Musical theatre has become a huge part of my life in the past few years. I performed in my high school shows and was in chorus/choir from 5th grade until I graduated last year. I have a huge appreciation for Broadway, thanks to my boyfriend and other people in drama. I really feel that musical theatre has shaped my life in ways that nothing else could ever do, and I miss sharing that with people in college. I don't know if I will perform in another show again, but I hope that I can. I've grown and learned so much as a performer. These are just a few of the lessons I have learned from different Broadway numbers--lessons that anyone can benefit from.

1. "I know it's dark right now/But just believe somehow/That soon there will be light." ("Hear My Song")

Songs for a New World is a lesser known show, but it has fantastic music that tells stories about two men and two women in different roles. In this song, the two women are mothers and are singing to their children about how life will get better soon, and how no one should ever tell you differently. This is an extremely important lesson for us to bear in mind when we're feeling down on ourselves. There is a whole world out there for us to create and to be a part of if we just listen to what is being told to us.

2. "The earth will wave with corn/The grey-fly choir will mourn/And mares will neigh/With stallions that they mate/Foals they've borne/And all shall know the wonder/Of purple summer... ("The Song of Purple Summer")

This song from Spring Awakening has been questioned many times as far as what it truly means to say to the audience. I agree with those who interpret it as a song of maturity and going from adolescence to adulthood. These things are all natural and they are anticipated every year. They are the little things that you really start to appreciate when you look for them, and that I find incredibly meaningful and beautiful.

3. Everybody's got the right to some sunshine/Not the sun/But maybe one/Of its beams. ("Everybody's Got the Right")

Assassins is probably the most unconventional show I have become intensely familiar with (Sweeney Todd is a close second). The opening number suggests that we are all granted happiness and prosperity in this nation. As long as you go after your goal, you should reap some reward. The assassins had very different goals in mind than the average American, but they are still granted freedom under American society. It's hard to come to terms with, but it's a constitutional right, so it has to be acknowledged. Not that I side with the assassins, but they are free to do what they have to in order to get some part of their dreams. However, this comes with a limit; you can't have the whole sun, but you can have a beam of it. You'll get some of what you want but never everything.

4. "And I could not put down my sword/When justice was my right./Make them hear you." ("Make Them Hear You")

Ragtime is a beautiful story about 3 different families that come from different backgrounds. They each have different events going on at the same time but eventually overlap stories and become part of each other's lives. This song is sung by Coalhouse, who is shot right after telling his children his narrative in an attempt to get others to do the same for their children. It is an empowering number that really draws together the American ideal that we all have an important piece of a huge history in this diversified country, and we should theoretically accept all of these stories no matter who they are coming from.

5. "It's my first big decision,/The choice isn't easy to make./To arrive at a ball/Is exciting and all/Once you're there, though, it's scary." ("On the Steps of the Palace")

Into the Woods has a ton of great songs that are related to the fairytale characters. It is a show that overall has fantastic life lessons like those in the stories they are based on. Cinderella sings this song after running away from the prince and getting stuck in the tar he spilled on the steps so that he could catch her before she gets away. She decides to leave her shoe behind and see what happens. This song shows that some decisions are difficult, even if they seem trivial. Everything takes careful thought before you know that it will be the right choice, and so even though Cinderella's situation is atypical to us, she used a good method to work through her problem and eventually find a solution that led to her happy marriage...well, sort of.

6. "Let the sun come streaming in/'Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again/If you only look around/You will be found." ("You Will Be Found")

Everyone experiences moments in life where they feel like they've been stranded in the middle of the world with no map or compass to guide them in the right direction. The entirety of Dear Evan Hansen explains that there is always someone out there who can help alleviate some of the trouble you are facing, whether academic, social, or internal. This song says it in the most succinct manner during the show and is simply an anthem for anybody out there who needs a hand in order to get by day to day.

7. "You matter to me/Simple and plain and not much to ask from somebody. ("You Matter to Me")

Sara Bareilles is a gem we never knew we deserved (I have mentioned that before). Her score for Waitress was hilarious and sincere, with a dash of sass and a whole lot of sweetness for taste. This song is all about having that one person you know you can turn to, whether they are a friend or a family member, or a significant other. Even in the show's context, it doesn't necessarily mean the person you fall in love with. It's simply about how there can be someone out there that matters in your life, and there's not much else to say about your gratitude for them.

8. "There are dreams that cannot be/And there are storms we cannot weather." ("I Dreamed a Dream")

Certainly, one of the more depressing songs in musical theatre history, this classic number from Les Misérables is nonetheless a very evocative number. I felt I had to share Lea Salonga's version simply because I feel like her voice captures the innocence that was taken away from Fantine in her short life on the stage. It reminds us that unfortunately, there are moments where someone may not be able to push through, but we have to know that it is for a reason. We can't all make it out alive, and while this is a scary sentiment, it begs to be recognized.

9. "Everything is perfect/Nothing's real." ("I Miss the Mountains")

This song from Next to Normal perfectly expresses Diana's feelings after starting a medication treatment plan for her Bipolar I disorder. The entire show is an expression of what mental illness can do to a family; in this case, the mother is seeing hallucinations and acting out in alternating manic and depressive moods. "I Miss the Mountains" communicates the uneasy feeling of not experiencing any anxiety or depression after beginning a new course of treatment. These symptoms have harbored themselves for several years, and have actually come to define Diana; she doesn't feel like herself without the mania and depression. She doesn't feel anything at all.