What’s better than listening to a good song on the radio, playing your favorite track on repeat or discovering a new favorite artist? Being able to share the experience with others.

The Music Appreciation and Discussion Club (MADC) is new this year with bi-weekly X-block meetings in room 213. The club is made up of a small group of students who share a common trait: being avid music listeners.

Club co-leader and founder, junior Phoebe Shay, said that the club is perfect for people who take interest in expanding their music taste.

“This club is for anyone who listens all day, every day, or anyone who wants to find new stuff to listen to,” Shay said. “We all really, really like music. Most people that join the club are listening to music all the time, and I think that that shared interest is what makes us a community.”

MADC meetings begin with a short presentation on an album of any genre, typically one that has been released recently, according to co-leader and junior Cali Martinez.

“Whoever chose the album for the club does a presentation on it. It talks about their favorite songs, what they like about the album and the history behind the artists. Sometimes we’ll read articles, like top fifty albums of the year,” Martinez said.

Shay said the club dives into a different album every week.

“It’s like a book club, but with albums. Each week we either pick an album that’s already been around for a while that somebody chooses, or we pick one that just released that week,” Shay said.

The club members then discuss their opinions on the music. Although they don’t always see eye to eye, a difference in opinions allows for further discussion and intrigue.

The community MADC creates is important to Freshman Tom Goldberg. The discussions bring up alternate points of view about each album, making it more interesting.

“It’s kind of a small community, but it’s nice to have people that like music like me. Even if it’s different genres and I don’t fully agree with other people’s opinions, it’s nice to have people to talk to about the stuff I enjoy,” Goldberg said.

The club is a great place to discover new music, according to Martinez.

“If we have time, at the end of the club, we’ll go over recommendations or club leaders share any new music that we’ve been listening to,” Martinez said.

Hearing others’ opinions is what Goldberg said his favorite part of the club is.

“I like discussing our favorite songs because it’s interesting to talk about what someone’s favorite is and why they liked that song specifically,” Goldberg said.

Martinez said that music is a great pathway to meeting new people.

“Even if you don’t know someone, you can relate to them through music. I’ve met a lot of new people with similar tastes. I’ve been able to build friendships off of that,” Martinez said.

Shay said that while listening to music by yourself is enjoyable, reviewing albums with a group of people puts it in a new light.

“Anyone can enjoy music individually,” Shay said. “I think that to reap its full benefits, you have to talk about it and you listen to it with other people, which is my favorite part of the club.”