This fall, four Poly students founded the Album Listening Club. Leo Mullin ‘25, Archie Neibart ‘24, Levi Jacobson ‘25, and Max Penachio ‘25 are friends bonded through their love of music and desire to share their passion with others. Each meeting, club members vote on an album to listen to and create a queue of music they’re interested in exploring. Jacobson stated that their “[group] members have a very broad taste in music….the [listening] suggestions were a Morgan Wallen album, a Kanye album, [and] a Taylor Swift album.”
As Neibart would describe it, these suggestions not only foster “a calm, safe space in the middle of a busy weekday,” but also spark discussion of experiences and the education of others. Mullin says that although members have drastically different musical tastes, “the people in the group tend to keep a really open mind,” their shared love of music becoming a medium that enables members to expand their understanding of others.
Matthew Sagotsky, the club faculty advisor, plays a large role in contributing to this. In addition to his role as a Chemistry teacher, Sagotsky enjoys DJing as a hobby. The club founders state that his genuine interest in music fuels conversation and initiates educational discussions. “[An] album he played before was considered intellectual dance music, which is….not something I would listen to on my own time,” said Jacobson. He adds that through Sagotsky’s willingness to share his interests with others, members have developed an understanding that sharing and listening to music “can be a little academic; [it’s] learning new things and attempting to expand your taste and broaden what you listen to.”
Despite how enjoyable these club times are, their time together is often limited. Because of the thirty minute split schedule for clubs block, Album Listening Club members never finish listening to what they have planned. “Our club leader calls it the EP Listening Club because we can never do a full album,” joked Jacobson, “but, you know, we make the best of what we have.” Additionally, the group also faces issues with turnout. While many people are interested in attending, multiple clubs take place during the first half of the clubs block, which causes issues for attendees. “Our group is relatively small,” said Mullin, “we have, like, ten members show up each time, so it would be great once this article’s in the Polygon, to get some new members to come along and listen with us.”
According to Penachio, the club’s final goal is to get “Sagotsky to do a full set during one of [the] club periods….get the lights low.” Until then, they plan to spend each meeting enjoying their time with one another, expanding their taste, and learning through their passion for music. “If you like music, show up,” said Jacobson. The club’s relaxed environment and enjoyable atmosphere is best described by Neibart in one word: “vibes.”
