The Power of Music- Annie Lopez

The Power of Music

Black music, whether rap, hiphop, or spiritual blues, is a unique and exciting art form. For the past four years I was enrolled at Atlantic High School in South Florida. Sixty percent of my school’s student body was black. Walking down the hallways of the school, Tupac, Jay Z, and Kanye West were heard loud and clear playing from the headphones that hid underneath the hoods of my classmates’ sweatshirts. One day I was early for class and was watching some students walking down the hall. One young black male heard the hiphop music coming out of another student’s iPod and stopped to listen. Watching this, I realized the power that music can have in helping people share personal experiences. Within a few minutes, a group of young black students had gathered to listen to the music. The songs played an effective role in bringing together the black race because it allowed them to connect with the material in the tunes.

During school pep rallies, the most popular rap songs of the day blasted through the speakers in the gymnasium. The excitement that was manifested in the student body was not school spirit; it was an emotional connection that was shared among all races of the student body through the music. This energy was not limited to the black students, as it clearly affected students of all races. This simple example helps to reveal the power of music and the way it can enhance relationships among the races.