Have you ever listened to something that moved you on the inside? Moved you in such a way that the hairs on your arms stood up or you could metaphorically feel your soul/spirit rise? Sometimes it can be someone giving a powerful speech to you that makes you feel this way, or sometimes it is music that causes this type of sensation. There is something about the way the beat of the song, the lyrics and/or the way the instruments come together to fight off the darkness. A darkness that has taken over you that you were never sure how to get rid of. Music has become, or always has been, the light that guides us through the tunnel we thought we could never get through.

I know that there have been many times in my life that I have found myself down in a slump that I was not really sure how I was going to get out of. I knew eventually that I would, but what would aid me in this time? Of course, there is the obvious answer of family and friends that could help, but sometimes they just aren't enough (sorry mom). So in these times, my handy-dandy iPod, computer or even the radio have come through to get my mind off of the foreboding dark thoughts or times of stress. In my time of listening to whatever is playing, no matter how long it takes, there always comes a song or album that will lift me up and fight the negativity away. My heart will lift, my shoulders will straighten and my head will clear. The music has become a knight in shining armor to fend off the evil dragon.

There are many people, myself included, that will give thanks to a song that has made them feel whole again. They will praise the artist(s) until they are red in the face because it has become a huge part of their life and they want others to feel the way they do. Their soul has been lifted; their spirit is where they want it to be. It is about being alive in a new way, and it can happen over and over again.

It isn't even just in times of negativity that music can pull through for someone. Many times people will be happy and find themselves completely inspired by a tune they have just stumbled upon, or have been listening to for as long as they could remember. A new set of determination will run through their veins, and they will be ready to conquer the world.

Finding that band, that song, that album and/or that artist that can give you these feelings, is life changing. And if you are ever given the chance to see them perform live, jump on it. The healing and inspirational powers that music can have on you in a live setting will make you thankful for the rest of your days that you experienced it.

I had recently went to see my favorite band, Marianas Trench, in concert, and I was absolutely blown away. I have been listening to this band for the past four years, following what they did and constantly being thankful for the music they produced. The words that they use in their songs have lifted me up, reminded me that I am not alone in my feelings, and inspired me to swing for the fences. Being at that concert reassured of all the wonderful things that I have experienced with this band. And while I was there, I got to see people that were just like me, feeling the same exact way that I have and do about Marianas Trench. All the way through the performance, our spirits were as high as the sky and whole; you could even see that the band felt the same way as we did. Inspired, loved and encased in happiness. Nothing can beat away those feelings and sensations.

It's amazing what music can do for someone and we should all be thankful to always have it to make us whole again.