University of Regina English 100 Essay: Musical Epiphany Experience

This English essay, written for University of Regina's English 100 course, is an autobiographical piece detailing a pivotal moment of epiphany in the author's life. The essay centers around the profound impact of the rock band Pink Floyd and their music, particularly the song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond." The author describes how encountering this music, especially through YouTube, triggered a deep emotional and intellectual awakening, altering their perspective on life, sorrow, and the human condition. The essay explores the author's personal connection to the music, its ability to provide solace during difficult times, and its influence on their understanding of life and the world. The author also reflects on the band's influence on their emotional state, highlighting how the music has helped them deal with personal challenges and find inspiration to move forward. The essay showcases the author's personal growth and the role that music played in shaping their worldview.

Running head: ENGLISH ESSAY
ENGLISH ESSAY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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ENGLISH ESSAY
This paper seeks to focus on what has been the moment of true epiphany that has
taken place in my life in recent times. The paper will describe the incident that has helped in
the awakening of my soul. Multiple things happen in one’s life but everything that takes place
cannot be as helpful as the moment that brings epiphany to one’s life. Now the motive of the
paper is to find out the vivid detail of the moment and the people associated with the time of
epiphany.
I am an avid worshipper of music. I thought I have always plunged my ears into good
music until I came in touch with the music created by a rock band that was commenced in
London in the year 1965, namely, Pink Floyd. Barrett, one of the members of the band fused
two of the names and named the band as Pink Floyd (Abdi & Young, 2017). I have heard
Beethoven and Mozart with all my heart and soul. I was deeply moved by the music they
have gifted to the human civilization. I could not think of anything more than The Beatles
and Bob Dylan when I heard them for the first time. However, my soul was never shaken and
the flamboyance of music was never really tasted by me.
I was in tenth standard when I heard the number called “Mother” for the first time. I
cannot lie about the fact that it did not mean much to me that time but my father kept on
insisting me to explore Pink Floyd. I did not pay heed to him that time and kept on pursuing
with my own kind of taste in music (Bannister, 2017). When I accidentally clicked on “Shine
on You Crazy Diamond” that popped up in the YouTube suggestion while I was spending
time in YouTube, my life has changed entirely. YouTube has been the greatest mentor to
have opened the door to the vast unknown that seemed to be unfathomable for me at the
initial stage. However this song with the part “You reached for the secret too soon, you cried
for the moon” has engrossed me so much that I felt like drowning in the ocean of sorrow and
mirth at the same time (Wilsmore, 2018). I had experienced the joy of existence and
truthfulness of mankind. The song has taught me how the human world resides in the myth of

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contradiction yet gets threatened by the shadow of own plight. This specific song is
responsible for making me delve into this genre more affectionately. This song is also written
in order to dedicate it to Syed Barrett who has probably the greatest contribution in making
Pink Floyd reach its zenith.
One commendable thing about this song is the opening part of the song that is
inevitably instrumental. The vehement use of double piano, bass, guitar, drum has transported
the song to the pinnacle of perfection. The song has introduced me to a couple of instruments,
namely, saxophone and theremin (Unwin, 2017). With the final blow of saxophone, I could
not restrain myself from hovering in the firmament. The song has taught me to deal with the
silent lunacy that everybody carries within. When I found myself to be depressed and
scattered amidst the society even when I am surrounded with my family and friends thins
song has elevated my mood every time without any fail.
I have seen my father going through serious traumatic disorder and my family falling
apart. However this song along with the other songs of Pink Floyd have taught me to never
give up and continue life the way it appears to us. The song has been an inspiration for me to
leave my worries and miseries behind and live my life. The song cheers me up through the
moments of every agonizing vicissitudes and throws me up in vast space where salvation
becomes inevitable. My playlist works as a healing remedy that slowly is burying all the
wounds especially this song. Whatever will happen in my life in future, I will always have to
be indebted to YouTube because it has showed me the real stairway to life.
Therefore it can be concluded that no matter what happens in my life, Pink Floyd is
irreplaceable. The day I began to know Pink Floyd, I have started to know what life looks
like. I have started believing that life and peace can be restored from the ruins and carcass
and that has been solely taught by Pink Floyd.

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References
Abdi, S., & Young, S. (2017). ‘The eyes have it’. Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd. The British
Journal of Psychiatry, 210(5), 314-314.
Bannister, M. (2017). Dark side of the men: Pink Floyd, classic rock and white masculinities.
In 'Speak to Me': The Legacy of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (pp.
43-55). Routledge.
Unwin, P. (2017). Roger Waters and Pink Floyd: The Concept Albums. Canadian Journal of
Communication, 42(3).
Wilsmore, R. (2018). The Pink Floyd Intensity: Humanity, aesthetics and the breathless fan.