editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk ARCHIVE

By Fran White Do we take music for more than its face value? Do we use it intentionally to help us? And most importantly, does it make us feel like we have made an escape? Music has been around since we can remember.  It has always played a huge part in people's lives. The genres are developing year after year from classical to Indie to Pop to Grunge. There is something to suit everyone, it is available to everyone. It has developed with the times; the technical side of music has come a long way, from the only way to hear music was by it being live, to having record players, Radio, cassette players, Walkmans, Mp3 and IPods. Films have soundtracks, there are TV channels dedicated to playing music. Music is one of the biggest parts of our everyday lives; those who create it are never out of the media, constantly being watched with people anticipating their next move. Some bands have practically created their own era. It's hard to not be drawn in by music, it almost follows us everywhere we go, it is hard to escape it. Why is it that people go through daily life with IPods stuck in their ears, sit in their cars with music on, sing when they're in the shower, hum to themselves when singing aloud is not acceptable? It's accessible at any given moment; we can often relate to it, the lyrics have different meaning and interpretations for everyone. We all have our favourite songs, artists and eras of music. The music has a way of influencing people and their lives. Songs allow for bonds to be created through a shared love and passion for similar music tastes. Music is a diversion from our daily life routines, it allows our imagination to wander, imagining the place which is being sung about, dreaming what it would be like to perform the song on a stage to a sold out crowd. Absorbing the lyrics and sinking into a state of relaxation. Within music comes a sense of identity, we listen to music for various reasons, the creators become our idols, the sounds become our imitations, the beat becomes our energy. Music doesn't simply stay on the radio or TV it follows us throughout life. Giving us memories, inspiration and moments we'll never forget. To use music as an escape is practically free, although holidays away are the usual escape for most, music is an escape at any given moment, even if it only lasts for three minutes. It never really fails to take our mind off other matters, even if it's songs we hate, or songs that are ridiculous. Music can, assault our ears, relax our minds, send our imaginations wild, make us sing until our voices break, lead us to the dance floor with a carefree attitudes.  The reality is it's one of the most perfect escapes. As Bob Marley once sang “One thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”