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Taylor Linder
Doctor Blair
UWRT 1102-009
10 December 2014
Music: My Second Language
Throughout my lifetime, I have become used to places, people, and things leaving
my life just as easily as they had come into it. Over the past twenty years, the only thing
that has stood by me, that has never abandoned me, is music. I know music itself does not
seem like a secondary discourse, a world of its own, or even a community; but thats only
if you look at it for its face value. Gee defines a discourse as ways of being in the
world; they are forms of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and
social identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes (484). If you
take Gees definition, and apply it to the music world, every word connects. Over the
years, music has taught me appreciation of the art, respect for others, and more about
myself.
I first realized that I loved music when I was seven years old, singing a solo in
front of the members of my church. I was dressed in all white, with wings and a halo,
confident and prepared. The common tune of Away in a Manger began, my choir
director smiled at me; it was time. I could tell you all about how awesome I thought I did,
or how many compliments my seven year old self received, but that isnt when I realized
I loved music. It was how I felt my voice merge with the piano tones; how I felt all
pressures slip away as if I was singing in the car. It was then that I realized how freeing
music is.

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My choir director, Stephen, was my mentor into the art of music. He taught me

how to read music, how to play the piano, and began my voice training. He would often
quote Jimi Hendrix to me saying, Music is a safe kind of high. At first, I was offended
by his statement, but I began to understand. Music can cause such a euphoric feeling,
which nothing could replace. Music can free you from any situation youre in. The
American Music Therapy Association states that, Music therapy interventions can be
designed to: promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, enhance
memory, improve communication, and promote physical rehabilitation. Even if you
dont actually need musical therapy, music can be your everyday therapy.
Although I grew up surrounded by music playing all the time, I didnt fully
understand the complexity of it. My first real concert I attended when I was sixteen years
old. I went to The Fillmore in downtown Charlotte with my best friend, Dustin, to see All
Time Low and Yellowcard. I slipped on dark skinny jeans, a black shirt, and vans just to
walk out and see Dustin dressed almost the same, minus the skinny jeans. We waited in
line for what seemed like hours, and I kept hearing people talking about stage diving,
and crowd surfing, and moshing, and I was getting pretty nervous. After what
seemed like eternity of waiting, Yellowcard performed and I had never felt such a rush. I
was sweaty and tired, and I wasnt quite sure why. Roughly twenty minutes after
Yellowcard had performed, All Time Low took the stage and blew me away with their
stage presence.
Typically, youll hear people talk about how fun a concert was, or how it was
the best experience of their life. I know people say these things, because I say them
after almost every show I attend. During my first concert, I had no idea what anyone was

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talking about around me, simply because I had never been in that type of environment.
Over the past four years, however, I have picked up on some terminology. Crowd surfing,
the most popular in my opinion, is when one is over of the crowd, being passed around
above the audience. Many, including myself, use crowd surfing to make their way closer
to the stage from the back of an audience. Stage diving is very similar to crowd surfing,
except one jumps from the stage onto the crowd. Many venues do not allow stage diving
due to its dangerous nature, but even certain band members will stage dive into their own
audience. Moshing is best described as people running around jumping, dancing, kicking,
screaming. It's one's way expressing themselves with nothing but their body in a small
space, with others doing the same thing.
Even though these may all sound dangerous, everyone is there for the same
reason, to see the performance. After attending a few shows, you decide whether
moshing, crowd surfing, and stage diving are for you or not. Some people go to shows
and get wild; some dont, and thats okay. The thing about all of these actions is that
everyone helps everyone out. You want to stage dive? Cool, well catch you. You want to
crowd surf? Awesome, Ill help lift you up. You want to mosh? Well, lets get a circle
formed and get this mosh pit started! Being a frequent shows attendee, I have learned a
lesson most people never fully learn: how to respect other people. Some people dont like
being touched, those people stay in the back or on the sides for a reason, let them be.
Some people like to mosh their hearts out until their bodies collapse from exhauster, but
you dont know what they are going through inside. I feel as though every show is its
own community. And in these small communities, we have to respect each other and get
along for them to continue to exist.

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What happens to discourage me the most about my love for music, is the remarks

I get when people ask me what Im passionate about. I often hear, You should find a
more productive hobby, or, Good luck getting a job with that degree. Being passionate
about music is a lifestyle. Plato the philosopher once said, Music is a moral law. It gives
soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness,
gaiety and life to everything; It is the essence of order and lends to all that is good, just,
and beautiful. Like most teenagers, I went through a rough patch, mine just never really
ended. I-empire is the name of the Angels and Airwaves album that saved my life. Im
not sure if it was the instrumentals, the melody, or the lyrics alone; but the song Secret
Crowds resonated with my soul. It warmed me in the coldest of places, its lyrics are
even tattooed on my arm. Spread hope like fire, thats what music does. It gives hope.
It gave me hope, and it will give you anything you need, as long as you let it.
Music isnt really a secondary discourse if youre looking at it from a
listening to my mp3 player on the way to class way. But, if you look under the
surface, you see an entire community. You meet people who can connect with a
song, or even a tune. You have people out there just like you, you just have to find
them. I think thats what makes this such a special discourse. Yes, I have gained so
many values and learned a lot of show smarts, but Ive gained a tight knit
community that is always welcoming, and always willing to share the gift of music.

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Works Cited
"American Music Therapy Association." American Music Therapy Association. The
American Music Therapy Association, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.
Gee, James. "Literacy, Discourse, & Linguistics." (n.d.): 482-90. Abstract. (n.d.): n. pag.
Print.
"Plato quotes." Genius Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.