Music is an extraordinary phenomenon that is scientifically explained as vibrating molecules, but has the power to bring out many emotions in people. In an article by the Dana Foundation, Dr. Robert Zatorre breaks down the importance of music. “Human beings seem to have innate musicality. That is, the capacity to understand and derive pleasure from complex musical patterns appears to be culturally universal. It is music’s power to communicate emotions, moods, or effective mental states that seems beneficial to our quality of life,” Zattore said.

With the influence music can hold on people, many SPA students take advantage of the increasing accessibility to music. With just an electronic device and a pair of headphones, one can listen to music practically anywhere, which is what so many students enjoy doing while going about their day.

Sullivan listens to calming, eclectic songs

Freshman Liam Sullivan likes to listen to a wide variety of music. “I like listening to music because it’s both calming and fun,” he said. His favorite songs consist of “Por Eso Vine” by Paulo Londra, “2009” by Mac Miller, “No Surprises” by Radiohead, and “Tangerine” by Led Zeppelin.

Choi dives into vastly different genres

From classical to folk, and pop to rap, sophomore Henry Choi loves to immerse himself in as many different genres as possible. “I think culture is represented by music; you can learn so much from different people,” he said. His five favorite songs are “Man of the Year” by Logic, Bach’s Cello Suite no. 4, “Waiting for Love” by Avicii, “Burn the House Down” by AJR, and “The Gambler” by Fun.

Farley stays productive with background music

Sophomore Eliza Farley said she “likes listening to music when I’m doing other things like homework and chores to make it more interesting.” Her favorite songs are “Der Kommissar” by Falco, “Gold” by Spandau Ballet, “My Finest Hour” by The Sundays, “She’s An Angel” by They Might Be Giants, and “Summer” by Joe Hisaishi.

Cox can’t escape the rap groove

Junior Rio Cox likes listening to rap because “[he] can just vibe out to it.” Cox listens to music whenever he can: in the hallways, while doing homework, he pretty much always has his AirPods in. Cox’s current go-to album is Donda by Kanye West. Although “[his] list of songs change all the time,” his current five favorite songs are “Doomsday” by MF DOOM, “Antisocial” by Slump6, “Jugaste y Sufrí” by Eslabón Armado, “STATS” by Baby Keem, and “Tell Em” by Cochise and $not.

Hofmann stays centered with upbeat tunes

Senior Mia Hofmann also opts to listen to a large range of music genres, including hip hop and rock. “I like listening to music because it helps ground me when I’m in difficult situations and always helps me understand how I’m feeling,” Hofmann said. Her favorite songs are “Weekend” by Mac Miller, “Vienna” by Billy Joel, “Trouble on Central” by Buddy, “O-O-H Child” by Five Stairsteps, and “More Than a Feeling” by Boston.