This week’s spotlight is on Sydney Cournoyer, who is actively involved in PV’s arts, athletics and extracurriculars. Not only is she a member of Chamber choir, but she also assists with lighting for theatrical productions. After playing soccer for two years and stopping due to injury, she now manages the girls soccer team. Cournoyer is also a member of the environmental and astronomy clubs.
Cournoyer’s favorite genre is alternative, specifically music from the 90’s. “Alternative is more appealing to me than other genres because I don’t care for the pop/rap/country on the radio. It all sounds the same.” 90’s alternative speaks to her because of the laid-back tempo and experienced artists. Although Cournoyer prefers the 90’s decade, her choice artist is the 1960’s band The Doors.
The Doors are one of the most influential rock bands of their time. Their music is extremely unique, featuring classical, blues, pop and eastern influences. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1969, lead singer Jim Morrison, commented on the features of their musical blend. “There’re a lot of other new elements people have become aware of, like Indian music, eastern music, African music and electronic music. It’ll probably be a pretty wild synthesis. I think in this country we keep returning to blues and country because they’re our two indigenous musical forms.” The early success of the band sustained into the next decade and continues to impress listeners now. Cournoyer favors The Doors because of her fascination with Morrison. Although he was a charismatic performer, he was infamously known for his instability throughout his career. Aside from Morrison, Cournoyer also listens because she believes The Doors’ lyrics are phenomenal.
At the moment, Cournoyer’s favorite song is “The Less I Know the Better,” by Tame Impala. “I love the music video and the bass line in it is super cool,” she says. The playlist that she most frequently listens to is titled, “Car-ride.” This playlist features artists such as: Frank Sinatra, The Strokes, and music from Nirvana’s Unplugged album. Cournoyer listens to this playlist after school whether she’s out with friends, working on homework or preparing for her extracurriculars.
