CHANGING THE TUNE: HOW MY MUSIC TASTE HAS EVOLDED AT UNIVERSITY
By Izzy Morris
Entertainment
University changes and reshapes a lot of things in a student’s life, even small things, such as one’s music taste. Impact’s Izzy Morris speaks about how her music taste has evolved whilst living in a city with major musical influence.
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Funnily enough, I’m writing this article in the queue to see The Last Dinner Party – Brixton’s baroque-pop darlings taking the world by storm through wordof-mouth accounts of their live performances. Tonight, they’re putting on a sold-out show at Nottingham’s Bodega; my go-to destination for hidden gems and exciting breakthrough prospects. Since arriving in Nottingham in my first year, I’ve fallen head over heels for a whole host of talents that have graced the Bodega stage; Wunderhorse, Lynks, Bartees Strange, Panic Shack, Piri & Tommy… I could easily fill an entire magazine raving about them all. Being from Leicester, I was no stranger to the magic of Nottingham’s music scene growing up – so many of my formative musical memories have been created in the city’s wide range of venues. These memories made the city an obvious choice as my ideal university destination. Living in this city as a student has allowed me to fully immerse myself in everything the city has to offer. From the carpets of JT Soar, a multi-purpose DIY recording studio, rehearsal space and venue, to the mammoth productions on show at the Motorpoint Arena, there’s a venue for every size welcoming artists from across the musical spectrum and across the globe every single night. It’s a blessing and a curse – it’s rare to see a week in my calendar where there’s not a gig that I’m trying to get to.
“Living in this city as a student has allowed me to fully immerse myself in everything the city has to offer” You don’t even have to venture into the city to get your fix, with what’s on offer on campus. The University Chamber Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra can satisfy any classical cravings, and there are a whole host of musical societies putting on events all the time, from Bandsoc to Musicality, A Cappella to Blowsoc. With SB Fest and Mooch Live offering incredible student talent too, there are so many opportunities to hear something new, I’ve probably not even scratched the surface myself yet. I’m sure it will come as no surprise that my musical horizons have absolutely been broadened since coming to Nottingham, whether that be through traversing different venues in search of exciting new discoveries during Beat the Streets festival or dancing the night away at University Radio Nottingham’s Soundsystem DJ events. I’ve had the time of my life at so many of these events, and these will be some of the memories I cherish the most when I look back on my time here. I started university heavily leaning towards all things alternative, with alt rock and alt pop artists dominating my listening habits.
Illustrations by Ed Farley
While this may still be the case, my playlists have become a lot more colourful, and a lot more diverse – there’s been so much to get excited about, and so much of it has shaken up my perspective on what alternative even is. It’s so much more than just being left-of-centre, and there are so many different shades of alternative within that umbrella to dive into.
The biggest change since moving to Nottingham has been the sheer exposure I’ve had to new things. First of all, you move to a new city with thousands of other students from all over the country and indeed across the globe, all with their own personal tastes and experiences. For example, I have a friend who is a massive fan of Korean soul and hiphop, and has introduced me to a lot of artists that I would not have naturally come across in my day-to-day life. Another friend has encouraged me to dive even deeper into my heavier stuff, and has accompanied me in many mosh pits.
“With SB Fest and Mooch Live offering incredible student talent too, there’s so many opportunities to hear something new”
