By Sonia Kumari

SAN JOSE, CALIF.— At Silver Creek High School, where everyone’s unique, I set out to discover the various music vibes and genres my peers are currently into by interviews and surveys.

As a senior at Silver Creek, I know that my music taste is constantly evolving as time goes on, and as music trends are continuously changing. Music plays a significant role in many people’s lives, including teenagers. Exploring the varieties of songs, artists, and genres have led me through my different stages of life and experiences.

My goal was to learn more about my peer’s diverse music tastes and discover what other people in our community are listening to. Music has had a huge impact on my life, and has helped me get through high school in a way. Knowing that other people probably have a similar experience to mine, I was curious to know the music that my peers have been listening to, to get through high school. Since Silver Creek is filled with a diverse population, with different types of people, and each group of people has their own preference of music.

Jalene Baraona and Sonia Kumari at the Daniel Caesar concert in Berkeley!
Photo Credit: Sonia Kumari

After asking people on my Instagram story what some of their favorite genres are, along with their top artists and songs, I was happy to see the results. The top genres included R&B, Indie, and Rap. These are my favorite genres as well, so it was nice to see that my peers and I could relate in terms of music taste. Popular artists included Sza, Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, Daniel Caesar, Drake, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and Tv Girl. Some songs that students here at Silver Creek love are “Telepatia” by Kali Uchis, “Summer’s Over” by TV girl, “Nikes” by Frank Ocean, “Rot” by Dean Blunt, and “How to Love” by Lil Wayne.
Over the years, these artists have impacted me in a very positive way with their music. Wondering how these artists have contributed to other students’ lives, I decided to ask a close selection of people to share their personal experience with connecting with music. I first went to my friend Jalene Baraona, who is also a senior at Silver Creek and has a passion for music. Baraona’s music taste is extremely diverse, varying from underground artists like Dean Blunt, My Bloody Valentine, and some artists like Daniel Caesar, Frank Ocean, Slowdive, and A$AP Rocky. After asking her the question, “How do these artists and their music impact your life and in what ways have they influenced you?”, she replied delightfully saying “These artists have impacted my life by enhancing moments and events in my life that have moved me. Music has helped me evolve, giving clarity and reassurance to my feelings. It helps me feel less alone with the wide range of emotions and energies that are brought out from different genres of music. It’s perfect for every situation and moment. It helps me romanticize my life and helps to manage and regulate my thoughts when my feelings can get intense. I truly couldn’t live without music.” I found Jalene’s response very true and relatable, agreeing with her take on music.