I Love Music

Originally published: The Record (New Jersey) January 16, 1996 Section: STUDENT LIFE Edition: All Editions Page: e03 The Record By DARA AVENIUS, Paramus High School

I love music. I can't remember a time in my life that didn't have a soundtrack to it. Even when I was little, I would get up to watch "Fame," and "The Jackson 5" (but just the beginning song, because I didn't like the way the cartoon was drawn), and "Fat Albert," and "Happy Days." I would dance to the shows' theme songs (which I still do, but only when I'm alone, thank you very much). I would even watch those infomercials that sell music from some era. The era I loved the most when I was little was the hippie era: I identified with the carefree attitude and freedom that the music and the people seemed to have.

I've been exposed to many different types of music, and I like to keep an open mind about it, never putting down a type of music until I have at least listened to it a few times. I still have a diverse taste in music; why should I limit myself to just one type? From my mom (who likes Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, etc.), I have learned to appreciate good music, even though she may not agree that it is good music. In a time when everyone is punk and into noise and the electric guitar (which I also love), I am still a sucker for a beautiful voice, thanks to her. Two of my favorites right now are Jeff Buckley and Jewel, who both have amazing voices that I wish I had.

I think part of why I love music is that I have no musical talent (trust me). I can write, draw, dance (another reason I love music), photograph, and do other creative things, but I can't play any musical instrument, and I can't sing.
I wish I could, because I think singing is an amazing gift. A very special moment in my life came when I was at a camp in Colorado. A bunch of us sat around a campfire, and two of the counselors had acoustic guitars and sang. I love the idea that people can get together, enjoy one another's company, and be at peace with themselves and in such a beautiful place, that you could have music anywhere, not just in a concert hall.

I still count that as one of the best concerts I've ever been to, and in the last couple of years, I've been to about 80 or 90 shows. I've gotten deeply into the music scene now and I couldn't be happier. When I'm not in the best mood, I'll go to a show, and chances are I'll be a lot happier. I have a lot of stories about moments at shows that will never happen again, and that makes them really special to me.

I would love to get into the music business. I really like the idea of being around something that has had so much meaning in my life. I can't imagine what I would do if I lived in Puritan times, when music and dance were forbidden because they were thought to be tools of the devil. I guess I would just have to be burned at the stake.


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