COVID-19 has brought us down. Not being able to hug our friends saddens many of us. However, music empowers people. Music changes minds. Through conversations with fellow students and by doing some emotional inventory, it is fair to say that the friend we can all still hold close is music. 
On a personal level, music assists me in my productivity. A steady pulse encourages me to get up and move, finish that marine biology assignment, and wake up on time. 
“I listen to music everyday now, whether it’s for homework, cleaning, for fun, etc. It helps make a daily routine more fun and it can be comforting when you don’t want to be in silence but you don’t want to be distracted by social media or television,” junior and avid music listener Camden Krause said.
Music also helps to fill the empty space that a study group or peer tutor left. 
“Music has always been an important part of my life, I carry earbuds with me everywhere,” senior Geraldine Ang said. “But during this pandemic, because I often don’t get to go to places I usually hang out in, it’s even more prevalent. When I really feel the weight of the pandemic, when I’m unmotivated and depressed, just listening to some of my favorite songs makes me feel a lot better.”
Music continues to serve as an emotional support. As social interaction has become difficult to maintain in a pandemic, music remains a gateway into communication with peers.
“Sometimes when I’m stuck or feeling disconnected, music helps me reach out for help,” junior Bao Pham said. “Without the ability to see my friends everyday, music sometimes feels like the only connection I have to someone or to some distant memory; I guess it’s prevalent in that way.”
Overwhelmingly, students are currently relying more heavily on music than they potentially did in the past. Artists are releasing music that speaks to the moment while songs from the pre-pandemic have become sources of nostalgia. 
“I’ve also been able to discover a ton of cool new artists because of all this extra time I have due to things being canceled. It’s a sort of silver lining for me in a dark time,” Ang said.
Despite all of the curveballs COVID-19 has thrown at us, music continues to motivate and inspire people. Due to isolation, creators are creating art that reflects their emotional states like never before, listeners are listening and relating like never before, and people are adapting to a situation they’ve never encountered before.