Find a Friend in Music

By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell, Editor-in-Chief

Spending the past several months isolated in our homes, music has helped us feel less alone. It's there whenever we need it and always has the right words to say. Music has become one of the most important members of your quarantine crew.

Madeline Noelle, a University of Georgia student, is thankful music has comforted her during COVID.

"Music has been my constant companion throughout COVID. It’s brought me a lot of joy and comforted me in some very difficult times. Specifically, 'Chromatica' by Lady Gaga has been one of the albums that was released at such a pivotal point for me personally as well as it being around initial wave of the pandemic when the first singles were released."

Khaaliq Crowder, a recent University of New Haven graduate now working as a Community Curator at Snap Inc., says listening to music has always been a type of therapy for him, even before COVID.

"Listening to music is a form of self-care and therapy for me. I would say that it gets my mind off of my troubles. Music is the soundtrack to my life. I can put on my expensive earphones and feel like I'm in a completely different world. Some days I'm sad. Some days I want to feel like I'm in a club dancing even though we can't. Some days I'm enraged by the racial uprising in my country. Some days I need to know that there's a light at the end of my tunnel. There's a song for every different feeling. It calms me down and lets me know everything is going to be okay."

For Noelle, COVID has influenced the music she has listened to, finding comfort in listening to records her parents played for her as a kid.

"COVID has absolutely influenced my taste in music. I’ve revisited a lot of artists and albums that I haven’t listened to in years. My parents grew up in the 1980s, so a huge part of my childhood was listening to the bands that brought them a lot of joy when they were teenagers. Listening to Queen, KISS, and few 80s dark wave bands has been really nostalgic."

Crowder says that COVID has also had some impact on the music he has listened to.

"For most of 2020, the pandemic left me unemployed, isolated from face-to-face interaction with friends and family, broke, without a routine, and with few professional opportunities. That said, I got genuinely depressed, and so I sat at home and barely left my room some days. When I’m sad, depressed, and dwelling on past trauma, I'll consume music that reflects that."

Crowder says he played many "depressing" songs at low points during isolation.

"Depressing songs include "Grand Piano" by Nicki Minaj, "Better in Time" by Leona Lewis, "Sumthin' Wicked This Way Comes" by TLC, "Bag Lady" by Erykah Badu. It's mostly ballads and, to the lesser extent, midtempo that I play when I’m going through it. I played 'B7' by Brandy a lot, and that album centered around mental illness, which I was dealing with."

He also used music as an escape tactic.

"At the same time, I also love escapism. Hence, I played songs old and new that could be a distraction from this global health crisis and racial uprisings, such as Dua Lipa’s 'Future Nostalgia' and Teyana Taylor’s 'The Album.' I mostly listen to R&B and pop music."

Neither Noelle or Crowder have seen any social-distanced live performer during the pandemic, but Noelle appreciates all of the artists who had played livestreams during this time.

"I've really appreciated how many artists have adapted to the times. A local Athens, GA band, Vision Video, started doing livestreams on Twitch and it's been fun to interact with them online. Livestreams are a great option right now, but I'm looking forward to seeing live concerts again."

After feeling creatively cheated during COVID isolation, Noelle has recently felt inspired to start making music of her own.

"I'm actually starting to make music now. COVID kind of robbed me and so many others of creativity. Spending a lot of time alone and has given me time to think about the music I want to make and the messages I want to share with people."

Noelle realizes how impactful music can be, and it’s important to her that the lyrics she releases make a positive imprint, specifically bringing awareness to mental health.

"Right now, my lyrics and work are focused on talking about mental health because COVID has made it blatantly apparent that we still don’t talk about mental wellbeing enough."

Crowder says he has missed live music the most during COVID and is looking forward to when he can attend a show again.

"I'm an avid concert-goer, and that's the biggest thing I miss."