Music is said to be the best form of expression for college students today.
The type of music one listens to can be a huge reflection of their personality and emotions. A common idea these days is that teenagers only listen to styles like pop and hip-hop/rap. However, there are many youngsters who listen to genres like funk, country, instrumental, dance, jazz, reggae, world music and more.
“My favourite genre of music is, without a doubt, alternative rock,” says George Shaji, a student. He adds, “I love listening to bands like ‘Coldplay’ and ‘Poets of the Fall’ as I enjoy their guitar solos and their music takes me to a whole new world!” George says that he can listen to music at any time of the day and loves to listen to songs on maximum volume.
“I like listening to music as it helps relieve stress,” says Ananth Shreyas, a media student. His favourite style of music is Indian classical and he enjoys listening to ghazals and Carnatic music. “I have learnt Carnatic music for over eight years now and that’s what influenced me to listen to Indian music. I even read books on Indian classical music,” adds Ananth.
For some students, music plays a huge part in life. Says Kevin Fernandez, who starts his day by listening to music, “I listen to blues and reggae the most and my favourite artistes are Bob Marley, ‘Franks Got The Funk’ and ‘Blues Conscience’ to name a few,” says Kevin. According to him, such music helps calm his emotions and is easy to listen to at any time of the day. Michelle Anne, a student of St Joseph’s College of Commerce, says, “Pop, hip-hop and dance are my favourite styles of music.”
When asked why, she answers, “These styles are fun, happy, lively and match my personality. Most importantly, they help me connect to the songs played at dance parties.” Michelle listens to music a lot on the radio and is up-to-date with the Billboard charts. On the other hand, Sanjana Shaji, a student of animation, states, “I like listening to metal bands like ‘Lamb of God’ and ‘Iron Maiden’ mainly because of their lyrics which I can identify with.” According to Sanjana, these lyrics are realistic and based on day-to-day life.
She says she listens to such music the most when she is frustrated. To sum it up, music is like a good friend that gently heals our soul and allows us to imagine and live within a whole new world. Well, sometimes at least!
