Although music is deeply rooted in its past and repetitive in its nature, it is very dynamic through time in the way it satisfies its audiences and the artists. Music is continuously evolving in the way artists express their individuality and in the way listeners are accessing the music.

By evolving, music is always making changes in the way it is made and listened to. The most recent changes have made making and listening to music readily available for all audiences.

Ever since the invention of phonograph all the way to the Internet, music has become more user friendly and available to anyone. In modern days, people most commonly seek to listen to music through music streaming services.

As processes evolve to become easier and more efficient, there are always movements towards resurrecting the old methods and continuing without change. In the music instance, some listeners feel that records and CD’s provide the best experience.

“With the world changing so much, it is nice to have something that doesn’t change such as CDs,” sophomore Grace Thompson, a CD enthusiast, said.

Thompson enjoys keeping a large collection of CD’s. She believes that they provide her with a special feeling of having her music as a physical copy that online streaming doesn’t do.

“There is nothing special about [streaming music online]. With a CD, it is special. You purposely did things to get it. With Spotify, it is just clicking a button,” said Thompson.

Having the physical CD provides Thompson with a deeper connection to the music she enjoys listening to.

“It is having the physical item that makes it so special. In a CD, it has a note from the artist inside the cover. It gives me a more personal connection with the artist versus having the music online,” said Thompson.

Just as technology has made listening to music easier, it has also allowed ordinary people to have the chance to express themselves by making music as well.

Keondre Gregory, a senior this year, began making music this past summer and is well known to the student body as “KayoTheKid.” Making music began as an idea for him, which later sparked him to do act on it.

“I thought it would be fun,” Gregory said.

Although the technology for producing music is becoming increasingly more accessible, there is still expensive equipment required for high quality audio that the listeners will enjoy. Luckily for Gregory and many other teenage boys who are interested in video games, he already had most of his equipment such as a PC computer and microphone or headset because he used them for gaming.

“It’s expensive. Starting out, I didn’t really buy my PC to make music. I bought it for gaming, but it just so happened that I ended up buying a program for like $200 to start making music. It’s called FL Studio. I already had the mic for gaming, but yes, you have to have a mic,” Gregory said.

Gregory’s song process is not as structured as some might think. 

“I have to be in the mood to do it. I can’t just go home and write some lyrics,” said Gregory.

He often begins writing whenever he feels in the mood or when it comes to him. Regardless of what he is doing during the moment, Gregory will drop whatever he is doing and write down the song lyrics that popped into his head in order to remember them later.

“I’ll be at work and just stop and write some lyrics down a napkin,” said Gregory.

With the trend of teenagers becoming more common, it is often a way for them to express themselves or an output of their emotions. Gregory described his emotions after completing a song as being very relieved.

Perhaps all of the changes being made such as new technology required to listen or make music and changes in style may be unsettling to some, but it is still benefiting others at the same time. It is allowing students such as Gregory and others to discover their musical interest much easier with the broad audience that all songs will reach nowadays. 

More importantly, students making music are able to use the new and more accessible technology to reflect upon themselves and develop a new peace with their emotions through the song production process.