Ska

Streetlight Manifesto's "99 Songs of Revolution"

      My favorite genre of music is a direct result of being a member of the crew team. At a crew event last winter, one of my best friends showed me quite a few ska songs. A combination of reggae and punk rock with a heavy horn section, ska is perhaps one of the most upbeat yet rebellious genres of music that I have ever heard. From the first song that I listened to ("The Impression That I Get" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones) I was hooked and all I wanted was to hear more examples of the music that I found so fascinating. The mixture of the often tough subjects and upbeat rhythm left me awestruck, I had never heard anything like it.
        Since then, I have slowly filled my iPod with songs from my favorite ska bands such as Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, and Sublime. The music can always cheer me up and I have taken the time to create a playlist of just these songs which I listen to on a daily basis. I want nothing more than to attend a ska concert. In fact, I almost went to one in Boston with one of my best friends, but I had a race that same day. The culture around ska has changed me, albeit less dramatically than other entries on this blog. I have changed the way I dress, keeping my outfits outside of the mainstream and even spiking my hair from time to time. As ska bands always do, I continue to be my own person and don't change for anyone. The punk, rebellious nature of many ska bands has taught me not to be a follower as I was in middle school but rather to be my own person and do what I enjoy, rather than what is cool.