As I grew up, music was there for me at ever juncture of my life’s journey. When I was an anxious kid moving to a new area in elementary school, it offered me a release from stress and a way to bond with other students. Even without any shared tangible experiences with the other kids, I could relate to them through singing tunes of the popular music of the time. I listened to about 60 songs on my first-generation iPod Nano when I was alone in my room after school, and the consonant, uptempo music helped encourage me to go out and try my best to make new friends. Pop music was a significant factor in my adjustment to a stressful time in my life. In 6th grade, our school let us choose between instrumental and choral music and visual arts for
