Music And Memories

Music is one of the most influential forms of media you can experience in your life. I never really found the great value and importance one song or one album has on our characters until recently, and caused me to think more ever since. Music has the power to store unlimited amounts of memories and feelings. These feelings can only be brought out when you are reminded of those chords or that melody that you might not have heard in a year or a decade. For me, it took me back exactly one year.

Like every other student who has to wake up at an absurd hour, browsing my phone takes up the first five minutes of my morning. I open up Instagram and my day instantly gets better. I see the album I have been waiting for, All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMafia, has come out. I couldn’t wait to listen. The average September day was starting, sun on the rise, a nice 70 to 75 degrees outside, and my favorite weather to drive in with the top off my car. I plug my phone in the aux and press play. I love hearing music for the first time. Engulfing the lyrics, feeling the bass, catching the melody, all lead to an experience that you can only learn from. The drive to school was almost therapeutic. That was my morning yoga. Feeling the air in my hair, smelling the fresh autumn air, watching the sun rise with the light blue sky, it was a beautiful morning.

This year I had decided to help the girl’s volleyball team out in practices and games with scoring, training, and spirit, all of which were a blast to do. There were two managers on the team that were the most in helping out everyday and every game; my friend Dylan and I were those two captains.

“Man, it sucks that the season is over” Dylan says as I drive him home from the final game. ”And to lose that playoff game like that really makes the ending feel abrupt.”

“Totally agree, we had such a good time and it was so much fun. Honestly, I wish I would have managed the other years if I knew it was this fun.” I agree. “Cannot wait until our season this spring. I really hope that some of these girls come to manage the boy’s team like we did theirs. Well, see you tomorrow in school.” I told him as he was getting his backpack out of the backseat of my car.

“Yeah see you too. It was a great season and we made a lot of memories even if we didn’t get the result we wanted.” He closes the door behind him and I take a breath. Before I make my way home I go on my phone and change the music. Today I chose to play All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMafia. Driving home I just listened to the album. Just like the first morning I listened to the album, I smelled the fall air, this time it was cooler. I relaxed and saw the sky, this time much darker. The season was over and so was the end of making those memories.

At the end of August this year, I had to drive my sister to her friends house. Before I left, I was in my car browsing Spotify looking at what music to play when I stumbled back across it. All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMafia. “Hmm, I haven’t listened to that in a while” I thought “lemme put it on.”. As I start my drive, I take it in again. The chords, the lyrics, the 808s, and the drums all brought me back, back to the previous year. More specifically, the volleyball season. As each new verse started, a memory to match it played in my head with picture perfect precision. I just continue driving as I let the nostalgia flow and begin to get a little teary eyed. “This is truly music” I thought to myself. “This is what it is all about.”