What Music Means to Me

Some questions I get asked a lot are, "What type of music do you listen to?" and, "Do you listen to music when you write?" I listen to all sorts of music to tell the truth (Anything ranging from Mudvayne to Hedley and almost everything in-between) but my favorite genre is rock. And let me just make this clear, I cannot stand ska, rap, or dubstep music. I've tried to at least appreciate their existence, but I just can't. Also, I despise Metallica. Anyways, my favorite bands of all time would have to be Breaking Benjamin (forever #1 in my opinion), Mayday Parade, Three Days Grace, Linkin Park, Paramore (at least, how they used to be... from their album All We Know Is Falling to Brand New Eyes), Evanescence, and Within Temptation. As for the second question, well, I don't think I could write if I wasn't listening to some type of music (Even now I have some turned on...thank God for La Dispute!!). That's because, to me, music is the most important thing in this world. In just a few minutes, an artist can basically explain everything you feel, think, and believe, which I find to be incredibly amazing (and a little envious). Plus, every song tells a story, no matter how you interpret it. That's why I can relate so many songs to my books... especially songs by Breaking Benjamin. As the great Benjamin Burnley once said, "It’s pointless to ask me what a song is about—it’s about whatever the listener feels when they listen to it. That’s what the song exists for." I see that as an important thing; if a song is set to be about one specific thing, it can't relate to as many people. But we all have our own story, and when we hear something we should be able to relate it to our own lives, not some stranger's. So, that's what music means to me...I would love to hear your opinions, so feel free to comment.
I'll leave you all with my favorite quote of all time:
"Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul." -Anonymous