Good morning, Dr. Moore, Members of the Board of Directors, Ms. Francis, faculty, staff, parents and Members of the Class of 2024:
I stand here today completely honored to be your graduation speaker. Even though you just listened to my bio, I can assure you that there was a time, back when I roamed senior hall, when I wouldn’t have seemed a likely candidate for this occasion. My grades were average; my college options were minimal, and my attitude left a lot of room for improvement.
I had a great time in my last couple of years of high school, though. In fact, I enjoyed Algebra One so much that I took it twice. I liked yearbook class and being able to leave campus to sell ads, and I also had fun in PE when our teacher allowed us to jog around town for the entire period. In my 12th grade year, I fought for the senior superlative of class clown the way some teens campaign for student government. I’m happy to say that I was successful in that endeavor.
Despite my antics and overall lack of seriousness, I received a special recognition on this very stage on the evening of June 1, 1997: the Ethel Price Heckman Bland music award. If I’m being completely honest, I earned that award more so because I wrote a solid essay, than because of my musical abilities. I am neither a vocalist, nor an instrumentalist. But I am a melophile, a true music lover, and you would be hard pressed to find someone who appreciates the power of song more than I do.
Music, as you likely already know, can reach us in ways that other things, and sometimes even people, cannot. Music can console and heal. It can connect, inspire and teach. Music can provide comfort during difficult times and celebrate with us in our moments of triumph.
So, it seemed fitting, on the day that you begin the next step of your journey, that I share with you the gift of song. I have made you a playlist of songs you can turn to through different seasons of life. I’m not saying that they will all be your favorites, but I can tell you that I selected each one because it contains lyrics or a message worth sharing and remembering.
1. For starters, I want you to have some songs for the good times, whether you’re feeling “Happy” like Pharrell, “On Top of the World” like Imagine Dragons or in the midst of a true “Celebration” with Kool & the Gang. I want to encourage you to celebrate your life events beyond what is often considered a special occasion. Don’t wait only for birthdays, graduations, and weddings, but celebrate the smaller successes, too – an A on a paper, a job offer, a first paycheck, or dinner with a friend.
2. I have included some songs with messages of comfort and reminders that you are not alone. Allow Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and the Wailers to reassure you that “every little thing IS going to be alright.” Let Carol King remind you, “When you’re down and troubled” that “You’ve Got a Friend.” And in the moments when the world feels especially dark, lean on the promise of a new day and a fresh start with “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.
3. I also decided to add a few one-hit wonders to your playlist. We often think of an artist with only one hit song in a negative context. We tend to focus on the fact that there wasn’t a follow-up hit instead of the other big truth – that they produced a chart-topping song. In many instances, these artists made millions from a singular success, and their songs have stood the test of time. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to imagine a world without “Kung Fu Fighting,” Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” or The Proclaimers “I’m Gonna Be”, more popularly known as 500 Miles. Perhaps these songs can serve as a reminder to take an occasional risk and not to take yourself too seriously.
4. I hope you won’t mind that I’ve included a few songs for your parents who are undoubtedly wading through a variety of emotions as you close out your high school experience. They are wishing “these days hadn’t gone by so fast” as Trace Adkins sang in “You’re Gonna Miss This.” Be kind to them when they linger in your doorway a little longer or send a few too many texts. Try to remember that while for you, this day took forever to get here, for them, it was only yesterday when they bought your first backpack. I have no doubt that your parents are proud of your efforts and accomplishments thus far. And regardless of your immediate plans, what they want most of all is for you to enjoy your life and take advantage of opportunities and experiences. As Lee Ann Womack sang, “when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, THEY hope you dance.”
5. Because this is YOUR playlist, it only makes sense that some of your songs are on it. On Wednesday, March 13, I asked Ms. Conaway if she could collect a list of your favorite tunes and send them to me by the end of the month. The next day, they were in my inbox. It made me wonder if you were this prompt with all of your submissions this year, or if you really liked this task. Either way, you aced the assignment.
You sent songs with messages about appreciating what you have like Gavin Adcock’s Ain’t No Cure and songs that celebrate the party atmosphere and pay tribute to a hard day’s work like Jason Aldean’s Lights Come on and Brooks & Dunn’s Boot Scootin’ Boogie.
You sent songs with lyrics that offer wisdom and advice, like “take your time, don’t live too fast, troubles will come and they will pass” in Simple Man by Shinedown and songs with themes about making the world and ourselves better including Creed’s Higher and Cody Johnson’s By Your Grace.
You shared songs that make you laugh like the familiar Beastie Boys’ vibe of Double Jump by Joey Valence and Brae, as well as tunes that can commiserate with you on the days that seem to be filled with more thorns than roses like Flower Shops by Ernest, featuring Morgan Wallen.
You also sent songs about charting your own course in life like Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, leaving your mark on the world in Tattoos on This Town and songs about making your dreams come true like Baby Girl by Sugarland.
A playlist with all of these songs and a few more can be found in my Spotify library under the title Tidewater Academy Class of 2024. I hope that you will listen to it, enjoy it and perhaps even learn a new song or two.
Before I close, I’d like to leave you with one final song that contains what I consider one of life’s most important messages. There will be times when you are fighting for something you believe in and no one is standing next to you. I hope you will remember that being alone in your fight does not mean you are wrong. In 1969, Cass Elliot sang,
“Nobody can tell ya
There’s only one song worth singing…
You’ve gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along.”
Congratulations, Class of 2024. We can’t wait to hear the music you make!
Melissa Face 