In this file photo, Nate Ruess from the band fun. energetically gets the crowd involved in a song during their concert at Club 156 on Nov. 3, 2009. Club 156 is one venue students can see bands perform on campus. (CU Independent file/Adam Milner)
The exposure is everywhere from events around campus, to different people with diverse tastes, to hearing the new mix CD the bus driver plays on the way to campus.
College is a catalyst for music tastes to flourish; it has the ability to alter music tastes because it provides so much access to different outlets, and it’s nearly impossible to not be influenced.
Boulder is a hot spot for new music. Local music becomes important because it can be experienced on a more intimate scale. While clubs and coffee shops around town can be a great place to escape, they can also expose artists who otherwise go unnoticed to the general population.
Claire Skinner, an 18-year-old freshman open-option major, said she enjoys music that’s unique.
“I like music that’s different and not what everyone’s listening to,” Skinner said. “Stuff you wouldn’t see it in iTunes Top 10.”
Even on campus there seems to be a new band every week playing at Club 156 or Old Main. CU organizations, like Program Council, work hard to provide cheap and crisp entertainment for all students to enjoy. Skinner said she takes advantage of concerts around campus.
“I’ve been introduced to techno,” Skinner said. “Bands like Pretty Lights, who played at the welcome concert, are really good.”
College is also a time where people are more eager to try new things. As time goes on people are more open to stepping out of their comfort zones. Chris Maddox, a 21-year-old senior music major, said his taste in music has grown a lot since high school.
“In high school, I was strictly a punk-rock-ska kid—now I listen to a wider variety,” Maddox said. “I try not to block anything out. I’m always checking out new music my friends give me.”
There’s plenty to be said about a friend’s choices in music as well. While they play their music in the background, there are those certain songs that prompt the question, “Hey! Who sings this?” One perk of meeting different people is that their music library can become fair game. One might stumble upon classic oldies or even find something fresh.
However, for some people college can build on previous preferences, like with 19-year-old sophomore film studies major Katie Hitch.
“My music taste has not necessarily changed since I’ve gotten to college, it’s just progressed,” Hitch said. “I’m deeply involved in the genres I’ve always loved.”
The one quality common among college students is variety. With so many means to new music how can one settle? Why choose one type of music when you can listen to all of them? Maddox said he doesn’t like to discriminate.
“I listen to everything from jazz, folk rock, hip-hop, classic rock, electronic, classical,” Maddox said. “Really anything, it just depends on the day.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Amanda Moutinho at Amanda.moutinho@colorado.edu.
