How Music Taught Me Not to Judge

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” meaning: do not judge others based on their appearances. This I believe. This lesson has helped me understand those who are different from me. A powerful teacher of this lesson is music.

Growing up mostly around hip-hop and rap music, I was not exposed to any other type as a child. My family, friends, and neighbors all listened to the same things. When I heard anything else, automatically I would judge it. Because it was not what I was used to, I considered it garbage. Instead of listening to the words or the story behind it, I would just simply change the station. Being young, I began to judge people by the types of music they listened to. For example, only gothic, devil worshipers listened to rock music, southerners listened to country music, and the elderly listened to jazz and slow songs. These stereotypes formed a misconception to the world in my mind.

Once I got older and was able to listen to various music genres on my own, I became more open minded. After moving to the suburbs, my new friends, who were eclectic when it came to music, provided a plethora of new genres that influenced my musical interest. It was then that I was introduced to rock music. From there I was able to be more accepting of other music. Although I was expanding my “playlist”, it was not until I got into high school when I was fully willing to listen to anything. In school, I decided to take band. Choice of instrument: the alto saxophone. Realizing the difficulty of reading and playing music helped me to appreciate artists who play live and are able to perform well. Now, I enjoy jazz, classical, blues, and more.

Many celebrities in the music industry have worked hard to get to where they are now. Listening to their music shows people the true side to most of these artists. Before they were famous, they were average people, devoured in life’s struggles just like everyone else around us. Only having the love of music to look up to and bring them forward, they followed that dream. Those who make songs about life really help everyday people relate to them, giving them a sense of normality. When I am at a concert, I see people of all ethnicities and races. Everyone comes together to enjoy something they all love; music. You never know someone’s background just by looking at them, and this moment proves that. In this moment, standing in a huge crowd of people, watching a musical performance, the world seems at peace; through music. Judgment is stopped by all different types of music. This I believe.