Welcome! Here, you will find announcements and recaps of various livestream performances from (what I like to call) my eclectic music taste, along with how I think music has helped (or can help) us cope with these ~unprecedented~ times.
First off, my name is Serena and I'm a senior studying Business Administration at USC. Unlike the very finance-geared community at USC's Marshall School of Business, I needed a creative avenue to explore my other interests--music, fashion, and visual arts. That's where my minor in Culture, Media and Entertainment comes in. I have finally been able to learn about how my passions connect to deeper things in the world around me, such as pop music as protest which we will get into later in this series of blogs.
It all started in March while I was studying abroad in Manchester, England and the man who is unfortunately the President of the United States announced that the country's borders were closing within the week due to this thing called coronavirus. Suddenly, I packed my one-and-a-half-month's experience along with the several layers of clothing I brought into my suitcase and I was back home. Little did I know, it was where I would be for the next six months- the longest I've lived with my family since high school. It was fun at first. No classes, just a few final essays due to the University of Manchester by the beginning of May, pounds of flour and dozens of Googled baking recipes, unlimited time for Netflix and socially distanced beach days … Then, it became toxic. I'm 20 years old, the awkward age between a teen and a fully legal adult. My parents were treating me like they were when I was 17 years old but expecting things from me as a fully functioning adult. I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say that our relationship has already gotten better since I moved out again for the start of my senior year at USC.
Amidst all those Netflix series and failed sourdough starters were the concerts and music festivals I was meant to go to, but reimagined. I'd lock myself in my room or connect to a hotspot by the beach, crack open an ice-cold legal beverage and stream my favorite artist's "live" set on YouTube. It was an escape, a daydream of what could have been but still is thanks to the power of the internet. These livestreams are getting me through my year in a pandemic when physical and mental health are dire.