From Classical to Hip-Hop: What's on My Playlist

By Araz Shahbazian

My music taste probably looks like a mistake if you just glance at it. One minute I'm deep in classical — which I honestly love, no irony — and the next I've got modern hip-hop turned all the way up. Somewhere in between there's a steady rotation of jazz. I've never seen the point in picking a lane.

Classical is what I put on when I want to actually listen — it rewards paying attention. Hip-hop is the energy, the stuff that gets me through a workout or a drive. Jazz is the in-between mood, the late-evening soundtrack. And running under all of it, I'll admit, is a soft spot for that cool, cinematic Bond-era sound.

A few years ago I started playing guitar, which changed how I hear everything — you notice the little choices players make once you've tried to make them yourself. And nothing beats hearing it live: I catch festivals and concerts whenever I can.