Students Find Outlet in Music During Isolation

Words: Emily Hollwedel

Quarantine. The word that ties together our county, our state, and even our nation. In the wake of COVID-19 outbreaks nationwide, students and parents are working from home and have limited access to their friends and to most of the things that define late spring and the start of summertime. One question that always comes up is: how are students dealing with this? The answer for some: music. 

With closed concert venues, musicians have taken to online resources to distribute their music. And students, having little else to do, have been listening more than ever before. 

Freshman Gray Ren and junior Flynn Djan have been expanding their taste in music during isolation. From genres such as metal, punk, soft pop, and even indie, they have been streaming songs on Spotify daily. Indie rock musician Mitski, contemporary folk and blues artist Hozier, and experimental pop band Gorillaz are among the music they share.

“Music has been something really nice to pass the time… and it helps extremely well in dealing with emotions,” Djan said. “It’s cathartic.” 

Ren had similar sentiments in their use of music as a coping mechanism for such a turbulent time. “It’s becoming a lot harder to process everything… it’s really helped me stay afloat,” they noted. 

Not only that, but both students have been listening to new music recommended by friends.

Ren said that they enjoy comparing their previous tastes. “Now, in quarantine, I can take time to listen to new artists.” 

Djan, in fact, immediately glued themself to a friend’s recommendations. “I have so much more time to be like: ‘You want me to listen to Brat Mobile? Done. I am currently playing it as we speak.’” 

They’ve also discovered that some of their previous music interests are not as favorable anymore. “There are songs out there I don’t like… I have no excuse to not make playlists with music I do enjoy.” 

Regardless of what students listen to, it’s clear that music, and all it encompasses, has helped individuals deal with this abrupt change in everyday life.

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