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Music has been my life for as long as I can remember. My earliest memory of music is my mother winding up my toy puppy for me to fall asleep. The twinkling sounds of "rock-a-bye baby" will be with me for the rest of my life. Growing up there was always music playing somewhere: the radio, the television, the car. My grandfathers performed for old time dances and there were lots of times I remember my father and grandfather bringing out their guitars and violins simply to pass away an afternoon.

Music became an integral part of my life at the age of ten. I had decided to take music in school and had chosen to learn the oboe. By the time the year had ended, my band director pulled me to the side to tell me that he felt I had talent. He recommended that I attend a summer music camp to gain knowledge. That started the ball rolling. Before I knew it, I was attending camps most of the summer and had been chosen to tour Europe for a month along with 40 other musicians. I was the youngest on the tour at the age of 14. I also spent a good portion of my time in competitions which earned me a significant university scholarship.

Growing up was stressful, and I often times found myself depressed. Practicing and achieving my goals were one of the best ways to find something meaningful in a life that often seemed to have no direction. When I wasn't practicing, I was drowning myself for hours in the music and lyrics of people such as Jan Arden, Jewel, The Cranberries, and Silverchair. It seemed that the music and musicians knew how I felt and reflected a lot of the same opinions I did. I seemed to make the seriousness of my problems diminish and not feel quite so alone.

After starting a family, my involvement in the music scene has long since passed. However, every time I deal with something that seems too big to handle, I am feeling down, or in a really good mood, I turn on the radio or pick up my instrument and everything seems to work itself out.

Learn more about this author, Angie Haggstrom.
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