The ability to channel your soul through the wail of a guitar or the beat of a drum or even the scream of a trumpet is one of the greatest gifts granted to us. Music fuels emotion and can even influence your decisions. My guitar has gotten me through some of the hardest times of my life. Any time that I felt depressed, I would go grab my Strat and start playing, and most of the time the emotion-fueled soloing would generate a tone that would surprise me. It’s the greatest stress reliever out there. No drug can replicate the pleasure that a strong melody will bring you.

My only problem is that nobody plays guitar anymore or even listens to REAL music. There was a time long before techno and computer-generated garbage, when your friend would beat on a 5-gallon bucket while you played with a rubber band to make music, and you learned together. It is a magical experience that software cannot bring you. For those who only listen to rap, I implore you to explore better avenues of music. Migos and Future can only take you so far, and recycling music that someone else composed to make a remix because you aren’t talented is also really shady.

Crank up some Led Zeppelin and contemplate the meaning of your existence while simultaneously playing air drums to John Bonham’s impossibly difficult drum beats. Sit down and let Don Henley serenade you into your dreams with his golden voice. There are no words to describe the sheer elation that playing real music brings you. I encourage everyone to go pick up a guitar, banjo, bass, or drumstick and create something. If you do, you just might surprise yourself.