by Ally Gagne '26 on February 26, 2026
A&E - Music
My Spotify interface is a sacred space. I have been perfectly curating my most impressive playlists for years, and I take pride in the upkeep of these greats. Being the busy senior that I am, I haven’t been able to sit down and comb through my playlists in the way that I used to. This is something I’ve decided I need to get back to, because I can’t sleep knowing that there are people out there with better playlists than me.
My playlists are much more than combinations of songs. To me, they are my own art projects. A good playlist is supposed to be able to transport its listener to a time or place outside of themselves, or make them feel a specific way that just one song can’t do alone. Playlists are an important part of knowing and loving music, and I’m going to let you in on the secrets of how to build a darn good one.
Step 1: Listen to entire albums.
In order to build a good playlist, you have to build a good mental music library first. What helps me when I’m building my playlists is visualizing a library in my brain, giving artists their own shelves with the songs of theirs that I know, and pulling down my favorite records off the shelf. No good library has empty shelves! But seriously, to be able to compile a group of songs into a playlist, you need to have a good enough baseline knowledge of artists that you like, or at least be open to diving a little deeper into some new songs.
Step 2: Decide where you’re going…or don’t!
Oftentimes when I’m building a playlist, I know the exact moment or place I’m trying to encapsulate, and I have to start by closing my eyes and bringing myself there. For example, one of my favorite playlists that I’ve made is called “Force 5,” the name of a small surf shop I grew up going to every summer on vacation. Every memory I have of going into that store is centered around the music that was always playing in the background, and how that music made the environment feel. Having upbeat, beachy music playing in the store made sense since it is a surf shop, but that background music became so crucial to my experience in the store that now whenever I hear it, I’m brought right back there. That’s why I decided to create that playlist, to transport myself not just to Force 5, but to a warm summer day, just from hearing that music.
Sometimes when I go to create a playlist, I don’t necessarily have a specific time or place in mind that I’m trying to recreate, but more so a feeling. Music carries a lot of power with it, where it can evoke some pretty strong feelings through just a few notes, and sometimes creating a good playlist is about finding the right songs to go together that all evoke that same feeling. Without necessarily knowing exactly where I’m going at first, sometimes I find that the best playlists get made by picking a few songs that feel the same, and seeing where that takes me. I have synesthesia, so when I listen to music, I not only hear it, but I also see it and truly feel it in a way that many others don’t. I find this to be a gift, where I get to listen to music with a much different perspective, and sometimes it even helps me categorize music in a specific way that makes sense to me. Some of my best playlists only make sense to me, but that’s the beauty of a good playlist, because at the end of the day, it is truly for YOU. How you want to interpret music and categorize it is up to you and only you, making playlist building a very individualized experience.
Step 3: Always keep listening and adding
One of my biggest tips I can offer once you start making a playlist is this: a great playlist is never truly done. Even when you feel like it’s complete and the story you’re trying to tell has been told, there is always room for improvement and new additions. Once you know where you’re going (or at least have a feeling), then it becomes easy and honestly so fun to start compiling songs. The act of building the playlist itself is, at least for me, therapeutic, where I get to go back and enjoy listening to some of my old favorites while discovering and loving new songs too. The great thing about music is that it’s always evolving, and there is constantly great new music coming out that you can experience. If you continue to be curious, you’ll find that there is an infinite pool of music out there if you just dive in, and swimming through it is the most fun part!