I venture to believe that most people listen to music because it’s enjoyable. I also venture to believe that a substantial number, if not the majority, of graduate students and postdocs here at UCR listen to their favorite music sometime during the week, if not every day. Here at GradSuccess, music is a significant part of the lives of many of our staff members. Our GSMP (Graduate Student Mentorship Program) specialist, Monique Posados, and our Graduate Writing Center Lead Consultant, Gary Qin, are DJs. Matthew Kersting, one of our GSMP Special Topics Peer Mentors, plays his classy Fender Strat and vintage Gibson Les Paul through a Fender Bassman amp head – what a combo! One of our GSRC’s Lead Consultants, Victoria Romano, is a PhD candidate in music, and she is heading to New York soon to record at Atlantic Records. You will even find our GradSuccess director, Dr. Dawn Loyola, at a Dead & Company concert, where band members of the Grateful Dead are joined by the guitar virtuoso John Mayer.

[Image Description: John Mayer on stage rockin’ a Gibson SG with the great Bob Weir on his Strat.]

Pictured: Music hall-of-famers on one stage. Far out!

 

Bookends (1968) by Simon and Garfunkel

I started playing guitar because of Paul Simon. His songwriting first captured my attention when I heard the Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits album on LP… yes, on a record player. Because of Simon & Garfunkel, a good song for me had to be a poetically creative mix of vocals, lyrics, rhythm, and melody. Bookends is one album I often put on because it is a collection of genuinely fun, poignant, intelligent, and beautiful songs.

 

Let It Be (1970) by The Beatles

My other main musical influence is The Beatles. What contributed to their success was how singable their songs were, and I learned to sing and play many of their popular hits. I was introduced to the Fab Four by the song Let It Be many, many years ago. I didn’t know it then, but the album Let It Be would be their final release for them together. If I could have been like any rock star in a band, it would have been John Lennon. He was, to me, the ideal singer, songwriter, poet, and artist, all portrayed in this album as a member of The Beatles. Dig a Pony has always been my favorite song featuring John Lennon on vocals.

[Image Description: Each Beatles member singing in their frame on the cover of the Let It Be album.]

Pictured: Let it be!

 

Synchronicity (1983) by The Police

The trio of Sting (bass and vocals), Andy Summers (guitar), and Stewart Copeland (drums) has no equal. Other bands seem to need more musicians to make their band and their music work, but The Police created one of the best collections of songs in this 80s album with just three bandmates. Every Breath You Take is easily one of my top 10 songs of all time.

 

Under a Blood Red Sky (1983) by U2

I love live music, and U2’s live concert recording of Sunday Bloody Sunday at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado was one of the first music videos I hoped to see on MTV when it came on the scene in the early 80s. I had been a fan of U2 for several years before they hit MTV, but hearing Bono’s penetrating, raw, and honest vocals and the Edge’s distinct and distorted guitar rhythms in a live concert only heightened my admiration for the Irish musicians.

 

Sky (1994) by Faye Wong

This solo artist caught my attention when I started listening to Chinese popular music in the early 90s. On this album, Faye Wong sings a Mandarin cover of a song by the Cranberries and one by the Cocteau Twins. This album is masterfully produced: everything about it just fits. Thank goodness for Spotify because I had this CD stolen from my car years ago and only recently reconnected with this album.

Music is so often a healthy distraction for me, whether listening to a good song or playing one with a guitar or on piano. We hope you have healthy distractions that help you destress and take your mind off work and school. If music is one of your outlets, what are your top songs, albums, and artists? Let us know!

[Image Description: Taylor Swift giving an encouraging statement at the Grammy’s about letting those you love distract you from work.]

Pictured: It’s not always about work.