Cultural Immersion

[unedited] Thoughts from 11th Grade

The earliest time I can recall crying was at the age of four.  I was mourning a death of someone that was very dear to me.  The dearly departed was Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana, a popular grunge band at the time.

As an Indian born and raised in the United States, I grew up emulating the people in my town.  I rejected Indian traditions and religion, and my love for pop culture and music pushed me even further from my roots.  However, I have immersed myself in various genres of music, ranging from underground rappers to the Beatles.

My musical tastes eventually brought me full circle back to the East.  Music has reconnected me to my culture.  In addition, it made me pay tribute to my heritage, because bands as far back as the Beatles were inspired by Indian style and thought.  What ensued in my case was a massive study of world history and ancient texts.  This in turn encouraged me to seek electives in philosophy, which makes me yearn for a philosophy major in college.

Music and I share such powerful bond, it as if its pulsating beats are innately synchronized with my own.  My mind tears apart the compositions of each instrument; this makes me appreciate each instrument’s part for a song.  My instrument collection developed from a simple acoustic guitar to Asian and African instruments. I feel my stress and tensions drain away with the melodies I create and convey.  This feeling is amplified when I perform live for my peers for an important cause.  I sang for a talent show to fund the Habitat for Humanity club, and to fund my own club, I played the dhol for the Bergen Academies International Day of Tolerance.    

I have always held the romantic notion that the life of any person could be summarized and conveyed by a unique, sustained composition.  The twists and turns of our lives can be reflected by the modulations of the piece, until the end finally comes and all falls silent.  It gives me pride that my song would be a beautiful assimilation of both hemispheres.  Music is my passion, my cultural connection, and my achievement. It is my past, my present, and inevitably my future.