Music between periods has become a staple of Fridays at UAHS, and builds excitement for the upcoming weekend while also serving as a great way to end the school week.
Each year, social studies teacher Kim Brown selects two students to choose the music for the school year. In past years, it’s been students of any and all grades, however, this year the two students are seniors.
“It takes them a lot of time to pick out the songs,” Brown said. “They have to turn them in on the Wednesday ahead of time to Mrs. Merryman, who then has to put them into a system to get them ready to go.”
As for choosing the songs, Andrew Theado has set a strict guideline for them to follow.
Brown said that these guidelines ensure that the songs don’t have anything promoting “alcohol use, drug use, or sex. Which in the end leaves about four songs.”
“[The selected students] try to look for either clean versions of songs or songs that just don’t have those things in it,” she said.
Brown continued to explain the process of the music selection.
“Sometimes they’ll do a theme, like a Taylor Swift day. They always take requests. Usually I will have people send requests to me and then I forward them,” Brown said.
Themes make it easier and more fun for the students choosing and the students listening, as the songs tend to either be made by the same artist or in the same genre and era. For example, last year music was played by the Beatles on one day or by One Direction the next week.
The two senior students who choose the music this year requested to remain anonymous due to potential backlash.
Brown’s fear is that “if they put their names, people are going to be like, ‘I hate you’.”
The students also expressed their fear of getting “hate in the halls” due to the music choices.
“Just remember,” Brown said. “Especially with the criteria, I mean, ‘What’s left?’ You only have so many songs about the beach.”
When asked about the process of selecting the music, one of the students said, “It’s definitely a lot of work finding all the songs and it gets stressful… It’s just so hard with the restrictions because we run out of options a lot and we don’t want to get, like, hate in the halls. But I think it’s fun.”
The student continued and talked about how the theme of the day is chosen.
“With the themes we look at songs, but then we have to narrow it down because there are a lot of restrictions to what the songs can talk about,” they said.
Some of the student body have expressed interest in voting for the music that plays on Friday. To this, the other senior stated, “I have gotten people recommending songs but, then again, they don’t know about the restrictions. We can’t do a lot of the songs that they want to do. So, that’s a little tough. [But] voting for themes would be fine.”
Overall, the sentiment between the two of them is that they would love to play music that all students enjoy and are listening to now, but the combination of harsh restrictions and the content of music lyrics today makes it hard to please everyone. Some students complain when they hear the song that plays as they walk to class, but others sing along with their friends or skip joyously through the halls.
“We’re trying to please everybody, but don’t give us hate if it’s not the newest rap song because we can’t play that. We’re trying our best,” one senior said.
“Just remember we’re trying to have a fun way to celebrate the weekend,” Brown said. “While also trying to be sensitive that our lyrics aren’t going to upset some people or offend someone.”
Cultural events and months occasionally influence the music chosen. National Hispanic Heritage Month is from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and Latin American music may be played in the next month.
Some of the student body enjoys the music.
“It makes me feel pretty good. I think it’s nice to, you know, have something different for Fridays. It really emphasizes that it’s a Friday. It makes Friday special,” sophomore Johnny Sass said.
If you’d like to request songs or themes, email [email protected].
