MSU wasn’t the plan. Coming out of high school, the plan was an associate’s degree in sound recording technology at a community college and transfer to Michigan Tech for a bachelor’s in sound design. A year into community college there was a change of plans. I decided to forego the associate’s and instead focus on general credits. Instead of sound design at Michigan Tech, I chose digital storytelling at Michigan State University. 

At the time two of my favorite songs were “Self Esteem” by The Offspring and “The Best Day” by Atmosphere. These songs bookend this playlist. Both songs have been with me throughout my life, coming in and out like an old friend who’s always welcome to stay awhile.

I transferred in at a strange time in my life. I had just spent a year and a half in lockdown while working part-time at a grocery store and being a student — almost entirely online. A set of circumstances that are not exactly conducive to a healthy social life for an already awkward person. After transferring, it took me some time to readjust to being around peers my age. 

But with adjustments came growing pains. Some relationships I had formed before transferring essentially fell apart, leading to some very rough nights, nights that the second song in the playlist, “Black Soul” by Shinedown, helped me through. While nowhere near my favorite Shinedown song, “Black Soul” sticks out as one that played at the perfect time during an especially rough night while walking home, so it holds a special place in my heart.

It was around that same time that I began two important things. First, make an effort to meet new people, and second, listen to new music. The first part would come with time. The second started immediately: when I started my weekly ritual of listening through Spotify’s discover weekly playlist. The ritual marks the beginning of what I am dramatically calling my rebirth.

This tradition is one that I have been doing every week since the winter of my spring 2022 sophomore year at MSU. While mostly mediocre, having new music to experiment with every week was a blessing that helped me develop my music tastes from a casual listener of whatever to someone who knows his music taste.

The rest of my playlist is made from songs that I first listened to as an MSU student, mainly through discover weekly and similarly generated mixes. All of these songs were chosen from the multitude of mostly great songs — they can’t all be bangers — I enjoyed during my time here as an MSU student and are arranged chronologically from start to finish to follow my journey as a person, and as a Spartan.

Thank you to Michigan State University, the friends that stuck with me, the friends I’ve made along the way and a special thank you to Impact 89FM for helping me find my voice.