Parsons Playlists: Ambient

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eli (class of 2024) and features some relaxing ambient music.

Ambient

ambient

It can be important at times to check out, to calm the constant stimulation and sensory overload that is college life. When I am looking for some tranquility, I often casually listen to ambient, easy-listening music, letting my brain focus and unfocus on the song as it chooses. Here are some of my favorites.

Brokeback – “Returns to the Orange Grove”

Gia Margaret – “Lakes”

Daniel Lopatin – “Uncut Gems”

Valium Aggelein – “The Clouds Will Drop Ladders”

Blithe Field – “RD1”

Tom Misch – “The Wilhelm Scream (Quarantine Sessions)”

Will Van Horn – “Pleasure Is All Mine”

The Putbacks – “Little Flower”

Florist – “Instrumental 3”

h hunt – “Wrong II”

Lomelda – “M for Magic”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZewAlrAzdeV9vNIkrUu-nLHc&si=bY3rLLn_CKx8U0Gp

Parsons Playlists: Autumn Anthems

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Susanne (class of 2026) some songs for the shorter, colder days of autumn.

Autumn Anthems

late autumn

As the days get shorter and the air grows colder, it’s always fun to listen to music that matches the ambience of our weather. This playlist features songs with a range of folk, indie, pop and acoustic roots that take inspiration from the natural world around us. Whether you’re cooking festive foods, hosting a game night with friends, or hiking in Virginia’s breathtaking mountains, this soothing yet upbeat playlist is sure to have you singing along and inspired to reconnect with the earth.

The Lumineers – “Walls”

Mt. Joy – “Evergreen”

Noah Kahan – “Everywhere, Everything”

Taylor Swift – “ivy”

Hozier – “First Light”

Jonah Kagen – “The Roads”

Lord Huron – “Ends of the Earth”

Phoebe Bridgers – “Moon Song”

Wild Rivers – “Thinking ‘Bout Love”

MisterWives – “SUPERBLOOM”

Maggie Rogers – “Fallingwater”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zez28BPfSvouKU9LILeLlYdF&si=4pgXfi_0t8nrAW1N

Parsons Playlists: Midnight Serenade

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Xipeng (class of 2024) and features relaxing music for midnight enjoyment.

Midnight Serenade

midnight serenade

A collection of songs perfect for late-night relaxation. Turn on the night light, and let the music guide you into a state of calm as you embrace the stillness of the midnight hour.

James Lee – “Portrait of You”

Mark Jubel – “Halvvejs”

Michael Janzen – “Plum Coulee”

James Wong – “Glimpse of Us” (piano cover)

Gerry Mulligan Sextet – “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”

Tiril Brandt – “Lush Life”

Bladverk Band – “Foggy Sunday”

Danny Ryan Jazz Band – “Nothing Lasts Forever”

Tim Franks Trio – “Autumn Serenade”

Piper Williamson – “Light Wave”

Jenny Jones – “Compassion”

Rainy Days Trio – “In This Wonderful World”

High North Trio – “In Bloom”

Rainy Days Trio – “Counting Stars”

Bill Evans Trio – “My Foolish Heart”

Ottorino Respighi – “6 Pezzi, P. 44: No.1. Valse Caressante” (Konstantin Scherbakov, piano)

Angela Rowles – “Misty”

Peter Cincotti – “Rainbow Connection”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZewKE5J1HYiDazfdvt5wgj3v&si=PXxbWE2gsho06cgS

Parsons Playlists: Night

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Yangyue (class of 2024) and features some night time listening.

Night

Night time photo

These are my favorite songs to play at night. Enjoy listening!

郭頂 (Guo Ding) – “淒美地 (The Fog Space)”

YOASOBI – “アンコール (Encore)”

베이식, 아넌딜라이트, 소코도모, 머드 더 스튜던트 (Basick, Anandelight, Mudd the student, sokodomo) – “고생이 많아 (A Long Day) (Feat. Zion.T)”

Wonstein – “Infrared Camera”

Karen Mok – “這世界那麼多人 (Empty World)”

宇多田ヒカル (Hikaru Utada) – “First Love”

NIKI – “La La Lost You (Acoustic Version)”

Ben&Ben – “Leaves”

Sam Kim – “Summer Rain”

Joji – “Glimpse of Us”

Twenty One Pilots – “Truce”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZewLdkTwUqSmMY28EptIRInH&si=s0NkXXHys7Nypgqi

Parsons Playlists: Emotional Classical Music

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Amy (class of 2025) which explores how classical music can convey many emotions.

Emotional Classical Music

When people hear I enjoy listening to classical music, they often assume it’s the soft repetitive music most associate with studying. However, classical music is much more than just something to put on in the background. It is compelling storytelling, music I am not able to listen to while working because I am too enthralled by the story unfolding in my ears to pay attention to anything else. This is why I created this playlist: to show new classical music listeners that classical music is not a one-size-fits-all genre, it can convey anything you want it to.

Richard Wagner – Die Walkure, Act II: Ride of the Valkyries

Dimitri Shostakovich – String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110: IV. Largo

Dimitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93: II. Allegro

Gustav Holst – The Planets, Op. 32: 1. Mars, the Bringer of War

Carl Orff – Carmina Burana, Introduction, Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna

Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565: 1. Toccata

Johann Sebastian Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 2 in No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: VII. Badinerie

Giuseppe Verdi – Requiem, Dies Irae

Sergei Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet Op. 64, Act 1, Scene 2: Dance of the Knights

Antonin Dvorak – Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 “From the New World”: IV. Allegro con fuoco

Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23, TH 55: 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Requiem in D Minor, K. 636 Sequence: VI. Lacrimosa Dies Illa

Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act 2: No. 10, Scene. Moderato

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSwAwMtTLDwg9SWLgHg8b8oTYudIv8wSu&si=_wDnpCg7fHAYvRkS

And here it is on Spotify:

Parsons Playlists: Re-Watching Gilmore Girls

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Nicole (class of 2024) featuring some tunes from the TV series Gilmore Girls.

Re-watching Gilmore Girls

Lorelei and Rory Gilmore

It’s finally the season to take out your cozy sweaters, order pumpkin spice latte, prep your Halloween costume and, most importantly, re-watch your favorite comfort show: Gilmore Girls!! Here is a playlist with some iconic tunes from the show, and other songs that remind me of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore.

The La’s – “There She Goes”

Carole King – “Where You Lead”

Sam Phillips – “Reflecting Light”

Sam Phillips – “If I Could Write”

The Cranberries – “Linger”

Cigarettes After Sex – “Don’t Let Me Go”

boygenius – “Cool About It”

boygenius – “Not Strong Enough”

Phoebe Bridgers – “Moon Song”

Phoebe Bridgers – “Savior Complex”

Taylor Swift ft. Phoebe Bridgers – “Nothing New”

Taylor Swift – “This Is Me Trying”

Taylor Swift – “Mirrorball”

Taylor Swift” – “You’re On Your Own, Kid”

The Script – “Breakeven”

The 1975 – “About You”

The 1975 – “Robbers”

Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd – “Sea, Swallow Me”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zeyes–6Een-75dqodJMZWLj&si=-bx9lzSrIqMf9zXz

Parsons Playlists: Sunday Afternoons in the Fall

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Deisy (class of 2024) featuring songs to play on a Sunday afternoon in the fall.

Sunday Afternoons in the Fall

Solitude

Jo Stafford – “You Belong To Me”

Billie Holiday – “Solitude”

Doris Day and The Mellomen – “Again”

Thee Sacred Souls – “Can I Call You Rose?”

Joey Quinones – “Don’t Tell Me”

Aaron Neville – “Tell It Like It Is”

Joe Bataan – “I Wish You Love, Pt. 1”

Minnie Riperton and Stevie Wonder – “Give Me Time”

Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes – “I Miss You, Pt. 1”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZezQBIGRZb4UpjIF5dYw7RFG&si=aZCU7rDFdl1Hkiz-

Parsons Playlists: Time Capsule

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Kiran (class of 2024) featuring songs from her freshman year at UR.

Time Capsule

Here are some of my favorite songs from freshman year of college, that I look back on now as a senior! Inspired by our proclamation tradition of letter writing to our senior selves. Happy listening!

Joji – “Gimme Love”

Glass Animals – “Life Itself”

Arctic Monkeys – “Fluorescent Adolescent”

MGMT – “When You Die”

Declan McKenna – “Be An Astronaut”

Flo Milli – “In the Party”

Beach House – “Space Song”

Fleetwood Mac – “Little Lies”

Chuck Mangione – “Give It All You Got”

Doja Cat – “Streets”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zex5GQDz1Ty_duNM-yTOL_Ej&si=9eaLBgg8CmZxlC__

Parsons Playlists: Autumnal Mellow

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library associate Melanie and features some autumnal music.

Autumnal Mellow

It’s the autumnal equinox, which means that fall is officially upon us, so here is a playlist of some mellow tunes that make me think of the fall season.

Justin Hayward – “Forever Autumn”

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – “Autumn in New York”

Ben Folds Five – “Don’t Change Your Plans”

Harry Nilsson – “Everybody’s Talkin'”

Nat King Cole – “Autumn Leaves”

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman – “Autumn Serenade”

The Neighbourhood – “Sweater Weather”

The White Stripes – “We’re Going To Be Friends”

Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Great Pumpkin Waltz”

girl in red – “We Fell in Love in October”

Billy Joel – “Vienna”

Bob Dylan – “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”

Neil Young – “Harvest Moon”

The Moldy Peaches – “Anyone Else But You”

Carole King – “It’s Too Late”

Sting – “La Belle Dame Sans Regrets”

Paul McCartney – “Calico Skies”

King Harvest – “Dancing in the Moonlight”

Lindisfarne – “Lady Eleanor”

Dee Clark – “Raindrops”

Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Thanksgiving Theme”

Sting – “Soul Cake”

Van Morrison – “Moondance”

The Zombies – “Time of the Season”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube:

And here it is on Spotify:

Parsons Playlists: Ineffable

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Esther (class of 2025) and features songs that do not need words to speak to us.

Ineffable

"Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish."

One of the many things I appreciate about music is how much it captures and conveys experiences that may be difficult to otherwise express verbally. Here are some songs that seem to speak without words.

“Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11” by Dmitri Shostakovich

“Rain” by Ryuichi Sakamoto

“Spring Song” by Felix Mendelssohn

“Flower Dance” by DJ Okawari

“Gymnopédie No.1” by Erik Satie

“Theme from Schindler’s List” by John Williams

“Salut d’Amour, Op. 12” by Edward Elgar

“Affections Touching Across Time” by Kaoru Wada

The Carnival of Animals: “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saëns

“Mia and Sebastian’s Theme” (from La La Land) by Justin Hurwitz

The Planets: “Jupiter” by Gustav Holst

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zew5oEU_taWdXjzZWRme_TGs&si=YXnKbqGAH33jptbt