"Who wants to go first?" There was silence in the classroom; everyone was quiet. I was in English class; speech time was upon me. Our teacher had told us to write a 3 minute speech on a topic of our choice. Giving me so many options is usually a lot harder than it should be. "If no one volunteers, I'll have to pick someone." Still nobody spoke. "Alrightly then. Here it goes." Mrs.Tolkien stood from where he was sitting and went to his desk where he kept his class lists. We all watched him move his finger up and down the paper, suddenly stopping at a name. "Max, you're up" He announced and I took in a deep breath; that was me. I was up.
I stood up from my chair and walked up to the front of the room. I felt myself shaking already; public speaking is not my favorite part of English class. My heart was racing and I knew that my voice would come out shaky if I didn't calm myself down a little.
"Alright Max, whenever you're ready" Mr. Tolkien contiuned. He had taken his seat again and was now writing my name on the top of one of the grading papers; that just made my heart race faster. If I screwed up, I would lose marks. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, picturing a calming environment and I feel myself relax slightly. I open my eyes when I hear sir speak again, "What are you going to speak to us about Max?"
"The importance of music in my life" I replied with a smile. It was a relatively weak subject but a really personal one, it didn't help my nerves at all. I saw him nod, my queue to start speaking. "Music means many different things to everyone, Some people listen to it to escape from their lives and reality, some use it as a way to cope with traumatic events, and some just like the sounds. Different genres are also used for different reasons. Metal is most commonly used when someone is feeling angry or sad; Pop when the person is feeling energetic and happy; Country might be used when someone is going through relationship problems." I took a pause, all the while making eye contact. Everyone seemed to be paying attention which is always good when presenting. Mr. Tolkien was writing something down on his sheet, making me a little nervous.
"The beats in music varies with the different genres. Some have fast beats with heavy bases and drums; other have little base and more vocals and guitar. The beat of a song helps set its tone as well as the mood. Lyrics determine the subject that the song will be about. They also help to convey the tone/mood of the song." I took another breath and looked around, making sure to make eye contact with the whole room. "I use music to drown out reality and also people. When I need to escape the stress; whether it be from school work or social issues; I put my headphones and close my eyes. You see..." I started walking around in front of the class, "Music has a way of effecting the listeners mood. When I feel sad I usually listen to pop music to make myself feel better; although on occasion I will listen to some sad music." I smiled and stopped walking. "Music to me is both a way of escaping life and coping with it. Music can block everything out; it's especially good when you need to drown out the ramblings of a friend or family member. I know, we've all been there," I smiled.
"Music to me is a deep part of my life and I wouldn't know what to do if it wasn't. Thank you" I did a small bow, smiled and headed back to my seat as the whole class broke out in cheering and clapping.
"Thank you very much Max for that speech" was all Mr. Tolkien said as I sat back down.
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