WRVU 23′ – 24′ Exec: The Mugs Behind the Music

A new academic year here at Vanderbilt means a new WRVU Executive Board! We’ve got familiar as well as fresh faces, and we want to introduce you to all of them. Each exec member was asked a very simple question: what album has had the most impact on you and why? Listed below are their responses plus a photo of their beautiful faces so that you know who you’re looking for next time you walk through campus. Enjoy their stories and be sure to read to the bottom for a special surprise! It’s good to be back <3.

Station Manager: Henry Morrissette

“Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem. My dad used to play it a lot for me and I kinda rediscovered it when I was getting into music on my own. Mostly just a mix of things I like with a combination of rock and electronic. Super influential for and influenced by a lot of stuff I still listen to.”

Archive Director: Sophia Martinez

“AM by the Arctic Monkeys. This album was everything to me and my Tumblr-using, side part-wearing middle school best friends. I made the cover my lock screen for at least a year, it was that serious. AM is far and away Arctic Monkeys’ most popular and commercially successful album, and as much as I’d like to be contrarian and say it’s not that good, I can’t lie it really is that good. Not my favorite album of theirs or their best, but it’s withstood the test of time, and I love it now as much as I did at 13 and 17 and 20.”

Music Director I: Victoria Travassos

“Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zepplin. My dad and I used to ride down the New Hampshire highways with all the windows rolled down while listening to this album. In those moments, I learned who I was. I knew I wanted to live freely, love hard, and always remember that pure joy like that existed. My dad taught me all about Zeppelin, about Jimmy Page’s otherworldly guitar skills (little did I know that one day I would eventually get to play one of his guitars), and how you could tell what music born out of passion sounded like. My love for music had been born long before then, but I think that was the moment when I realized it would always be with me.”

Music Director II: Colin Vess

“Today’s Active Lifestyles by Polvo. Today’s Active Lifestyles probably has had the most impact on the way I consume music due to its effect on my understanding of music history and culture. Discovering Polvo and this album in particular when I was in high school really opened my eyes to a nuanced and historical local music scene with its own culture that was extremely important during my formative years. Being able to attend any show or creative outlet anywhere between Greensboro and Chapel Hill where you are guaranteed to recognize someone even tangentially related to the area’s bustling D.I.Y. scene of the 90’s was nothing other than revolutionary for me. I credit this exploration as sparking my interest in music history and exploration of musical progressions, which has greatly shaped my taste today.”

Events Coordinator I: Caterina Tian-Svobodny

“Best Day Ever by Mac Miller. I think there were plenty of earlier albums that had a profound impact on my childhood. However, I chose BDE as it was the cheerful and introspective album that held my hand through one of the strangest periods of my life (high school in quarantine). I think, at least every so often, I’ll always feel 16, driving my CR-V through quiet streets at dusk, thinking it really isn’t all that bad.”

Events Coordinator II: Ben Freed

“Songs by Adrianne Lenker. I first came across Songs during my freshman year, a time defined by the uncertainty and turmoil of the pandemic. Among all the chaos, this record provided a sort of warmth that has stuck with me since the release.”

Marketing and Content Director I: Samantha Josephson

“Melophobia by Cage the Elephant. When I was gifted my MP3 player in fifth grade, my music obsession began. Most of the songs that I downloaded were whatever I liked from the radio, but I quickly realized that so much more music existed and was readily available through YouTube (which is where my Lana del Rey obsession began when I eventually found the “Video Games” music video). I somehow stumbled upon Melophobia by Cage the Elephant and it really spoke to my side-pony-tail, head-gear-wearing self. From that point forward, I consumed as much alternative and indie music as I could find.”

Marketing and Content Director II: Gwynneth Galarion

“Absolutely by Dijon. Discovering Absolutely – introduced to me by my big sister during sophomore year – was like a musical love affair that I’d always been subconsciously yearning for. This album was my introduction to the world of indie soul! As though I had stumbled upon the perfect blend of my favorite sounds: Frank Ocean-esque alt R&B and the timeless soulful tunes of Motown, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding. But Absolutely means more to me than just great music. It’s become a cherished connection between my sister and me, something we could talk about endlessly. And most importantly, it set me on a musical journey that’s defined my taste to this day. (My top picks are “Rodeo Clown”, “Talk Down”, and “The Dress”!).”

Secretary: Jamie Klinenberg

“Deadpan Love by Cautious Clay. Cautious Clay! I love this guy. This album came out at the beginning of the summer of 2021. first summer after college and I feel like I resonated a lot with the themes of the songs, and felt like it has defined my music taste for the rest of college. This album is easy to get lost in, give it a listen!”

Outreach Coordinator: Olga Konstantara

“American Beauty by Grateful Dead. The album has had the most impact on me because of the way it preaches the acceptance of life as it comes. This album embodies the Grateful Dead and finding peace in the world and acceptance in the fact that time is going to pass, there will be ripples, but stay in the moment and live knowing nothing matters as much as you think. It’s a nice reminder that life is bigger than myself.”

Blog Editor I: Amanda Maeglin

“Heard It In A Past Life by Maggie Rogers. I was introduced to Maggie Rogers’ music by the lead singer of my older brother’s high school band. Listening to Heard It In A Past Life was one of the first times where I felt like I had discovered my own music taste. The album blends together the different sides of what I like listening to – acoustic folk, R&B, indie, electronic – in a way that feels new and familiar all at the same time. Although I have listened to it about a million times by now, the album still feels incredibly significant. Maggie Rogers sings about a lot of pain, but never in a way that is self-deprecating or critical. Instead, Heard It In A Past Life is full of gratitude and a reverence for what it means to be human, and all of the messy and deeply hurtful things that can come along with it. Even now, this is the album that I come back to in when I’m in search of self-compassion, grace, and gratitude.”

Blog Editor II: Colten Harper

“Suddenly by Caribou. I am a huge fan of house, techno, and pretty much any genre of music that has a strong, danceable beat. I found Suddenly early in my college career, and the alternative dance tracks were my holy text for over a year, landing it a spot as my 5th most played album of all time (the first 4 being by Blood Orange; a story for another time). The psychadelic tracks on this album were my gateway into experimental and house music more generally – two areas of music I struggle to venture outside of to this day. “Never Come Back” and “Like I Loved You” have made their way onto virtually every playlist I make, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Dan Snaith has a great ear for production and his creative process is, in my opinion, research worthy.”