University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

The musical artist I enjoy most is Etta James. Listening to Etta is one of my guilty pleasures. I love her passion and focus on her craft, and her survivor spirit always shines through.”

Delanda Kent
Corporate Chef
Campus Dining and Shops

My top five favorite composers of the moment are Mozart, Mahler, Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. If I have to take one composer with me to the “desert island,” it would be Gustav Mahler because it reflects my mood or mental state at the moment. As we speak, I am going to Houston to attend my aunt’s funeral and on this note, I would say the work that is in my head now is Mahler’s second symphony, “Resurrection,” that depicts the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Mahler’s compositions are filled with spiritual reflections and meditations on life matters. They also include the meaning of life, the struggle, the emotions and expressions, and, of course, the peace that we seek at the end of life. Mahler’s music is closer to modern age because of his directness of expression and spirituality (Jewish faith converted to Catholic faith). As a Catholic myself, his music definitely speaks to me. His creative use of instruments and harmonic progression also adds to why I enjoy listening to his music.

David Leung
Music Director, UB Symphony Orchestra
Visiting Assistant Professor of Violin
Department of Music

I’ve always had a soft spot for folky singer-songwriters like Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and Leonard Cohen. (It’s too hard to pick just one!) I’m not really sure why, but I always seem to gravitate toward music that was made before I was born.

Eileen Ruberto
Information Architect
University Communications

With the advent of the iPod, my digital library contains 2,115 tracks, varying from Devo’s “Can’t Get No Satisfaction” to “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “The Best of Stan Getz,” Eric Clapton’s “Sessions,” BB King’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” Public Enemy, Lenny Kravitz, Lady Gaga, “Miss Saigon,” “Rude Boy” by Rihanna, “Imma Be” by The Black Eyed Peas…you get the idea. My music is not confined to space-consuming albums, but is a 2,000-plus library from which I can select anything I want to hear from the music index or my favorite device, shuffle mode. I don’t have to add 12 tracks from a CD that has only two songs I like. I just download what I want from iTunes. Plus, I can carry the entire library around in my pocket. The phrase “music on demand” was never truer. Be your own “super-jock.”

Jim Santella
Blues host, Theatre Talk co-host
WBFO 88.7 FM

The music I enjoy most is from a band called Yu Quan (which) consists of two Chinese singers whose names are Chen Yufan and Hu Haiquan. Their music is like the voice in my heart, telling the passion, excitement, confusion, exhaustion, yet perseverance in a journey to pursue one’s dream. If it is a dream, then never give up—that is the message I got from some of their songs, and that is why I love them so much.

Xuhua Qin
Counselor
Counseling Services