ON February 21st, 2023, my peers at Hart Middle School (sources confirm that this is happening to students from other PUSD schools, too) and I began noticing that certain students could no longer access Spotify via their school-issued Chromebooks. Spotify, in case you aren't aware, is a music-listening platform that is much easier to use compared to other platforms (Google for more information, if necessary).

Students decided that it may have been a glitch of some sort, and brushed it off. However, by February 22nd, Spotify was blocked on all school accounts by the district.

Music is a beautiful form of art and is a useful study tool for many. Spotify, unlike YouTube, was designed specifically to make listening to music or podcasts easier, allowing students to enjoy their favorite song during independent study time and (when allowed) in class. Although, admittedly, music can be distracting for some, the greater majority of students find it easier to concentrate when they have music playing.

According to healthline.com, “…researchers found evidence to suggest that music can engage your brain in such a way that it trains it to pay better attention to events and make predictions about what might happen.”

Many students don't have personal emails, so they have no other way to listen to music besides using YouTube or other listening platforms. (However, I'm sure we can all agree that Spotify is the most convenient of the lot.)

Bring back Spotify for Pleasanton Unified School district students. Banning video games is one thing, but banning our music is taking the situation too far.