According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, music is “the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.” Although this definition is absolute and precise, many of us don’t give a dictionary the power to define what certain music, or more specifically certain songs, truly mean to us. It just gets more complicated than that and becomes something we genuinely struggle to put into words.
Music is one of those things in life that can be extremely personal and exclusive to an individual in regards to its meaning and importance. I, unfortunately, can’t explain the significance of each and every song that everyone, other than myself, holds. However, I can tell you that I have my own seemingly literal need for music. One thing I do know that is 100 percent relatable to many others is that most music is not just something some of us hear, we feel it. The associations we grow with all of these songs, in addition to the way they make us feel inside, is what constitutes their unique worth to us. For instance, that song you constantly play on repeat is one thing that maintains your happiness and can bring you happiness no matter what. Some of you might even be able to relate to when I say that it’s more than just happiness, it’s almost as if the artist is speaking to you with an understanding of a feeling that you can’t even begin to explain yourself. Somehow, the artist knows exactly what you are feeling. When you physically feel the music touch your heart, you realize this is true. Whether your heart skips a beat or you instantly get the chills from the incredible sounds flowing through your eardrums, something within you feels in sync with everything the music makes you feel.
Contrary to what the title of this article entails, I don’t think it’s necessarily true that I wouldn’t actually be able to survive without music. Rather, it’s more about it being a necessity to my well-being. And for those of you who understand what I mean when I say this, you know that music is more than a bunch of arbitrary sounds thrown together alongside some meaningless words, for no reason at all. It’s a form of expression, whether you’re the one creating the music or you’re simply listening to what someone else has constructed for us to hear. Whatever this form of expression may be, it has the ability to elevate, compliment, and even alter your emotions – sometimes making you feel ways you never thought possible. It’s similar to entering a new world that makes complete and utter sense in that moment. It becomes an alternate reality that you wish would never end. It’s an escape and an experience. There truly is nothing like it.