Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Esther (class of 2025) and features songs for waiting in the UR dining hall affectionately known as Dhall.
Dhall
Songs I don’t understand but keep me happy while I wait for my panini.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Amy Winehouse’s album Back to Black has been my top album since I was 16. Not only is the unique quality of her voice astounding but her lyrics perfectly encapsulate the realities of an abusive relationship.
Back to Black was Winehouse’s sophomore album and the title track, “Rehab,” suggested the album would be nothing like its predecessor Frank (released in 2003). Frank sounded as if Winehouse had taken the lyrics of an artist like Michael Bublé and added a bit of hip-hop to it, the most notable piece was her voice.
These raspy painful notes that begin “Rehab,” a Top 10 hit in the UK and US, point to the three years between Frank and Back to Black being far from easy. After Frank debuted, Winehouse began a very topsy-turvy relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, a music video assistant. Fielder-Civil has come forward and admitted to being Winehouse’s introduction to hard drugs. The two would get into physical and verbal altercations in public, the catalysis of this being Fielder-Civil leaving Winehouse at one point for his ex-girlfriend.
Fielder-Civil leaving was the inspriation for the song “Back to Black.” It described the dark moments of depression she felt after he left. It also described how she went back to abusing alcohol after he left because she didn’t have anything else to cope with.
Another of her famous singles “Love is a Losing Game,” a long metaphor for love being an unfair game, the song, while quite simple with lyrics like “Know you’re a gambling man/ Love is a losing hand,” is considered to be one of Winehouse’s most powerful songs because of its deep meaning.
My personal favorite song, “Tears Dry on Their Own” is an anthem for those who need the hard truth: it is time to get over it. In an interview with BBC, Winehouse described her inspiration for the song: “I was with someone that I couldn’t really be with and I knew it wouldn’t last. But I think because I knew it couldn’t last, it’s kinda like saying, “I’m upset, but I know I’ll get over it, I guess.”
After a stint in rehab and an arrest for marijuana possession, Winehouse won five Grammy Awards in 2008, an award ceremony she was not able to attend as the US denied her visa on grounds of use and abuse of narcotics. That same year, Back to Black was said to be the second-highest selling album in the world. Winehouse died of accidental alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was one of the most famous Russian composers. The general public greatly enjoyed his music due to its tuneful melodies, perfect harmonies, and attractive orchestration, all of which together invoke a strong emotional response. He is known for the ballets Swan Lake (1877), The Sleeping Beauty (1889), and The Nutcracker (1892).
Tchaikovsky took up serious composing at the age of 14. In 1862 he began his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and starting in 1866, he began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory. Tchaikovsky revolutionized ballet: transforming it from a grand decorative gesture into a staged musical drama.
I’ve found Tchaikovsky’s music to be particularly useful for helping me focus while studying. Although his work can sometimes hijack your attention, I find it useful to break away from the books and listen to Tchaikovsky’s melodies as a break.
You can check out this book in the Parsons Music Library if you’d like to learn more about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and his work.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Isaac (class of 2025) and features songs he listened to on walks around Westhampton Lake.
Walks Around The Lake
Like most, my first semester of college was a lot rougher than I imagined. I was confused, lonely, stressed, and honestly, I just missed my mom’s cooking. I would take walks around the lake to help ease my mind. Cold or hot, wet or dry, these walks were a necessary part of my routine, and I allowed the music I heard take me where they pleased. A few more semesters in, I’m loving college in a way that shocks me considering how miserable it was at times in the past, but I still take these walks occasionally. Here are some of the songs I listened to on these walks:
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
A newer Disney classic, the musical movie Moana hit theaters in late 2016. The story follows Moana, a Polynesian Disney princess on a mission to return the heart of Te Fiti that was once stolen by the demigod Maui. Throughout the movie’s twists and turns, a lively soundtrack mostly written by Lin-Manuel Miranda makes the audience feel as though they are part of the adventure. Known for the creation of the Broadway musical Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda is a beloved song writer and performer who makes all of his work memorable for years and years to come.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Parsons Music Library has the album The Black Parade available for anyone to come listen to it. It has my top favorite songs which are “I Don’t Love You” and “Famous Last Words.” If you are looking to enter the Punk/Rock world, MCR is the place to go.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Danny (class of 2023) and features music he discovered recently.
Music of March
This playlist consists of all songs I have discovered in March of 2023.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Xipeng (class of 2024) which can be enjoyed by moonlight.
Serenaded by the Moon
This is the one of my favorite playlists to have at midnight, either when I am with friends or just enjoy the time to be alone. Turn off the lights, and enjoy this beautiful night!
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Deisy (class of 2024) and features songs for the hopeless romantic.
