Imagine this, you’re in your car driving home on a bright sunny Friday afternoon; it’s the perfect weather, windows downs, hair blowing all around, and the music as loud as possible with you singing along at the top of your lungs. What song are you singing?

Now, it’s a cold misty Tuesday afternoon and you are walking to a class you dread. You put your earbuds in an attempt to cheer you up on your way to this awful class. What song comes on?

Music makes a huge difference in our everyday lifestyle. From elevator music to your favorite road tripping song or even that catchy little show tune that you can’t get out of your head; music affects our lives. But just as the saying ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ goes, you can never judge a playlist by its owner.

I surveyed a few students about their favorite song, weirdest song, and most likes music. Some of the answers are general, most girls liked pop and hip hop. However, a few strayed from the mold and listened mainly to bluegrass and rock and roll. The male population tended to have a wider variety. While some students jammed out to new artists in R&B and hip hop, others leaned towards country, both old and new, and some even went as far to say that you could find musical soundtracks on one of their playlists.

Now most of you would say that obviously if I walked up to a football player they would be the most likely candidate for the R&B music, or a theater music student would have showtunes. However, I found that you can never judge a person’s music preferences based on their appearance. In my search, I found an accounting major who listened to Jonas Brothers, Jesse McCartney, and the Pentatonix. His favorite pick me up song was Death of a Bachelor by Panic! At The Disco. Then I came across a fire and paramedic science major who enjoyed Aretha Franklin, latino music, and would jam out to Jolene by Miley Cyrus any day of the week.

What about me? Well, I am a business management major who grew up in a small town surrounded by farmland. But none of that defines my music choices. Some days you can find me sitting around listening to some sad old country love songs, other days I might be rocking out to some Beastie Boys, and yet when I’m out with friends getting pumped for the weekend you can find me blaring 2 Chainz and Eminem as loud as it will go. But no one would know that if they were meeting me for the first time.

Which is why next time you are standing next to someone with their earbuds in (probably at Chick-Fil-A), maybe say hello, introduce yourself, ask them what they are listening. You never know, maybe that one song can bloom a whole new friendship.