I remember the first time I ever got into music. I was sitting in the car with my stepmom, dad, sister, stepsister and stepbrother. We were coming back from God-knows-where in 2001, and every one of my siblings had headphones in and was silently nodding their heads at whatever music was playing. Of course I didn’t dare ask to share with any of them, because none of them would oblige. But oh, how I wanted to.

So finally I said out loud, “I am so tired of not having headphones when all of the other kids do!”

And my dad said, “We didn’t know you wanted one.” So we stopped at a Target in Lexington and I purchased a pair of headphones, the “A Knight’s Tale” soundtrack and a CD player, because Steve Jobs hadn’t given the world the iPod just yet. And as we drove back home I listened to David Bowie’s “Golden Years” on repeat, and I’ve been obsessed with music ever since.

Initially I knew I liked some music, like “The Lord of the Rings” soundtrack and Aaliyah in the secret of my room, but I didn’t know what genres I should start exploring. Then, one day, my dad put a cassette tape (I’m old, I know) in when we were on a drive, and what I can only describe as pure God-force touched my ears, also known as the band The Police.

Now this wasn’t the first time I’d ever heard The Police. In fact, I’d grown up listening to them and other bands when I was younger, and my father would blast them in the living room and bedroom while he cleaned. Hearing those voices all over again was like opening a Christmas present I lost years ago in storage.

From that moment on, my love of classic rock I didn’t know I had evolved, and I began to freak out at the sound of Led Zeppelin, REM, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and others. I have become someone who uses music like a drug. My heart races when I hear it. I’m the girl who’s attended REM, The Police and Alice in Chains concerts and screamed every word she knew.

And I’m the girl who never goes anywhere without her iPod. So here are some songs, right from my iPod, that I recommend: “Rooster” – Alice in Chains “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” – The Police “How Many More Times” – Led Zeppelin “Star 69” – REM “Plush” – Stone Temple Pilots These are some of the songs that have meant something to me over the years.

They’re songs I grew up with, but rediscovering them is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Maybe this could be your chance to explore something you didn’t know meant a lot to you.