July Stories
We've narrowed down the stories from last month and created 3 t-shirt designs with these stories as inspiration. Help us decide which shirt to print by rating and commenting and the graphics here.
Soundtrack To My Life
by: Kristin McGee
Tucson, AZ
It's common for people to say, "You never know what you have until it's gone." We break up, or lose friends, or move away from home, and only then do we realize how good we had it with that person, or in that place. Humans can be amazingly blind to the things right in front of us. It makes me wonder what life would be like without music, or if I can really imagine such an existence, having grown up in an IPOD generation. I try to picture a world without music, but it is nonsensical, like a world without hope, or a sky without stars.
Everywhere I go music goes with me. It is my ever-present companion. I can hear sweet melodies when I stare into the faces of those I love. I can feel the rhythmic beat of drums as I race to get to school on time. And in those insightful moments where a dizzying truth seeps into my bones, I feel low bass notes throbbing inside me. It would be an impossibility to function without it, this soundtrack to my life. So, to answer your question “How has music affected me?” The truth is, I couldn’t begin to tell you.
Kristin's Story Inspired this T-shirt
MUSIC BREAKS THE BARRIERS
by: Jessica Pearce
Palm Coast, FL
Music transcends all languages. You don't need to speak any particular language in order to understand the emotion elicited from the beats, notes, and harmonies produced by music. Everyone says they love music. How can you not? Music allows people from any race, age, and background to come together and have emotional connections - sometimes, without even realizing it.
I recently took a trip to Nicaragua and it was from this experience that I find the inspiration for this story. while there, I heard the music of Braddigan in spanish. In particular, the song "De El." I don't speak spanish at all but the few words comprehended from the song – in combination with the rhythmic melodies - brought me to tears. It still does to this day because I associate that song with the people and experiences of Nicaragua. One of my favorite quotes to su it up, was from a Jedidiah shirt, "Where words fail, music speaks." - no doubt about it.
So how has music actually affected me? With that experience, it made me realize just how easy it is to relate to other people. Though I'm no musician, I am human. I try, every time I meet anyone, to just talk to them as if they are my equal - connect, relate, share. You'd be surprised how far a smile goes. It lets people feel. That is what I try to keep in mind everyday, simply from my experience with that song in Nicaragua!
Jessica's Story Inspired this T-shirt
Living and Live Music
by: Nancy Chan
San Diego, CA
I was 16 years old and I was having the worst moments in my life. I had a hard time connecting with friends, family and school. The only thing I felt I can go to for comfort was cutting. I would cut myself everyday to get away from the pain and stress everyday life situations put me through. It was ultimately leading me to depression. I would hide my tears behind smiles and laughter but none of it was real and that was what hurt the most. So called friends didn't care to find out what was going on and I became the outcast.
It began to effect how I saw life. I felt like I had nothing and the only way to fix that was to attempt suicide. In one morning, it went from cutting to taking pills. I had taken a few pills hoping that it would just take a little bit of the pain away, but just once. There was something in me that wouldn't allow me to keep going the way I was. I wanted to be happier and I knew I had to do something about it.
A friend had handed me a flyer to a show at a local venue and I was hesitant to attend. But upon entering, I felt an adrenaline rush like no other. Hearing the live music and being in the crowd gave me a sense of belonging. It became an outlet, a place I can go without feeling worried about anything, a place where I can feel alive. After one night, I couldn't stop, I started going to shows every week and soon I began to discover a side of me I never knew. Being around people who weren't afraid to express their feelings through music in front of a hundred people showed me it was ok to be myself, no matter what others thought. I began embracing the real me.
I discovered the artist in me, an artist not through music, but through photography. People say pain and suffering makes for a better artist and I believe that's what I had to go through to see who I am. Now, two years later, I'm happier than ever, I'm following my dreams, and I'm not afraid anymore. I was alive before but felt dead inside, now I'm living and it is the best feeling ever!
Nancy's Story Inspired this T-shirt
