Junior J.J. Gisselquist listens to music throughout the day whenever they have the chance, “I feel like music is a really good way [for me] to express feelings and emotions, but it’s also just a really enjoyable thing to just sit back and relax to. I find it interesting that through music, someone else is able to make you feel a certain way,” Gisselquist said.

Whether it be while relaxing in their room, or doing chores, “I think good spaces to listen to music are where you can zone everything and everyone else out and just pay attention to the music. It’s also fun to focus on the music when you’re doing something else because it makes life more interesting. You can see songs in a new light and gain a better appreciation for them,” Gisselquist said.

Gisselquist has been doing musical theater since they were six-years-old, and some favorite musicals that they have been a part of include Les Miserables, Urinetown, and Music Man.

“One of my favorite music genres is musical theater because of its storytelling aspect. I think it’s cool that someone can tell a story through music, and not just through dialogue like Shakespeare did a long time ago. It’s really impressive when people can tell stories through music and do it right because I get wrapped up in the story and follow the emotions of the actors,” Gisselquist said.

Gisselquist believes that when one is part of a show that they can gain a better appreciation for its music.

“When you first listen to an album from a show you focus on the plot and understanding the words, but then once you have been a part of the show you already know the plot and the words so you can pay attention to different aspects of the music like the orchestration and the backgrounds. You’re able to go past the two-dimensional music into something that is better,” Gisselquist said.

“I’ve been playing music since I was in kindergarten or first grade and it’s been a large part of my life ever since. Music has always been a constant in my life and I’ll always be able to appreciate it,” Gisselquist said.

Check out Gisselquist’s playlist on YouTube.