By DJ Amygdala
A crowd packed into a sweaty basement, bodies moshing together, screaming every word to a song that means everything. Or maybe it’s a guitar circle on the beach, strangers-turned-friends passing rhythms back and forth like a secret handshake. Even just a song crackling over the airwaves, filling an empty dorm room with a voice that feels like home. Since the dawn of humans banging sticks together, music has been the ultimate social glue. Indigenous cultures across the world have used drum circles and chants to pass down history and create unity. In the Middle Ages, traveling minstrels weren’t just there for the vibes; they were the town’s news source, spreading stories across villages. In the 20th century, music was still shaping culture: gospel and blues powered the Civil Rights Movement, punk rock became the sound of anti-establishment rebellion, and hip-hop gave a mic to voices that mainstream America tried to ignore. And then there’s college radio, forever the underdog, forever amplifying the weird, the experimental, the underground. Stations like KZSC have long been places where niche music, counterculture, and community collide.
Right now, the world can feel like a mess of notifications, bad news cycles, and existential dread. The blanket of isolation is hard to remove. It persists but what do you do when you feel all alone? Music. Music is the answer. Music is the antidote. It’s the thing that pulls us out of our heads and into something bigger than ourselves. Live shows? They’re modern-day rituals where you enter alone and leave with a hoarse voice and a new best friend. Local bands and DIY scenes? They’re lifelines, reminding us that art doesn’t have to be polished or profitable, it just has to be real. Community radio like ours is a collective mixtape, a sonic love letter to our town, our college, our people. Being part of a music community doesn’t just mean listening—it means engaging. Go to that open mic. Call into your local radio station and request something unexpected. Start a band even if you can’t play an instrument (punk rock literally exists because of this mindset). Make playlists for your friends. Support local artists. And most importantly, never stop sharing the music that moves you. Because in a world that constantly tries to divide us, music reminds us that we’re all just looking for the same thing: connection, belonging, and a damn good song to scream along to. Turn it up. Let’s get loud together.