The students at Shorewood High School have a wide range of different music tastes, but what kind of music do the teachers listen to?
Michael Zadra – Art Teacher
Michael Zadra, one of the art teachers at Shorewood, spends a lot of time listening to 70s Funk Jazz, it’s groovy and has an uplifting vibe. When asked about what his favorite song is currently, Zadra said “Sun Touch” by Herbie Hancock. This song has an amazing feel to it, even without the addition of lyrics. “I like the vibe, that it’s easygoing,” says Zadra “It has percussion and some experimental keyboard sounds that are fun.” Zadra has come to find that he enjoys all genres of music, though he particularly doesn’t enjoy music that is choppy and overly fast. Zadra believes that music is an important aspect of daily life for one’s mental health, well-being, and spirit. “Music is very powerful as a therapeutic aid when I’m stressed, ” says Zadra.
Nathan Stearns – English Teacher
Nathan Stearns, an English teacher at Shorewood, shares different genres of music each week with the students in his classes. Stearns describes himself as an indie person, enjoying both indie pop and indie rock, however, sometimes he enjoys the occasional jazz and folk rock. Stearns enjoys listening to new music and immersing himself in many different genres, yet Radiohead is his current favorite artist. When asked what his favorite song is right now he said “Vampire Empire” by Big Thief, which is a perfect example of an indie song. “It’s just a banger,” says Stearns.
Gloria Horne – Science Teacher
When listening to music, Gloria Horne typically sticks to hip hop, blues, and 70s rock, but some students at Shorewood High School have recommended Doja Cat to her and she has slowly become one of her favorite music artists. “I like the groove she puts together,” says Horne. Horne enjoys most genres of music, but it really depends on her mood. An old standard that Horne enjoys is “Ain’t That Right” by G. Love and Special Sauce. “Maybe not like a favorite, but one I keep drifting back to,” says Horne.
Lori Chase – Art Teacher
Lori Chase has a wide variety of music that she enjoys: rock and roll, blues, bossa nova, Latin American music, and ballads. Chase’s favorite band is called Little Feat, the music being a mix of the popular genres blues and R&B. Little Feat has been going for around 50 years and Chase thinks they’re the coolest. “I like them because they write really clever lyrics, ” says Chase. On the way to work Chase enjoys it when Jack White plays on the radio. Chase has a strong dislike of the genres of Celtic and Bluegrass and the band Two People. While some kids have recommended many music artists to Chase such as Drake, she knows the music she likes and sticks to it.
Brandon Torrey – PE Teacher
Brandon Torrey would describe his music taste as “all over the place.” Torrey enjoys many genres of music, but when it comes down to favorites it would be country, classic rock, and hip-hop because they remind him of the people that he is around. In his class, he shifts between playing country, hip-hop, rock, and Latin music. Currently, Torrey’s favorite music artist is Morgan Wallen, “he just has a lot of really good songs,” says Torrey.
