Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published December 12, 2023 5:00 AM
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Adriana Pera
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LAist
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Topline:
From bossa nova to EDM, and metal to jazz, the catalog of music enjoyed by Los Angeles teens is boundless. But their 2023 soundtracks were about more than “vibes.” Their musical interests connected them to friends, family, language and helped them start to answer the perpetual question of who they are in the world.
TikTok discovery: The platform is a contemporary hitmaker, but it also resurfaces much older music. San Fernando High School Senior Jocelin Mateos immersed herself in the alternative, emo, and punk scene after hearing a clip of a hit 2012 song from aughts band Pierce the Veil. “That was a turning point for me where I started finding what I liked in music,” Mateos said.
A deeper connection: This year West High School senior Haruto Asami almost exclusively listened to Japanese pop. He’s “sufficiently fluent” in the language after taking classes through elementary and middle school. The music is a continuing education— even his parents have noticed changes in his vocabulary. “The rest of my family actually all live in Japan,” Asami said. “Losing Japanese would be sort of losing a way of communication with [them.] I realized, like, how important it is to keep that connection.”
Listen to the playlist: We compiled favorites from more than a dozen students, not every track came out in 2023 and the surprising throwbacks were some of our favorite contributions.
Listen
3:44
For ‘More Vibes,’ Listen To Music Like An LA High School Student
From bossa nova to EDM, and metal to jazz, the catalog of music enjoyed by Los Angeles teens is boundless.
“I feel like this year, over every other year, I've listened to a lot more genres that I wouldn't have imagined myself listening to,” said Dorsey High School junior Alison Gonzalez. While, according to Spotify Wrapped, her top artist was Bad Bunny, all of her top songs were by regional Mexican artist Ivan Cornejo.
For her it’s the “mellow vibe” of the Riverside-born 19-year-old's voice and guitar. We talked to more than a dozen Los Angeles high school students from the San Fernando Valley to the South Bay (and one in the San Jacinto Mountains). They told us about the music that wakes them up in the morning, that powers them through chores and pre-calculus homework.
But their 2023 soundtracks were about more than “vibes.” Their musical interests connected them to friends, family, language and helped them start to answer the perpetual question of who they are in the world.
Their stories offer ideas on how we all might listen to music with fresh ears.
A few recommendations:
For cleaning the house: "Así Soy" by Santa Fe Klan
“It's that one really energetic song out of my playlist,” said Dorsey High School junior Alison Gonzalez. It's a good backdrop while she picks up after her younger siblings. “Because if I'm listening to something sad, then it's like, I'm not going to want to clean no more.”
For a new take on jazz: "California and Me" by Laufey
The Icelandic artist topped the listening habits for two of the high schoolers interviewed for this story. San Fernando Senior High School junior Jesse Cordero liked the orchestral arrangement on this song.
For a peppy morning: "OMG" by NewJeans
"It sounds almost fresh,” said West High School junior Jacob Benavente of the hit from the new K-pop powerhouse.
Most students LAist talked to listed TikTok as one of the primary trailheads for their 2023 musical explorations.
“I hear the little viral clip of the song and then I look it up and I listen to the rest of it,” said West High School junior Jacob Benavente. “I get sent down a rabbit hole of music.”
Sometimes the algorithm reinforced what they already liked.
Dorsey High School junior Genessis Granados first heard “Light” by Korean rock band Wave To Earth from a friend. “It's a chill song,” Granados said. ”And it got viral on TikTok…so I couldn't just stop listening to it.”
But the platform is also re-surfacing much older music.
San Diego brothers Mike and Vic Fuentes formed Pierce the Veil in the aughts, but until February of this year, they hadn’t published new music since 2016. That hiatus didn’t stop people from making their 2012 track “King For A Day” blow up last year — scream-lipsyncing it into bottles of nail polish remover, cans of energy drinks, and other makeshift microphones.
San Fernando High School Senior Jocelin Mateos saw one of those clips and has since immersed herself in the alternative, emo, and punk scene.
“That was a turning point for me where I started finding what I liked in music,” Mateos said. “That was the first time I kind of connected with music in a way where I was just like blown away completely.”
"A lot of the time the alternative community is just judged by how they look," said San Fernando Valley student Jocelin Mateos. "But a lot of times, a lot of people are nice."
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Mariana Dale
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But don't forget about the real world
Dorsey High School Senior Leo Mejia passed a head-banging, headphone-wearing stranger while walking through downtown L.A. with his mom earlier this year.
“He was like, ‘Hey man, you should listen to the song that I'm listening to,’” so Mejia started taking down the songs on his playlist, including one by Swedish death metal band Grotesque.
“I was like, ‘OK, cool. Thanks.’ And then that was it,” Mejia said.
The screaming and guitar riffs motivate him through exercise, or racing to finish homework.
“If it's due, like, in 10 minutes, then I also listen to very aggressive songs,” Mejia said. “But if it's due like the next day or [in] like a whole month, I listen to more jazz songs.” The standard “Misty” was a favorite of his this year.
Connect to the people you love
About two years ago, Jesse Cordero’s grandmother bought him a baby blue record player for Christmas and he picked out ABBA’s 1979 album “Voulez-Vous” to go with it.
Chiquitita has been on repeat all year— “It's literally the best.” The rousing piano outro buoys what starts out as a song about heartbreak and sorrow.
West High School senior Yumiko Kasai's love of music extends to extracurriculars. She is the marching band drum major. "Whatever I do, my intention behind it is, 'oh, it's to make our group stronger, and our sense of unity stronger," Kasai said. "I think that's what helps me as a leader."
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Mariana Dale
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Fellow senior Haruto Asami is the woodwind captain of the marching band. "I wanted to be part of the leadership team because of the way that they were able to welcome me and make me feel like part of the family when I came into the program," Asami said.
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Mariana Dale
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This year, West High School senior Haruto Asami almost exclusively listened to Japanese pop.
The song “115万キロのフィルム” or “1.15 Million Kilometer Film” describes a love story through the metaphor of a film.
“With just such a short amount of time in the song, I kind of found it fascinating with how much of a story you can create out of it and how much emotion you can get out of it,” Asami said.
He’s “sufficiently fluent” in the language after taking classes through elementary and middle school. The music is a continuing education — even his parents have noticed changes in his vocabulary.
“The rest of my family actually all live in Japan,” Asami said. “Losing Japanese would be sort of losing a way of communication with [them.] I realized, like, how important it is to keep that connection.”
Fellow Torrance senior Yumiko Kasai also listened to a lot of J-pop, some contemporary and others from the ‘80s, courtesy of her mom.
“I haven't always liked the same music as my mom. Sometimes she would be listening to a song in the car, and I'd be like, ‘Can you skip it?’” Kasai said. (What teenager hasn’t said this to a parent?) “But, I think for the, like, ‘80s Japanese music, I listened to a lot of it during quarantine, so like 2020, 2021, and it kind of grew on me and it became one of my most favorite genres.”
Music is "an all the time thing" for Dorsey High School junior Alison Gonzalez. Her tastes range from The Beach Boys to regional Mexican music and rap. "This year, over every other year, I've listened to a lot more genres that I wouldn't have imagined myself listening to," Gonzalez said.
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Dorsey High School junior Genessis Orruego’s dad moved to Kansas about two years ago.
“I really missed our car rides, because we would just talk and talk, and he wouldn't, like, judge me for whatever I was talking about,” Orruego said. Often it’d be Nirvana or Bruno Mars.
According to Spotify, she listened to the 2012 Mars song “If I Knew” more than 500 times last year— that’s more than 18 hours of contemplative croning — “which is kind of scary,” Orruego said.
Orruego is part of a student band and they’re currently learning another Mars track, “Locked Out of Heaven.”
“Just to show my dad, like, ‘oh, look at the song I performed,’” Orruego said.
Find your peace
Music helped John Marshall High School senior Lianne Thompson navigate a challenging junior and senior year.
“I was doing stuff that I didn't like and I didn't feel like myself,” Thompson said. She’s stopped drawing, doing her homework, “peer pressure stuff.”
“I just wanted to be alone, and I wanted to just, like, focus on my peace,” Thompson said. ”It sounds very cheesy, but it worked.”
Thompson said playing guitar, saxophone, reading poetry and song lyrics, helped her reconnect to herself. She also started making electronic music and in September founded a club to collaborate with others.
“I don't want to sound too prestigious or whatever, but it kind of turned into like a big thing,” Thompson said.
Between 10 and 20 students meet Thursdays in a classroom near the Los Feliz school’s football field to share their thoughts and ideas about music production, rap, and hip hop.
She played a sample of a track inspired by English producer and DJ Fred Again.
“It makes me feel like, ‘Wow, I did that,'” Thompson said. “Making music not only inspires me to make more, but inspires me to do other stuff.”
Try new things
Taj’i Draper thought rock music was terrible until he started playing drums and guitar at Dorsey High School about a year ago.
“Music, like rock and screamo and stuff, you have to have a very open mind… it isn't what you would normally, like, hear on the radio,” Draper said. “That allows you to have more of an open mind for different art forms.”
"I'm always trying to like, find more things and expand my tastes," said Idyllwild Arts Academy sophomore Silas Potma. "Constantly looking outward and finding new things has helped me discover a lot of things I really like now."
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Courtesy Silas Potma
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Silas Potma said his music reflects a larger appetite for the new and interesting.
“I'm always trying to like, find more things and expand my tastes,” said the Idyllwild Arts Academy sophomore. He discovered his favorite band of the year, The Garden, after an internet expedition prompted by a comment on an image Potma had saved to Pinterest.
Potma describes the genre-defiant Orange County band as “to-the-left-of-punk” with quirky sounds and lyrics like “I like cereal, but I ain't no serial killer.”
“I feel like there's maybe, like, maybe a few philosophical things in here, but it's pretty goofy most of the time,” Potma said.
This summer he saw the band live at The Observatory in Santa Ana. Twins Wyatt and Fletcher Shears performed in trademark white clown face paint in front of a larger-than-life jester puppet shambling about in the background.
“I think sometimes we think that we're really special and cool and like, unique and nobody gets us,” Potma said. “Seeing a bunch of other fans that like, are having a great time and have the same interests as you is really nice and like makes you feel more not alone.”
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published July 21, 2026 2:50 PM
The Marshall High School Jazz Band opened the 2026 Los Angeles Unified Opening of Schools event.
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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Topline:
Los Angeles Unified students showed improvements on the state’s reading, math and science standardized tests for a third consecutive year.
Why now: Superintendent Andrés Chait announced the preliminary results at the annual opening-of-schools address at East L.A.’s Garfield High School— his first as the district’s leader since the board appointed him to the job in June.
“ These are not just numbers on a page,” Chait said to an audience that included about 1,000 principals, administrators and district supporters. “They are the result of your passion, your persistence, your belief in what students can achieve.”
Why it matters: Student achievement, as measured by test scores, plummeted during the pandemic. Los Angeles Unified’s growth in 2025 outpaced the state as test scores exceeded pre-pandemic levels. This year the percentage of students in all grades who met or exceeded the standard are 39.7% for math, 48.3% for English and 32.1% for science.
It’s unclear how this compares to students statewide because those results have yet to be released.
Read on ... for more information from the address. This story will be updated.
Students within the Los Angeles Unified School District showed improvements on state reading, math and science standardized tests for a third consecutive year, district authorities announced Tuesday.
Superintendent Andrés Chait revealed the preliminary results at the annual opening-of-schools address at East L.A.’s Garfield High School— his first as the district’s leader since the board appointed him to the job in June.
“ These are not just numbers on a page,” Chait said to an audience that included about 1,000 principals, administrators and district supporters. “They are the result of your passion, your persistence, your belief in what students can achieve. These are collective accomplishments.
"They reflect the dedication, skill, and commitment of our entire community,” he said.
Jai Gant-Leau, principal of Eagle Tree Continuation High School, said the “back-to-basics” focus of Chait’s speech was a welcome departure from the tone of recent opening addresses.
“We will continue to rise for the outcomes and expectations for the success of our students. That's the message I got,” Gant-Leau said. “Very different than the others where it was a lot of… bells and whistles.”
This year the percentage of students in all grades who met or exceeded the standard are 39.7% for math, 48.3% for English and 32.1% for science. It’s unclear how this compares to students statewide because those results have yet to be released.
“The decisions will be hard, but we cannot lose sight of what defines us,” Chait said. “We are the system that lifts students to opportunity, turns potential into achievement, creates spaces of belonging, healing, growth.”
Cato Hernández
covers important issues that affect the everyday lives of Southern Californians.
Published July 21, 2026 2:41 PM
The program will focus on homes that survived the Eaton Fire.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Altadena residents with homes that survived the Eaton Fire will soon have a chance at getting their soil cleaned up. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a new remediation program focused on lead contamination.
Didn’t this already happen? The federal government previously remediated properties where homes burned, although that thoroughness has been scrutinized. Helen Chavez Garcia, a spokesperson for Supervisor Kathryn Barger, said the county’s new program will be for properties that are still-standing, to help residents facing insurance obstacles.
What we know: The program will use $3 million of state and county funds for administrative and remediation costs. It will prioritize applicants who live with pregnant women or children under 6 years old. These groups face serious health risks with lead exposure.
What’s next: The program structure is being figured out, but it will be under the L.A. County Development Authority. A cohort of community organizations and researchers are helping design it. That's expected to launch this fall.
Keep up with LAist.
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Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published July 21, 2026 2:37 PM
A beach vendor takes a break under the Santa Monica Pier last week. More heat is in store for Southern California this week and into next.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
A heat advisory is in place for much of Southern California from 10 a.m. Wednesday through Monday.
The heat: Temperatures are expected to climb steadily this week. Inland valleys in L.A., Riverside and San Bernardino counties will see highs between the mid-90s and about 105 degrees. Areas closer to the coast, including downtown Los Angeles and most of Orange County, will hit the 90s, while beaches hover mostly in the upper 70s. Humidity also continues to add to the discomfort, making it harder to cool down.
Fire risk: Despite higher-than-normal humidity, a combination of dry brush and wind will also increase the likelihood of fires sparking in some places. The risk will be concentrated in places prone to high winds, including parts of the 5 Freeway corridor in northern L.A. County, especially around the Grapevine, and southern Santa Barbara County.
Beach conditions: Forecasters expect dangerously large waves and strong rip currents to persist through the weekend along the Southern California coast.
Read on … to learn more about what’s driving these uncomfortable conditions.
We hope you’ve gotten used to the hot weather, because it’s going to be here for a while.
The National Weather Service has issued yet another heat advisory for much of Southern California, less than a week after other high-temperature warnings were lifted.
This week’s advisory will be in place from 10 a.m. Wednesday through Monday. Forecasters expect temperatures to climb steadily over the course of Wednesday and Thursday.
The San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley and other inland areas in L.A., as well as Riverside and San Bernardino counties, will likely see highs ranging from the mid-90s to about 105 degrees. Areas closer to the coast, including downtown Los Angeles and much of Orange County, will hit the 90s. Beaches will hover mostly in the upper 70s.
Humidity will also add to the discomfort. Even though it’s decreasing slightly, it makes cooling down harder, especially at night.
People who work outdoors or do not have air conditioning are especially at risk from the heat and humidity, along with people over 65, young children and other sensitive populations.
Making sense of heat forecasts
Southern Californians are no strangers to hot weather in the summer, but heat waves are getting hotter, longer and more frequent as the climate changes.
So you should know the words forecasters use to describe these weather events — and the risks they pose.
Heat advisory: Advisories are issued when temperatures are expected to be hot enough to cause discomfort and potentially lead to heat-related illnesses, especially for more vulnerable populations like young children and the elderly.
Extreme heat watch: Watches are essentially forecasts for upcoming periods of extreme heat. Forecasters say heat watches often cover wide areas and will be revised into more focused warnings and advisories as conditions become clearer over time. Watches are a good time to prepare for extreme heat.
Extreme heat warning: Warnings are issued when heat levels are or will likely become extremely dangerous. Under extreme heat warnings, it's a good idea to avoid strenuous outdoor activity, stay hydrated and help loved ones and pets stay cool.
Forecasters are warning that conditions are ripe for fires, driven by a combination of wind and dry vegetation.
Southern California hasn’t seen much rain recently, despite the humidity, leaving plants with little moisture and turning them into the perfect fuel.
“Even though the air feels kind of moist, we're in the time of season where it doesn't matter. The fuels are dry and they're ready to go,” said NWS meteorologist Ryan Kittell.
Kittel said people should take extra care with anything that could create a spark, and residents in fire-prone areas should remain aware of their surroundings in case a fire starts.
The fire risk is likely to be concentrated in a few specific areas that will experience higher winds than others, including parts of the 5 Freeway corridor in northern L.A. County, especially around the Grapevine, and in southern Santa Barbara County.
For most of the region, though, winds should stay fairly mild.
Dangerous beach conditions
Southern Californians also have to contend with some ocean-specific risks this week.
Forecasters expect dangerously large waves and strong rip currents to hit the coastline at a time when the heat may drive more people to the beach. The conditions are expected to persist through the weekend.
If you decide to head to the beach, it’s a good idea to ask a lifeguard for advice on the conditions before entering the water. It’s also recommended to swim only near occupied lifeguard stands, stay off of rock jetties and avoid turning your back to the waves.
South-facing stretches of coastline will bear the brunt of the swell, which is being driven by two tropical storms churning hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean.
“Those two systems generated the winds and the waves locally that are pushing towards us, and so that's creating elevated surf and some stronger currents than normal,” Kittel said.
The swell is not expected to cause significant coastal flooding as high tides remain relatively low.
Free transportation to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area swim beach will be available this week as East LA families continue to seek relief from another heat wave and the aftermath of the Lineage warehouse fire.
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Jackie Ramirez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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Topline:
Free transportation to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area swim beach will be available this week as East LA families continue to seek relief from another heat wave and the aftermath of the Lineage warehouse fire.
Why now: More than a month after the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire, many residents continue to report persistent odors from rotting food and cleanup efforts. Because of the ongoing air quality concerns and community complaints, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation has canceled its local aquatic programming.
Free rides begin Wednesday: Los Angeles County is offering complimentary transportation Wednesday through Saturday to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area Swim Beach in Irwindale. Pickup locations are at select Eastside parks.
Read on . . . for more information on the free shuttle services, schedules and more.
Free transportation to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area swim beach will be available this week as East LA families continue to seek relief from another heat wave and the aftermath of the Lineage warehouse fire.
Los Angeles County is offering complimentary transportation Wednesday through Saturday at select Eastside parks so residents can enjoy a day at the lake at no cost.
More than a month after the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire, many residents continue to report persistent odors from rotting food and cleanup efforts. Because of the ongoing air quality concerns and community complaints, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation has canceled its local aquatic programming.
To ensure families still have access to summer recreational activities, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis directed resources toward providing the “beach bus” program to Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area Swim Beach in Irwindale.
Read below for more information on the free shuttle services, schedules and more.
Pickup locations
Belvedere Aquatic Center
5035 1st St. East Los Angeles, CA 90022
Obregon Park Pool
4021 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90063
Salazar Park Pool
3864 Whittier Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90023
City Terrace Park Pool
1126 N. Hazard Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90063
Shuttle dates and times
Wednesday, July 22
Thursday, July 23
Friday, July 24
Saturday, July 25
Morning trip:
Check in at 8:30 a.m.
The bus departs East LA at 9 a.m.
The bus leaves Santa Fe Dam to go back to East LA at 12 p.m.
Afternoon trip:
Check in at 12:30 p.m.
The bus departs East LA at 1 p.m.
The bus leaves Santa Fe Dam to go back to East LA at 4 p.m.
What to know
No registration or proof of address is required, but children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your own food and drinks. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
