#especially the lil iPod dock

[thisischeri]

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[wontonkatsu-blog]

Blog #4: Asian-Americans and Music

Hey all, today I’m going to talk about how music influenced who I am today.

To say the least, I listen to music almost all the time. Whether it’s on Bart, Muni, or in the car, there is music. Walking to class, exercising and even when I sleep I play music. There is some sort of obsession with music that I just can’t turn off because when it is off I like to sing to myself when no one is watching or listening. Albeit not very well. 

My dad always told me that the first time he heard me ever actually speak was when I sang a Blink-182 song “All the Small Things” in the Rainforest Cafe at Fisherman’s Warf. Which you can listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ht5RZpzPqw

I know it’s weird that I didn’t grow up to be some sort of child prodigy singing on Ellen or something but I don’t have that kind of talent. Much of my reliance on music stems from what I wrote about in my previous post and when I was in middle school. I used to hide my iPod from Jeff and it was not fun sleeping with it under my pillow or charging it on a dock that I used Magic: The Gathering cards to block out the light just in case. I hid my source of music for 6 or 7 years until I graduated and now, using my phone has been so normal. 

Besides the hiding of my music there have been many stages of music in my life. It goes from the music my dad listens to, which are bands like Blink-182, New Found Glory and Alkaline Trio. That was mostly through elementary school and I still listen to that music now. But then in middle school, which is a really weird time for kids around the globe, I listened to more and more metal and emo music. I know that sounds weird and I don’t want to list them out of embarrassment but it all still sticks with me. High school is where I really embrace a lot more hip-hop/rap and things like OFWGKTA and stuff like that. I went to the second Camp Flog Gnaw and it was a lot of fun to say the least. And by senior year I thought I had a pretty broad sense of music.

In college though, I listen to a lot of K-pop and it has been quite awhile since I’ve found an amazing album by an American singer or group. Maybe I just don’t listen to American music enough anymore.

I wrote everything above this sentence before tonight. It’s currently  February 23rd, midnight and I just wanna say the two things that I turn to when I feel like shit is writing and music. And I forget how therapeutic music is to the soul, especially when you can relate to the music that you listen to. That’s why when my Asian-American studies teacher at James Logan, Ivan Santos, played Bambu for us it was really cool to know that there is a rapper who speaks about the Filipino experience in LA. As in the song “Moms”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6fezydFIyY&list=RD6aJGGJImhc8&index=2

And if you ask me about music I relate to it will either be some sappy love song (because sad music + being sad = fun) or some music like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFjNH9l6-sQ If you don’t like metal, then you will not like this song but the lyrics are what stuck me the most when I first listened to the song. The actual first time I listened to it was on an iPhone in the Union City Best Buy because I only had an iPod at the time. But when he yells “I fucking hate the world. I fucking hate myself.” I feel it. I feel it because I used to feel like that all the fucking time and it was fucking shit. High school was my escape, my friends, my music were my escape. I will always hold The Disconnect and that band dear because deep down I know that, that feeling might not go away.  

I forgot, in the spur of the moment, that I didn’t reflect on how music constantly affects me and has affected me in the past. Looking back, music has played a large part of my life even though I don’t like to think about it. My friends who took me to my first rave was an awesome event and it shows you how people interact with one another when you’re stuck in the middle with sweaty people. Quite uncomfortable...

On another subject I will put Daoko, a Japanese artist, who raps and sings. Here is my favorite song by her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5bIdqZHEOo. The beginning of this song is sampled in Lil Yachty’s song “Good Day”. Or “Positive” by Tofubeats, which is a nice song to dance too, especially the remix. Here is the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LotK800AgNw and the remix which more edm-ish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md7Yf4n8HMA

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