The Music that Moves You

Design a playlist that represents you, wherever you may be

Any number of tired idioms express that life comes at you unexpectedly. For some, clothing reflects life’s changes, while others move away or buy a sports car in response to life’s pressures. For many, life’s obstacles are expressed through song and seen in the playlist queued first on one’s phone. Different playlists play to different moods and modes. The songs that we sing after a break up are not the same we hum while running at the gym. Some playlists come into our lives, make their mark, and leave just as quickly. Others impress themselves upon us and leave their temporal impression as a permanent stamp of how we were changed.

As a teacher, I have the unique opportunity to peer into students’ minds. I have asked students to create playlists that reflect a certain time, thought, or event in their lives thus far. Below is a compilation of students’ playlists and their contexts. Each one reflects an individual journey along the uncharted route we call adolescence. When you allow each playlist to speak for itself you find a wide array of experiences, pains, and joys. Together this collection affords a privileged look into what it means to be a bay area teen.

Now it’s your turn! Please respond below with the title of your playlist, a short description of its context, title and artist of each song, a link, and a short description as to why that song is included in your playlist.

Below is my current playlist as an example. Note: I am not a bay area teen, but my life still matters :)