Everyone listens to music, whether it’s to get in the zone or relax. Different genres offer a spectrum of moods and energies. Whether you listen to pop music or pirate death metal, everyone has their own unique music taste. However, an unfortunate survey revealed that only about 20.6% of students and teachers enjoyed the music in the halls during passing, 26.5% were neutral, and 52.9% did not like it. These statistics highlight a significant public sentiment that there is something wrong with the music in the halls.
When asked what was wrong with the music, the word “repetitive” was used many times. Synonyms of “repetition” appeared in about one-third of the surveyors’ responses. Additionally, people often suggested that we change the music. Songs can get old quickly, and avoiding repetition would be crucial to creating a more appealing environment for the school hallways. Students and teachers come from different backgrounds, and having music that reflects that could improve the environment around the school.
Another big takeaway from the survey was that students feel they don’t have a voice in what music they listen to in the halls. It can be hard to balance hundreds to even thousands of opinions. When asked who their favorite artist was, no artist or band repeated more than twice, so it might seem impossible to find the right genre or artist to play, let alone which song to try to entertain the whole school. One solution could be giving students that voice.
By creating a Google Form for people to submit their favorite songs, we can empower students to share their voices and contribute to the school’s and other students’ environment. This approach would make it easy to gather and organize students’ and teachers’ submissions. An anonymous survey respondent stated: “Statements like ‘young, dumb, and broke’ or songs whose messages are contradictory to a learning environment’s goal and don’t serve the purpose of encouraging the audience’s achievement.” The songs chosen would need to be age-appropriate and aligned with school spirit. We must remember that we are trying to create something positive for the school and the students. If done right, this solution could make students feel more heard by the community because it gives students and teachers more freedom.
While many people think the music needs to change, a few suggested scrapping the music entirely. This solution could be helpful because the music is sometimes too loud and hurts people’s ability to talk and connect. The music could get in the way of creating strong bonds with other students who are not in any of your classes. Although the music can be too much at times, it could also help people feel more connected to each other by celebrating different cultures and perspectives through a diverse song list and can help with attendance. It gives students a good warning when there are only 2 minutes left in the passing period, improving attendance around the school. The music can be too loud sometimes but has many benefits that outweigh a minor inconvenience.
All in all, the music in the hallways has the potential to celebrate culture and different perspectives, but the execution could improve. Music could bring life to an otherwise uninspiring environment. The problem doesn’t seem to be that there is music, but rather that the music can become repetitive, too loud, or just a weird song choice for the setting. Music in passing could be great for students, but only if done right. Music could offer expression, inspiration, or even remind you of your old favorite song.
