While I was sitting in Spanish class, I was listening to A Skylit Drive when the person sitting across from me showed me he was listening to the same band.

We continued to bob our heads to the song and at that moment I discovered my classmates were staring and laughing at us.

When the person sitting across from me left the room, my classmates proceeded to take his phone to see what he was listening to. To that I say, what’s the point?

When you sit there with your headphones in, listening to rap music about drugs, sex, money and violence, no one sits there and giggles at you, do they?

They don’t take your phone to see what you’re listening to, do they?

No, because it doesn’t really matter.

When people listen to rap music or pop no one really thinks to question it.

Most of the time people might ask what you listen to but usually they just leave you alone. They don’t laugh or make fun at you because you don’t fit in.

Yes, I listen to something not everyone has the taste for. Yes, this makes me different, but is different necessarily a bad thing to be?

We live in a society that encourages us to be ourselves but then ridicules us if we’re different.

When some people hear metal music they automatically assume that it’s music that represents the devil.

Emotion may be translated through a guitar riff, a drum solo or screaming lyrics but that doesn’t mean it represents Satan.

Just because someone listens to it doesn’t mean they are devil worshipers.

Just because someone listens to metal doesn’t mean they look a certain way either.

The music someone listens to often reflects on how they look at the world and what they’ve witnessed or gone through.

Screamo isn’t just what every genre of metal is.

If someone is listening to heavy metal, screamo or punk, there’s usually a reason.

Whether someone finds comfort in a metal band or in someone who raps shouldn’t matter.

There’s a song by Motionless in White called “Immaculate Misconception.” My favorite line is “All I want is to reach someone, to say something that could change their life forever to let them know you’re not alone. So many people want to see me fail.”

My music touches on suicide, self-harm and depression. A lot of other music doesn’t do this. My bands make me believe it’ll all be okay.

The bands are criticized, and people who listen to metal are criticized for trying to help themselves.

People make judgment on different music, because they’re not educated about it.

The people who listen to metal don’t worship it, they just enjoy the sounds of a guitar more than studio-made noise.

Every person has their own preferences when it comes to music or anything really, so why does it matter what we each choose.

We are ignorant creatures and live how others tell us to.

I chose my music because life isn’t a field of daisies and sometimes all you want to do is scream. My music does this for me.

Judging it or hating on it isn’t going to change that.