Attending Performances - It was Only a Matter of Time - Klarke Bradwell Class of 2029

On September 16, 2025, I attended Laufey’s “A Matter of Time” Tour at State Farm Arena with my friend, Jordyn. Laufey, an Icelandic-Chinese jazz artist, captivated me with her song "Valentine” in 2021, and I’ve been a devoted fan ever since. Her music explores themes of love, heartache, and self-image, which deeply resonated with me. I had similar experiences discussed in her songs growing up, and it was comforting to see someone overcome similar struggles and emerge triumphant. It inspired me to keep going, and even though my current experiences aren’t ideal, they will improve.

Before the concert, I was more mellow than I thought; however, once the concert began, I did a complete 180 and was screaming and singing throughout the entire concert. “Valentine” and “Letter to My 13 Year Old Self” garnered the largest reaction from me. “Valentine” was the first song from Laufey I heard, and it held a special place in my heart. While “Letter to My 13 Year Old Self” acknowledges the struggles of growing up not looking like those around you and struggling with self-confidence, once she grows up, she achieves everything she dreamed of when she was 13. This was the last song of the concert, and while I was listening to her sing, I began to reflect on my journey.

 I believe I am currently experiencing the theme of “Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self.” I am slowly but surely taking steps towards my goal while battling self-image issues. Every day isn't perfect, but growth is not a linear path. Failure or rejection is not denial but instead redirection. If I had gotten those concert tickets 4 years ago, I wouldn’t have gained the same message that I did today. I find a similar message in my computer science class while completing assignments. Assignments can take a long time to complete and require patience to find bugs; however, I need to persevere to have a working program. Persevering through failure teaches me different ways to adapt and makes me a better coder at the end of the day. Having delayed success is essential because it teaches patience and resilience, which you wouldn’t have gotten had you succeeded the first time.

By: Klarke Bradwell