Since its creation, music has been the pinnacle of entertainment. A natural and almost necessary thing that is needed for the universe. A thing that paves the way for everything in this world and the next. Our reality has changed whether for the better or worse, escaping the threshold of imagination, expectations, interpretations, and can be considered one of the main reasons to live. 

Escapism is the secret when it comes to human life. We all have one way or form to escape, or even keep ourselves in a certain bubble. Kylee Chaney, a senior at Cypress Creek, escapes through music. She enjoys the music she listens to. “I love the meaning within songs and the vibes they give off. I listen to music that vibes to the mood that I am in because it just adds up to the mood.”  

Chaney said, relating her escape to music through her happiness, even though that is how she likes to get in her happy mood, others use music to truly escape or motivate them to continue going.  

Anthony Santana is another senior that uses music as a form of escapism or motivation. “It helps me get through my days. Depending on what I’m feeling is what I’ll play. Music is just something everyone listens to, for the vibe and more, you know,” said Santana. Statistics from “Cloud Cover Music” show that the peak demographic that listens to music is young adults ranging from the ages of 16-24. 

 Now, to escape from reality, when would be the best time? Most just stroll by and listen to it passively like Ryan Ruiz, another senior. Another place to listen to music would be in the car while you drive, which is what senior Alyse Fowler does. Subsequently, the music industry continues to move and evolve, but the people and artists are what decide if it declines or inclines. 

Ruiz says, “I see the music industry growing positively in the next three years. A lot of new rookies which would add to the diversity.”  

Fowler has an opposing opinion. “I would say negatively because there is so many rappers that talk in a derogatory manner, and that’ll lead to the downfall of the industry because not a lot of people will like that.”  

Even though they both have opposing opinions, they do agree it is just that, and that the industry is currently very saturated with artists, but diversity is the positive in all that “sameness” which others claim the music industry to have. All that is and all that will be is either based on fact or opinion. Those opinions and topics are what makes it important, which is why young adults and the generations before or after will be the voice and reason why certain music works and others don’t.  

Culture is a driving force of the combination of fashion, religion, thoughts, art, and even food. Music and culture have gone hand in hand since the beginning of human life. Music started from the natural sounds of the universe as well as trees, rain, and sounds of the animals. Later, it was integrated into purposeful rhythms for specific times and meanings.  

Vlad Vainelovich, a Russian freshman at Cypress, explained, “Russian music has a way of expressing itself, as the artists talk about where they’re from, how the come up was for their lives, and what they do or have done. It’s very rap based nowadays.”  

 Gabriela Vielma, a Venezuelan senior at Cypress, says that, “Culture affects music in many ways, because every culture has their own sound and style of doing their music. For example, Salsa, a Latin derived style of music that I love dancing to.”  

Vielma continued, “Since I am Hispanic, I prefer to listen to music in Spanish because I can feel the emotion a lot more and understand it more thoroughly. Spanish music is a factor that shapes our culture because of how it is, and that’s what I love about it.”  

The fact that music has been so influential and impactful on students and the world around us is so mind boggling that it almost can’t be explained. Without music, the world would be nothing, just a floating rock in space with no frequency or rhythm. A truly sad and lonely world. Only music shows a way in all the darkness that this world and the universe bring. 

Music is as expansive as the universe, innovative as a builder, and magical as the imagination. Truly, it is one of the best things that humanity has ever discovered. A beautiful, dangerous, magical, fluctuating essence that exists in our realm and the next.