When you think about music, what genres pop into your head?

     The three most listened to music genres [as polled by over 100 people] are rap, country, and pop. “I started listening [to rap] when I would drive in the car with my brother. He went to Aberdeen and that’s the music he listened to,” Noa Blanken, sophomore, explains about how she started listening to rap. “I like the history and quick pace. It also often tells a story.”

     “Experimental rap is not repetitive,” Grace Herron, junior, starts. “It’s very different from all the other songs on the radio. I started listening in middle school with Freddie Gibbs, he’s a great artist.”
    Country was another popular genre. “I started listening to country music when I was a kid through my grandparents and my dad,” Emilie Moore, sophomore, says. “It releases stress and makes me feel calm and relaxed.”

     “I listen to a lot of modern country,” Katie Kinheart ,sophomore, starts. “I like that it’s actual singing and not just rapping. The type of music [and instruments] used in the background is better than digital [sounds] that’s sometimes used in rap.”

     Will Arminger, junior, prefers to listen to old country, such as Johnny Cash or Hank WIlliams. “It’s not serious and isn’t trying to sell a message,” he explains. “Just a man and his guitar making music for people.”

     Pop is one of the more popular types of music, as that is what pop is short for. Jenna Amrhein describes pop as “very peppy and gives me summer vibes.”

     There are many other music genres, including rock, metal, and many more. Elijah Brown, sophomore, listens to these genres. “I listened to [rock and metal] as a kid with my dad and got introduced that way. I have a strong connection with it, and I listen to it all the time every day,” he explains. “I like how real and fun the music is. It’s whatever the artist wants and feels and they put it in a unique way. No autotune, no computers, just sheer talent and fun.”

     “I always have music playing. I sleep with music every night. I like slow calm pop and crazy screaming rap. It creates a nice balance,” Blanken says.

     “I listen to music almost all the time and [it] helps me calm down if I start to stress or [it] just makes me happy,” Joshua Woods, junior explains. “I like the beat to the music, and the people[‘s] voices that sing.”

     “Music means everything to me, I constantly surround myself [with] it,” Herron says. “I listen to rap or hip hop when I’m angry or feeling conflicted. I try to replicate the music too by playing my instruments. I like playing covers a lot. I’m inspired a lot by music.”