How it feels to be me: Pop culutre

  My family and I are from the Philippines. I was only nine months old when we left the Philippines and migrated to the U.S. My parents introduced me to Philippine music, movies, and food. Filipinos are fond of listening to rock, pop songs, and ballad songs. Philippine music is influenced by Spanish and American that ruled the Philippines for over three centuries. All the popular songs in the U.S. are also popular at the same time in the Philippines. Philippine songs are expressions of thoughts, love, relationships, character, and way of life. Filipinos love to sing and dance solo or together in parties or no parties.

    When I was 12 years old, I started to become interested in searching for pop songs that I like. Some people might think I’m crazy because I only just listen to pop music not rap, rock, soft rock, classical, hip-hop, or country. Well, I believe that pop music is a good influence to teenagers and young adults because it usually focuses on love and romantic relationships on dance-oriented rhythm.

    Every time I listen to a pop song, it makes me want to dance and sing or perform on stage for everybody at school, halftime show, and etc. However, I could hear negative comments from some of my friends in the past saying “That’s a bad performance.” “You are small and audience will not be focusing on you they just turn around and talk to somebody.” I tried to forget these comments, but, these were like a molecule separate from each other into a nuclear explosion crushing my dream like a meteorite straight down into the abyss. About four years later after that abrasive comments, my parents told me that “Don’t listen to the people who said mediocre comment about you. Just be yourself and be happy.” After my parents talked to me, I was ebullient because I realized that I can do what I want to do.  

    One day, when I was searching for new Pop song, I found a song named “Gangnam Style” by a future quintessential artist PSY. This song attracted many teenagers and young adults because it encourages dancing and making a parody music video. It was the best moment of my life when I heard this song. The song lyrics are in Korean but I came to know what it means through the video of PSY interview about the song. I always do the dance moves while singing this song. I was able to perform the dance in front of my friends. My friends made great comments about my dancing. It had changed me a lot like being positive all the time, and inspires me to be the best I can be by getting excellent grades on my subjects. I always dream of performing this song and dance at school and be the next famous Pop artist.

      In conclusion, it is great to be true to yourself. It is really helpful to learn the culture of where you originally came from and how can it be adapted with the culture in the environment that you currently in. Find what you really love to have or to do. Learn from the culture of other people without forgetting your own culture. This is how we can make ourselves better because, in the future, it will be our turn to share this culture with other people or to your own sons or daughters so as to make them proud of themselves and they will keep that culture alive.  





   

---