CHANGING THE TUNE: HOW MY MUSIC TASTE HAS EVOLDED AT UNIVERSITY

CHANGING THE TUNE: HOW MY MUSIC TASTE HAS EVOLDED AT UNIVERSITY

By Izzy Morris Illustrations by Ed Farley

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.

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.

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.

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.

I mean, there has, of course, been stuff that I haven’t been interested in that people have turned me towards (my housemate has STILL not managed to get me to enjoy The Smiths), but that’s only led to interesting conversations and debates about music. It’s allowed me to develop my taste, share my favourites and at times has encouraged me to address my potential genre biases. It’s so easy to be resistant to genres you’ve barely dipped your toes into, but getting exposed to new music and new experiences while forming these new friendships at university makes it so much easier. Talking about music has been such a great icebreaker for me in so many situations, and there’s nothing quite like getting to wax lyrical about your favourite band to someone new.

My taste has also been challenged and expanded by my boyfriend, an avid indie and post-punk fan (amongst a whole host of other genres). I wore a festival hoodie the first time we met, and we both went through the line-up on the back of it and excitedly chatted about some of our favourite artists listed on there. Since then, we’ve been on multiple gig dates and have found new artists to rave about along the way through the support acts that join them on tour. Courting, Baba Ali and Calva Louise are all artists that I saw for the first time as support acts and have been obsessed with ever since.

There have also been so many Nottingham-based artists to enjoy over the last few years. Alt Blk Era is an absolutely killer nu-metal, heavycore sister duo that has gone from college to Glastonbury in no time. Bloodworm is an incredibly exciting indie-goth band that is making waves too. Lucy Crisp is getting everyone on their feet and moving with 80s pop princess bangers. It doesn’t matter where on the musical spectrum you fall, there’s something for you.

Going into my third and final year at university, I’m so excited for the expansions my playlists will surely undergo before I leave. I’ve still never been to Peggy’s Skylight, a jazz club in Lace Market, and I’m looking forward to diving into the dancier side of life at Brickworks, one of Nottingham’s underground DJ venues. There’s far too much for me to tackle everything, but I’m never going to be starved of new music in this city; it’s around every corner.

For those of you arriving in Nottingham for the first time, you’re in for an absolute treat.

Student media is a great first port of call, whether that’s writing for us here at Impact, The Mic Magazine or putting on a show with URN. Or, if you’re into your really niche stuff, UMS might be a great fit for you. Presenting my own radio show with URN has allowed me to expand my taste massively, and has encouraged me to listen to the curations of so many of my peers. Writing and reading about music has introduced me to the most incredible communities of music fans, while introducing me to some of my new favourite tracks and albums.

Throw yourself in. Try that new artist you’re not quite sure about. Ask that guy you’re sat next to in your seminar about the band on his shirt. Start a band with your housemates. There are so many ways to get knee-deep into one of the most spectacular music scenes that this country has to offer, so take advantage of it.