Hello my name is Anne Mendis and I am a Biology Major with a Spanish Minor. I live in the town of Floral Park right here on Long Island. However, when I was younger I lived in College Point Queens and even Sri Lanka. I am a fraternal twin with a guy and have a younger sister. My parents are both from Sri Lanka with Portuguese roots down their family line. Music has been the catalyst of many adventures and has created a certain soundtrack to my life.

Every single part of life can be traced back to a certain song. A beat, a calculated melody, or a familiar tune can send me spiraling back  to any moment in my life. When I was younger it was the classical Sri Lankan hymns and artists my parents played every single day. The vocals were of a calypso nature with heavy drums and a island flair. These hymns and songs remind me of long car rides and early mornings with hot milk tea and biscuits.

My childhood to teen years were full of radio hits from 102.7 lite f.m to 106.7 lite f.m. A mix of 2000’s hits and some old music thrown in there to ring back old and nostalgic American tunes.  I was eleven when I first heard American music and was drawn into the radio’s catchy phrases and America’s beloved hit songs. However, as much as I loved the radio my music taste grew and desired more as I hit high school.

High School was the discovery of rock music, indie music, and 80’s classics. These genres fueled not only my music creativity but my passion for art. Drawing, Painting, and just Art in general is a passion of mine and music is the starting point of all my works. Freddie Mercury’s “It’s a Kind of Magic” makes my hand go wild in a frantic sketching motion. Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”  is the ballad to many late nights drawing and painting. My  art is filled with the voices of artists such as Foster the People, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, and  so much more. Music and Art helped to create the escape from mundane everyday life and to help me truly discover who I am.

I can honestly say the most amazing feeling in the world is finding that one song that truly fits your mood, putting your ear buds in, playing the music just enough to block out some background noise, and then just walking wherever you’re going. It’s like being in a movie except it’s your reality and music is there making it unbelievably better.