Live music, summer sun, dancing and singing shoulder to shoulder with best friends- all experiences one could have at a music festival, according to students at South. According to an unscientific Oracle survey of 195 students, 29% have attended a summer music festival along with millions of other attendees from around the world.

Sophomore Katherine Sullivan attended Lollapalooza last year after hearing about it from friends and seeing pictures of others’ experiences on social media. According to Sullivan, the atmosphere walking into the festival was hectic and energetic. Sullivan said it felt new and different, but by the end of the first night, she felt right at home.

“With music festivals everybody kinda breaks out of their shell,” Sullivan said. “By the end, I had broken out of my shell and kind of just not cared like everybody else. Everyone was just dancing and doing their own thing, and it’s a judge-free zone.”

Sullivan went with her friend, sophomore Trinity Nelson, who agreed that the mood at festivals is lively. Sullivan and Nelson saw performances by big-name artists like Tove Lo, Chance The Rapper, Future, and The Weeknd. But Nelson said she also found herself enjoying performers she didn’t know about before. She has now discovered bands that are new to her such as Mumford and Sons and The Head and the Heart.

“I used to love pop music on the radio, but now I listen to a lot of alternative music,” Nelson said. “It opened up a whole new spectrum of music for me.”

According to Nelson, she loved the experience of the festival because she got to enjoy her favorite bands live. Nelson said it was special to her that she got to listen to good music, while being surrounded with the company of her friends.

“I like to hear music live, and I like to be in that moment, not just video tape it,” Nelson said. “I just like to be there with my friends experiencing it live.”

Sophomore Jaime Suarez attended Coachella on April 21 and 22 of 2017. He said he first saw the lineup back in December 2016 and his eye went straight to one of the headliners, Radiohead, which, according to Suarez, is one of his all-time favorite bands. Suarez said that the experience of seeing Radiohead live was unlike any other.

“It’s very hard to explain the experience of seeing Radiohead live, but when they started playing it was just incredible, it was so cool,” Suarez said. “I really feel connected to their music in a way.”

Suarez explained how he felt right at home surrounded by other music fanatics; among the partygoers were people like himself who have been involved in music since the early years of his life. According to Suarez, music festivals are a good way to open oneself up to unfamiliar music.

“[Music festivals] are great for any kind of music lover,” Suarez said. “If you like music at any level, a lot or a little, you’re going to get to experience so many different genres.”

Similar to Suarez, Nelson and Sullivan enjoyed their experiences at a music festival, and are all planning on attending one in the future. Nelson said that she intends to go back to Lollapalooza this summer and further enjoy all the music it has to offer.

“No matter how people perceive it, like adults thinking it’s just teenagers doing bad things, and not being responsible, I think it’s a time for kids to go and see bands and artists they love because they want to hear it,” Nelson said.