Notes

Books, TV Shows, and Movies aren’t the only formats of entertainment that tell stories. Music tells a tale that everyone can relate to, and if you can’t relate to it, the artist will make sure that you understand it, depending on the genre. And with the invention of smartphones, it’s now easier than ever to take your musical stories with you to better understand the personal narratives of depression, drug abuse, heartbreak, and the effects of war. I’ve always enjoyed stories on screens and on pages, but I’ve always loved stories that I can hear through melodies and structured verses. Which is why, the environment where I’m most content is wherever I have my music, because through music, I can be told melodic stories through the tale of tunes.
I was born with a model as a mother and a Jamaican DJ as a father, so it’s safe to say I was born in parties and raised by music. My father DJ’d my first through third birthday parties, so even from a young age, even if I didn’t want to, I had to hear music whether it be through a speaker, headphones, or an iPod. I remember hearing a song by a rock band named Slipknot called “Snuff” and I just sat there with tears rolling down my face because of the lyrical content. The lead singer later explained the story behind the song, stating it was about a friend of his who helped him through a lot, but they let him down when he needed them most, and the song is the effect of this on him. This song alone made me wary of the company I keep and I listen to it nearly everyday to remind me of that fact. I realized at a very young age that music told stories and changed the way I perceived myself, people around me, and the world, so from there, I branched out into different genres and music subject matter in order to learn from the stories they told, and to better understand others perspectives..
During my prepubescent years, I decided I wanted to become a screenwriter, not just to write scripts for blockbuster movies, but to tell the countless stories I’ve heard and been able to relate to thanks to music. Through these stories, I wanted to teach valuable lessons, like Corey Taylor of Slipknot had taught me when I was just 6 years old. I studied movies for months on end during this time, and I learned that each movie had something in common. There was music playing throughout each one. The musical content in each scene matched the tone the scene presented, whether it was blasting loud, or silent enough for you to think there was no music at all. Without the music behind each scene, the mood wouldn’t be received as it would if there was the music to properly portray the story. Like Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” in Titanic or Rusted Root’s “Send Me On My Way” in Matilda. Not to take credit away from the writers of the movies, but these scenes only had the effect that they did because of the music and the way the music expressed the story being told in the scene it was used in.
Although my dream of becoming a screenwriter hasn’t completely faded, my dream of telling stories of myself or of other people that at least one person can relate to or understand, will always remain. Whether that be through music, books, T.V screens, or the big screen, I will always want to reach out to others and entertain them with themes they can laugh to, cry to, and learn from. Music is therapy for many, a muse for few, and a tale for me. And it will be a tale that I will take in and pass on.