For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for music. Concerts, music festivals, or any other musical event, you can count me in. During my senior year of high school, I was introduced to EDM music, specifically the dubstep subgenre. This genre of music immediately became my favorite, and I was so excited to explore the rave scene as I went to college. I am so thankful that I did.
I remember having no idea what to expect when going to my first rave. I was nervous, but I was also so excited to experience something new. Honestly, it was one of the best nights I have had in college. Right off the bat, people were so welcoming. Before going to raves, I had never experienced strangers being so friendly to one another, and I knew this was something that I wanted to be a part of. On top of listening to my favorite type of music, bass music, raving also became a way to meet friends and connect with fellow ravers my age. In fact, I met my boyfriend through raving. One of my friends was insistent on setting us up, saying, “You are both ravers, you will get along so well.” Thankfully, she was correct, and now our go-to date night is a rave.
Historically, I have been a very self-conscious and anxious person. I remember hating my body growing up, and even hating my body in college, constantly wanting to change how I look, wanting new hair or new clothes, I was never satisfied. When I go to raves, and I put on a silly little outfit, I finally feel beautiful and confident. Having confidence is something I never thought I would achieve. If you told high school Cameron she would one day be a confident person, she would laugh in your face. I know it sounds silly, but truly going to raves has made me a better version of myself, a version of myself who loves her body and, most importantly, loves who she is as a person.
On top of having body image issues, I also struggle with ADHD. Let’s just say that raving has become one of the best ways to really get everything out. There is nothing I love more than dancing around to some riddim for hours on end, and getting all of the energy I had stored up out and in the open. One thing about this genre of music is that a lot of the time it is very hard and fast-paced, so it is perfect for anyone who cannot keep their attention on slower music, which was something I had struggled with before discovering the EDM scene. Going to raves is one of the few times when I am really able to be myself and allow myself to fully move around as much as I need to, just like everyone else there.
This year alone, I have attended about 10 raves, and I have more coming up. This is something that I used to look forward to, or as a reward for getting that annoying essay finished. I remember promising myself that if I got a 3.5 GPA or higher, I would reward myself by going to a camping EDM festival called Elements. Thankfully, I obtained the GPA I needed, and I am now going to be attending elements this August! I am so proud of myself for obtaining and keeping a good GPA, so I only thought it was fair that I reward myself by spending three days doing something I love with people I love.
I know that saying going to raves has improved my mental health may seem weird, but it has given me a safe space to truly express myself and meet so many fantastic people. I have connected with all sorts of people who I now consider dear friends of mine; somehow, raving brought completely different people together to form one amazing group of friends. Without raving, I would have never discovered the confident version of myself that I knew was deep down.