Megan tells us a little bit more about herself here:

I’m a 25-year-old wife, mother, student, and a supervisor at a daycare. My favorite hobbies are gaming, reading, and singing. Music has always been something I enjoyed. Though I know that I had a love of music before I began elementary school, I would have to say that music class from first through third grade and choir from fourth grade through high school really got me interested in music. I was exposed to all different types of music, and encouragement from my teachers sparked a real passion. A random fun fact about me is that I am a roller coaster fanatic, but I am absolutely terrified of ferris wheels.

This speaks to the importance of exposure, ideally from an early age. Whether it’s to musics of the world, philosophies, clothing styles, cultures, TV shows, or food, exposure to a diverse range of treats in life provides an enriching experience for all. Much of the joy of traveling, for example, is in learning something about a new place, while simultaneously learning something more about the place one comes from.

This, of course, applies to more than traveling – by hearing other styles of music, one appreciates the richness of his or her own musical upbringing. Or at least, we can listen to it with a different perspective all of a sudden. And that’s always refreshing.

Questions and comments for Megan, or general thoughts and comments are welcome here. We hope you’ll keep up the conversation with us!

See Megan’s UJAM page here – it’s loaded with great tracks.

It may sound cheesy, but music has been my entire life since I was little. I’ve been in choirs since elementary school. I sang in competitions, took private lessons, and even did a National Honor Choir a few years back.  I started playing violin in 5th grade as well, but singing has always been and always will be my first love. It doesn’t matter if I’ve had a bad day or a bad week, singing something or just getting lost in the music changes everything. It’s really hard to put into words just how much music means to me. If I was to go deaf, I would get rid of my other four senses if it meant I could keep my hearing. I’m not only a music nerd, but I’m also a video game nerd. The music of a game plays a huge role in whether or not I’ll like the game to the same intensity. Music is everything – it sets the mood, the tension, the environment, emotions … Besides Assassin’s Creed, I also love Splinter Cell, the Mass Effect series, The Longest Journey, Kingdom Hearts, and the Legend of Zelda series. A fun fact about me? I was in chess tournaments when I was little and won a couple trophies.

Whether it’s on your computer, in a studio, in a concert hall, or in an outdoor auditorium, music has the ability to overwhelm the senses. You can be creating a track on your own, remixing a track with your friends, or listening to concert by your favorite band, and completely lose track of time. Because music doesn’t just hit the internet and decay; a rock guitarist doesn’t just play a chord that disappears; a studio musician doesn’t sing in silence – the music continues, from you to the person next to you, to the person next to them, on and on. It’s a communal experience, a passing of the baton, a composition that continues to be composed as its sound reverberates.

What do you use music for? Everyone has a story, and we love hearing them. So keep sharing the stories and the music – we’re listening!

Leave us your thoughts here – it’s a great way to keep the discussion going.

See Deborah’s UJAM page here.

I started singing when I was 14 and got into the school play, Little Shop of Horrors. I’d been bullied before and never dreamed I could actually achieve a place in a play! I then went on to upload covers to YouTube, mainly Disney, and met amazing friends who built up my confidence and then I tried out for an opera chorus audition in 2009, which I got in, and they made me an understudy too, which made me so happy! I actually used to major in art, and have wanted to be an animator for most of my life, but I got fed up with the system of education for art and then decided, hey, I could give music a try! I sing as much as I can, little microphone, my bedroom, belting out these power tunes, I must really annoy the neighbors but I finally know what I want to do in life, and that’s definitely singing!

How many of you have a similar story? How many of you out there have searched for a way to get your voices heard, found obstacles along the way, and kept going? We don’t all have recording studios, contracts, and label deals. Across nations, across cultures – we have to work to get our voices heard. Now, thanks to the internet and blossoming outlets for the creative crowd, it’s becoming easier to direct our music and energy to the social stratosphere, to get heard, to find our way. (I suppose there’s a reason so many of us read “The Little Engine That Could” as kids.)

So to you, power-tunes-belters, game music fans, film music creators, remixers, and to all other aspiring vocalists out there, cheers! Talent around the world should be celebrated, highlighted, encouraged.

Share your stories with us, and stay tuned for more stories from our community. Create your music and let your songs be heard – who knows where it may lead you?

To hear and see more from Elsie, check out her YouTube Channel.