Kyle Roberts

Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/14/16
Reading Response 5
How does music affect you? Do you take it for granted? I know when I think of music I
think of all the rap and hip hop of modern day past material, too. Every day when Im in the gym
I have my earphones in as I lift to help me focus and to hype me up to my favorite songs. Ive
become so accustomed to this that not using earphones feels abnormal as if something is
hindering my performance. Just prolonged usage of my earphones, something I wouldnt
ordinarily even think about, has instilled a small mental dependency on the music before I could
recognize it. Music is a staple in defining the culture of people over the course of time. It reflects
the passions and inspirations behind artists of that period and carry with them millions of people
who would pay to watch their performance. Many adults commonly rejoice in the thought of
their generations musics prime. The youth memorize entire songs before adequately studying
their own school work. Music is a passion that everyone can share in and reflect a piece of them
in return by examining their tastes. Is musics influence more of a burden than a blessing? Many
young men try to live the lyrics they hear and while a handful make it to that celebrity level of
recognition many get set down the wrong path and never make their way back.
Music goes deeper in the reflection of someone sometimes revealing where they may
have been brought up. The common thing is feeling strongly about one genre while also strongly
opposing another. Something Ive never understood. Whatever type of music you like shouldnt
also influence you to dislike and or bash another form. All the positivity brought by it and the
passions it inspires remains the important factor but is consistently put aside. Instead of using an
opportunity to perhaps promote their likes they prefer to show their dislike of another. Humans
have shown that, when given the opportunity, they dont hesitate to belittle or undermine foreign

Kyle Roberts
Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/14/16
ideas in favor of their own. Another example of conforming being the popular response when
faced with adversity. Its like nature considering people reveal this inexplicable need to reject
and individualize themselves instead of uniting. Though this independence seems just, what good
comes out of excluding people and bashing their ideas and opinions? Why does nature condone
this behavior and find no interest in positive vibes?
Music, made to bring joy to its audience, has only further darkened the lines separating
one another. People find their crowd and stick to its music. Blood has been spilled pointlessly
over beef between musicians that dealt out lashings in musical form. Families tragically changed
forever over nothing. The same thing that brought them so much joy and fortune now bears the
weight of familial sorrow. Even when not struck down by one another man remains unsafe under
his own supervision as many of these musicians experienced depression and drug overdose.
Music allowed these people a way into a good life full of opportunity and a luxury lifestyle, but
it took something from them and their families that they could never purchase. When their lives
changed for the better Im sure the last thing on the mind was anything negative. No real change
has taken place there is no peace just a mask of what peace would be like waved around by the
powerful and greedy. Peoples tendency to conform is not allowing room for growth when being
comfortable is good enough for most.