September 21st marked the beginning of fall – my last fall at Kenyon. Even though I still have eight months until graduation, I’m already becoming nostalgic about the place I’ve called home for the past four years. Seeing the leaves start to change while walking past my freshman-year dorm hurts a bit as I reminisce on how excitingly new everything felt my first year. I associate music with significant periods of my life, and hearing a song can instantly bring back memories. To reflect on how my music has evolved alongside me throughout my college experience, I decided to listen to some of my freshman-year Spotify playlists as I walk through campus this fall. I paired my freshman-year songs with a song recommendation for my past self. These five songs feel formative of my freshman-year fall, some of which I haven’t listened to much since, but still define my music taste from my first semester at Kenyon.
What I was listening to: “Late Morning Lullaby” by Brandi Carlile
Recommendation: “El Dorado” by Molly Tuttle
I never gave country music a chance before I came to college. I was adamantly against listening to country based on the songs I heard on the radio, until freshman year, when one of my friends introduced me to the genres of Americana and roots. One of the artists I listened to that year was Brandi Carlile, and her song “Late Morning Lullaby” was one of the first that swept me into the genre. Now, bluegrass and American roots are some of my top listened-to genres, and my musical journey through country music has exposed me to my favorite artists, including Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, and Tyler Childers.
What I was listening to: “Old Friends” by Pinegrove
Recommendation: “Rings, Montclair NJ” by Pinegrove
Like most Kenyon students, my playlists were flooded with Pinegrove songs after realizing the band was named after a forested spot near Kenyon’s campus. My first walk over to the serene and beautiful Pinegrove at the Brown Family Environmental Center made me understand why the band was named after that location. From then on, I listened to all of Pinegrove’s music on repeat. “Old Friends” was one of my favorites freshman year, but “Mather Knoll” gets an honorary mention for being named after my first-year dorm, Mather Residence Hall.
What I was listening to: “All I Want is You” by Barry Louis Polisar
Recommendation: “That’s the Way That the World Goes ‘Round” by John Prine
I heard “All I Want is You” for the first time in freshman year as I watched Juno in Kenyon’s movie club Cinearts. Freshman fall was a semester of trying out new clubs and groups on campus; “All I Want is You” reminds me so much of how much I put myself out there my first semester. The song emulates fall at Kenyon – it is still one of my favorite songs to walk up and down Middle Path as the leaves change colors. Nothing screams Kenyon autumn-like acoustic guitar and folk music.
What I was listening to: “Geology” by Barrie
Recommendation: “Lovesick” by Alice Phoebe Lou
One of my most listened-to playlists during my first fall at Kenyon was one I would play every time I walked to the art studio at night. My intro drawing class caused me to spend a lot of time in Horvitz Studio, and this playlist motivated me to walk the 15 minutes alone from my dorm. “Geology” by Barrie was on repeat during these walks, along with honorable mentions “Teenage Blue” by Dreamgirl and “Big Sis” by SALES.
What I was listening to: “Reaper” by Clairo
Recommendation: “Pier 4” by Clairo
Clairo’s second album Sling came out the summer before freshman year, and that album was on repeat in my headphones through the fall and into the winter. Clairo’s third album, Charm, was released the summer before my senior year. The timing of the debut of these two albums felt full circle, as Charm also quickly became another favorite for me. Sling and Charm feel vastly different from each other in terms of style, apart from the final track on her third album, titled “Pier 4.” Her last song as a tie-in to her past style of music feels bittersweet as I reflect on this progression in terms of my evolving college self.