by Gerald Wilson
Listening to music can bring joy or sadness and maybe just relate to one's life. Ouray students Lis Ray, Ella Blu Vann, and Jesus Sandoval explained the reasons why they listen to music and why it means so much to them.
Lis Ray uses music to change her mood. She feels that she can relate to music and in general it just helps her “cry all my tears when I'm sad.” Lis loves listening to many different types of genres but her favorite music genre is alt Z, which, Lis said, is simply “whatever you intend it to be.”
Jesus Sandoval said “music is a way to calm you down when you are going through a tough time and a way to get me prepared for the day.” As an athlete, Jesus does his best to keep himself fit and in shape. The way he does this is by going to the gym every day (or so he says). When he works out, he feels that music always does a great job of motivating him to lift and it also makes him smile.
Ella Blu Vann, who always has an earbud in her ears wherever she goes, explained, “I grew up listening to music and my family has always really been into music.” Ella came to love music because her parents took her to a lot of concerts when she was little. Ella said that music has been “a staple of her personality and music is a really pure way to express.” Music is her coping mechanism, she said, so she plays music every day.
For these three students music is a way to relate, feel good, and express themselves. If you don’t have anything to do, said Lis, listen to music, because “it is just something to do when you are bored,” and if you are having trouble finding an artist, Ella recommends “you should listen to Beabadoobee.”