Hello, my name is Gunjan Barua, and I want to share something about something I genuinely appreciate. Before I tell you about my background, let me tell you a story that made my appreciation for music stronger. Once in high school, my teacher said, “Students, I have great news for you guys. We are going to the Broadway musical next week,” my heart raced. After listening to the news, my friend and I said to each other, “Wait a minute, weren’t we just discussing going to a Broadway show? I waited to see the astounding musical with great alacrity.

After anxiously counting down to showtime, the day finally arrived. “Into the Woods”, the name of the musical, felt so mysterious. Inside the theater, people gossiped like chirping birds. But my attention was only on the stage. I imagined the conductor saying behind the curtain, “Brace yourselves, guys. Give your best today and know that a standing ovation will result from your hard work. The synchronization of the music, the echo of the voices, and the actor’s dialogues all gave me goosebumps. I told my friend, “I will probably cry, so if you have some tissues, make them ready.

The passion I have for music is deeply rooted in my own upbringing. This enthusiasm for music comes from my ethnicity, which provides me with a great inheritance of music. The country I grew up in, Bangladesh, is rich in culture and traditions. I listen to Bengali songs all the time because their metaphors around nature describe the human experience in a beautiful way. The famous songwriter and artist Tagore, for example, uses nature to describe his love for a woman. The music I experienced growing up as an intense listener was heartfelt and attracted me immensely. I think this was because the music captured the diversity of life. The music of Bengal holds a significant position in a Bengali’s life. Whenever I listen to folk songs such as Baul, Bhatiyali, Murshidi, and so on, they always take me to an another planet.

Music is not supposed to be esoteric; it’s a language that should be accessible to every individual. As a person with an artistic mind, I readily admit that music has the power to impact my everyday life. With a pair of headphones on, I can not only overthrow the negativity in my life, but I can also embrace and feel the beauty of my life. I expect from this class to give me more admiration for music. Thank you for reading my blog.