Self-Expression Sunday #15

Spending many of my former years trying to learn to play an instrument, only to find out that I was supremely average at it, definitely did a number on my confidence as a middle schooler. My friend group consisted of people whose parents had raised them to play an instrument as soon as they could hold a violin in their hands, and who could play any song you requested so long as they had sheet music and silence. The same did not apply to me. 

For a long time, I envied the people who ‘got’ music so easily, who could express themselves in such a beautiful way and pick up a new piece so easily. It wasn’t until coming to college that I realized that being able to share music is as important as learning to make it.

With a total of 74 playlists currently in my Spotify library, many of which were made specifically for sharing with friends, I’ve realized that meaningful music goes far beyond memorizing chords and arpeggios. In fact, the most meaning I’ve ever gotten from music has been from swapping playlists and hearing that the other person enjoyed my recommendations. While recommending music to others isn’t the ‘conventional’ way I wished I could express myself through music, I’m certainly not as envious of people who are good at the piano.