11Senior Issue
From Vinyl to CD to MP3... My music is ever evolving
Taylor du Pont DJ TayRex
I remember the first time that I saw a turntable like it was yesterday. At the time, I was only around five-years-old, and ended up stumbling upon the old machine in a game of hide-and-seek. My grandfather, who was standing nearby, walked over to the old player and delicately taught me how to place the record on the platter, and how to place the needle on the spinning record without scratching it. My grandfather introduced me to jazz and classical music, and shaped the core of my music taste. He taught me that music is a true form of art, and that it is ever evolving. Ever since those early stages of my childhood, my musical taste has evolved in correlation to particular events and changes in my adolescent years.
Before the days of the iPod, my taste was formed solely by my role models. My mother’s passion for Fleetwood Mac, my dad’s obsession with the Dave Matthews Band (I could have sworn that he was a groupie. He followed them around on tour) and my grandfather’s love for jazz music, all infused into one musically diverse child. While other elementary students were listening to Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys, I was watching DVD’s of Dave’s live shows and playing air drums to Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk.” In fifth grade, I started to explore music on my own terms. I was presented with my first iPod, and filled all two gigabytes with John Mayer. At that age, I could have sworn that John was the most talented musician in the entire universe, and I could not see past his smooth guitar playing and raspy voice.
As I encountered my first failure, my first loss, my first love and my first heartbreak towards the end of middle school, I deleted John’s simple songs and replaced them with an array of genres and songs that more appropriately reflected my emotions, and my ever evolving state of mind and maturity. Through music database sites, such as Pandora and 8tracks, I explored nearly every genre, even delving into some techno and classical. I found that there was a genre for every mood, and a song for every situation. When I was feeling carefree and inspired, I would listen to chill “beachy” bands such as The Beautiful Girls or Bedouin Soundclash. If I was in a darker mood, I would listen to bands like Modest Mouse or Led Zeppelin. The past four years of high school have been the most pivotal in the development in my musical taste. After my grandfather passed a few years ago, the turntable that introduced me to music, was passed down to me. I started to collect records, finding used ones at old thrift shops, borrowing a few from my dad, and scavenging through Urban Outfitters for decent music. I found that my favorite songs were songs that stand the test of time, such as “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd, or “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding. The lead vocals are strong and un-synthesized, and the band members can actually play their instruments, instead of typing notes out on a computer. They also express emotions that words alone cannot. I’ve learned that pop and rap music just really are not my thing, but rather, I enjoy listening to alternative, indie, classic rock and instrumentals. Who knows, maybe this indie/rock and roll preference is just a phase (like my John Mayer obsession), but I know that my taste will only evolve positively in the future. Our environment, family and personal experiences shape our music taste and that makes all of our tastes different, unique and beautiful.
Seniors share their summer playlists Dan Getz Genre: Livetronica Favorite Song: Golden Gate
I’ve been listening to a lot of STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9). They’re an electronic jam band and are unbelievable in concert. I went to see them in NYC on 4/20 and it was easily one of the best nights of my life. Sara Gessinger Genre: Assorted I’m constantly being influenced by music that I hear when I’m with my family and friends. When I was a kid I learned about Norah Jones from my dad, Backstreet Boys from my sisters, and Aaron Carter from my friends. Although I’m still in love with those classics, I intertwine them in with popular songs on the radio today like songs by FUN and Taylor Swift. Pete Johnson Genre: Rock Favorite Song: Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You I like listening to Led Zeppelin because the music just speaks to me. I’m a big guitar fan and Jimmy Page can really shred it up.
Martel Bruno Genre: Country My favorite genre of music is definitely country and I especially love Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert. I think country music is so relatable; these artists put so much emotion and honesty into their lyrics. And, at the same time their songs can be really upbeat and fun to sing along to. Nick Gallo Genre: Hip Hop/ Rock Favorite Songs: Angel, Skipping Stones I’m into all kinds of music but my favorite group would be Flipsyde, a Hip-Hop/Rock group. They blend multiple genres of music together and have a very unique style. I love the upbeat vibe they create because it always puts me in a good mood. Evelyn Luchs Genre: Indie Pop
I enjoy Coeur de Pirate because her music has really poetic lyrics and a sense of serenity that I really love. (Plus it’s in French, so last year during AP French I would tell myself listening to her music counted as studying).
Ariana Ross Genre: Hip Hop Favorite Song: Far Fowls The top spot in my list of favorite artists would probably have to go to Nujabes, who was a Japanese hip hop producer making jazz inspired, melodic beats from the late 90’s until his death in 2010. His soulful and cheerful aesthetic sets him apart from other producers because of the strong passion and emotional presence in his music. Jack Howard Genre: Assorted Favorite Song: Let the Good Times Roll I listen to a wide variety of music from the up beat tempo of Cher Lloyd’s Oath all of the way to my personal favorite Stay Schemin’ by: Rick Ross. At the end of the day though, I have always been a fan of the band The Cars. I like their music for multiple reasons, but it’s very positive classical rock. Kate Ray Genre: Alternative Favorite Song: Fell in Love With a Girl My favorite bands are The Black Keys and The White Stripes. I listen to a lot of classic rock and blues.
Check out these digital jukeboxes! Pandora uses the Music Genome Project in order to customize free radio stations for listeners. Users are able to type in their favorite artists to create stations. When a user likes a song, the song is repeated on the station at a later date, whereas if a user dislikes a song, the song will no longer be played on that particular station. Pandora now has a feature that allows users to shuffle their various stations to create a more diverse listening experience. 8tracks is not only a internet
radio, but it is also largely a social networking website. Users create free accounts in order to stream their hand-picked playlists and listen to other users “mixes.” Each playlist or mix is at least eight songs long, and are accompanied by a description, tags and a picture. The website also features a section to comment and like different mixes, as well as follow other users.
Soundcloud is a social
media website that allows users to share their own music with the internet. Although some established artists use Soundcloud as a means of advertising their music, many lesser known artists use it as a way to distribute their sound. Soundcloud is free unless you want to unlock more advanced features by paying a subscription fee.
Upcoming Summer Concerts Artist
Date
Location
Rogue Wave
6/22
Bowery Ballroom
Dave Matthews Band
6/25 & 6/26
Nikon @ Jones Beach theater
The Black Keys
7/9
Comcast Theatre
Taylor Swift
7/13
MetLife Stadium
Gregory Alan Isakov
7/18
The Bowery Ballroom
Wilco
7/19
The Ball Park @ Harbor Yard
Miranda Lambert
7/27
PNC Bank Arts Center
The Killers
8/8
Prudential Center, NJ
Matt & Kim
8/10
WilliamsburgPark, Brooklin
Emeli Sande
8/28
Rumsey Playfield, NYC