In Tara Westover’s memoir Educated, she recalls memoires of her father having periods of major depression, followed by manic episodes with major paranoia. Later in life Westover deducts that her father was living with Bipolar Disorder. While a stigma still exist against mental illness in our current society, progress has been made as popular culture figures like Kanye West are coming forward about their own struggle with mental health. The well known rapper began opening up to the public with his album ‘Ye’ that referenced Bipolar Disorder in the lyrics and album art. West later appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and spoke on his experiences growing up with a mental disorder. He experienced symptoms very similar to those Westover described in her father. This connection between a well known artist and a figure in the memoir help my understanding of who Westover’s father was and what antics he would perform. With a connection I understand, I can more easily characterize Westover’s father and have a clear explanation for the way he acts throughout the book. I would like to know, how the degree of a mental disorder may very with and without treatment. As Mr. Westover refused to associate with official doctors, he never received treatment, much less a diagnosis for his disorder. I would predict that this would cause more severe symptoms as there is on mediation for his different extreme periods. Mr. Westover’s condition probably continued to get worse as time went on. Kanye however has access to the highest ranking doctors worldwide. Because of this advantage, Kanye will most likely lead an easier life than Mr. Westover. With his symptoms under control, Kanye will have less dramatic periods of depression or psychosis. I predict that the disorder is a lot easier on the life of Kanye as he can readily receive help when he needs it.

Music is arguably the most powerful form of art. Within minutes, music has the ability to change how you feel and how you’re thinking. Music is inspiring in many situations since there are many types of music. Music can be motivational, spark creativity, or just make you feel better after a tough day. By evoking certain emotions, music moves us to grow and experience situations in different ways. The song Hey Ya by Outkast is a song that lifts my spirits and makes me smile. The upbeat and exciting patterns of the music keep me interested and excited. Many lyrics of the song are light and fun allowing the music to bring smiles to the listener. This different versus create changing dynamics that lead to raised engagement in the listeners, making the song very fun and enjoyable. Not only do the words and beats cause this song to evoke emotion, the associations we have will bring us joy too. This song sparks memories of singing and dancing with my friends. These memories bring me joy and make me want to relive the experience every time I hear the tune. The dynamics, lyrics and connections of this song cause me to feel happy when I hear it. My emotions and music genres go hand in hand as different genres of music make me feel different ways. Demi Lovato’s Stone Cold is a song that brings a sad feeling over me. While the lyrics play a big role in this emotion, the raw and yearning tone of the vocals contribute a big part to the feeling. Demi sings with a distinct pain in her voice that is translated with the support of the powerful music behind her. This song evokes an emotion that is different from many of her other upbeat tracks. Music is capable of generating the basic emotions of happiness and sadness, but music also has the ability to be more complex. For example The Big Ship by Brian Eno is a song that evokes mixed emotions within me. The electric instrumental music puts me in a state of focus and calm. With this, my current emotion can be explored and defined with the help of the music. Each beat guides me into the next part of my thought sequence bringing my emotions to a defined point.