To conclude a term’s worth of blog posts, I’ve chosen to interview my dear friend, Jameson Franken. Always introducing me to artists and records, Jameson has been a major source of my creative inspiration in the two short years I have known her. She majors in English at the University of Oregon (but is currently studying abroad in London), has a deep appreciation for music across all genres, and, like me, hails from the Southeast but moved to the West Coast in the seventh grade. Most notably—and fortunately for me—she has generously shared her time and wisdom with us in this Q&A.
MP: Can you remember the first song artist that made you fall in love with music?
JF: I would say the moment that I really, I knew that I was really, really into music is when my parents had this CD book and we had a CD player, andwe didn’t have a radio in the house, so that was kind of the only place that I could listen to music. I remember listening to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” all the time. And then, slowly, I started listening to the other CDs. We had a Michael Jackson CD, and that was a phase for a little while. But I think really discovering the CD player and listening to loud music and good music that wasn’t just like pop hits on the radio was otherworldly for me.
MP: How would you say your taste has evolved over the years?
JF: That’s a really good question. My taste has evolved in a way that I love music, so I’m constantly searching for new music. So, like, as of recently, I just found this Egyptian artist, and I don’t understand anything that he’s saying, but I love the beat. So I would say it’s kind of, I really don’t know how to explain this, but it’s become a hobby.
MP: What is the process you use when discovering new music? Do you have a certain step-by-step that you like to follow?
JF: It’s a form of self-care for me. So I will be in my room. It’ll usually be a night that I have nothing to do. I’ll put my noise-canceling headphones on, and I’ll go on Spotify and just dig. Usually, I start with a song that I like, and then maybe I’ll go to the artist’s radio and look through the radio, or on Spotify, you can follow people and have followers. So I’ll go through my friends’ playlists, go off their friends’ playlists, look at my Discover Weekly, my release radar, all of that.
MP: That’s great. And to tie back to your taste developing, would you say it’s changed in any way since you’ve spent time in London?
JF: I think so. What I’m into in the current moment is definitely defined by the environment that I’m in. So right now, London is just coming out of the, like, foggy, super cold season, and it’s starting to get progressively sunnier. You can wear short sleeves, and much like Eugene, when there’s a little glimpse of sun, everybody gets super excited. There’s a pep in everyone’s step, everybody’s outside. And so my music taste has slowly gone from like shoegaze-type slower vibe, if you will, into something a little bit more upbeat. A little bit of house, a little bit of rock, a little bit of, you know, something that’s a little bit more uplifting.
MP: Would you say that music affects your mood or mindset, in that you use it as a tool to pull you out of something, or do you use it to accentuate how you’re feeling in a given moment?
JF: I would say that I use it to accentuate a feeling. So if I’m getting ready, I’m playing something again, upbeat, maybe rap to hype me up. If I’m sad, I’m going to indulge in that, and it’s going to be slow and not super high in pitch. And then if I’m happy, you know, it’s again, something more upbeat, lots of guitar.
MP: Fun! Could you share an example with me of when you associated music with a certain memory or a life event?
JF: I have this very vivid memory of walking [in] spring term of freshman year. I think I was walking from my 8 a.m. yoga class, and I put my headphones in. I’m walking back, and it was a pretty short walk, but the sun was out, and it was warm, and I listened to this song called “Shirim” by Melody’s Echo Chamber. And every time I listen to that song, I get a very, very visual memory of me walking down by the wreck and back to Bean.
MP: That’s sweet. I know that feeling. It’s quite nice, and I love that song. I want to kind of dig into live music now or go to concerts. So what would you say is the best concert you’ve ever attended?
JF: I’m not sure that I can pick out the best concert that I’ve ever attended, but I can say my most favorites are when the performer is very, very thankful for the audience’s presence. You can tell that they want to be there. They enjoy performing; if anything, they interact with the audience. It feels good, and it’s just a cute moment of we are all here to see you, and we all enjoy this same thing. It’s very heartwarming. And so I would say that’s my favorite kind of live music event.
MP: Unlike our TV girl experience, which was horrible. If you could see any artist, past or present, perform live, who would it be?
JF: Oh, god, that’s a really good question. I think seeing a Led Zeppelin show would be super awesome. But like Led Zeppelin of the 70s, right when they were kind of becoming famous, I think that would be such an experience. Yeah?
MP: My gosh, yeah. And going forward, what role do you think music will continue to play in your life?
JF: I think music will always play an important role. I am nothing without my music. I have to have my headphones everywhere I go. I just think it will always remain a big part of my life and who I am, and for me, it kind of accentuates and makes life better.
MP: I agree. And you know, would you say there’s one thing that you maybe wish people understood about your love of music?
JF: Music is a big part of me and who I am. It has made so many of my friendships. It can be romantic. It, you know, like you were saying, you can have memories associated with it. It’s something more than just listening. It’s emotional. It’s physical if you’re dancing, or if you really, really are feeling an emotion while listening to music; it is such a beautiful thing. And it’s not something that is just audible. There’s so much more to it, and there are also stories to be told about music and how it’s made, and where it came from, or how certain genres came to fruition, and stuff like that. I just, I think a lot of people are like, oh, yeah, music, that’s it. But I don’t think they understand how important it is, and it’s how important it’s been for centuries.
MP: Yeah, yeah, I agree. With you. I feel like, I don’t know if you ever had this, but like, being in San Diego and having kind of a weird taste in music, I always got made fun of. Everyone was always like, don’t put Mardi on the aux. Like, don’t do it. She’s gonna play something weird. And I always was so frustrated. I like my friend’s music. I think that most of the music is great, and my friends have good taste in music, but they just weren’t ever interested in going deeper, and it frustrated me so much. But then I came to college, and everyone thought it was so cool. Yeah, so I agree with you. I wish people were more patient with it.
JF: I also think there’s like, at least with technology, especially social media, there are some people in the world who say that they enjoy music, but it’s more so to amplify how they’re perceived by others. It’s a cool characteristic rather than a genuine one. I think music is very big in college, and again, it brings a lot of people together. Like, what is a frat party without music, really? What’s a bar without music? What’s a party without music, period? So, yeah, I think that’s totally understandable. And I get the whole idea of people thinking that your music taste is weird. I never experienced that in Portland, but I think if I had remained in South Carolina, it would have been the same. But that’s a whole other layer.
MP: Yeah, totally. And, you know, going away from this — if you wanted the reader to listen to one song, what would that be? I know that’s a heavy hitter, but what’s one thing everyone needs to hear at least once in their life?
JF: “10 Years Gone” by Led Zeppelin.
MP: Thank you. That’s fantastic.
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