19 years ago we lost a father, hero and certified punk rocker. Kurt Cobain transformed the very face of rock and roll and although the man may be dead, the spirit continues to thrive.

Nirvana‰’s grunge and “don‰’t give a fuck‰” attitude helped change music as an art form entirely. Kurt and Nirvana are about abstract expression. It is not about a specific meaning or playing every note right. It is about creating noise…loud beautiful noise, sometimes just for the sake of breaking silence. Kurt believed the music itself was more important than the lyrics. Each listener can discern his or her own meaning and bring one’s life into the song.

Nirvana ignored all the rules. Their antics were like no other. You can‰’t have a Nirvana concert without equipment being destroyed and guitars being smashed. Kurt never let social convention get in his way and good for him that he didn‰’t. He had a great sense of humor and was known by friends for his pranks. When all is dark, a Cobain smile is there to release light and hope.

Kurt‰’s music resonated with the adolescents of Generation X. Even now, disillusioned youth, including myself, can connect with Kurt through his music. As long as people listen to Nirvana, Kurt will never truly die. Kurt‰’s scream captured the teenage angst we all have. The music is about expressing the rage and frustration. If our voices could not be heard, Kurt could speak for us.

An often-overlooked part of Kurt‰’s legacy is that he was a feminist. He cared very much about increasing the quality of women’s lives and eliminating male oppression. Nirvana always had an anti-misogynist and progressive take on rock music. Kurt Cobain was very much in favor of equality for all people and his activism through music rings as loudly as ever. It is up to all of us to follow his message and work toward making a difference.

Moreover, he loved his daughter, Frances Bean. After having a rough childhood that fundamentally altered him, Kurt was determined to be the best father he could be. He is described as being happiest when he was with Frances. He also had a tremendous amount of love to give. He really loved Courtney Love and his band mates, but perhaps more than anything we need to tell him that we love him and we will carry on his legacy.

Kurt is always there for me. His music speaks to alienated youth. Grunge is freedom. It is liberation. It‰’s about freedom from pain. Nirvana has helped me get through the tough times. Despite complaints about the noise, I still listen to Nirvana every single day. Nirvana has and always will be one of my two favorite bands of all time. Music is ageless. It‰’s amazing how I can bond with songs written years before I was born. Kurt inspired me to pick up the guitar during college even though I had no prior musical experience. Listening to the songs is one thing, but playing and singing along adds a whole new depth to the picture. I feel as though he is there with me and I can feel his emotion as I play the chords. Kurt may have been mortal, but his integrity and music will never die.

Every song is a masterpiece. Today, even after Nirvana‰’s end in 1994, millions of people around the world are still listening to Bleach, Nevermind and In Utero among other Nirvana pieces. Songs like “Come as You Are‰” have been covered in every way imaginable with various instruments. The music has touched base with a variety of different cultures around the world. Even though his songs are sometimes criticized for being musically simple, Kurt‰’s music was groundbreaking – orchestras would not have created sophisticated and absolutely beautiful music out of covers of Kurt‰’s songs. Kurt was also criticized for being a sloppy guitar player. The larger point that critics miss is that grunge is all about being shameless. The songs don‰’t have to be played exactly right and “messing up‰” can add value to the song. Kurt‰’s music was similar to Jackson Pollock‰’s art style. Like Pollock, Kurt was meticulous in constructing the right melody or strokes, but a slipped drop of paint here and there, like a missed or different chord, can add to the beauty of an art piece. There is no right or wrong. It‰’s about expression.

Nirvana‰’s 1992 performance at the reading festival is arguably the greatest rock concert of all time. Nirvana came out with limitless energy and added new notes to a number of songs. And let‰’s not forgot the dancing by Antony Hodgkinson on stage. Reading showcased the best rendition of “Smells Like Teen Spirit‰” by the band. Kurt was at his best in terms of performance.

The song and video of “You Know You‰’re Right,‰” one of the last songs Kurt ever wrote, is a sobering reminder of how profound Kurt‰’s influence is. The song helped us understand Kurt better as well. The video for the song is very touching, not to mention emotional.

Although Kurt‰’s death is a tragedy, we can do everything we can to push his legacy forward. Simply by listening and appreciating his music we are passing on his influence to future generations as those before us did. But more importantly, we need to respect the man and what he stood for. We should give him the love that sometimes he didn‰’t have but needed for himself. We should be thankful for all that he has done for us and use his death as a motivator to do our best every single day. We need to fight for equality and acceptance. Like Kurt said, “the duty of youth is to challenge corruption.” Above anything, I think Kurt would want us to be ourselves. Be proud of who you are and don‰’t change who you are to conform to society or please someone else. Be who you want to be.

We are Kurt Cobain.

We love you Kurt.