Are you missing music? Aggie Radio has you covered.
Though the applause is scattered, people visibly relax as local musician Logan Pollard’s voice floats through The Hub on a blustery Tuesday morning. Only accompanied by his guitar, Pollard’s tasteful selection of acoustic coffee-house favorites seems to be the perfect antidote to the collective grumpiness brought on by the recent gloomy change in weather. And Pollard is only one in a long line of local student artists that have recently been sharing their talents via the new Aggie Radio Mini Concert Series.
Every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m., from March 2 until the end of the semester, live music will be available to enjoy in a socially-distanced capacity either in The Hub in the Taggart Student Center or — weather permitting — on the TSC patio. Viewers are welcome to come and enjoy for as long as they can (and the lucky few who can stick around might even be able to talk to the talent face to face!).
The president of the International Association for Music & Medicine and professor of music therapy at Berklee College of Music, Suzanne Hanser, said in a report with the Global Council on Brain Health, “There are so many mechanisms that explain the powerful impact that listening to a piece of music can have.” The report outlines new research that indicates music can have a significant positive effect on “emotional well-being, including improving mood, decreasing anxiety, and managing stress.” Furthermore, the GCBH study also includes the results from a 2020 survey of over 3,000 American adults, which reports “listening to music — whether in the background, by focused listening to recordings or at musical performances — had a small positive impact on mental well-being, depression and anxiety.”
In addition, the National Alliance on Mental Illness said, “Music can be utilized to regulate mood. Because of its rhythmic and repetitive aspects, music engages the neocortex of our brain, which calms us and reduces impulsivity.” Furthermore, music can be utilized to alter our moods and “slowly shift to a more positive or calm state.”
Aggie Radio is providing Utah State students with an opportunity to decompress and increase their productivity via exposure to live music. In addition to supporting local artists, USU’s Student Media is fostering a new, exciting and engaging community culture.
There is not a set or published schedule of performers because Aggie Radio is still on the lookout for more local artists. So far, Aggie Radio has found willing performers mostly by word of mouth, but they are in the market for more participants — preferably local and members of the university community. If you or somebody you know are interested in throwing your hat in the ring to perform in the series, send a short clip of yourself to kbluevents@aggie.usu.edu or you can message @m1randa5 on Instagram.
*Graphic by Clara Harmon.
Sage Souza is a junior studying political science and Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys long walks on the beach, making too many playlists on Spotify, and retweeting Karl Marx fancams.
—sage.souza@usu.edu
@sageksouza