On the big screen, a large fin sticking out of the top of the water isn’t quite as intimidating without the intimidating instrumental, the “Dun-dun. Dun-dun. Dun-dun” from the theme song “Jaws.”
Rocky’s sprints through the streets of Philadelphia and one-armed push-ups inside the ring become slightly less motivating without the trumpet build-up of Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now.”
Daniel LaRusso’s kicks against the Cobra Kai martial arts bands were ten times stronger with Joe Esposito’s “You’re The Best Around” playing in the background.
Each film’s soundtrack has the ability to make or break the scenes, settings, and story. Likewise, the soundtracks that make up our lives can enhance every event and experience.
So, last November, I was thrilled to have the chance to create a playlist that set the stage for the Buster Bowl, a student and personal football game that is the premier opportunity for Union students. to play or watch a football match. My writing teacher this semester – Ted Kluck himself – was instrumental in coaching and attending the Buster Bowl. After taking a few lessons with Kluck, who used every class period as an excuse to show off his DJ skills while we worked on our assignments, I was thrilled when we decided to collaborate on the Buster Bowl playlist together.
However, creating a playlist that matches an event perfectly can be tricky. It’s kind of like when you try to plan your own birthday dinner and realize that your friends are all from different groups and the “cliques” don’t necessarily work. If Kate comes, it’ll be fine because she kind of knows John through a mutual friend – so he’ll have someone he knows – but what about Ashley? Also, I’ll feel bad if I invite Chris over but not Lily, but I’m not really talking to Lily… You get the idea. Alone, you get along well with every person or group, but when they all get together, it can be quite awkward. And who wants that to be awkward at their own birthday dinner?
So when you’re trying to “create a moment” with a playlist, you have to be very careful about how it all fits together, pulling in different genres, moving from song to song, and so on. You also need to know your audience. . Otherwise, the vibrations will simply be turned off.
The fate of the Buster Bowl vibes rested on the shoulders of Kluck, me, and our three-hour Spotify playlist.
We decided to set the stage for the game with the classic hype-up songs. Archie Eversole’s “We Ready” and DJ Khaled’s “All I Do is Win” are perfectly universal tracks that would appeal to college kids and members of the Jackson community alike.
Some songs, such as Meek Mill’s “Monster”, Kanye West’s “Power” and Eminem’s “‘Till I Collapse” were going to be necessary for the twenty-year-old on the pitch to go into game mode, despite the looks potentially disapproving older members of the community. (Don’t worry, clean versions only!)
Christian rap songs such as Andy Mineo’s “You Can’t Stop Me” were also added. It spoke to any child who had set foot in a youth group or spent a summer in a Christian camp, where leaders and sidekicks would overplay any song that mixes clean lyrics with a more “secular” style of music.
Kluck added songs from NFL Films and the “Monday Night Football” theme, songs you wouldn’t know by name but immediately recognize when played, immersing you in that football spirit. He also added AC/DC, Metallica and Led Zeppelin. Even though it wouldn’t have crossed my mind to add hard rock, I had to admit that it helped create the atmosphere we wanted.
(Our collaboration on the playlist was key to making it work for everyone, as we represented very different demographics. Me, a 20-year-old college student who listens way too much to Taylor Swift, and Kluck, a 30-something sports fanatic whose musical tastes were probably still a bit stuck in the 80s.)
Towards the end of the game, when the good mood was already established and going nowhere, we had a mood change from pump to just plain fun. Some old classics – “I Want you Back” by the Jackson 5 and “I’m A Believer” by the Monkees – fun and upbeat, and versatile enough to speak to every member of the crowd.
Music can make the most mundane tasks more exciting and make the most fun events ten times better. You can create a playlist for anything – cleaning your room (we’ll need some exciting tunes for this one) or going for a drive (the vibe of this one will depend on the weather – will the windows are down or on a rainy day?)
So the next time you want to improve your experience, just create a playlist.
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