My name is Rachel and music has been apart of me ever since I can remember. My earliest memory of music is sitting in my dad’s 2003 silver Dodge Ram pickup truck after he picked me up from school. I climbed into the front seat-- literally climbed because I was so small compared to the truck-- and I buckled in. He pulled out a CD from the center console and put it in the CD player. I was too short for the visor to shield my eyes from the sun, so I held the CD case in front of my eyes. I can remember the sun beating down on my hands as I carefully examined the cover in front of me.

There was a pretty woman on the cover and that was when I heard the first song. "Forever and for Always," by Shania Twain. It was the Shania Twain: Greatest Hits album in my hands and I have loved music ever since. It became a routine for my dad I to listen to CDs on the way home every day. Once I exhausted his Shania Twain collection (he really loved her voice), we moved onto Garth Brooks, Big and Rich, Alan Jackson, Charlie Daniels, and Sugarland. As I got older, my tastes expanded and I cautiously ventured out of the world of country music.

I can remember sitting on my best friend’s bed in fifth grade, hearing "Heartless" by Kanye West for the first time. I had never heard hip hop or R&B music before and my world was turned completely upside down. I then starting listening to Chris Brown, a little Kelly Rowland, Rihanna, Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, and Usher. As I’ve gotten even older, I’ve found a love for Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Twenty One Pilots, Hollywood Undead, Blink-182, and German rapper Cro. A little tidbit about me: I’m super involved in band and love classical music. I love modern composers like Eric Whitacre, Frank Ticheli (LOVE Frank Ticheli), Samuel Hazo and Gustav Holst (Don’t even get me started about The Planets, especially Jupiter).

I think it’s safe to say that my musical tastes are always changing these days and I try to embrace it as much as possible. I love to return my country roots with a little Luke Bryan or Jason Aldean but I also like to venture into hip hop and R&B with some G-Eazy and Drake. But currently I have been listening to Jon Bellion, Aquillo, and Florence + the Machine nonstop. My username on Spotify is rachelmusicxo, so feel free to follow me and check out a few of my playlists because they’re always changing! I am always on the lookout for up and coming artists and open to song suggestions, so please feel free to share any suggestions with me!