Conversing without words

In paragraph 15, Mr. Dara says, "When we get together, there's no words thrown away, no idle talk. We'll sit down, play drums, and just conversate musically." How do you converse with your parents, your friends? Consider what other ways we converse without using words:

One way we converse without using words, is body language. Body language is a huge way of saying something, without actually saying anything. Body language consists of variety of non-verbal actions. Facial expressions, eye movement, and posture are all examples of body language. Facial expressions are a huge part of our everyday lives. Frowns, smiles, raised eyebrows, etc., all send certain messages to whoever you are conversing with, even if no words are being said.

With words, it is easy to persuade or lie to someone. With body language, it is a lot harder. You can lie to someone’s face, but if you have no eye contact, and/or little body movement, that person might not believe you no matter how good a liar you are.

You can converse without words in many ways besides body language, too. You can converse musically, like Mr. Dara explained. In music, there are parts in songs that are just the instruments, no words. Sometimes that can be much deeper than the lyrics themselves. Classical music is mostly all instrumental, and it can say so much. The beautiful instruments sounds can be interpreted into words. If you are having a bad day, sometimes anything anybody says will make you in an even worse mood. But then you listen to music, without words, and your mood will be totally recovered.

I believe you can also converse through any form of art. Painting, drawing, dancing, any form of artistic expression can be substituted for words. Paintings/drawings can tell a story through what is interpreted in the picture or by what media the painter uses. Dancers converse with their bodies through bold moves vs. soft moves. Their bolder mood might be saying that they are angry, while their softer moves could say that they are happy or relaxed.

One way I converse with me parents and friends is through just hanging around them. We do not even have to talk, if we are just sitting watching TV, or eating, or drinking. Just knowing that someone is there for you says everything, even if nothing is being said. Enjoying one another’s company without talking is sometimes a much needed thing.  Talking is a part of everyday life, and there are days when you just need to relax and know there is someone next to you that can relax alongside you, in silence.

Silence can say a lot about a person. Silence can be interpreted as a good thing, or a bad thing. Being silent can mean that that you are disappointed, mad, or just can’t find the words to say. Also, being silent can mean that the person you are conversing with is comfortable enough around you, that talking is not necessary. The saying, “silence is golden,” is absolutely true. Silence can be saying just what you cannot actually say.

My musical library

My library of music reveals that I have a wide variety of musical taste. Country, rock, metal, pop, and worship music are all included in my musical library. I have always listened to country throughout my whole entire life. My family listened to it, so of course I did when I was young and I did not fully understand what music could mean for me. Clint black, Alan Jackson, and Sawyer Brown were the artists that I had listened to the most as a young child. Also, my grandfather (Andy Russell) was a famous singer in Mexico, so you would also find me listening to his songs like, “Besame Mucho”, even though I did not know the Spanish language.

 Growing up, what music I listened to definitely depended on my sister and cousin. They are my best friends, but they are older than me so I depended on them for my musical fix. My cousin definitely had the most influence on me and what I still listen to still today. She had always been absolutely in love with music, and showed me how to be in love with it to. I looked up to her, so of course she always had the best taste in music. In our younger days, we listened to pop music, like the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync. Then, as we got older, they both had jobs, so they would go out and buy CD’s, which I could not afford, so what they listened to, as did I. They both listened to “indie” bands, like Coldplay, Jack’s Mannequin, and Death Cab for Cutie, which I eventually learned to love and appreciate.

In high school I made new friends and listened to what they listened to. That is definitely when rock music entered my musical library. I started listening to bands like Thrice and 30 Seconds to Mars. I also influenced what music my friends listen to. They would have never listened to country music if I had not introduced it into their lives. Also, in high school, is when I took my Christian faith more seriously. My belief in Jesus Christ opened up my musical library to worship music.

Today I definitely got rid of some music that I used to listen to. I believe that everyone goes through musical phases, and your musical taste matures as you do. As my friends and I grew apart, the music they introduced me to went along with them. I think country music will always be present in my life, as will worship music and indie. I will always be in love with Jesus Christ, so I will always want to listen to the music that worships him. Country was such a huge part of my childhood that I can never let that go.  Indie music will forever be in my musical library because that is what made me fully appreciate music and what it means for me today.

Music

    Music is a way I can express myself and help deal with my emotions. When I am feeling down I listen to music to get myself in a better mood, when I am happy, I can listen to music to add to my joy. Music serves a lot of different purposes. Through television, movies, MP3 players, the internet, and radios, music is almost always readily available to access and listen to. Music is something I think everyone can relate to because there are so many varieties and types.
    Listening to music has changed the way I view my life because I know I am not the only one with issues. I can relate to certain songs who’s lyrics are saying exactly the way I am feeling. I can always count on  the song “Fix You” by Coldplay to relate to when I am feeling sad. When I am feeling like I am done dealing with everyone and just want to get out of this town, I will listen to “Boston” by Augustana. There is also songs like “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz that I listen to just to sing along with and enjoy the rhythm. When I cannot put my feelings into words I know that I can count on music to say what I cannot.
    Music is omnipresent, every culture and society has some sort of musical expression. Each country has its national anthem, each generation has their musical icons. I view my community and world differently because I know everyone can be related by the common theme of music. Whether it is across the world, or your next door neighbor, music can unite us.
    Currently, my favorite type of music is country. It influences me greatly because it is real. Country artists sing about real life situations and they are not afraid to tell it like it is. I grew up listening to country music so it has always been a big part of my life. There are songs that will make you cry, and also songs that will make you want to sing and dance, which is why I like the style so much.
    Appreciating music is a lot different than liking music. The theme that music portrays is that it has a different meaning for every person. I can appreciate all the different styles of music out there, even if I do not like listening to it. For the lyricists, the words can mean something completely different then to the listeners. I do not think that there has to be one meaning to a song. Someone’s “break-up song” can be another persons “party song.” There are no “bad” types of music out there, every music style can be appreciated in their own ways.