Bethany Weller ENGL 212-14 Happiness Exploration Music to my Heart People can get happiness rom many !

i erent sources" #ome people get the most happiness out o an o$%ect& an e'ent& or a person that means a lot to them" Happiness al(ays comes rom an outsi!e source" )t !oesn*t come %ust rom $eing" +here is al(ays a reasoning $ehin! someone*s happiness" +o me& happiness is a eeling that is !i icult to !escri$e" )t*s eeling excite! a$out !oing something& (hen %oy o'ercomes e'erything else" ,ne o the main places ) get my happiness rom is my lute" ) ha'e playe! or almost eight years" +here are !i erent (ays that it gi'es me happiness& inclu!ing through actually playing it& the people ) ha'e met through playing it& an! $eing a part o a 'ariety o !i erent $an!s" +o $egin& the simple action o playing my lute $rings me an un athoma$le amount o happiness" While playing it& ) can orget all the negati'e things happening (ithin my li e"When ) am playing& ) get to $e in my o(n little (orl! an! it lets me lea'e reality $ehin! an! $ecome immerse! in my music" ) can play songs that re lect the moo! ) am in" When )*'e ha! a goo! !ay& ) can play a song that is light an! $ouncy an! ma-es me happy" E'en (hen )*m in a $a! moo!& ) can play a song that is !ar-er an! hea'ier (hich then lea!s me to eel $etter" Playing the lute also lets me $ecome someone !i erent" ) no longer ha'e a speech impe!iment& no$o!y -no(s (ho ) am& ) can %ust play (ithout %u!gment" +his ma-es me happy $ecause ) !on*t eel li-e people are ma-ing opinions a$out me" Memories o people )*'e met& than-s to playing my lute& also loo! %oy through me (hen )*m playing" My a$solute $est rien! ) $ecame close !ue to the act that (e $oth playe! lute an! (e (ere in the same irst $an! class (ay $ac- in sixth gra!e" Being in $an! %ust ma!e me closer to her" We (oul! sit $y each other an! tal- an! it gre( into an ama.ing rien!ship" Playing&or e'en thin-ing a$out my lute& ma-es me thin- o her an! all o our great times together" ) ha'e met almost all o my closest rien!s $ecause o $an!" ) ha'e met them $ecause ) ha! a $an! class (ith them& (e (ere in marching $an!

together& or through a rien! ) met pre'iously through $an!" ) can honestly say that i ) (asn*t in $an!& ) (oul! ha'e an entirely !i erent group o rien!s" ) (oul! $e an entirely !i erent person" ) (oul!n*t ha'e so many great memories o all the great rien!s ) ha'e in my li e i not or $an!" My lute $rings $ac- happy memories o all o my rien!s& illing me (ith more %oy than ) thought (as possi$le" My lute $rings memories o all the ensem$les )*'e $een in'ol'e! in" /ll o the ensem$les ) ha'e $een in has in luence! me in some (ay& or another" )n a e( o them& ) ha'e playe! some really inspirational pieces" )n other ensem$les& ) ha'e ha! an ama.ing time practicing (ith a group o my rien!s" )n !i erent ensem$les& ) lo'e! seeing ho( ar (e progresse! as a group& an! as in!i'i!uals" ) lo'e listening to songs that ) ha'e playe!& or are currently playing& in these ensem$les" My $an! !irectors (oul! in orm us o the reason $ehin! all o our songs& an! the meanings (ere almost al(ays a$out a %oyous time in the composer*s li e& or an a( ul one" ) the song (as a$out a (on!er ul time in the composer*s li e& it (oul! ma-e me happy playing the song& an! still ma-es me %oy ul to!ay" E'en i the songs (ere !ar-er& they coul! al(ays ma-e me %ust as happy" ) the composer (rote the piece $ecause o the !eath o a lo'e! one& ) (oul! thin- a$out ho( luc-y ) (as to still ha'e all the people ) am closest to still ali'e" My lute $rings $ac- memories o playing in numerous ensem$les& an! that ma-es me happy" My lute al(ays ma-es me so happy" )t isn*t %ust the action o playing it& $ut all the memories that it $rings $ac- to me& that $rings me %oy" E'ery$o!y has a special item& e'ent& or person that ma-es them especially happy" 0or me& it*s my lute" E'eryone*s is !i erent& $ut once you igure out (hat yours is& it (ill $ring you more happiness than you coul! e'er imagine"