An Unorthodox Euphoria
“Music is what feelings sound like.” –Anonymous…
…Which is why, in a moment of extreme sadness or joy, music can be such a welcome solace. It is an expression, an outlet, and a comfort—a gateway for emotion to escape. Being an art form as well, music is written with a purpose in mind and lyrics to match. Though many of us will relate to the same song for various reasons, that is the beauty of music—that it can mean different things to different people.
Imagine you’re standing in the middle of a concert, one by your favorite artists. Maybe you’ve been there before—maybe you want to be there someday. But now? Picture the people encircling you on every side, the stage lit up directly ahead of you, the music surrounding you and enveloping you in sound and emotion…what do you feel? Are you jumping up and down with the crowd, or swaying softly to the beat? Does the music fill you with elation, or does it make your heart hurt?
Sometimes, in a certain moment, a song can hit you deeply, making you aware of something you’ve never thought of before, bringing you close to tears as you let something sink in, catapulting your emotions from one spectrum to another. Music is truly one of the greatest expressions of feeling. It allows one to be moved in deeper ways than words can even begin to describe. It’s the combination of sound and poetry that creates such amazing feeling—it is truly monumental.
That’s what truly strikes my fancy at a show or a concert—the sense of euphoria I feel in that moment, and with it a strange connection to the people around me. It’s like we’re one body, tied together by common ground and an unorthodox interest. These people all understand and relate to the story and lyrics the same way I do, which is hard to believe, but oddly true. We all have this love for the music, the experience, and, as a result, everyone who is there sharing it with us. Notably, this bond is caused by similar interests and tastes, but even more so by the shared emotional investment. Just as the combination of lyrics and instruments moves me deeply, it moves them also.
At Lochwood Academy, teachers place value on the magic of music. They believe in that feeling of bonding and community, and it is a beautiful thing to watch performers and students grow through this experience. I have participated in multiple musicals, showcases, and recitals, and every time I leave with a reason to come back. We lose ourselves in the music, but we lose ourselves together—we are sharing feelings just as much as we are sharing the melody.
To me, there’s always been something magical about the way someone can put a pen to paper and fingers to a piano and crank out something beautiful. It’s even more beautiful to see the way it affects other people, such as the students who take the time to learn and bond through the pieces they have been given. It is more than just a song, or a showcase—it is an experience.
In the words of Daniel J. Levitin, “Whenever humans come together for any reason, music is there: weddings, funerals, graduation from college, men marching off to war, stadium sporting events, a night on the town, prayer, a romantic dinner, mothers rocking their infants to sleep…music is a part of the fabric of everyday life.”
Author: Kirstan D. - voice, piano, drama student
…Which is why, in a moment of extreme sadness or joy, music can be such a welcome solace. It is an expression, an outlet, and a comfort—a gateway for emotion to escape. Being an art form as well, music is written with a purpose in mind and lyrics to match. Though many of us will relate to the same song for various reasons, that is the beauty of music—that it can mean different things to different people.
Imagine you’re standing in the middle of a concert, one by your favorite artists. Maybe you’ve been there before—maybe you want to be there someday. But now? Picture the people encircling you on every side, the stage lit up directly ahead of you, the music surrounding you and enveloping you in sound and emotion…what do you feel? Are you jumping up and down with the crowd, or swaying softly to the beat? Does the music fill you with elation, or does it make your heart hurt?
Sometimes, in a certain moment, a song can hit you deeply, making you aware of something you’ve never thought of before, bringing you close to tears as you let something sink in, catapulting your emotions from one spectrum to another. Music is truly one of the greatest expressions of feeling. It allows one to be moved in deeper ways than words can even begin to describe. It’s the combination of sound and poetry that creates such amazing feeling—it is truly monumental.
That’s what truly strikes my fancy at a show or a concert—the sense of euphoria I feel in that moment, and with it a strange connection to the people around me. It’s like we’re one body, tied together by common ground and an unorthodox interest. These people all understand and relate to the story and lyrics the same way I do, which is hard to believe, but oddly true. We all have this love for the music, the experience, and, as a result, everyone who is there sharing it with us. Notably, this bond is caused by similar interests and tastes, but even more so by the shared emotional investment. Just as the combination of lyrics and instruments moves me deeply, it moves them also.
At Lochwood Academy, teachers place value on the magic of music. They believe in that feeling of bonding and community, and it is a beautiful thing to watch performers and students grow through this experience. I have participated in multiple musicals, showcases, and recitals, and every time I leave with a reason to come back. We lose ourselves in the music, but we lose ourselves together—we are sharing feelings just as much as we are sharing the melody.
To me, there’s always been something magical about the way someone can put a pen to paper and fingers to a piano and crank out something beautiful. It’s even more beautiful to see the way it affects other people, such as the students who take the time to learn and bond through the pieces they have been given. It is more than just a song, or a showcase—it is an experience.
In the words of Daniel J. Levitin, “Whenever humans come together for any reason, music is there: weddings, funerals, graduation from college, men marching off to war, stadium sporting events, a night on the town, prayer, a romantic dinner, mothers rocking their infants to sleep…music is a part of the fabric of everyday life.”
Author: Kirstan D. - voice, piano, drama student