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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at RIT chapter.

For as long as I can remember, music has always been a passion and love of mine. I was lucky to grow up in a household where music was prominent. Although my parents do not play, they were raised with music, and passed that down to my sister and I. 

 

Before I begin my ramble about music and letting your soul shine through it, I just have to give a shout out to my dad–the one responsible for my eclectic music taste! Thanks for making me the only person I know in my friend group to love the blues as much as they love playing cup pong on a Friday night. 

 

The title of this article pays homage to a song that I have heard since I was about 10. At least, that’s the earliest I can attribute it to; it was probably playing in the house much earlier than that. The song Soulshine by the Allman Brothers Band literally speaks to the soul. There was something about it when I first heard it–the dreamy slide guitar noise, the strong voices of Gregg Allman and Warren Haynes–that spoke to me. It is the first memory I have of music being an integral part of me. 

 

Flash forward to being 15-years-old, in the Beacon Theatre at NYC, and my dad introducing me to the person responsible for that dreamy slide playing–Mr. Derek Trucks. It was mind-blowing, especially seeing it live. After playing piano for years, I knew it was time to learn guitar too. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Since then, music has been such a big part of my everyday life. It is my therapy, my destressor, my source of healing. It is the way I let go of pain or negative energy, it is what makes me happy. And most of all, it is what makes my soul shine.

 

What makes your soul shine?

 

Hi! My name is Maggie Passamonte. I am from Long Island, NY. I have always enjoyed writing. I was the editor-in-chief of my school newspaper in high school. I absolutely loved it, and have been longing to find writing opportunities on campus. I was so thrilled when I was given the Her Campus opportunity. I am passionate about many topics such as music, politics, feminism, sorority life, philanthropy, sign language/Deaf culture (I am an ASL major!), the list goes on! I love being able to share my ideas and collaborate with my fellow peers. Happy reading!
Campus Coordinator for Rochester Institute of Technology