The strum of a chord. The hum of the note. The seemingly endless journey a piece can take you on.

Music is the chosen creative and emotional outlet of many people including PHS junior, Katie Keller who has been playing guitar since she was six and has found her voice and passion for life  through that wooden instrument and the music it can create.

“I feel like music in itself is a voice. It’s like sometimes when you’re watching a movie and it’s gonna be a really tense moment and there’s music playing in the background… (the music) says what the words couldn’t say,” Keller said.

Keller has tried to write songs to portray her feelings but hasn’t had much success. She knows that music helps her gather her thoughts and understand what she’s truly feeling so she’ll just stick to consuming, rather than creating it.

“(Music) makes me take a minute and think about me and where I’m at in my life. Often when I can’t figure out how I’m thinking and how my brains working, if I can just sit and listen to a song or something, it usually helps me sort out my mind,” Keller said.

As her journey with mental health has progress as she has gotten older, her connection to music has allowed her to put her past behind her. She has been able to learn how to play many different instruments which has helped her grow as a person.

“I feel like learning all the new instruments is kind of a way for me to put the past behind me and focus on something new and exciting. And I’ve always been like that, like let’s look ahead to the future type of person,” Keller said.