Music & Me

     Hey, everyone! I'm Claryn Greenway, a sophomore majoring in English and minoring in secondary education. I am, predictably, working towards becoming a high school English teacher, but I've also considered a few other routes, such as teaching English as a foreign language in a different country or even freelance copywriting. Basically, I just want to write and hopefully travel a bit. I'm involved with a lot of things on campus! I'm a part of the Nisbet Honors Program, Cru, Flute Choir, I'm a Presidential Ambassador, an Orientation Leader, an editor for Concept Literary Magazine, and I work behind the desk in Mickel Library and in the Writing Center! (I hope I didn't forget anything...)

    Music has always been a fairly big part of my life. My parents both love music so I was exposed to it a good bit growing up. Then, in fifth grade, I picked up the flute and it really clicked. I actually ended up going to the SC Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities for flute during my junior and senior years of high school. In the meantime, I also taught myself a teeny tiny bit of electric bass and mandolin. I love all sorts of music! I know most people tend to assume that someone is exaggerating when they say that they listen to every genre of music, but I really do. I think there's so much benefit to versing yourself in many different genres.

1) I find it so hard to pick just ONE thing that I'm enjoying right now, so I'm turning to Ticketmaster for help. I'm seeing Keshi in concert next month! (And it's sold out so I'm extra excited that I got tickets.)

I didn't expect to like Keshi as much as I do. I stumbled across a video on TikTok of him absolutely crushing a high note during a performance of his and I knew I needed to check him out. I used to shy away from this style of music because I tend to prefer more upbeat things and he's more chill and lo-fi. There's just something about his lyrics, beats, and voice that I find almost hypnotic, though. Because I fell in love with his music, it opened me up to this whole little subgenre too!

I'm including this next song too because it's one that I've been playing a lot recently, but stylistically it's kind of the odd man out for him. It's a really fun song and the visuals in the video are super cool, too.

 

2) This next song is the first song I ever remember hearing! It actually might be my first memory overall. Which is a little funny to me, becoming sentient while listening to the Stadium Arcadium album. I was really young, probably 3 or 4, and we had just arrived at the beach for vacation with my extended family. I have a vivid memory of seeing the ocean come into view as this song played. To me, it's not summer until I listen to this song.To this day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of my favorite bands. I also have to believe that my constant exposure to rock music as a kid is the reason it still remains my favorite genre today. (The song starts 52 seconds in. I tried to make it do that automatically but I am not what you'd call technologically savvy.)

Because I'm very indecisive, I'm also including another song that I just have fantastic memories with. I got to see my best high school friends for the first time since COVID hit when we went to the mountains for a little vacation. I remember driving super fast with the windows down, screaming this song with some of my favorite people in the world. I had been very isolated because of, you know, the whole global pandemic thing, so this was an absolutely incredible feeling.

3) Again, this was really difficult for me because I can't think of a single genre that I don't enjoy at least one artist or even one song from. Gun to my head, I have to say that there is a certain flavor of indie/alternative that I don't enjoy. Artists like Mac DeMarco, Car Seat Headrest, The Microphones and others in that little family are ones that I sincerely cannot make myself listen to. Even then, though, there are loopholes! I know that Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes are commonly associated with those types of artists, and I absolutely love both of those bands! The indie music aesthetic is a big thing amongst Gen Z right now, so I hate that I can't partake in it. Oh, well. 

 

Midwest emo is another, more concrete genre that I do not like. To me, it's just men crying over an unnecessarily complex guitar riff. It does definitely sound very raw and intricate, which I'm sure appeals to a lot of people. Not me, unfortunately.