We all know someone with some sort of ability or talent, but sometimes it’s hard to find your place in the world…
Growing up, especially in High School, I never had a hobby, skill, or passion that made me feel truly accomplished or knowledgeable. I attended a highly regarded private Catholic High School where some students came in knowing their future college, major, and even job. It was as though I was standing still in a crowded subway station, blank-faced and lost with nowhere to go.
For what seemed like an eternity, my biggest fear was me.
Ever since I can remember, my personality was what set me up to be an outlier, and until very recently I thought this was a curse. I was never the smartest kid in my class, and I found more interest in spending my time making others laugh or listening to music rather than getting an A on an English test. I knew I was more extroverted and uninhibited than others, but in the back of my mind, I believed that people thought of this as annoying.
I felt like I needed to change my personality, or at least harness it, so I wouldn’t push people away.
One thing that remained steady for me throughout my life was my love for music, specifically in the electronic spectrum, and many people didn’t really seem to understand my endless love for this crazy bass and beat-filled music.
I never thought into it enough to really understand why I kept being drawn back, so I decided to go to an electronic music concert. This was probably the best spontaneous decision I have ever made. Hardwell was my first-ever electro house music experience, he played at San Diego’s Petco Park in 2014, and it might be that it was my first show, but to this day it was one of the best concerts I have been to.
The experience I had that day was a pivotal moment in my life…I had found my happy place.
Standing there I looked not just at Hardwell, but also at all the people who surrounded me in the crowd. I had never been in such an environment where so many people gathered together, happily, for the same reason at the same time. We are shaped by our environments, and I realized that at some point or another, we as humans will stumble upon that environment when we least expect it.
I am grateful for my experiences with music because from those moments I have come to find my place in the world.
I want my time here on Earth to be spent working with the artists, teams, and producers who create the environments that bring so many unique and joyful people together from all over the world. The way that I see it, concerts, events, and festivals are much more than just the music to my ears. These places are built by the event coordinators, stage designers, and lighting gurus, they feature sounds from DJs that move crowds, and are a happy safe-haven for those who go to listen or make new friends.
Electronic music has done so much for me, but most important is that it has created a platform for my personality to stand upon and grow…and to me that felt like finding heaven.
The feeling of being able to grow in expertise at something without having to use flashcards, spending hours on end studying at the library, or getting tested on it is incomparable. While I know this genre of music very well I still have more to learn, and that’s why it’s so unique and special. In the years to come, new music will always be made and new talent will continue to rise, giving me time to grow with the scene as it expands.
I am a firm believer that no matter who you are or what you plan to do during your life, nothing surpasses the feeling of happiness you get when giving back to the world.
The music scene has given back to me over the years in so many ways that constantly fill me with an indescribable surge of happiness. Now it is my mission to work hard and become more involved in this incredible industry so that I am able to give back to others who are looking for their place in the world just as I was looking for mine.
