Music has the ability to profoundly influence emotions and improve our general wellbeing. With remote learning and the pandemic causing students to self-isolate at home, many have used music as a relief. 

There are many emotions that music can invoke in us: joy, sorrow, nostalgia. If music has the ability to affect mood to some extent, what type of music can help us relieve stress? Responding to a Hoofbeat survey, students shared the music they listen to to relieve stress. 

The responses ranged from “relaxing” and “upbeat” to “depressing” and “intense.”

Some students cited specific genres in their replies. Among these were hip-hop, R&B, lo-fi, jazz, and hard rock were included. 

Here is what students had to say about how music has helped them improve their mood:

Ava Brown (Adv. 402) – “I forget about my troubles when I listen to music. It helps me be more creative, focused, and lightens up my day overall.”

Eliza Trojan (Adv. 201) – “Music has helped me throughout the pandemic, because it helps me adopt a specific mindset. There is music for every mood (ex. dance music, party music, study music), and finding the right music for a situation allows me to feel the emotions of it more. Even something like finding chill music to study to has helped me, especially during online learning. “

Carter Pierson (Adv. 106) – “Music has been a source of calm and connection for me. It makes me feel like I’m not alone and like there’s someone out there who understands.”

Grace Lewis (Adv. 104) – “Music helps me adjust my mood. If I’m feeling sad, there’s nothing better than happy or nostalgic music to make me feel better. Music also helps me feel less alone because it fills silences and reminds me of shared memories.”

Nick Burns (Adv. 304) – “Music makes me feel like I’m still empowered and important despite me being stuck in my house all day. It also makes me appreciate our world more.”

Kaylan Faraj (Adv. 403) – “Homework is the worst, hands down. Being able to grind out essays and tests efficiently is much easier with fine-tuned music you know will never get old. Even walking through the streets/biking, listening to music is an easy way to distract yourself from anything bad that may be going on- even a pandemic.”

David Dobria (Adv. 201) – “Music has given me an escape. Listening to songs with lyrics lets me make stories in my head, and instrumentals let me go to places I’ve never seen or don’t even exist. In either case, it’s a break from my walls and my computer screen.”

Megan Gonzalez (Adv. 108) – “Music has given me a way to forget about everything that’s going on in the world, even for just a little bit.”

Some respondents went into detail about how music affects their daily lives: 

Ryan Galarza (Adv. 308) – “With everything just seeming bland and dull, music provided color to my view of the world. Obviously I had other things that filled my time with fun like writing, philosophy, and boxing but music was a constant through it all. Music just allowed me to ease up more and just vibe with whatever I am doing.”

Mario Hernandez (Adv. 204) – “As a person with sensory issues, music has been really helpful for me; whether in class, doing homework, or relaxing on my own, I always have music running in the background. Music has been the only constant in my life and always having music at my disposal, in the forms of my own playing or from my stereo, makes everything just a little bit easier.”

If you are interested in listening to something new, throwback songs, or just wondering what your fellow Northside students listen to, here is a link to a list of all the music recommendations we received through the survey: https://rb.gy/zmul35.