As my senior year comes to a close, I am finally feeling the impact of beginning the next chapter of my life. With the pressures of graduation and summer-term college enrollment not too far away, I feel unprepared to be away from my parents.

Throughout my childhood, and well into young-adulthood, my parents have been my best friends. When I was in elementary and middle school I was bullied and I turned to my dad for advice on what to do. His response was to take me to rock concerts to help me make friends and release frustration by joining in the mosh pit. Through sharing those musical moments, my father became my closest friend.

My father was raised on Mötley Crüe, Black Sabbath and KISS and he raised me the same way. Opening my mind to his favorite bands helped me get into the music scene and find groups that I enjoyed listening to. Through his guidance into music I found bands that helped me get through the darkest times of my life. My senior quote is a lyric from “Knives and Pens” by Black Veil Brides, one of the most influential songs I listened to in middle school, and I wouldn’t have found it without my dad’s help: “One final fight for this tonight/ with knives and pens we made our plight.”

As of now, my best friend has bought us tickets to go see one of our favorite bands, Hollywood Undead, at the end of April. With the concert date approaching I am realizing how close I am to moving away from my closest friend. And I know I am not prepared for this change. Music was not only a way for me to escape the tough times of growing up being bullied, but it has also been a way for me to connect with an unlikely best friend.

Whenever I felt depressed throughout middle school—and into high school—my dad was there with his search engine already looking for new music to listen to. For us, music was not just about the auditory pleasure of hearing the first intake of breath before the opening scream, nor was it about feeling the bass drum kick our hearts, but it was about the connection we could make with the lyrics. We always listened for poetry, which is one of the reasons I love creative writing. I learned to listen for emotion. Sure, the guitar riffs and drum beats are nice to listen to, but every band has those. Not many carry true, heartfelt lyrics within them. Because of this, I was able to have something to hold onto when getting through a rough day at school.

Now I am preparing to leave for the University of Central Florida where I will be away from the ones who guided me when I thought I was lost. It is especially difficult to leave my best friend. However, I know that when I see the name of one of our favorite bands on the marquee outside of the House of Blues that he is only a phone call—and a two hour drive—away.