At nearly the halfway point of my college career, I’ve seen a lot — and I’ve heard a lot. Music is one of my many passions and for this article I wanted to share some of the moments and songs that have gotten me to where I am (mostly in order.)
“Nights In White Satin” by The Moody Blues
This was the first song ever recommended to me by another Notre Dame student. I had put a collaborative playlist into one of the many GroupMe chats from the class of 2024, and while it was left untouched by many in the group, one person added this song. It remains as a song marking the start of my college years.“My Honest Face” by Inhaler
Introduced to me by my sister Lauren, Inhaler has been a staple of my college experience. After listening to them on my infrequent pandemic coffee trips, I showed this song to my friends in a similar capacity. My now-roommate Maddie and I listened to it while we were waiting in the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru line in the pouring rain. I don’t know why this has stood out to me, but I miss the simplicity of it.“Beyond” by Daft Punk
On a random Tuesday afternoon in February of my freshman year, news dropped that Daft Punk had broken up after decades of working together. Daft Punk was a band that helped form my music taste (first introduced to me by my father), and I was heartbroken. As a dancer of 16 years or so, I often found myself dancing in the tiny common room of my freshman quad in Lyons when my roommates were gone. “Beyond” was one I remember dancing to particularly.“Ladies” by Fiona Apple
After listening to mainly male artists for most of my life, I decided one random day that I had to broaden my range. My friend Linh sent me a playlist titled “Femme Fatale” from Spotify and this song stood out to me. This started my deep dive into the discography of Fiona Apple, and it is a song that comforted me in times of anxiety.“The Barbarians” by Greta Van Fleet
I’ve loved Greta Van Fleet since my senior year of high school. When “The Battle at Garden’s Gate” was released at the end of my freshman year, I became freakishly obsessed with them. Shortly after the release, came news of a tour and I waited for hours online to buy tickets. This was the first concert of my college career, and this concert was the first time “The Barbarians” (one of my favorite Greta Van Fleet songs) had been played live. It was a memorable night to say the least.“The Man with the Axe” by Lorde
While most of my music taste usually strayed away from much of mainstream pop, something prompted me to listen to Lorde’s “Solar Power” album. It was probably a Spotify daily mix. Most people hated the album when it first came out, but many have come around to it. I started listening in November, and I fell deeply in love. This was the first Lorde album I had listened to, and I feel such an emotional attachment to this song in particular.“Stuck in the Middle” by Burning Hotels
I don’t know why more people don’t know this song. I first came to know Burning Hotels through the 2009 rom-com “Bandslam” which my mother made my sister and I rewatch over winter break. This song is entirely the perfect length but entirely too short. Something about it is indescribably perfect. I’ve listened to this countless times while walking to class, and I make sure to play it for my friends when I can.“Little Taste of Heaven” by Leach
My friend Natalie and I have a radio show on WVFI, and we recently had her friend Dom on the show. He wanted to do an episode on psychedelic rock, and this was one of the songs he played. This song should be classified as an out-of-body experience. In the short time that I’ve known it, “Little Taste of Heaven” has reminded me of the wonderful people I’ve met, the things I’ve gotten to do and the experiences that I wouldn’t trade for the world.This playlist reflects the growth of my music taste and my growth as a person. It’s a love letter to the good things and a memory book of the times I’ve struggled but managed to make it through.
You can contact Anna at afalk@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
