Kennard 1

Laura Kennard
Mrs. Tieman
CP English/ Dual Credit
31 March 2014
The Soundtrack of My Life
Ever since I was little, music has been a part of my life. My mother sang in church and at
home, and my dad played bass guitar in his free time. I also sang, and when I started middle
school, I picked up the flute. The sweet melody of the flute always calmed me down, and it
became a favorite hobby throughout my school career. Now Im not into the flute as I used to,
and even though my parents arent busting out rhyme every once in a while anymore, music is
still a part of my life. A few selections of music have been through the thick and thin with me.
Some are very recent, and some are classic oldies. All of them, though, I think make up the
soundtrack of my life.
I remember when I used to sleep over at my memaw and pepaw Collins house when I
was really little. Those stormy nights or adrenaline for the next big day playing outside, or
whatever we were doing, when I couldnt go to sleep. My memaw would sing one song that
would make me feel better and would put me to sleep: You Are My Sunshine by Johnny Cash.
At the time, I didnt know it was even a song on the charts; just a song that my memaw made
up to help me fall asleep. The chorus is the only thing that she would sing: You are my
sunshine, my only sunshine/ you make me happy when skies are grey/ youll never know dear
Kennard 2

how much I love you/ please dont take my sunshine away. Those words put me to sleep and
calmed me down, and to this day they still do. Then, in the morning, memaw would open up
the day with a song. I would walk out to the living room, and she would bust out the chorus of
Good Morning from the musical Singing in the Rain, with a twist. The original lyrics go like
this: Good mornin/ good mornin!/ weve talked the whole night through/ good mornin/
good mornin/ to you/[] its great to stay up late/ good mornin to you. But, she would sing
something different that always made me laugh and sing along which went like this: Good
morning, good morning! / weve slept the whole night through/ good morning/ good morning
to you! she would make up new lyrics about sleeping every time I stayed over, but the ones
above were the standby. We ended up playing You Are My Sunshine at my pepaws funeral
because it was his favorite song; I guess thats why memaw always sang it! It made me
remember the good times with them through the rough time I was going through. Every time I
hear Johnny Cash sing that song on the radio, or watch that scene in my favorite musical, I
always think back on them and remember that they are always with me through song.
Other songs have gotten me through the worst in my life. One of those times was when
my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer back around 2010. Thankfully, we caught it in
time, but it was still rough for her and for us. It was hard, seeing your own mother suffer. I
became depressed from the negative atmosphere in the household, and with me being
basically the mother, doing chores and things like that. It was a very difficult time. This one
song by one of my favorite artists, Demi Lovato, helped me through it all. It didnt come out
until recently, in 2013, but it helped me all the same. The first verse was like me talking to the
cancer and the negative things it caused, and me and my mother surviving the storm, saying
Kennard 3

I need to take back the light inside you stole/ youre a criminal/ and you steal like a pro [] Ive
got shame, Ive got scars/ that I will never show/ Im a survivor/ in more ways than you know.
Another part of the song is how I feel about conquering the sadness and negativity and focusing
on the positives and the happy things in life, saying Theres a part of me I cant get back/ A
little girl grew up too fast/ All it took was once; Ill never be the same/ Now Im taking back my
life today/ Nothing left that you can say. The chorus of this slow, beautiful song, though, is the
best part, because it symbolizes me getting over the sadness and staying strong through it all,
even the rough times that are to come. And now Im a warrior/ now Ive got thicker skin/ Im
stronger than Ive ever been/ and my armor, is made of steel, you cant get in/ and you can
never hurt me again. This song got me through the worst, and it still inspires me to be strong
through it all.
My final song is a more recent one, but one of the best songs I have ever heard. I LOVE
Disney, and ever since I was little, I have loved all that the small black mouse has thought up.
One of my newer favorites is the movie Frozen (which came out Thanksgiving of 2013) and the
inspiring qualities it has. The song Let It Go sung by Idina Menzel who voices the character
who sings this has really touched me and helped me in many ways. The lyrics such as I dont
care/ what theyre going to say [], its time to see what I can do/ to test the limits and break
through give me the confidence in starting college and the processes such as scholarships, and
the motivation and strength I need to get the next chapter of my life started. Also, I worry a lot.
I mean, a lot. I always let my problems stay and get to me somehow; it has always been in my
nature. But this song has lifted that and made me a better person. The moments that helped
me in this song are when Idina sings, Let it go, let it go/ cant hold it back anymore/ Let it go,
Kennard 4

let it go/ turn away and slam the door [] let it go, let it go/ Youll never see me cry/ Here I
stand/ and here Ill stay/ let the storm rage on [] the cold never bothered me anyway. This
song symbolizes me getting stronger, and I will always use this song to be confident and to not
lose the self-confidence I need to succeed.
Music is a part of all of our lives; we may just not realize it. We all have songs that speak
to us and make us believe in ourselves, make us live better. If it wasnt for music, I dont think I
would be the person I am today. All of these songs I will cherish and play over and over again
when I am down or feel beaten, only to get back up when the last chord is played. These
unforgettable songs make up the story of my life.