On March 13, 2020, I remembered feeling relieved hearing that school was canceled for two weeks. The break was a breath of fresh air from the stress of all the upcoming projects and events of my junior year. However, the two weeks became months, and now a year. I came to realize that even amid all the anxiety and stress I felt, I was at my happiest. I miss the adrenaline high of choir concerts, football games, and school dances; simply put, it was ignorant bliss. Entering my senior year, the feelings of isolation weighed heavily on me, so I turned my feelings into music. I wrote and produced this song, “ignorant bliss,” by myself, hoping it would remind people they were not alone.

"Music speaks when words fail." Our chamber choir sings one piece every year for graduation, and for 2019, he chose "World" by Five for Fighting. When our choir director spoke to us after a recent school shooting, he knew that his words could not dispel our fears. Instead, he asked us to sing the graduation song. At that moment, as the seventeen of us harmonized, the lyrics hit closer to home in the aftermath of the shooting. Music was able to speak to all seventeen of us when none of our words could not. Because of the power of music, I started to songwrite. All my life, I failed at writing the perfect essay, but I became a story-teller through my songwriting. I wanted to turn the feelings of anguish and sorrow into a mellow melody that can bring others solace in their time of need. I wanted to transform the beginning butterflies of a crush onto the ukulele with a joyous tune that many sing along to. Music became my comfort. I grieve my grandmother's passing by songwriting about her favorite coffee candies. I tell stories of romance by creating intricate plot lines and retelling Romeo and Juliet on piano. Because of music, I can now deliver speeches in front of crowds, draft a letter to my school's administration, and speak up for the unheard voices as ASB President. Furthermore, music has brought me the confidence to pursue my interest in both biochemistry and songwriting. Inside the classroom, I wield both swords, using my songwriting to grasp difficult concepts. Because when my words fail, my music speaks.

Singing has been my lifeline in high school—my sanity in the midst of a storm—and I owe it to the song that started it all: "Halo" by Beyonce. Seven-year-old me blasted this song on repeat, leading to my eventual fondness for music. Each song on this playlist, whether cover or original, is a song I have performed at talent shows, open mics, and everything in-between in the past four years of high school. This playlist contains the melodies and harmonies that will forever stay with me. This is the story of my life—through song.