It is the fifth of September, 2023 at 6:30am. I wake up for the first day of school, exhausted, moving like a sloth. But before I do anything else, in an attempt to lift my spirits, I put in my AirPods and play “Waking Up The Ghost” by 10 Years while I get ready for the day.

It is now 7:00am. I am getting ready to leave the house. I get in my car, plug my phone into my Apple CarPlay unit, and the speakers start to come to life until they crescendo as “Jenny” by Nothingmore begins to play. A mix of sad, happy, and aggressive music fills me as I make my way to school. I arrive and sit in the parking lot until I need to enter the building for my first class, listening to “Mother” by Miles Kennedy as I walk in.

The time is now 7:30am, and my first class is starting, which means I have to take out my AirPods. Immediately, my energy level plummets and I start to become tired again. I get through class and decide to listen to “Darkest Part of Me” by Red as I make my way to the cafeteria for Study Hall. This circle of classes repeats itself until the end of the day and I am finally allowed to make my way home.

I have now made it to 3:00pm and I am sitting in my driveway. I wait to get out of the car until I have finished listening to the current song that is playing: “Human Race” by Three Days Grace. The speakers in my car booming, the subwoofer making the base vibrate my whole body, like an earthquake in my car. The song comes to an end and I make my way into the house. I turn my computer on, click open my Spotify app and continue the song that was next in the queue while I work on my homework for the night.

I make it to the end of the night, clock striking 11:00pm, and I am ready for bed. I listen to one last song before I go to bed: “Fade Away” by Breaking Benjamin. I can pick out sounds, the strumming of each guitar, the beating of the drums, and the beautiful voice of Benjamin Burnley. As the final chorus of the song comes to an end, I close my eyes and drift out to a sea of dreams.

Music, the one thing I can’t live without. It is a powerful construct which can be used in many different ways. It can bring people together or be there for someone when they are alone. For me, it makes me feel. Lifts my spirits with pure serotonin, or brings me back to a darker time with a strong and painful melody. Music keeps me alive and it makes me wonder, what keeps you alive?