My Playlist

About the DJ: I’m currently a junior, who is often mistaken for a freshman, at Garfield High School in Seattle. I enjoy short walks on wifi-enabled beaches and debating which of the Disney princesses is best with anyone who will listen (Hint: It’s Tiana). I love spending afternoons finding new music online and singing very old music with my choir.

1. 14/48
14/48 is a ridiculously intense festival which gives playwrights a topic at around 10 at night and has them finish their script and give it to a director the next morning. At that point the director spends all day rehearsing with his or her actors, making up a set and getting ready to perform that night. After two shows, the whole thing happens again. The result is an insane group of 14 completely original plays written and performed in 48 hours. The last festival was in January, and while they haven’t announced when the next round will be, you can bet I’ll be there both crazy nights.

2. Sarah Kay
Until recently, I never really listened to slam poetry, but out of my discoveries my favorite would have to be Sarah Kay. She has this way of putting all of her thoughts together in a graceful, beautiful way that I wouldn’t be able to do in a million years. She also cofounded Project V.O.I.C.E. and brings poetry to schools all over the United States, which is awesome.

3. Radiolab
This podcast is probably my favorite thing to listen to, hands down. Hosts Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad cover topics like blame, numbers, and race and seamlessly tie the neurological science behind it with the incredibly human stories people share with them. All of the episodes are available for free on iTunes and on their website, so there’s really no reason not to listen.

4. Alan Menken
If you’re like me, you grew up in front of movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Pocahontas. The composer of the score for all of those movies, plus recent favorites like Tangled, is currently taking up probably half of the space on my iPod. Here’s a recommendation: If you’re ever feeling down, there are few problems “Kingdom Dance” can’t solve.

5. Clue
This weird little comedy was rejected by critics and audiences when it first came out, but it’s steadily gained a cult following over the years. It’s quite possibly the only movie based on a board game that came out decently (cough-cough Battleship). With an amazing cast including Madeline Kahn (Blazing Saddles) and Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show), this movie is hilarious and keeps you wondering who the killer could possibly be until the very last moment.