As you may recall, in the January 2019 issue for the KO News, I wrote an article broadly describing the popularity of various genres of music, songs, and artists listened to on the KO campus and compiled a playlist for both newly released hits and great throwbacks. (If you’d still like to hear it, it is public on Spotify; search for @alyssap537 and find the 225-song playlist called KO Playlist – KO News.) In the article, I also mentioned I was going to write a follow-up in May for Features, but instead, I decided to give it to you folks a month early in the Arts section.
Furthermore, this time I’m not going to give so many suggestions for music but rather an inside look at different music tastes that certain individuals on campus have cared to share.For example, junior Maggie Eberle is widely known on campus for having a deep love and interest for music. Maggie says she enjoys singing and listening to music, which is why Broadway musicals are usually her favorites.
“I have to break my favorite musicals down into different categories… the one that I hope to someday be in is “Anastasia” because I love love love the music!” she said.
“I actually listened to all the songs for six months straight before I even saw it live. On the other hand, the best musical I have ever seen on Broadway was “The Lion King” because the show was just absolutely gorgeous and even moved me to tears.”
Maggie said her favorite musical that she herself has been in so far was the most recent production of “The Little Mermaid” at the Warner Theatre in Torrington. “Disney has always had a special place in my heart, and I take a lot of inspiration from Disney movies and characters,” she said. Maggie also explained that she had worked with an all-adult cast and was one of the youngest ones there, so she garnered a lot of experience and was motivated to work on her skills both on and off set.
Her younger sister, Charlotte Eberle, vouched for her, saying that Maggie would sing nonstop at home. “I love hearing her sing, but she sings so much that I just don’t understand how it’s even possible,” she said, praising her sister’s talents.
When not listening to Broadway or Disney, though, Maggie said she enjoys indie, folk, and a cappella music, referring to Hozier and Pentatonix as her favorite artists. “I tend to like how those genres rarely use autotune or altered voices,” she said. “When there are instruments used, you can actually hear them, unlike in pop where everything is computer generated.”
Likewise, sophomore Sydney Dwyer said she dislikes current pop music and finds herself a proud fan of alternative, folk, and Latin music. “I really do not like artists that use heavy autotune and say the same thing over and over again in their songs,” she said. “It’s all so repetitive and unoriginal! I understand that people still like that kind of music, but personally, I just can’t listen to it.” Instead, Sydney said she spends a lot of time listening to specific artists she likes such as Billie Eilish and Carla Morrison or just generally finding new alt and folk tunes.
Maggie said that she found a similar lack of variety in country music and said she absolutely cannot stand it. “I respect people that like country, but I cannot agree with them,” she said. Every song is about trucks, beer, and Jesus. All of them say the same thing, which, for me, is a similar theme with rap. I can’t distinguish between songs, and they all blend together, it’s not a super individual and creative genre, there’s very little variety, and I’m just not a fan.” Maggie said that while there are rap songs out there that she appreciates, she would still rather listen to Broadway or indie.
Indie actually seems to be growing with popularity on campus, and many have said they enjoy it. In a Google form I sent out earlier this month that asked about what kinds of music KO students listened to, 13.4% listed indie as their top choice. However, rap and hip-hop indisputably remain the most listened to, with 46.7% choosing the genre as their favorite. In second came rock, with exactly 20% saying they enjoyed it the most.
Sophomore Ahana Nagarkatti said she is a dedicated fan of both classic rock and alt rock, which she thinks is partly due to her love of percussion instruments. She even plays percussion in the KO Concert Band. Her favorite bands include 21 Pilots, Imagine Dragons, Panic! at the Disco, and One Republic.
Junior Sophia Kaufman said she usually listens to basic songs on the radio or different rap artists. “Some artists I like specifically are Rihanna, Nelly, G Eazy, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Cardi B, Migos, Post Malone, T-Payne,” she said.
Many of these artists are commonly listened to at KO.
