Youth and Music: Why swallow the shame for the fame?

Music and youth always go together like a phone and a charger, “To me music is a must-have, I can’t live without it, it’s as important as the air that I breath,” says 18-year-old Jamie. No doubt many young people feel the same way and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with loving music. But before you plug-in those earphones and creep into your music world, you need to know that music is like food, the right music in the right amount is good for you, the wrong music in any amount is bad for you. Like the saying goes, “too much of anything is bad”, this also applies to music! If you listen to good music in the right amount, at the right time, it can be a good companion who soothes and relaxes you, educate and entertain you. Too much: “The only time I’m not listening to music is when I’m in class, my music is always playing even when I am doing home chores, travelling or studying,” says, 17-year-old Sandra Mucyo, a student at Martyrs Secondary School. Well, it’s ok to love music and listen to music but don’t allow it to dominate your life to the extent that you can’t go a day without it. You should always try to be its ‘master’ not ‘slave’. Also pay and heed your parent’s or guardians words when they advise you on matters concerning music. Right dose: How can you determine how much is too much? You can start by asking yourself, how many hours do I spend listening to music each day? How much each month? If music is taking so much of your time, it must be also interfering with your family relationship. Set limits and be more moderate in your listening habits, for example you may need to break the habit of plugging your ears with headphones all day long or turning on the music the minute you get home. Bad content: Many young people ask themselves, if I love the sound does the message really matters? The answer is, yes, why? Because the lyrics embedded in some songs will affect your thinking and your attitudes. A lot of today’s most popular music like Hip Hop and RnB features lyrics that promote sex, violence and drug abuse, if you don’t feel that listening to such lyrics affects you, then you’ve started to give in to the ‘poison’. Notice the effectL: Do you find yourself dwelling on the wrong thought after listening to music? Are slangs that are used in the music starting to creep into my vocabulary? If, yes, then it’s time to stop and start filtering the music you consume before its too late. Music is good it can help you relax and unwind. It sometimes help you fill the void when you are lonely but you must take care not to misuse it. Don’t let music corrupt you or take over your life. Choose your music wisely, also don’t let songs be substitute for real friends, never allow music to become the big thing in your life. Enjoy it but keep it in its place. You can select good healthy music by considering the title and the lyrics, if the massage is degrading and venomous, get rid of the music. Remember the ability to choose what is right or modify your behavior out of respect for the feeling of others is a sign of maturity. martin.bishop18@yahoo.com