Eliza Pluckhorn
Being a part of a fandom is not a cliche, no matter how many people may frown others favorite band or celebrity. Being a dedicated fan is an important part of self care, and allows fans to find true enjoyment in something to the point where they go out of their way to spend money and time towards being a better version of themselves, both as happy people and fans.
For many people, music fandoms are a bigger part of their life than they may even realize. Attending concerts, buying vinyls, shirts, stickers, all fall into the category of being a part of a fandom. The most well known fandoms arguably go along with movies or television series, and events like comic con come to mind for many. Going all out and dressing like your favorite character is widely known as the most obsessed way to go about being a fan.
I personally ADORE certain musicians. I went through my own boy band obsessed phase, One Direction in 2012, to a better version of myself. I allowed myself to start enjoying the music without becoming absolutely obsessed with who’s creating it. I wholeheartedly still consider myself a slightly over obsessed music fan, with dreams of meeting members of my favorite bands. The creation and delivery of music never fails to leave me in awe, especially when that music is delivered by my favorite artists, such as Dr. Dog, Father John Misty, STRFKR, and Tame Impala. Meeting the Generationals earlier this year took me by surprise, and their signed vinyl is what I could easily claim is one of the coolest things I own. Being a fan is not something new to me, but my personal changes through different forms of fandoms has helped shape me as a person as well as an avid music listener.
