By Elise Clark

*There comes a time in a young person’s life when they usually face an identity struggle. *What they want to do with their lives, how their skills develop, who they choose to spend their time with, etc. *A band named Green Day is responsible for the discovery of my identity as both an artist and a writer. In the Beginning

*Green Day’s original name was Sweet Children *The band was formed in Oakland, California in *They remain well known for the outrageous hairstyles, hedonistic tendencies, and over the top teenage angst of their early days. *Along with bands such as Nirvana, they played a large role in defining the music of the 90’s. *Within the next two decades they would release eight studio albums, win five Grammys and 86 other music awards, and gain a large and dedicated fan base. Background Info

Billie Joe Armstrong Members Guitar, Lead Vocals, & Lyrics

Mike Dirnt Members Bass Guitar & Backup Vocals

Tre Cool Members Drums

*At the time of the release of American Idiot, I was a fifth grader who had never really been exposed to modern music. *By the time I discovered Green Day, my sixth grade year was well underway. I’d never had many friends until that year. One of them introduced me to Green Day the day that we met. *In the moment that the melodious sound of an energetic guitar riff reached my ears, a new era of my life was born. My Story

*From that day forward Green Day would be my favorite band; my new obsession. *I followed them through concert tours, publicity stunts, the release of a new album and countless magazine interviews. *When they were nominated for a Grammy in 2009, I was in front of the TV cheering them on. When their newest album, 21 st Century Breakdown was released that same year, I took home a copy that day. I had pre-ordered it weeks in advance. When the first leg of their tour that summer kicked off, I had already received my tickets in the mail. 21 st Century Breakdown hit the stage as a Broadway play in 2010, and I am anxious to go see it in January. *This is typical of a dedicated fan; however, leading me to impulsively spend large amounts of money is not where the real difference was made. ‘The New Era’

*One might wonder how a band such as Green Day could influence something as seemingly unrelated as my literacy. *I’ll be the first to admit that, though the lyrics are brilliant in my eyes, they were not written by Shakespeare. The majority of their early material revolved around young love, drugs, and alcohol. This is to be expected when young, reckless adults write lyrics. As they evolved, their music became shockingly political. None of these topics are something that alone could influence the way I think about literature and language; however, it was their spirit and drive to make their opinions known that caught my interest and changed everything. Green Day and My Literacy

*I learned to play the guitar. I began taking lessons when I was fifteen and have been taking them ever since. *I also began to attempt writing lyrics. *Some of the concepts of their songs were so powerful to me that I began to develop stories about them. This began several years of avid fiction writing. Because of Green Day……

~Conclusion~ In conclusion, Green Day is the reason I became as artistically diverse as I am. Introduced me to new musical experiences. Helped to spark an interest in creative writing. Played a large role in the development of my personality and self esteem. =r00ikilDxW4&ob=av3e v=q1RKr4pWOqs v=q1RKr4pWOqs