The Music Issue | Under the Arch Magazine
Under the Arch
The Music Issue
Spring 2025
Letter from the Editors
Dear readers,
Music is everything — a form of expression, a reflection of culture, a field of study, a way to bond and a lifestyle. NYU is situated in the heart of Greenwich Village, a neighborhood famed for its contributions to the modern music scene.
For WSN’s first spring 2025 issue of the Under the Arch magazine, we sought to provide a comprehensive overview of music’s role on campus, from the musicians and music experts of our student body and faculty to the history of the historic neighborhood we call home. When creating this issue, it was imperative for us to consider not just who we covered, but how we told their stories. Whether through an intimate narrative, a colorful photo essay or even a live performance at our office, we made a point to adapt our coverage to best fit the story our incredible subjects sought to tell.
This issue would not have been possible without our Deputy Under the Arch Editor Maggie Turner and our Arts Editors Alexa Donovan, Julia Diorio, Dani Biondi, Eleanor Jacobs and Siobhán Minerva. A huge thanks to Emily Genova, Anna Baird-Hassell, Isabella D’Erasmo, Katherine Welander, Tina Nejand and Krish Dev for helping oversee the production of this issue. As always, to our copy team — Anjali Mehta, Lauren Donnelly, Ella Sabrina Malabanan and Ethan Li — for helping edit each piece. A special shoutout to our Multimedia Editors Alisia Houghtaling and Julia Smerling for leading visuals for the issue, as well as our Photo Editors Alex Woodworth and Kiran Komanduri for bringing this issue to life with their impeccable photography. Even more gratitude to our Video Editor Maya Randolph for filming and editing our in-office performance.
Finally, to our readers: WSN thanks you for supporting us, and we hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Sincerely,
Yezen Saadah
Editor-in-Chief
Grayson Stotz
Under the Arch Editor
Mikaylah Du
Under the Arch Editor
Student Profiles
Off the Record: Julia Miranda
By Grayson Stotz, Maggie Turner, Maya Joy Randolph and Mikaylah Du
WSN invited CAS sophomore Julia Miranda for an interview and live performance at its office.
“Music is the greatest form of connection we have.”
Levi Langley, Deputy Sports Editor
Julian Harper makes music as a means for queer expression and self-exploration.
The intersection of music and memory
Chemical and biomolecular engineering science student Andrea Durham used a research project to meld her interests in science and music in memory of her grandmother.
Zora Nelson’s journey with the instrument that chose her
The Steinhardt senior spent just about a decade mastering the harp. When confronted with the conventional expectations of the instrument, she chose to redefine what it meant to her.
Professor Profiles
“Music teaches me how to walk, how to talk, how to love.”
Gallatin professor and former New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff speaks on the ever-changing music critic landscape and jazz.
“My work and music are entwined. Totally.”
Prominent neuroscientist Dr. Joseph LeDoux offers insight and entertainment to audiences everywhere.
Photo Essays
The city where music never sleeps
The live music venues of the West Village, through the lenses of two WSN photographers.
By Alex Woodworth and Kiran Komanduri
Please don’t stop the music: Inside NYC’s thriving DJ scene
As DJ culture takes over the city, these artists harness an electrifying passion — and throw a great party.
Maggie Turner, Deputy Under the Arch Editor
Greenwich Village’s musical history
By Julia Diorio and Eleanor Jacobs
The famous Village haunts that musical greats once called home.
Do you know all 15 of NYU’s music majors?
Dani Biondi, Film & TV Editor
Spanning across three different schools, a path in music is closer than you think.
Students share stage with JT and Ravyn Lenae at V100 Concert
Krish Dev, Director of Creative & Digital Strategy
The annual student-run event saw 1,000-plus attendees and featured two NYU performers, alongside its first all-female guest list.
Developed for web by Grayson Stotz
Julia Smerling is a sophomore studying photography and imaging, and is one of WSN’s Multimedia Editors. She is from West Palm Beach, Florida, and you...
Alex is a first-year studying public policy and journalism. When not taking photos, you can find him at a Yankees game, searching for the best key lime...
Kiran Komanduri is a junior studying English education at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She loves FaceTiming her...
Kyra Reilley is a sophomore studying interactive media arts at the Tisch School of the Arts. She loves walking around Central Park, obsessing over film...