
Seven Songs that Remind Me of Dartmouth
Like pretty much every person, I love listening to music. I play music while getting ready in the morning, walking to class, and of course, studying. I think it's cool to keep track of the unique mood of each term at Dartmouth with a specific playlist capturing my favorite songs at the time. Here are some (in chronological order) that remind me of Darty.
- No. 1
Every Time We Touch by Cascada
This just had to be on the list. Though the song is 14 years old, the First-Year Trips program keeps it a timeless classic. One of the ways that freshmen bond on Trips is through learning dances together to songs such as this one. However, the moves are kept fresh in most of our minds, given that it’s played at pretty much every single formal for sentiment’s sake.
- No. 2
Pretty Face by PUBLIC
The first Friday of every fall term features a concert, Fallapalooza. My freshman year, PUBLIC was the artist. Although this was the first time I had heard of the band and their songs, I found them so captivating that I started following their music afterwards. The uplifting rock/pop is a perfect throwback to my first term as a college student - a time of excitement and novelty.
- No. 3
Waking Up the Giants by Grizfolk
Less connected to Dartmouth and more to my own experience, this song reminds me of my freshman winter, when I had just discovered the Dana Biomedical Library. Many afternoons and nights were spent there with a checked-out Genetics textbook, listening to this alternative rock album.
- No. 4
Hedwig’s Theme by John Williams
Don’t make fun of me, but after a winter break spent binge-watching the entire Harry Potter series, I returned to Dartmouth in January with a newfound playlist. The magical melodies were perfectly complemented by a Hogwarts-worthy landscape out the window and libraries that almost made me feel as productive as Hermione.
- No. 5
Love Me Less by MAX and Quinn XCII
MAX was my sophomore year Green Key artist, meaning he performed at our biggest (and second) annual concert on Gold Coast Lawn. I remember getting out of the lab I work at and heading over to the concert, where my friends and I sat on the comfy grass eating some of the free caramel popcorn. MAX was phenomenal, of course!
- No. 6
Mess by Noah Kahan
I discovered this artist by chance, and was hooked from the very first second. Afterwards, I realized that he was closely affiliated with Dartmouth - his mom was a professor here and his sister actually was a student! Weeks after I had bought tickets to his October show in Boston, I saw a poster stating that he would be playing at the 250th Anniversary concert over sophomore summer. So basically, I saw him twice in the span of a few months - hardly a complaint.
- No. 7
Juice by Lizzo
Last but not least, I couldn’t not include a sophomore summer jam like this one. My older sister introduced me to her album when she visited for my birthday in July. Lizzo’s songs were the perfect summer anthem, played during long canoe rides down the Connecticut River, off-campus drives for dinner, and “just because” moments with friends.