This week’s spotlight is on senior, Emma Horsfield, who is an active member in both the community and school district. Horsfield is a member of the Spartan Assembly executive team, co-editor in chief of the Spartan Shield, and a National Honor Society executive officer. She also serves on the Service Learning Committee and heads the Student Ambassador program at the high school. Horsfield’s daily schedule varies as often as her constantly transforming music taste.
Horsfield does not restrict herself to one favorite genre. “I tend to pick a song to listen to for a week straight until I get tired of it, and then move on to a different genre,” states Horsfield. She listens to multiple genres, varying from rap, to classical, to almost anything (excluding country). At the moment, Horsfield’s favorite artist is Jon Bellion, a contemporary pop artist.
Jon Bellion mixes R&B, rock and indie influences to create his ballads. Bellion first grasped national attention for his song “The Monster,” which was then featured with Rihanna on Eminem’s 2013 album. Bellion’s humility is expressed through his music; despite his millions of downloads, he stayed grounded. “I get checks so big they could make me vomit,” Bellion tells TIME Magazine. Horsfield sees this in his music and loves how his songs can be analyzed for a deeper meaning. Horsfield believes, “A majority of mainstream music today is about pointless topics, whereas Jon Bellion brings awareness to important social issues.” Her favorite song of his references significant issues in our society.
Similar to her varying genre taste, Horsfield changes her favorite song often. “1-800-273-8255” by Logic is her current favorite, because it comments on a topic many artists ignore: teen suicide. Horsfield enjoys the blend of Logic, Alessia Cara, and Khalid’s voices. “I love it for the message and the sound. I cried during the music video and VMA performance. I am so glad it gained all the public attention this topic deserves,” Horsfield says. Throughout the day, she listens to multiple playlists catering to her daily schedule. In the morning, Horsfield listens to the “Wake Up Happy” playlist by Spotify. While driving or relaxing, she frequently listens to the La La Land soundtrack or “Today’s Hits” by Apple Music. While studying, Horsfield listens to classical music to avoid distractions from lyrics. When dealing with her busy schedule, Horsfield uses music to calm and organize herself.
