Identifying With Music

I would have to start with my deep obsession with Sting & The Police. I think I recieved it from my mother who is even more obsessed, she saw them at a small club in Dallas when she was 18 and the band wasn't very famous yet. When I got to see them live with her years later it was amazing. I love that I can identify with music that my 45 year old mother enjoys. I would describe my musical taste as an eclectic mix, which is why I love the unique sound of Sting & The Police, they have so many influences from Reggae to Rock & Roll.

In highschool my style and the music I listened to went hand in hand. I remember alot of days blasting Sublime on the beach with friends. My boyfriend at the time, who I was in love with by highschool standards, got me into alot of beachy, dub, reggae rock bands such as Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and OPM, and classics like Bob Marley, Damian Marley, The Fugees, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors. The music makes me think about him and how I was at that age. I still listen to all these artists but I also developed my own taste for Indie rock, British Rock, and alot of old school hiphop artists. I strongly identify with the Strokes, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Radiohead, the Kooks, Spoon, and Arctic Monkeys.

I feel like when I was younger the music I liked had a part in what I wore. Very beachy, hippie inspired looks but always with an edge. Now I think it plays less of a part, I have been told I wear alot of black and I guess I do, maybe it has to do with my love for Johnny Cash? Regardless my clothing style is not affected by my music taste as much as it used to be. I don't watch MTV shows like TRL, however in highschool I did watch alot of Fuse TV because the music on the countdowns were more my style. I go to concerts as much as possible, there is nothing like seeing your favorite bands live. Back home in Miami I would go to this great little club called The Culture Room. I liked it because it was a very small venue so you could connect with the artist you were seeing on a more intimate level than you could at an amphitheatre. When I started going out to night clubs I developed an appreciation for House music as well. The clubs in South Beach for the most part all play House and Techno but there are also alot of dive bars and clubs that cater to a more indie scene.

I feel like as I get older my music taste grows and evolves, I identify with different types of music because different things are happening in my life. I'm not really sure what my music taste really says about who I am. I know that music is a huge part of my life and that I am a really emotional person and certain songs really get to me. I am attracted to music that evokes strong feelings or emotions. I like anything with funky, eclectic sounds. I enjoy reading magazines such as Rolling Stone or Spin because I want to work for a music or fashion magazine when I am older. My friends listen to a lot of the same music, my friend Rachel goes to FSU but we keep in touch by emailing eachother playlists to download, it's fun seeing what new music she discovered that I can get into and which ones we both discovered even though we are far apart.

Escaping

I feel like I have always used the media as a means of "escaping." When I was in middle school and highschool I for some reason found myself grounded alot...so i would stick my nose in a book for hours on end (usually harry potter or the count of monte cristo). The time would go by faster and when your in a different world, say "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizerdry," you don't think about the fact that you can't go out.

Now I use the media as more of a stress reliever. If I just wrote a really tedious paper or completed a difficult assignment, when I am done I just want to do something mindless and easy like maybe watch a few epsisodes of Family Guy, or some other comedy. I constantly have noise in my head and am thinking about what I have to do today, tomorrow, next week. Sometimes its nice to escape into a book, TV show, or movie where I can just be entertained and not think about anything but what I am reading or watching. I think my favorite means of escape would have to be music. I have a song for every mood and songs to get me out of any unpleasent mood I may be in.

I think its fine to use the media as a means of escape, however whenever i am done "escaping" and back in reality I still have things to do, worry about etc. I think spending all of your time in your means of escape could become unproductive or unhealthy, its about moderation and balancing it out with other activities.

Keep in Touch

The thought of being "out of touch" is definitely a scary one for me. Just leaving my cell phone at home during the school day or when I am out is incredibly annoying. I can't imagine not being able to speak to or video chat with my grandmother, aunt, brother, and my nieces in Italy. The distance from those I love would be unbearable without the media. I stay connected to the news where I live with it and the news abroad that effects them. One of my best friends, Kamille, attended Flagler with me my freshmen year and is now back at home in Denmark, attending school in Copenhagen. If I didn't have facebook messanger or phone cards the distance would surely effect our friendship.

Being able to access the internet, news, and weather reports on my iphone is extremely important. I don't read a daily paper or always have time to look it up on a computer so being able to keep in touch with the world in the palm of my hand is very helpful. I think that keeping in touch and knowing what is going on are you and around the world is very important. It helps you at school, starting a conversation, and in relating to people.

Altough I am fully ready to admit my dependency on the media, I have been able to find a pleasurable feeling in getting out of touch with the world every now and them. I spent 2 months this summer on the isle of Capri off the southern coast of Italy with no cell phone and only used the internet once a week at the local internet cafe. Once I got used to the media cut off I began to really appreciate my trip and spent my time relaxing and enjoying everything Capri had to offer.

A Day in the Life

Every morning my immediate instinct is to check my cell phone. I look for any missed calls or text messages I may have recieved and then I throw my phone into whatever bag I am taking to school that day, because god forbid I leave it at home, I'd spend the whole day reaching into my bag fishing around by habit for a phone that is not there. I get ready and drive to school all while listening to music, the selection changes with whatever mood I am in that day but Kings of Leon, Talking Heads, Ween, Radiohead, and The Strokes are usually always on the playlist.

In between classes I will check my email to see what funny or annoying articles my mother has sent me. These range anywhere between sarcastic articles criticsizing republican politicians, or an article about why good posture is so important for women (which at the bottom she'll add "told you so" or "that's why I say don't slouch") I have no TV in my apartment at the moment so my roommate and I will usually spend about 2 hours everyday watching episodes of Family Guy, Flight of the Conchords, or The Office online. I subscribe to 3 magazines: Vogue, Rolling Stone, and embarassingly enough--People Magazine which I go through and critique every few weeks on the phone with my mother.

I guess when I really take a look at it I do have a media routine that I follow everyday whether I notice it or not. Sometimes I don't even notice how many times I am actually checking my facebook for new notifications, or that I find it hard to do home work or clean my room without music on. Media plays a substantial role in my life, I am not sure if I would go as far as to say I am addicted, but I am definitely somewhere close to it.