I reach for music in almost every setting because it shapes my mood. Up-tempo tracks in the car fire me up for the library, the gym, or work; softer songs after a long day help me unwind and keep things in perspective. Whatever the situation, music is my reset button, reminding me everything will be okay.

“Jungle” by Tash Sultana opens with a hushed, hypnotic pulse that feels like a slow inhale. Layers of looping guitar, heartbeat drums, and ghost-like echoes build in intensity until the song swells into a roaring, full-body rush. When Tash hits that raw vocal peak, it cuts straight through me—part exhilaration, part vulnerability—and everything else drops away. Each listen drags me back to the night I first told my girlfriend I loved her, heart hammering in sync with the track’s crescendo, suspended in that same charged, electric air.

Yes, music has been a lifelong pursuit. I trained in classical piano and drums, taught myself guitar, and, since COVID, have focused on EDM, DJing, and producing original tracks while playing small gigs in New York City and Washington, D.C.