Without music, there would be a very big hole to fill,” said Zeb Pischnotte, a professor of writing at the U.
For Pischnotte, it’s all about electronic dance music. He said it puts him in a sort of trance. And, when it comes to grading students’ papers, listening to music, he said, is “the only thing that gets me through it.”
Pischnotte also said he finds people’s taste in music to be somewhat linked to their personalities. He finds that people who listen to repetitive music are more likely to be Type A personalities.
Baylee Bingham, a sophomore in psychology, uses music to wind down and motivate herself.
She said she listens to a little bit of everything, except country music. Bingham finds music important because one song can connect a large group of people.
Alex Tran, a freshman in biology, said music brings together people who have a common interest. Tran, a self-proclaimed music producer since his freshman year of high school, enjoys electronic dance music the most.
Katie Young, a junior in chemical engineering, is a fan of bluegrass music. She views music as a way to feel different emotions and said music does not reflect who she is as a person.
Cole Wilkes, a freshman in computer science, is a fan of hardcore music, such as the band Korn. He said he used to hate it until he realized how much thought goes into the lyrics of this genre. This inspired him to form a band in high school called “Chalk,” where he played as the drummer.
Wilkes is also a fan of rap. He said it has a poetic feel and an impressive flow.
“I feel like it is good for the soul,” he said. “It helps you relax.”
John Wright, a junior in business marketing, said music needs to have some sort of redeeming value in order to actually qualify as “music.” He said music seems to play such an important role in society because of its accessibility.
“You can carry it with you and find what’s best for you,” Wright said. “It’s a social phenomenon that’s pushed things.”
Felipe Noriega, an international student from Brazil, said music here is very different from his country.
First, he said, popular raps in the United States tend to convey messages about partying, while in Brazil, raps have more of a political agenda. Noriega said the instruments are also different — Brazil uses the bongos more.
Paige Delnort, an undecided sophomore, said she previously wanted to get a tattoo of one of her favorite music lyrics. She said the lyric “there is,” from a Boxcar Racer song, is her personal way of “not feeling alone.” She said music is a good way to get her feelings out and help her to accept what her feelings are.
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