iListen

With iPods clinging to their ears, humming their favorite tunes, students can often be seen taking time out between classes at North Lake College's central campus.

From the cafeteria to the corridors, everyone seems absorbed in their preferred sounds.

The world of music is vast. Genres include rock 'n' roll, alternative rock, rap, hip-hop or jazz; other popular genres are trance, country, classical and others.

Music may have different meanings to different people. An unscientific survey done of students at NLC found that musical preferences varied widely.

Of 84 students asked to identify their first musical preference, 43 percent of them said rock, while 25 percent said rap. On the other hand, about 7 percent said that they liked listening to R&B and trance, respectively.

Among other genres of music that were liked by students were country, jazz, salsa, reggae, classical, folk, soul and pop.

Kristina
“Music is one thing that taps into your mind and makes you unique as far as emotions go,” said Kristina Dragoo, NLC student. She said music is a way to express emotions without making people mad, upset or sad.

Angela
Angela Vermon, a student in her mid-50s, quoting Joni Mitchell, a music artist who debuted in the 1960s, said, “Songs are like tattoos.” She said that when she listens to a song today, she immediately can go back to when she heard it for the first time and be in that moment once again.

“My taste of music is eclectic,” Vermon said. She said that she likes listening to folk and classic rock as she grew up to '60s and '70s listening to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, but doesn't prefer country western.

Jacob
“[Rock] musicians live forever,” said Jacob Worley, another student who likes rock more than any other music genre. Some of the artists he listens to are Stevie Ray Vaughn, Breaking Benjamin, 30 Seconds to Mars, KISS, Blue October and many more. Worley also has a band named Involuntarily Midnight. He said that his band focuses on rock with a mixture of classic rock, alternative and heavy metal.

Elliott
Elliott Eittmann, another student, said that he liked listening to rock, and, to be precise, indie rock. “I like Modest Mouse,” he said referring to the popular indie rock band.

Anna, Maryam, Ron
Anna Sabetti, Maryam Khan and Ron Blackwell said rap and hip-hop were what they liked listening to. They said they liked the beats, as they set an energetic tone. “It's happy and pumping,” said one of them.

Mz. Frances
A student who goes by the name of “Mz. Frances” said that her favorite music was rap and hip-hop. “I like Beyonce,” she said.

Some of the favorite rap artists among the students were Tupac, Diddy, Lil John, 50 Cent, Jay Z, Eminem and more.

Rock and rap are two distinct and polarized forms of music. Over time, clashes between these two mainstream musical genres among its lovers seem to have occurred.

Tony
“I like rap, for it is creative and spontaneous,” said Tony Navarro. On the other hand, he said that he didn't like the subjugation of women in the songs. He pointed out the weak aspects of rock for having negative lyrics and being “emo-type.”

Melissa
Student Melissa Kyllian said she likes trance. “It [trance] symbolizes life just the way the music moves,” she said. “I like the sounds, backgrounds. It's almost like colors, and it doesn't have many words.”

Kyllian said that Benny Benassi and Kai Tracid were her favorite artists. David and Brenda Students having a distinct taste in music identified themselves as David and Brenda. They were fond of salsa, saying they liked its rhythm. They pointed to Frankie Ruiz as their favorite artist.

Kristina - reprise
Dragoo says that people listen for the next hip line that everyone will be singing. “There seems to be no real thought involved anymore; just some randomly placed beats with annoying sound effects placed over them,” she said.

“I miss the olden days of rock when men were lovers and warriors, and women knew how to scream power while the beats enhanced the aggression. Now it's so melancholy or too ambient,” Dragoo said.

As opposed to most listeners, who preferred rock and rap, there were students who listened to classical compositions of baroque to the reggae tones of Bob Marley and swinging jazz from Louis Armstrong.

Looking at the entire music scene, it seems like pop has lost its appeal for students.

Music has always been a source of entertainment. People of all generations have their own perspectives and tastes for music.

In the words of Jim Morrison: “For the music is your special friend / Dance on fire as it intends / Music is your only friend / Until the end.”