How I Learnt To Manage Stress with Music

by Connie
(New York)

When I was 16 my parents decided to get a divorce. This was especially hard, since they couldn't agree what was to become of me and my two siblings. This situation proved to be especially stressful for me - my brother and sister were too young to understand. I became distant and withdrawn in school and I had no confidence to talk it through with my friends.

For some reason I felt ashamed of it, I thought things like that would never happen to me; moreover I thought that if people knew would treat me differently.

Around that time I met a girl at school whom I have never noticed before. She was a member of a local choir and asked me if I would want to come with her to a rehearsal and she if I like it. I was very negative at first. I pictured this place as a bunch of cheesy people with no lives. Finally, I decided to give it a shot, just out of curiosity.

Now, 8 years later, I can be here and say that I would never get through this stressful part of my life without the help of these people and the calm that only music could give me.

Without having to explain anything these people accepted me in their group and made me feel I had a life beyond what was happening back at home. I could go there and forget about my parent's problems. And in time I understood that they were their problems and no matter what, they loved me.

From that instance on in life, I had music help me through with every difficult situation in my life and it always proved to be my best ally. Of course nothing would have happened without the help of the people that were there to help me and guide me through.