For junior Abby Gleason, music is everything.
When Abby was younger, music was nothing more than a set of words backed up by a rhythmic tune. But, as she got older, she began to find more of herself in these words, and the tunes she immersed herself in have become an important part of her life.
“I was never really interested in music,” Abby said. “I never had any playlists, and I didn’t think about what app I’d be using, like Apple Music versus Spotify. That [all] started freshman year, [and] I feel like that happens with everybody. I don’t remember listening to music in middle school, but after [the] COVID [pandemic] was when I really started listening to music.”
After starting to get into music in her early high school years, Abby has become very passionate about the artists, genres, and songs she chooses to listen to.
She has found some of her favorites to be Drake and—despite controversy—Kanye West, who tend to produce tracks on a more subtle end of rap music: R&B.
“I really like Kayne West,” Abby said. “I feel like a lot of people don’t like him because of his behaviors, but I like his music, and I feel like I can relate to some of his stuff, and he’s just a real artist [who] speaks a lot of truth.”
The genre of music Abby listens to depends on her current state of being and what is going on around her. While she typically gravitates toward R&B—Rhythm and Blues—when she is just sitting around or something is going on in her life, when she is in a more focused state and in need of being pumped up, like before a tennis match or practice, she will choose to listen to more rap-based songs.
Abby typically finds her songs through TikTok, but when she is looking for something that is not so washed out, she goes to her brother.
“My brother doesn’t go on TikTok very much,” Abby said. “So, even though he’s at college, I’ll go onto his Apple Music page and play his radio, and I feel like I can find a lot of songs there because we have similar music tastes, and it’s not already washed up by TikTok.”
With her brother and her having a shared music taste, it makes it easy for the two of them to bond over music. Abby and her brother have a conjoined playlist where they would add songs they both like and go on drives together, listening to that music.
Throughout the day, Abby is always listening to music, and it has become something that helps her better understand her and her life.
“Sometimes, I feel like music can relate to my life,” Abby said. “So, pretty much, throughout the day, if I’m not doing anything or a teacher is not talking, I’m listening to music.”
Although music was never something Abby was interested in, over the years, it has become a way for her to feel most like herself.
“I feel like it’s a good way to feel like other people are going through the same thing as you,” Abby said. “It doesn’t even have to be something big, but I feel like for me, it’s a lot of the lyrics. Yeah, the beat is kind of what draws me in, but especially with Kanye’s and Drake’s music, it’s all very relatable, and it’s nice to hear that I’m not the only one going through it.”
