Rhythms of Life

Music has been created and enjoyed back to the earliest of days, and is still a major aspect of modern society.  Artists around the world are always experimenting with different genres and writing new songs; they often use their music to convey and share their feelings about experiences or maybe because they want to teach people something.  For example, many reoccurring themes in songs are heart break, love, religion, and death.  Through music, people can bond over similar types of genres they like and also find comfort in relating to other's struggles. In "Because my Father Always said he was the only Indian who saw Jimi Hendrix play 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at Woodstock" by Sherman Alexie, the main character's father makes a connection to Jimi Hendrix's music because both of them are going through the same thing: marginalization in America.  He not only appreciates his talented guitar playing, but also understands that Hendrix is an African American, a minority race, living in a predominantly white society.  Alexie's father, being a minority ethnicity himself, empathizes with Hendrix's struggles of assimilation; consequentially, he listens to the artist's music incessantly to remind himself that he isn't the only one going through it. This portrays that music often opens up new doors in people's lives by allowing them to connect to other's as well as come to terms with the realities of life.  On the other hand, it can also do the complete opposite and provide an escape for individuals to get away from their hardships.  Either way, music is celebrated around the world and is something that people will always have a passion for.