Student Blog: The Beauty of a Soundtrack

Social media has ruined my attention span. School has ruined my attention span. I have ruined my attention span. 

To be fair, I never had that large of an attention span for anything that I wasn’t fully in love with. 

I could easily get lost learning about my favorite singer or gymnast, but I could not sit through a history class without getting bored. More recently, I’ve found myself needing to multi-task while watching a TV show or movie in order to stay engaged. 

There is one part of my life that has not been impacted by my tainted attention span, though. That one part is theatre. I will gladly sit through a two-hour musical. If you need a show buddy, count me in!

Theatre, musicals especially, are special in that way. I can’t remember the last time I listened to an album from top to bottom except for a first listen, but I love listening to soundtracks all the way through. Each song is such a descriptive representation of the scene unfolding that I can picture the show in my mind. The costumes, the lighting, the set, the choreography. Everything about the show feels accessible through the soundtrack.

I could go on and on about how much I love listening to a soundtrack, but what’s even more special is watching the soundtrack you love live on a stage. I remember obsessing over Waitress when I first listened to the cast recording. Even without a visual to reference, the transition from “Take It From an Old Man” to “Dear Baby” to “She Used to Be Mine” brought tears to my eyes. The music alone moved me. When I saw the show on Broadway, it was the most surreal moment. Not only did it feel like a concert of songs I loved, but I fell even deeper in love with the show after smelling the pie in the lobby, seeing the set reveal from behind the curtain, and watching the actors play out the entire story.

Then, there is the opposite end of the spectrum. Going into a show blind and falling in love with the cast recording afterward. In 2025, my sister started listening to songs from The Outsiders on repeat. “Tulsa ‘67” and “Hoods Turned Heroes" were the soundtrack to our spring. I enjoyed the songs, but I didn’t obsess over them like I had with Waitress. Then, I watched the show on Broadway. And then I watched it three more times after that. The harmonies are immaculate, the songs carry so much emotion, and the story itself carries such a powerful and much needed message.

When was the last time you listened to an album all the way through? No skips or shuffles to break up the listening experience. If you can’t remember the last time, I encourage you to pick up a soundtrack. Carve out a block of time when you can listen to an entire soundtrack. Before bed, on the way to work, or while you're working out.

Listen to the words, feel the emotions, and let yourself become immersed in the story. Because maybe your attention span is broken, but I promise there is still beauty in listening to an entire soundtrack.