To the person(s) checking out my blog, hello! I'm Santino; a 26 year old sophomore (who is secretly a senior), here at Converse! I play trombone, and have been since I was in the 6th grade. After leaving my first university/degree program for the sake of my own mental health, I worked for 2 years, trying to find a new direction to go in. Also during those 2 years, I played with the Converse Wind Ensemble as a community member, and picked up guitar while working at Music and Arts! Music has been an intimate part of my life for a long time, and through the efforts of a few people, especially a wonderful Dr. Art Haecker, I've been given the opportunity to try and pursue my dream in becoming a music educator.
Now for the fun stuff! I absolutely love anime, my favorite series being One Piece. It's one that I've admittedly committed many many hours to over the past few years, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I've enjoyed every minute of it (lol)! I have a cat to whom I have bestowed upon the name Bella. She has made my life wonderful at times and difficult at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I also have an absolutely wonderful, incredible group of friends/peers/professors that have made my Converse experience so very enjoyable, so any of y'all see this, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I very grateful for the opportunity to share my music tastes with y'all, and so I'd like to start with this:
Some music that I like right now, just because.
Laufey (Pronounced Ley-vey or Loy-vey)
- Name of a Islandic-Chinese singer who blew up the music world of teenagers and 20 somethings everywhere these past 3 years
I caught wind of her here and there throughout last year, but over the last 3 or 4 months, I completely fell in love with her voice and music. Every time I listen to her sing, I feel like I'm transported to a completely different world. I think her style of singing is absolutely beautiful, and I'm very glad that I can share my enthusiasm with some of my peers/friends, who I know love her music as much as I do!
Here is one my favorite songs by her, "Lovesick".
I don't have much to say about this song, except that I love how it gives me the feels :)
Now for something a little more personal.
Music that is personally meaningful to me.
Since I was around 18 or 19, I've been listening to Paramore. I don't know why exactly, but for whatever reason the voice of Hayley Williams just puts me at ease, whether she's belting out lyrics at the top of her lungs or is singing a sweet lullaby. On many an occasion that I have found myself sad or feeling down, listening to Paramore has lifted my spirits in a way that not much else could. Hopefully one day I'll be able to see a live performance!
Here's my go to song when I'm feeling down: "26"
Hayley Williams wrote this song as a message to herself and her fans to never let people get you down, to keep dreaming, and fight keep your hopes alive. I find that I can really resonate with this, as it's been really difficult for me over the course of my life to even consider following my dreams, but I know that I'll never regret trying.
And a song that is guaranteed to put me in good, or at least better spirits: "Part II"
I love this song from their self-titled album Paramore. It resonates with me as a sort of anthem for pushing forward even when you feel lost, and a song for rebellion against the forces that have left us broken. Whenever I feel lost, I like to listen to this song as a reminder to keep pushing forward, no matter what.
Lastly, let's talk about music that I don't really resonate with.
"I don't get it". Ft. Taylor Swift
Let me make something clear. I don't hate Taylor Swift; I actually really enjoy some of her music. Not much, but some. As in maybe 3 songs. What I really don't understand is how her music is so insanely popular. I've tried to understand why for a long time, but have had no luck whatsoever...
Lets take this song for example: "Cruel Summer"
To me, almost all the Taylor Swift songs I've heard in my life sound like this; they're almost always about a past love or heartbreak. Maybe I'm just oversimplifying her music, but it's what I hear đŠI think her music is overplayed in general, but it's understandable how frequently they might play it on the radio for example, considering how ridiculously huge her following is.
Here's some music that I didn't share in the first three categories, because despite the fact that I really love these songs, I didn't feel that these were the best songs to showcase my current music tastes.
This is "Rain", by Rob Scallon. It's one of my favorite songs by him to listen to, because it's so simple, but so beautiful. I think that what he did in this video is absolutely extraordinary. If you listen to the original song, he uses a guitar delay pedal to get the delay effect, which makes sense right? In the videos above, he has 2 other guitarists playing right behind him, acting as his delay, which was so challenging for all 3 of them, they had to do 60 takes to make it all the way through the song without a mistake! The video on the left is of their last/best recording, and on right is a behind the scenes from the whole process!
Here is the original version of "Rain".
I've been listening to Twenty One Pilots for a long time; almost as long as Paramore. I somewhat recently came across their song, "Mulberry Street" from their 2021 album, Scaled and Icy, and I absolutely love it. It's so bouncy and upbeat and it just puts me in such a happy-go-lucky mood đ
I've only been listening to Plini for 3-4 years now, but he has made me love
prog rock more than I ever thought I would. His technical proficiency,
mastery over syncopation and complex rhythms, and his killer solos mixed
with smooth chord progressions make me come back to listen to him
again and again. An excellent example of all this is in his song "Ember", off
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