Imagine, if you will, a crisp October Saturday. You’re out for a morning walk; the sky is powder blue dappled with faint hues of orange and yellow from the sunrise. As a gentle breeze becomes a steady gust, you notice a faint aroma wafting by. Before the wind dies down again, you identify the smell - freshly baked bread. At a brisk pace, you follow the trail to its source: a nearby cafe. There, in the shop window, you find at least two dozen loaves of bread still steaming from the oven. Breakfast is decided, then! But who makes this savory magic happen?
The baker, of course! And one of the bakers, so to speak, for our ESL program is none other than your ESL Enrollment Coordinator - Bianca Perez.
As the ESL Enrollment Coordinator, Bianca is responsible for quite a few behind-the-scenes tasks to assist students. At the beginning of each session, Bianca facilitates the enrollment process for new and returning students and directs them to the correct resources to get their questions answered. Throughout the session, she is also the mastermind behind the social activities for students, which are always a blast.
Today, you’ll get to know a little about Bianca through a universal experience we have as humans - music. We’ve invited Bianca to be our “DJ for a Day” this week, sharing some of her favorite songs and artists from the present and past.
A native Houstonian, some of Bianca’s favorite current artists include Khruangbin - a local Houstonian group, Jungle, and The Marias. Her favorite genre is indie-pop.
We sat down with Bianca for a question and answer style-interview; therefore, you’ll find the rest of the post displayed below in the same style.
Q: “Why is indie-pop your favorite genre of music?”
Bianca: “Although I enjoy most genres of music, a lot of the music I listen to when I want to relax and be in a pleasant mood would be categorized as indie or indie-pop. The artists in this genre produce music that is tranquil and focuses a little bit more on instrumentals. If a song has a groovy bass guitar or a vibrant trumpet sound, I am guaranteed to like it.”
Q: “What are your top three current favorite songs that you’ve had on repeat?”
Bianca: “May Ninth by Khruangbin, Let’s Go Back by Jungle, and Cariño by The Marias.”
Q: “What do you like about the first song on your list - May Ninth by Khruangbin?”
Bianca: “Khruangbin, which means ‘airplane’ in Thai, is a musical trio from Houston. Their music is mainly instrumental and defined as neo-psychedelic rock. Like most of their songs, I enjoy this one because it sounds like how I imagine driving while the sun is setting down a picturesque road.”
Q: “Tell us a little about the second song on your list - Let’s Go Back by Jungle?”
Bianca: “This song by Jungle is a great mix of funk, dance and electronic. Most of Jungle's songs are similar to this one. Their music is easy to listen to when I want a burst of energy.”
Q: “What strikes you about the third song on your list - Cariño by The Marias?”
Bianca: “The Marias are one of my favorite bands. Having seen them live a few times, the voice of the lead singer, Maria, is dreamlike. Cariño by The Marias is probably the most indie-pop sounding song on my list. The song is upbeat, but still has a sense of softness to it that I like. The term ‘cariño’ is a term of endearment in Spanish. It is a happy song and makes me think of my loved ones.”
Q: “Next, what is your all-time favorite song? Tell us what makes it your favorite.”
Bianca: “This is a hard question. In reflection, I'd say Dreams by Fleetwood Mac is my favorite. I remember coming across it in high school and being instantly hooked to the vocals and instrumentals in the song. A lot of my favorite songs these days all have the swell or melancholy sound of a guitar that can be traced back to this song. Additionally, the Take 2 version of this song is very special to me. The vocals and guitar are alone here for an extended track which demonstrates how good the two sound together.”
Q: “Lastly, share one song with us that you enjoy which is sung in a different language.”
Bianca: “Both of my parents are Cuban, so I grew up listening to a lot of music in Spanish. When I think of popular Cuban music, I think salsa. And when I think of salsa music, I immediately think of the queen of salsa, Celia Cruz. Specifically, her song ‘La Vida es un Carnaval.’ Upbeat and fast paced, this song is heard at any Cuban party and is sure to get the crowd dancing. The lyrics have a positive message that life is beautiful and must be lived to the fullest.
Bianca’s final playlist is listed below to search for any of the songs on your favorite music app.
- Khruangbin - May Ninth
- Jungle - Let’s Go Back
- The Marias - Cariño
- Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
- Celia Cruz - La Vida es un Carnaval
We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Bianca, your ESL Coordinator here at Rice. Stay tuned on our social media channels for more in the coming weeks.
by Hadrian Barbosa