Why my roommate's iPod is better than yours

By Sonia Pothraj     9/21/11 7:00pm

The day I met my roommate —-  a Lebanese bombshell —- my playlist changed permanently. The list that once shuffled from pop artist to pop artist was at once done over, driven across the country and flown across the globe. From dirty dubstep to Ellie Goulding, I was introduced to styles of music ?completely foreign to me.

Thus, I came to this conclusion: Though turning on the radio and bopping along to the latest Maroon 5 song is an easy option, nothing in a playlist that is worth fighting for comes readily from the radio. At Rice, however, increasing your musical repertoire is most definitely a simple task.  

Rice has an excellent musical environment: Embrace it. During breaks, go to performances by your fellow students. Music majors and members of acapella groups and other organizations perform regularly throughout the year. Support them and in doing so expose yourself to different genres of music.

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Likewise, explore the tunes of other cultures. Consider going to Dhamaka, the fall South Asian Society show, or perhaps the Black Student Association Soul Night. Feel free to join clubs that are not of your culture and gain a deeper understanding of that which may be outside of your comfort zone.

Even lounging in the commons of your college can be musically fruitful. When there are large groups of people, iPod speakers are usually playing; so, if there's a song that interests you, feel free to approach the owner and jot down some titles. I myself creeped on a Korean Bakerite and got some excellent k-pop recommendations.

Opportunities beyond the hedges are just as rewarding. Events hosted by the Miller Outdoor Theatre are free of charge and varied in content. Each weekend appears yet another exotic event. From this past weekend's Bollywood Blast , an event representing the song and dance of India, to this coming weekend's Kaminai Taiko, a Japanese drumming ensemble, there are indeed plenty of chances to broaden your rhythmic horizons.

Perhaps an even easier way to diversify your musical palette is right at home: KTRU, Rice's student-run radio station whose self-proclaimed mission is "to bring alternate forms of making music to Houston radio. We want to let people know that good music doesn't only come in electric guitar."

However, though the aforementioned options for widening your playlist are accessible, there are some changes I suggest that we as a community make.

For instance, perhaps there could be more varied playlists for campus parties that do not already have themes. A bhangra or dubstep song at Sid Rich's '80s party would indeed be out of place, but throwing in some musical variety when appropriate may enhance the quality of the party or allow for different styles of dance. Fist pumping is fun and makes for very toned forearms, but after about the 10th song, it becomes repetitive.

Music and communities go hand in hand. It is a great way to unite the Rice family. Though we each beat to the rhythms of our own drum sets, it never hurts to lend out an ear drum once in a while.

Sonia Pothraj is a Hanszen College freshman.

 

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