Musically minded Riverside High junior takes note of human condition

In an age of algorithms and artificial intelligence, Appollonia Muñoz has found a different way to understand and empathize with people.

“I can dissect someone’s personality by one look at their playlist,” said Appollonia.

Though it may be a bold statement

,

the

junior at Riverside High School said her lifelong experience as a musician has given her a different lens into the human condition.

“Music is one of the most personal things,” Appollonia said. “Everyone has a different type of music they resonate with.”

She’s noticed that when people feel different emotions, they tend to gravitate towards particular types of music — or more specifically, different elements of composition.

Her mom is a psychiatrist, and Appollonia hopes to follow a similar path by majoring in biology and medicine, with a minor in English, on the East Coast.

Appollonia takes intentional steps to savor the little moments. It starts with the soundtrack of her morning routine. She values starting her day on a calm note, so she picks just the right playlist to get ready.

“Music can freeze the world,” Appollonia said.

Her playlists feature her favorite artists: rapper Mac Miller, jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker, indie pop singer Clairo along with R&B and jazz artist Thundercat. From pop to hip-hop, she has a playlist for every occasion.

She started piano lessons, playing for six years starting in the first grade. She expanded her repertoire into other types of music in middle school, by joining band and choir. Appollonia learned not only how to sing as a soprano, but how to play the trumpet — and she didn’t stop there.

Once she started high school in 2023, she decided to pick up guitar for the first time in jazz band. During her freshman year, she mentioned playing a song she liked called “Koop Island Blues” to her band director.

“It was just an idea,” she said, “I didn’t think it was going to happen.”

But the next day, the band director announced their next piece: “Koop Island Blues.”

Appollonia worked tirelessly with her band director arranging the entire piece — which was not written for a jazz band — to accommodate different instruments, two solos and a split time tempo.

Going into her junior year, she’s no longer in jazz band or choir but is focusing on her studies as an International Baccalaureate diploma student.

She still plays the guitar on her own with an electric Fender Stratocaster. It’s red and sparkly — “My favorite,” she beamed. She can often be found covering her favorite songs on the “La La Land” soundtrack.

Music plays an influential role in Appollonia’s life, and she connects with people through sharing her playlists and songs.

“It is one of the most intimate experiences that you can share with someone,” she said. “It puts your life on display.”

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Emmy McGill, Columbia River High School

This story was produced by student reporters as part of the High School Journalism Institute, an annual collaboration among The Oregonian/OregonLive, Oregon State University and other Oregon media organizations. For more information or to support the program, go to

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