By Miki Patel

Music is like a drug that Loy Norrix Senior Brian Griffin can’t get enough of.

“I carry my iPod around everywhere I go so I can listen to it when I’m just walking around and have nothing else to do. My life pretty much revolves around my iPod. I value my iPod very much because it allows me to drown out things I don’t want to hear. It’s just hard to live without one,” said Griffin.

While some people may think of music as a distraction while doing school work, Griffin thinks otherwise. Music helps Griffin study in a better environment. “It makes doing homework easier because I don’t have to listen to any other distractions,” said Griffin.

Griffin’s favorite song right now is ‘What This Means to Me,’ by I See Stars. “This is my favorite song because I like the way it sounds and the beat of the song is really cool too,” said Griffin.

I See Stars is an American post-hardcore band that was formed in 2006.They have released one full-length album so far and are currently working on their second studio album. Their first album reached number 176 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.

Escape the Fate is one of Griffin’s favorite bands. “Escape the Fate was one of the first bands I started listening to and I fell in love with it instantly,” said Griffin.

Escape the Fate is an American post-hardcore band that was formed in 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They have released two full-length studio albums so far. Their third album is set to come out on November 2, 2010.

“I listen to music about 12 hours a day. The only time I don’t listen to music is when I’m in school,” said Griffin.

This is way more than the average number of hours teenagers spend listening to music per day. Studies have shown that teenagers listen to an average of about 2.5 hours of music per day.

Studies have shown that the kind of music people listen to have an impact on their lives. “Music is well-known to connect deeply with adolescents and to influence identity development, perhaps more than any other entertainment medium,” said one researcher in a study from the University of Pittsburgh.

Griffin picks his music based on his mood. “My music affects my personality because it’s a good way to overcome depression or anger,” said Griffin.

While 92 percent of teenagers have turned to pop and hip-hop music, Griffin is part of the 8 percent who still enjoys listening to rock. “I like rock music because the songs have a really nice beat and I just like the way it sounds,” said Griffin.