Rigid nor fixed are words that would successfully describe “culture.” Culture is instead malleable, resilient, and ductile. It is always reconstructing as the world that engulfs it molds it into something even more new and detailed. Culture embodies many major attributes, most especially music. Music has always had great importance in regards to one’s complex culture and origin. The music that you grew up listening to, your mother or father’s favorite music, all hold symbolic memories in one’s life. Music taste can be a great representation of one’s true character. Friendships are made and broken over one’s utter devotion to a song. Each genre of music is packed with its own rich history, which it was infused in over time, immersed in its own being. This is why we must not let something so vivid and loved slowly die out into nothing. Allowing for a genre of music to fade is like allowing a language to become extinct. What people cannot say through words, they often say through music.

Jazz will forever go down in history as the best genre of music to ever ring throughout someone’s ears. To ever fill a joyous room. Before anyone can argue with my opinionated statement regarding jazz, one must fully immerse themselves in its rich and enticing history.

First making an appearance in the early 1900s, jazz quickly grasped people’s attention, luring them in with an unique and enticing beat. Famous jazz players such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis eloquently displayed the romantic nature of jazz. Jazz had a mind of its own, and is not tied down by the perfections that strangle most music genres; jazz is instead free with no mistakes. One will rarely find jazz written down; it instead lives on in people’s heads. Jazz emphasizes and celebrates both the individual and the cumulative. Each and every individual with their instrument is needed in producing the beautiful melody. Yet each and every instrument shines through, gaining its well-deserved recognition. When one listens to jazz, the melody pairs with one’s emotions, resulting in a connection. Jazz speaks to so many individuals, making the two most polar opposite people connect over one song. It is calming, reassuring, and intricate. Jazz is never lacking, each and every musical note is carefully produced with love and devotion. It is careful to not be too loud or obnoxious, expressing itself through power. Because very few jazz songs have words, it allows your imagination to run wild, approaching the actual musical instruments. It expresses so many things without the need for words. Even if you do not like jazz yourself, you still respect and find a sense of pride in those who find a love for jazz and its welcomingness.

The idea of losing something that is full of such acceptance and pride is worrisome, especially during this time in history that we live in. People are slowly starting to lose respect for such genres of music and are instead flocking to the more popular forms. I believe that all forms of music show rich talent, but oftentimes people’s interest in these forms of music are for all the wrong reasons. If we let the genre of jazz slowly die off, we are losing so much of our country’s history, for so much is packed into a single genre.