Celica Cook
Student Writer
For some people, their tattoo was a decision made on a whim. For others, it was planned out far in advance. However, for senior Abby La Bianca, the decision was made when she faced an almost deadly accident.
How many tattoos do you have, and can you describe what they are?
I only have one tattoo. It’s the words, “Music makes me braver” and it’s few inches above my right hip.
What does your tattoo mean?
The initial idea for my tattoo was behind the phrase the orchestral group Two Steps From Hell came up with for branding purposes. That specific orchestral group has made a profound impact on my life for years, and I know will continue to inspire me to live a breathtaking and meaningful life in the future.
What inspired you to get your tattoo?
I got my tattoo last year, a couple months after a serious accident that almost took my life. I had been wanting a tattoo for a while but was just looking for a good enough reason to get one. Ultimately, it was the accident that inspired it. While working as a tech for a concert tour, a 600-pound speaker stack fell onto my side during a load-out. It fractured my pelvis in three places. I was lucky to have survived that and have merely ended up with an injury that kept me from walking on my own two feet for about a month. It could have been a lot worse. That accident forced me to realize how fragile life can be, and how important it is to make it as meaningful as possible while I can. With a changed outlook on life, an even stronger determination to pursue my field as a tech in the music industry, and a slowly-healing wound to remind me to never take life for granted, I decided to place my tattoo exactly where the speaker had fallen on me.
What is your advice to anyone who is looking to get their first tattoo?
My advice to anyone debating on whether or not to get a tattoo would be to wait until you have something that’s important enough to you that you will put it on your body forever and feel no regret. Let your tattoos reflect who you are as a person, the things that you have experienced, and the things that mean a lot to you. If you get them wisely, they can be such a reward.