SPEECH: Salutatorian, Eva Patel

“WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?” I HEAR THAT QUESTION FREQUENTLY WHEN I’M TRYING TO GET TO KNOW SOMEONE, YET I NEVER KNOW HOW TO ANSWER, EVEN THOUGH ANYONE IN MY LIFE KNOWS THAT I CONSTANTLY HAVE SOME SONG PLAYING IN MY EARS. MY FAMILY DEALS WITH ME BLASTING MUSIC IN THE SHOWER EVERY NIGHT AT 10 PM, AND I THANK THEM FOR TOLERATING THAT. I ALSO THANK MY TEACHERS WHO DEALT WITH ME HAVING MY AIRPODS IN DURING CLASS OR AS I COMPLETED ASSIGNMENTS. I ESPECIALLY THANK HERR SCHMOLL, MRS. HASSENKAMP, MR. O’HARA, MS. ROSHKOVAN, MRS. RUFFINO, MRS. MCCARTHY AND DR. O, I PROMISE I LEARNED A LOT FROM YOUR LESSONS. AND I THANK MY FRIENDS WHO ENDURE MY SUPPOSEDLY “AWFUL” AUX MUSIC, AS MANY OF THEM COMPLAIN. I SPENT MY FRESHMAN YEAR DELVING INTO INDIE AND RAP MUSIC AS A WAY TO EXPLORE WHO I AM, WITH MY TASTE RANGING FROM LORDE TO NBAYOUNGBOY. SOPHOMORE YEAR, MY AIRPODS WERE CONSTANTLY BLASTING MUSIC THAT MY SISTER OFTEN CALLED OUT FOR BEING BASIC, WITH MY SPOTIFY PLAYING RNB AND POP AS I STUDIED, ATE, AND EVEN SLEPT (AND YES, I’M PRETTY SURE I DID LOSE SOME OF MY HEARING FROM THAT). JUNIOR YEAR WAS A DIFFERENT TIME--I LISTENED TO CLASSICAL MUSIC AS I STUDIED TO CONCENTRATE AND PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING ELSE IN MY DOWNTIME TO KEEP MYSELF FROM HAVING THE SWAN LAKE SOUNDTRACK MEMORIZED. THIS YEAR, HOUSE AND EDM INFILTRATED MY PLAYLISTS AS I DROVE TO SCHOOL, WORK, AND DANCE. FROM WHEN I FIRST DOWNLOADED SPOTIFY TO EXPLORE MY INTERESTS TO NOW FINDING MUSIC AS A RELEASE, MY TASTE HAS EVOLVED GREATLY. YET, I ALWAYS KNEW WHAT I LIKED, WHEN I LIKED IT, AND WHY I LIKED IT. IN OTHER WORDS, I KNEW WHO I WAS AT EVERY AGE. IN FACT, THIS SPEECH IS BASED ON ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS, “KNOW WHO YOU ARE AT EVERY AGE” BY THE COCTEAU TWINS. 

DESPITE MY PERSPECTIVES CHANGING DRAMATICALLY, NOT ONLY IN MUSIC, BUT IN LIFE, I NEVER SAW ANY CHANGE AS LOSING MYSELF, EVEN IF THIS CHANGE WAS FOR THE WORSE. I’VE HAD TIMES WHERE I REFLECT ON MY PAST AND I CAN’T COMPREHEND HOW I COULD’VE DONE OR LIKED SOMETHING SO NAIVE OR STUPID, AND I’M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE FELT THE SAME WAY. ON THE SURFACE LEVEL, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU MUST’VE LOST SIGHT OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE. BUT, I DON’T THINK THIS REALLY ENTAILS LOSING YOURSELF, RATHER IT HAS TO DO WITH AN ATTACHMENT TO OR OBSESSION WITH YOUR PRIOR OR SOMEONE ELSE’S  IDENTITY. HUMAN IDENTITY IS SHAPED BY 5 THINGS: FORM, FEELING, PERCEPTION, BEHAVIORS, AND CONSCIOUSNESS, BUT NONE OF THESE FACTORS ARE STATIC—WHATEVER THEY CONSIST OF AND THEIR WEIGHT IN YOUR LIFE ARE EVER-EVOLVING. SO, THERE IS NO POINT IN RUMINATING ON YOUR PAST ACTIONS OR TRYING TO ADOPT OR RELIVE A SIGNATURE AESTHETIC OR PERSONALITY. AT THIS CROSSROAD BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND THE FUTURE, WE ARE ALL BOUND TO CHANGE. YOU ONLY LOSE YOURSELF WHEN YOU LOSE TOUCH WITH AN ASPECT OF YOUR IDENTITY, NOT WHEN THAT ASPECT EVOLVES. SO, I URGE YOU ALL TO REFLECT ON YOURSELVES CONSISTENTLY AND TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE AT EVERY AGE.