By Jade Petalcorin

Have you ever been asked the question “How are you?” and just never had the words to describe how you’re feeling, or maybe you don’t want to get into how you are actually feeling, so you settle for the response, “I’m good.” 

However, when it comes to the people I actually care about, I want to know the whole story; I want to know the good and the bad—but how do I do that without prying? To go further, how do I know how my friends are doing when I don’t see them and I have to text that dreaded question, “How are you?”

This happened between me and two friends of mine at Fordham who were going abroad for opposite semesters from me. I couldn’t see how we could connect and stay as close as we are while spending a whole year apart in different countries. Well, the answer is music. 

Instead of asking “how are you” my lovely friends and I would ask for a lyric of the day to describe how our day is going. From Japanese Breakfast to The Smashing Pumpkins to Bleachers, we would use lyrics to explain what had our faces smiling, what crushes had our heart racing, and what made us feel things that were too hard to talk about. And all the feelings we could possibly feel that couldn’t be explained, were described through our lyrics. These lyrics allowed us to be open without necessarily having to be vulnerable. 

And this little group of mine, Talia, Julia, and I, decided that we would love to share this experience and connect with others through music, so we decided to start a “Lyric of the Week” radio show through Wavelengths at LC! Each week, we host a live radio show with a guest who submits a lyric that resonates with them. Based on the theme of that lyric, we build our setlist. In the past, our themes have been drama, femininity, personal growth, among so many others. Our past guests have included some old friends, new friends, and even our parents. It just shows that music transcends age and has the power to connect everyone. 

Here are some quotes from my beautiful and amazing co-hosts and past guests:

  • Julia (co-host) –  “our show gives us the chance to listen to and bond over new music from our friends, listeners, and each other”
  • Talia (co-host) –  “I’ve been able to add so many new songs to my playlist that I never would’ve heard without this show”
  • Eli (past guest) – “Lyric of the week was finally my chance to have an outlet where I could just chop it up about music with people. I do sports on the radio for Fordham, so I never ever get to chat music which is crazy because there’s not a day that goes by where I’m not having at least one jam sesh. Having an opportunity to chat about lyrics and artists that mean something to me was so fun. It was especially special chatting with current friends while making some new friends at the recording.” 

So, if you love to yap or discover new music with emotional ties to it, catch our next show at WALC Fridays at 6:10 PM <3