Blow Pierce’s Music Thoughts: Are Students In Sync or Out of Rhythm?
Story by Joyce Ndifor, Enari West, K’Mari Sam, Erin Calloway, Ariana Calhoun, Tylin Coleman, Tolu Awodiya, and Chyna Davis. Photo courtesy of the New York Times.
We were curious about our peers’ music tastes at Friendship Blow Pierce, specifically the personal interest in different music artists and genres. Consequently, we surveyed students at Blow Pierce Middle School to learn about their music preferences. In the morning, during our morning meeting, we posted music-related poll questions on anchor charts in the middle school hallway. We made sticky notes available to allow students to write their responses. After the first two periods, we collected the anchor charts and chose the artist based on how many people picked them. After analyzing more poll questions, here is what we concluded about the students' answers: music is used for different reasons and fulfills different purposes for every individual!
Music Increases Productivity
We also found that Blow Pierce scholars think that listening to music increases their productivity. It increases their productivity because music has different effects on individuals. For example, one student said when they listen to music it helped them wash dishes faster. If you’re an athlete, when you are on the way to a game, you can listen to music to motivate you.
Music Motivates
If we didn’t have music to motivate us, people would probably get distracted by their surroundings, and wouldn't be motivated to do their work. If music wasn’t there to help those with smaller platforms feel like they had someone empathetic to their situation, people might feel like they are alone in the world.
Blow Pierce’s Top 5 Artists
Rod Wave comes in first place on student's list of favorite artists. He is 25 years old and is loved by youth culture. His music is sometimes somber, and many young people can relate to it. His most popular songs are “Fight the Feeling,” and “Great Gatsby.”
Lil Durk is 31 years old, and comes in second place on our list. Students have chosen Lil Durk because they feel like they can relate to what he talks about in his music. His most famous song is “Top.” This song talks about losing loved ones and dealing with a rough childhood, which many find relatable.
Twenty-five-year-old NBA Young Boy came in third. Students chose him because they love his music and they can relate to some of the things that he went through. People can relate to him because he talks about coming out of the hood, gun violence and enduring a very rough childhood.
Coming in fourth place is artist SZA. The 34-year-old Grammy winner makes catchy songs about breakups and relationships. People are touched by her music and can connect to it.
And finally, in fifth place, is 35-year-old artist Jhene Aiko. In 2002 Aiko started her career as a backing vocalist and music video performer. Students find her lyrics that deal with love, and life in between, relatable. They also love her voice, and are moved by it.
Damare Gaither, K’mari Sam, Tolulade Awodiya, Mylakhi Davis, Ariana Calhoun, Joyce Ndifor and Erin Calloway are sixth and seventh graders at Friendship Blow-Pierce Middle School.