Sunday 17th November 2024, I was on the bus home from Strawberry Fields Festival. I was watching the sun set as we drove through Australia’s dry, yellow bushland. Dusty and tired, surrounded by a few friends, I became quite emotional. Going into the festival with a group of people I had never met, leaving with a sense of love, family, and connection. Yes, I had a cry. I was crying because I was marvelling at this life where I could dance with a bunch of strangers, listening to good music and feel like that was enough.
As corny as it sounds, music has brought such joy to the course of my life. Music holds so much power. It has held me when I have been sad, allowing me to still find light in life because of the way some songs make me feel. Music has held me when I am happy, accentuating the feeling that I am where I am supposed to be.
I’ve always thought music was a very personal aspect of life. More personal than if I cooked a recipe, you didn’t like or gifted a Christmas present you didn’t need. I used to get scared of being given the aux cord in fear that the audience didn’t like my music. Because music meant so much to me, it would almost feel like a personal thing. Am I weird for liking this music? Even today, I still get nervous whether my taste is too ‘much’. But like what even is too much?! Honestly if you don’t like it, you probably don’t get it.
It’s funny to think about that now and being a DJ, where my sole purpose is to select songs that the crowd will like. You’re getting paid to be on aux. I only started DJ’ing a few years ago, and I think that coincides with the time of my life where I really learnt to not care what the people around me thought. Being surrounded by music and discovering new artists and genres every day, I think that has aided my relationship with music. I don’t water my taste down now. I listen to what I want and as a DJ, play what I want in hope the crowd enjoys it too. Something I have learnt over my years of DJ’ing; the crowd will enjoy the song more if you’re enjoying it. So, you really must play what you want.
Music has always been such an important part of my life, from childhood to adulthood, my music taste has grown up alongside me.
When I was younger, my sister, Dad and I would jam out to Our House by Madness in the Kombi van or run around the backyard yelling ‘OUR HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET’.
Every birthday when I was young, my grandpa would hand-make a violin for me as I grew bigger. My parents would film me with big smiles and clapping and tell me I was great at violin. My violin greatness sounded more like the maddest burn out or a small animal dying. But I am sure I loved it at the time.
In primary school, there was a PE and music teacher who would speed walk around the grounds while playing the guitar. Monday morning assembly, we would sing AC/DC and throw our fists in the air.
Growing older and going to parties, I would sing in the Uber with my friends and then dance into the early morning with the lasting stragglers. Festival season comes every year with the same excitement, knowing it means new friends + new music + no sleep + near-fatal pneumonia. Bliss.
All through my life, I have shared moments with people around me. Maybe it’s because there’s an actual thing you can pair with a memory. A certain song or artist or set of lyrics that remind you of something. Music holds so much memory. Being able to enjoy music together allows sharing of something vulnerable. Maybe that’s why the closest people in my life are the ones I have shared music with, at festivals, clubs, house parties, in the car, or mornings in the kitchen.
To love the same music is the simplest form of love. When you’re listening to a set, and you make eye contact with the stranger dancing next to you and smile (or stank face) because you both think this is amazing. A low-maintenance, simple, pure sense of connection.
I love the way music has brought together different people in my life.
To all the people I have shared music with, thank you.
Love, Jess x