As the chirping of cicadas hushes to the soft crunch of fallen leaves, the changing sounds of the Upper Valley signal that fall has arrived. This shift from summer to fall begs the question: Does the music playing from our headphones change as drastically as the music of the natural world?
Nicky Denning ’26 said that, while he listens to “a little bit of everything” all year round, his preferences shift with the seasons.
Right now, he explained, he’s feeling more “folk-y.” Among his frequently played albums are “The Great American Bar Scene” by Zach Bryan and “Stick Season (Forever)” by Noah Kahan.
“I noticed that during the fall my music is often less country and more everything else, and summer is the opposite,” he said.
For Jaden Halevi ’26, changes in the weather tend to prompt a shift in his preferred musical genres — from more upbeat songs to slower ones.
“I believe my mood changes from the seasons, and that influences my choice of music,” Halevi said. “... In the heat, I want to be more outside and active, whereas in the winter time, I’d much rather be cozy and listen to mellow music because I find it somewhat comforting and warm.”
This summer, for example, Halevi said he listened mainly to hip-hop and R&B artists such as Aminé, Doja Cat, Lucky Daye and Mahalia. Now that fall has started to set in, his tastes have shifted to hip-hop, R&B and indie-pop. Songs incorporated into his fall rotation include “Had Enough” by Duckwrth, “Take a Bite” by beabadoobee and “Fluorescent” by Lava La Rue.
“[Lava La Rue] sort of changes its melody starting with a sort of U.K. rap before switching to singing,” he said. “I think it’s a good and shocking transition similar to drastic changes but comfortable temperatures.”
For John Rieling ’26, his taste changes faster than the seasons — usually matching his “vibe” of the day.
“I think I have a wide musical taste, so it is easy to move around in it,” Rieling said. “I would say it changes by the day compared to seasons, since each day brings new vibes and things to look forward to.”
However, he noted that his daily mood generally depends on the weather, especially as the days become colder in the fall and winter months. Like Denning, he tends to lean into folk music as the leaves turn.
“My music taste doesn’t change horribly much by season, [but] it definitely shifts a little bit more into folk and sad vibes in fall and winter compared to the spring and summer,” Rieling said.
Weather can also change students’ musical tastes by inspiring their activities. For example, the variety of outdoor activities Denning experienced during sophomore summer — from swimming at the river to hiking — influenced his music taste to become less slow-paced and more energetic.
“I think being on campus this summer and living with my friends had a lot to do with my music taste changing,” Denning said. “I think doing more fun activities might have prompted more fun music to accompany it, so going out with friends, cooking food together or just being together in general.”
For Rieling, the jazz, indie and pop genres collectively define his fall playlists. His most played tracks are “Bewitched” by Laufey, “Call It What You Want” by Taylor Swift, “Dinner With Friends” by Kacey Musgraves and “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
“Overall, fall feels like a time for new beginnings, so all of these songs feel like that for me,” Rieling said.
Whether students religiously curate a new playlist corresponding to each season or adjust their listening habits to daily moods, one through line is clear: music taste is ever-changing.
