DJ, Play that Song

Students at Jamesville-Dewitt High School agree that watching a Lady Gaga music video is like a train wreck: it's horrifying, yet you can't avert your eyes. We seem to have a similar taste in music artists here at J-DHS, too. The majority of the 100 people we interviewed preferred Ke$ha and Lady Gaga as opposed to more unknown people such as the experimental rock band Circa Survive or metal core/rock band Avenged Sevenfold.

Juniors Connor Headd, Xander El-Hindi, Andrew Wannamaker, and freshman Justin Diamond were all unsure about their favorite songs. "Mr. Brown! What's my favorite song?" they all yelled into the classroom they were supposed to be in (Practical Law). The Global 10 teacher suggested "The National Anthem." They all agreed, jokingly.

Iasia Pitts, a junior, said her favorite artist was Mariah Carey and that her favorite song was "Candy Bling." "I listen to it like 10 times a day," she says.

Natalie Nardone, also a junior, loves Lady Gaga, but prefers her less famous songs. "I like 'Teeth,'" she says, "it isn't on the radio yet." Junior Tessa Stathis also enjoys the musical stylings of Lady Gaga. They aren't the only ones: Earth Science teacher Mike Keefe is goo-goo Gaga, too. "I really like girls with red eyes!" he said.

A group of about 25 other students agreed that Lady Gaga is a music prodigy; one of the students is Felicia Fonsesca, a junior, who enjoys her hit "Just Dance."

Country music was more popular than we thought; a rather large group of 20 liked Taylor Swift, one of them being sophomore Amanda Pauls. Her favorite song is a tie between the older "You Belong With Me" and Swift's more recent song, "Fairytale." Tessa Grover, junior was also enjoys country music. "My favorite singer is by far Carrie Underwood, but my favorite song right now is Tik Tok by Ke$ha" Grover says.

An even smaller group of 10 likes Dave Matthews Band, the rock/jam group, such as senior Kendra Yakey-Wiley and junior Derek Horn. Although Kendra was quick about naming her favorite song by is DMB: "American Baby". Derek was indecisive and took a few minutes. "I guess it'd have to be "˜You and Me.'"

The remainder of the students seemed to like many different artists or bands.

Freshman Taylor Danforth prefers the hip-hop/rap artist Eminem, but her favorite song is by pop artist Jesse McCartney and rapper T-Pain, "Body Language."

Others such as junior Michelle Bakal and freshman Ivy Schneider prefer the less known artists The Kooks and Social Distortion, respectively. Junior Mackenzie Zoll likes Circa Survive.

Freshman Jamie McBurney likes Coldplay, while another freshman, Max Mastin, enjoys Hannah Montana's "Best of Both Worlds." But Max isn't the only one; senior Katie Weber is also a fan of Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, and she likes Miley's hit "Party in the USA." Mark Valentin admitted, unabashed, that he has, in the past, blasted that song in the car when he went out.