A man listens to music on Venice beach. Listening to music is a gateway to introspection and reflection on life and those around us. Photo by Melissa Houston.
Beyond mere background noise, music often acts as a lens through which people view both their own lives and the lives of those around them.
For many, that connection begins at a young age. Throughout my childhood, Alfa 91.3, my favorite radio station, played music nonstop. When I was 7 years old, I received a pink iPod Shuffle for Christmas. With performances by musicians like David Guetta, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and the Glee cast, it introduced me to the expressive and creative possibilities of music.
That small gadget made me more observant. I used to sit in bed and meticulously write down the words to the Shuffle songs, attempting to learn all the lyrics immediately. I remember I would lie on my bed bunk, pull out my little red notebook and write lyrics from songs such as “Gitana” by Shakira and “Gives You Hell” by The All-American Rejects.
At other times, I would lie still and listen to music while imagining my future. Taking long car rides made my daily experiences more reflective.
Music became a doorway to something greater on such drives: the understanding of others’ lives. It was natural to wonder where strangers were going and how they were feeling as I watched them walk by outside the window. Music told a story about those fleeting moments rather than merely filling my empty mind.
My family and I halted at a railroad crossing on a two-day road trip from Monterrey, Mexico, to Miami. An ambulance with flashing lights and blaring sirens approached from behind us as the wooden barrier came down and the crossroad red lights blared, obviously in a hurry to help someone in need. The barrier locked into place, forcing it to stop its attempt to cross before the train arrived.
The sirens stopped a little while after.
The atmosphere in our car instantly changed. Referring to the passing train as a “soul train,” my mother requested my sisters and me to turn down the music and pray for whoever was inside the ambulance. It was a fleeting moment, but it was significant — a recognition of a life I was never going to cross paths with again.
I put my headphones back on and started playing “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas, once the train had passed and the moment was over. As I sat in the back seat, I couldn’t help but think about the people in that ambulance — the hurry, the uncertainty and how quickly their lives changed. I would never know the full story, but for a little moment, it seemed very near.
Such experiences demonstrate how music can increase awareness of moments, often things that could go disregarded. A song has the power to evoke introspection, transforming everyday objects into reminders that each individual has a life as complicated as my own.
In this way, music makes it possible for individuals to picture the unseen rhythms of others, whether they are in a moving vehicle, walking down the street, watching a sunset or transforming brief interactions into stories, even if only briefly.
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Contact Soliel Lara Aponte via email: soliel.lara@pepperdine.edu or via Instagram @soliellarajournalism