Author: Jenny Lee
In the newest installment of your Student Spotlight Series, we’re joined by Playlists for a Change San Jose! They are the San Jose Chapter of Playlists for a Change, an organization created for sharing stories and creating change through music.
Q1: Please introduce yourself and the mission of Playlists for a Change San Jose.
Hi! I started the San Jose chapter of Playlists for a Change around two years ago, with the hope of creating change locally through music. The San Jose chapter is a group of students in this area who are passionate about creating playlists that tell stories, especially stories surrounding the youth experience.
Q2: What first drew you to using music as a way to express yourself, highlight stories, and spark change?
I grew up surrounded by music, as a classically trained pianist. So, from a young age, I was introduced to the melodies and cadences of composers such as Chopin and Ravel. And I also enjoyed listening to pop music on the radio. When I grew older, I fell in love with other genres, like R&B, alternative, indie, etc. I found myself relating to many songs and their lyrics, and connected with my friends through our shared love of music. So when I learned about Playlists for a Change, I became really interested in creating my own space for youth to discuss music and create change through it.
Q3: Some themes across your playlists highlight Asian American culture and Asian heritage. What inspires this theme, and how does it shape the way you approach music curation?
Well, I’m Asian American! And I think listening to Asian music has been a great way that I’ve reconnected with my heritage. It’s hard to feel connected to your heritage when you live thousands of miles away from where your parents grew up, and when who you are has been villainized nationally. Additionally, there are few Asian American artists in the mainstream, which is why I’ve wanted to highlight the Asian American artists that I listen to. A lot of these artists uniquely blend their ethnicity and nationality, like Sunkis, a pop R&B artist that sings in both Chinese and English. This blend can be uniquely appreciated by other Chinese Americans, who understand both languages, and it’s nice to feel represented through the usage of both languages in songs.
Q4: What is the first time you remember music resonating with you, emotionally or physically?
This is a good question. I think I first found music deeply resonating with me as I played piano. In specific, the piece “Harmony of the Angels” by Burgmüller. I remember loving how beautiful and flowing the melody was as I pressed on the piano keys. Also, with “stronger” or perhaps more “tumultuous” pieces, such as Fairy Tale Op. 20 No. 1 by Medtner, I remember they would be pretty therapeutic to play when I was feeling mad or frustrated, since I could kind of release my emotions onto the piano keys because the pieces require you to play really loudly or strongly at parts.
Q5: Your social media posts are deeply ingrained with arts and design: how do you find that art and music merge, and how do you apply this intersection to broadcast a message?
I think music and visual arts entwine beautifully, a big part due to the fact that they are both creative arts. I find that visual arts can really capture the “vibe” or the feeling of a song really well, and it is amazing to add a visual to a song to complete or heighten a message. For example, for the EDM song recommendations post, some of the visuals feature video game characters, because EDM is highly entwined with electronic games, especially with artists such as Odetari.
Q6: What led you to start your initiative highlighting underrated singers?
I would love to support smaller artists in any way! It always saddens me when a singer I love has less listeners than they deserve, so I thought this initiative was a great way to highlight these singers and to bring more attention to their work.
Q7: What is your favorite music genre, and why?
I love all music genres, but if I had to choose I think I would say Alternative R&B. It really changes depending on my mood though, and I do think my music taste is really varied. I could go from listening to Chinese ballads, to Japanese rock, to KPop, to R&B, and then to video game music, in the span of an hour.
Q8: What is a song that you recommend our readers check out?
I would definitely say “Doubt Me” by SoLonely! It’s an Alternative R&B song.
Q9: What are some challenges that you have faced when starting this organization?
A huge challenge that we are actually facing right now is that our account was privated by Instagram because the age on our account is under 18 years old. So we’re fighting to get it public so we can spread our message and showcase our work again. Hopefully you can check out our page again soon!
Q10: What are some goals for the San Jose chapter of Playlists for a Change in 2026?
A huge goal that I have for this year is to greatly expand our chapter to more people, in terms of members and reach. I would also love to work more on our small artist initiative to showcase more singers. Also, I would like to work towards partnering with a local business, like a DVD store, to bring attention to their work and the music they’re selling.
Huge thank you to Playlists for a Change San Jose for joining me today for this interview! Find their social media page here: https://www.instagram.com/playlistsforachange.sanjose/
The Megaphone 