I decided to document my school year in the form of a playlist. The playlist is called “Sophomoric,” which is very fitting because Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “lacking in maturity.” I believe that this is a very proper definition for not only myself, but also the entire sophomore class of FWCD (except for Cate Moulard and Lila Aitelli, of course).
The whole idea started on the first day of sophomore year. Going into school, I felt excited. I was ready for the new year, ready to see my friends again, and ready for what awaited me in the year to come.
Driving into school, the radio was playing “Stolen Dance” by Milky Chance. For some reason, the song really spoke to me. I was motivated for the day. However, after going to Honors Chemistry, Honors Spanish, and Government, I was the opposite of motivated. I could already tell the course load was going to be much heavier than freshman year, and I was going to have to learn how to get better at time management. Fast.
The next day, I was having trouble looking on the bright side. I was slumped in one of the library chairs listening to music when I scrolled through my music and came across the album “Fine Line” by Harry Styles.
Before this past summer, I had never been a big Harry Styles fan. However, I had the opportunity that summer to listen to a lot of new music and I grew very fond of it. I played the last song on the album, “Fine Line.” The song didn’t necessarily relate to my situation; however, I was able to really connect with the tone and sound of the music and lyrics.
Later that night, I told my dad about how I had a “song of the day” two days in a row. He told me that I should start a playlist for my sophomore year. I took his suggestion and began the playlist “Sophomoric.”
Throughout the year, I have been adding songs that either have something specific to do with that day or that just feel right. I don’t add a song every day, only when I know the song will trigger a memory from that day. For example, I added “The Room Where It Happens” from the “Hamilton” soundtrack on Universal Book Day. Since “Hamilton” was the theme of the day, I thought it fitting that I added a song from the soundtrack; that was one of my favorites.
I added “When Christmas Comes to Town” from “The Polar Express” on a rainy day in the fall. It was one of those days when the cold was bearable, but you still needed a sweatshirt. The rain was on and off, and it was gloomy outside, my UGGs added an extra feel of wintertime and longing for bright Christmas lights. I love this kind of weather, and it made me long for Christmas time with pine trees and hot chocolate, so when this song popped into my head, I knew it was the one.
Over Thanksgiving break, my family went to Connecticut to visit family. We spent a couple of days in New York City. The city was loud with car horns, music, and impatient voices. One song that I heard constantly was “Empire State of Mind” by JAY-Z and Alicia Keys. This was obviously fitting considering the song is about New York, so I added it to the playlist.
Next is “Kung Fu Fighting” from the “Kung Fu Panda” soundtrack. One morning on the way to school, I was listening to the radio. The song “Faith” by George Michael came on, but the beginning of the song sounded a lot like the beginning of “Kung Fu Fighting.” I was surprised that they were playing “Kung Fu Fighting” on the radio, but then I realized that it was actually “Faith.” The song then stuck in my head all day, so I decided to add it.
Last is “You Are My Sunshine,” originally sung by Jimmie Davis. Last Thursday, the sophomore class was supposed to go on the ropes course, but because of the rain, we had to stay inside all day. My friends and I spent the majority of the time in the Martin Center. We played card games like Spoons and Uno, and we also played a lot of the game Concentration.
It really took me back to Lower School and reminded me how fun simple games with friends can be without being attached to your phone. One of the categories chosen in our game of Concentration was quotes. What most of us took from this was movie quotes or TV show quotes. But someone took this to mean quotes from songs, and when he said “You are my Sunshine,” everyone was a little confused. We all started laughing, and whether or not it was actually funny, we all were a bit delusional at that point, having been stuck in the same room for many, many hours.
Right now, I have 40 songs on the playlist, amounting to two hours and 35 minutes. Music means so much to me. I rarely go a day without listening to either the radio, my choice of music, or somebody else’s music.
It is such a great way to connect with other people and express your feelings through art. I listen to almost everything – pop, rock, country, you name it. I love how artists can express the same kind of things through different styles of music, and each person is drawn to a style that they’re able to resonate with best.
The whole point of this playlist was to document my sophomore year through music and use it to help me remember some of my favorite moments throughout the year. I have been able to remember so many small moments through these songs that I never would have otherwise.
I think I will start doing this for lots of different occasions and throughout the rest of my school life. I recommend this for anyone who loves any type of music, and if music’s not your thing, I’m sure there is another creative way to document your journeys.
