driving is a distraction, something that breaks that necessary concentration. For me, my favorite songs entertain me and keep me calm, but not enough to take my attention away from the road.

More importantly, since it’s impossible for me to not sing along and just listen passively, I can’t zone out because then I wouldn’t be able to remember what lyric comes next. The fact that the lyrics never change creates a rhythm that breaks up the usual monotonous sounds of the road, or the lack of those sounds. That focus from music in turn forces me to be present and makes it easier for me to remember to take in my surroundings, watch the lights, keep a consistent speed, etc. In the end, music keeps me grounded, turning each drive into a more focused and smooth experience.

Soundtrack to the Kitchen -

I bake to make delicious desserts, but mostly I bake for the satisfying feeling of creating something through my hard work and dedication. Baking is something that no matter how difficult or easy your recipe is, you can’t do anything without even the smallest bit of effort. I need to focus, pay attention to every little detail, be patient, and finally all that hard work hopefully yields a delicious product.

It's easy to think of baking as a simple hobby because all you have to do is follow a series of steps and measurements to get the right result. For me, what makes this hobby special is playing music simultaneously. Music, just on its own, makes a seemingly stressful and daunting task infinitely less serious. It takes out the calculation side of baking and makes it more of a fun activity that also lets me express myself creatively. If I don’t have music on while I bake, it seems too much like a math equation or an assignment for school, and I prefer it to be something that I can enjoy and that doesn’t have any risks or repercussions if I make a mistake.

Finding Calm in the Chaos -

When I’m in school, I make sure to focus on the work I have to do and pay attention in class, but very often, I get distracted, overwhelmed, and just find that I really can’t get my tasks done. When that happens, when my day becomes redundant and the last thing I can find the motivation for is finishing assignments, I use music as a lifeline from falling off the edge into procrastination.

In addition to not wanting to do my school work, something that directly affects my productivity is if I’m in a bad mood. Procrastinating and getting overwhelmed keeps me from being able to do my assignments if I don’t find a way to use it to my advantage. Instead of wallowing in that anger or sadness, listening to sad music helps to use my emotions to my benefit by forcing them to work for me instead of against me. When I can relate to what I am listening to, that temporary validation makes me feel just a little better and doing my work is finally manageable.

A key part of keeping me concentrated is the type of music I choose to listen to. If I try to get work done with upbeat music that lifts up my mood, for some reason it doesn’t motivate me to keep working. Emotional and sadder music keeps me at almost a base level mood and since nothing is really exciting me, I can just push through and finish whatever I have to do. Specifically with sad music, the lyrics can get kind of repetitive and there aren’t a lot of changes in the way it sounds, so that consistency keeps me from thinking too hard on the music itself, and more on the necessary block from the outside sounds it provides. Writing assignments specifically takes a lot of my attention and the noise of a classroom, with people talking, laughing, and just randomly being distracting constantly takes me out of that concentration that I need to finish anything.

Escaping Through Sound -

I live vicariously through my music and the lyrics that resonate with me. When I read, the music I listen to carries the responsibility of keeping me in that new and exciting world. Whenever I become absolutely obsessed with a book or a series that I’m reading, I like to find ways to keep that story going in my real life. Some ways I do that is by thinking about what kind of music has lyrics that can express the story of the main character, their feelings, their struggles, etc. Most of the time this materializes in sad music because I find that it has a stronger emotional impact. When I read, the characters, the story, and the plot become real to me and I feel every emotion and struggle the characters themselves go through. Music is like the bridge that brings those characters into my life and allows me to explore those emotions in a deeper way. While I read, sometimes the music I play in the background can keep me fully immersed in that world and escape while never actually leaving the comfort of my bedroom.

Lastly, music is more than just a form of entertainment in my life. It plays an important role in my experiences, in my ability to stay calm and process my emotions, as well as being used as a tool for my own ways of expressing myself. Whether I’m trying to stay concentrated while driving, keep baking a light and enjoyable experience, stay on track in school, or deepen my connection to the books I read, music is there every step of the way. It's my support system and my escape, but also my entertainment and my refuge. Ultimately, music is not just something I listen to, it's something that is constantly enriching my everyday experiences, and essentially my life as a whole.

Interested? Find more by Elahe here!

ABOUT ELAHE

Elahe Zandy is 16 years old and a 10th grade student at Centner Academy. Her interest in journalism comes from an overall love for writing and expressing her thoughts on paper, as well as just a passion for learning about what is going on in the world. Last year, she had her first experience in the competitive world of writing, since she participated in the Emmerse Essay Competition, resulting in winning a scholarship for a summer program. Being a part of the Centner Academy journalism program has been a great experience to understand all the different aspects of the profession and the importance of news. In addition to enjoying writing, Elahe spends her time playing on the Centner Academy Tennis Team and co-chairing the Field Trip Fundraising Club.