By Claire Burnett, The Current Co-Editor-in-Chief
Prom season is starting: buying dresses and tuxes, looking for dates, and deciding where to take pictures is on everyone’s mind. Another important component of prom planning is choosing the music to be played by the DJ. To go along with this year’s theme, red carpet, the DJ this year will only play classical music.
Unlike previous prom themes, such as enchanted forest, the red carpet theme encompasses an aspect of glamor and high fashion. As a result, the SGA decided that the music played at prom should reflect the elegant ambiance. The 2024 SGA also sent out a form through Canvas announcements and their Instagram (@riverhill2024) for students to send in their favorite classical pieces.
A growing number of students are beginning to enjoy classical music from composers such as Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. Junior Brian Scott commented, “I usually listen to rap music but I recently started listening to classical and I just can’t get enough.” Similarly, senior Zoe Smith added, “When I heard the prom music had to be classical, I’ve been listening to it ever since. It might seem boring at first, but the music is so elegant and puts me in a good mood.”
The 2024 SGA board is planning prom this year and they were ecstatic to hear that students are on board with the classical music movement. A member of the 2024 SGA, Tim White, remarked, “We’ve been planning prom for so long and hearing that students are liking our ideas is really relieving.”
Besides going along with the theme, the shift in music style can also be attributed to the need for a calmer atmosphere at prom. In the past, students have gotten too hyped up when a popular song comes on as they sing along loudly. However, the absence of lyrics in classical music ensures that the crowd will be mild the entire time. Senior Joe Brown recalled, “Prom last year was too much fun. People were excited when their favorite rap song came on, and the crowd got a little bit too wild.”
Instead of the dance floor this year, students can look forward to hitting the ballroom floor as their favorite classical piece plays. In addition, the 2024 SGA will provide various teas and biscuits to fit the elegant theme, as well as dance lessons on the minuet and contra dance.