A walk through Brooklyn is filled with music and art, my senses saturated trying to take in everything I am experiencing. I hear a performer singing on a stage in front of City Hall, speakers vibrating around the square. Rap, hip hop, and K-pop blast out of cars speeding by, their individual sounds and rhythms combining to make Brooklyn’s unique soundtrack.

One of the great things about Brooklyn is its diversity, which is reflected in its music and art. Brooklyn is a melting pot with each ethnicity bringing its own flavor. People come from all different parts of the world and have their own cultures. This results in a rich and diverse music and art scene. It could be Latino music, like salsa and meringue, bringing a wide variety of art from all across Latin America. Or it could be the large African American community bringing rap and hip hop. Or the sound of soka and dance hall blaring from the speakers at the West Indian Day Parade as the city celebrates the beautiful costumes, colors, and cultures of the Caribbean; a memorial for Biggie Smalls on Atlantic Avenue; or Jay-Z’s old house just down the street from where I live. Each culture has its music and art showcased all across Brooklyn.

Music and art also build and bring together communities. Whether it is people watching a concert at the Barclays Center, or simply listening to a musician in the subway, one thing stays the same: people are gathered together to enjoy art as a whole. Though you may be standing next to someone of a different age or with different life experiences than you, both of you are sharing an experience of the music. This is an essential part of Brooklyn culture. Community is so vital to a group of people as it is what binds us together, and what gives us exposure to different cultures and people.

Brooklyn is also filled with inspiring visual arts. At the Brooklyn Museum, they have exhibits on Virgil Abloh and Kaws. On the streets, there are places like Arts Gowanus and Dumbo Walls. This influences artists like me and many other artists in their style and ideas.

Brooklyn has a style and culture of its own, fueled by its art and music. The images you see and the rhythms you hear reflect the culture that makes Brooklyn so unique.