By The Keystone Newspaper KU student hosts a listening party in celebration of the autumnal equinox
By John Mahoney
On Sunday, Sept. 22, a small group gathered on the hill by our northern campus water tower for a listening party in celebration of the autumnal equinox. The gathering’s host, an individual fittingly named Autumn, had brought her speaker and iPod on a little white folding table with the intent of sitting and watching the sunset while playing some of her mixes. An open invitation was posted on the Snapchat “Class of 2026” community page.
Photo Credit: Autumn (Preferred not to share a last name)
Admittedly, my curiosity was piqued upon seeing the somewhat bizarre advertising of her playlists, and so to satiate said curiosity, I knew I had to reach out. It didn’t take long before I received an enthusiastic response and soon had the pleasure of doing an interview with the music-loving girl just two days before the equinox on Friday, Sept. 20.
“I initially made these for my boyfriend,” Autumn said. “He wanted me to make a playlist of music he wanted me to share with him, so I made this really big playlist, and we listened to it together.”
This listening experience with her boyfriend inspired her to make her first official mix, aptly titled “Autumn’s Labor of Love.”
“I wanted to do something special for him, so I took songs that would flow seamlessly and sound similar in tone and arranged them into a mix that flowed nicely from beginning to end,” Autumn said.
With the creation of her first mix, she found a sense of pride in her work, acknowledging that, “It’s not perfect, but it still conveys that message of love. That I love him.”
During our interview, I asked Autumn if she had any interest in producing music of her own, to which she said, “There’s always been that feeling of what if…. yeah, I have always wanted to make music. I’ve always wanted to make the kind of music that I like, but I don’t really know how.”
She explained that a large chunk of her hesitance comes from anxiety and self-doubt. A big fear of hers is hating the music she makes.
After making her second mix “Autumn is Going to be Okay,” she seems to have a new outlook on her potential future in music.
“After some time, I think I’m going to produce my own music,” Autumn said.
A large factor in her change of heart seems to be due to the positive reception of her mixes. Although she’s only the one choosing songs and arranging the order, she still finds immense joy in the people who have reached out and complimented her work. “When other people find my stuff and really enjoy it, it makes me really, really happy. I don’t know how else to say it, it’s nice,” she said.
Autumn also said that this has been an opportunity for her to meet new people, and in many ways break out of her shell. “The fact I’m able to do something to make others even somewhat happy is a very comforting thought. It makes me want to keep doing more…and I’m going to keep doing more.”
As our conversation concluded, Autumn told me that the positive reaction to her playlists has inspired her to not only continue to make these mixes and make music of her very own, but also to host more hilltop gatherings beyond the autumnal equinox.
“I’ll bring my car back here and set up my speakers and set everything up and just jam out. If people want to stop by and hang out and listen, feel free,” she said.