I like this line.

My parents were (and still are) bad at validating my feelings. I saw things like good grades in school, teachers liking my work, etc. as ways to get validation in other forms. And, of course, sought it from other people, mainly authority figure types, but also friends and romantic partners. Hm...and I guess music in a sense, too--hearing other people sing about what I'm feeling provides a form of validation, I think.