Professor: Dr. Demanarig
Classes you teach: Psychopathology, Intro to Psychology, Asian American Psychology
What’s your go-to playlist, or how do you usually listen to music (playlists, albums, vinyl, live shows, radio)?
For my psychopathology class, I have a set playlist for each topic I will discuss that day. For instance, if I am covering eating disorders, I have a playlist with songs that cover eating disorders (e.g., Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass, The Gogos Throw Me a Curve, etc.). For my Introduction to Psychology class, I do have a set playlist of songs with good vibes (to activate students’ dopamines in their brains).
What’s your current favorite song?
Right now, I would play Ruby Ibarra’s Bakunawa to inspire me. It’s a song about decoloniality, resistance to colonial tenets, cultural reclamation, and what it means to be a woman in this culture (Filipino/Filipino American culture).
Who was your favorite artist in college, and who is your favorite now?
This was decades ago, but I listened to Eminem a lot. I don’t have a favorite artist per se; I just listen to whatever moves me at the moment. One minute it could be an 80s song, like a Whitney Houston; the next, it could be a 90s R&B; or it could be KPop Demon Hunters’ Golden.
Do you think your taste in music has evolved over time?
Not really. I just think I don’t feel constrained to be “cool” now. So, I will listen to whatever music/artist/genre I feel at the moment.
Are there any songs you like that are connected to your academic field?
They all are! Psychology is versatile that way.
If you could listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
This is a tough question. If I have to choose right now, I would say my go-to karaoke song, Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
What’s the best concert or live show you’ve been to?
I attended a spoken word group when I was an undergraduate. Check out I was Born with 2 Tongues. Their spoken word pieces are amazing.
What’s one album you’d recommend to every student?
I refrain from recommending, just because as an elder millennial, I don’t think my taste resonates a lot with today’s youth. (I could be wrong!) But if I am forced to recommend, Taylor Swift’s 1989. It’s enjoyable.
Interviewer: Kieran Philbrick ‘30, Staff writer
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