My Year In Music: 2014
This year, moreso than any other in recent memory, has been one of great tests. I’ve always figured myself a giving person, and in that true spirit, it didn’t bother me when people took. That’s not what living that life in earnest encompasses. But in the past 12 months, much has been tested of me, much has been taken. Art, to me, is the language of the soul. It communicates to you in a way that is nearly impossible to express otherwise. For the longest time, music had been that way of speaking for me. But with several personal obstacles and tough moments this year like losing my father this year to cancer, having trouble finding work, my country repeatedly telling me my life isn’t worth anything, I’ve felt my that unique spirit of mine was chipped away little by little. Those songs that used to speak to me were attempting to reach a place that felt much smaller than it was before. Yet, even when I feel myself slip to the darkest and strangest spaces, music is still my refuge. If anything, I needed music more this year than I ever had. Those stolen moments away from the world, which seemed to be crumbling, were valued more than ever before. I’ve had a lot of pain dealt my way this year, but pain can sometimes bring growth. As an optimist, I’d like to believe that to be true. Even in a year of such loss, when I’ve felt so emotionally emptied, there are still things to be happy about, still things to enjoy, still reasons to smile. These songs did that for me.
