Concerts are many things for different people: a form of therapy, an opportunity to see your favorite artist live, or a place to meet new people. However, for the past year, concerts have simply been “cancelled.”

While concerts came to a halt at the rise of the pandemic, many restrictions have recently been lifted, concerts are back and St. Joe’s students are eager to re-immerse themselves in the music scene.

According to Jenna DiLossi Psy.D., co-founder and clinical director of the Center for Hope and Health, being back in this space can be beneficial for many who perceive concerts as having different values.

“For some people, concerts and being in a music venue or doing music themselves is very therapeutic for people,” DiLossi said. “[For] some people, it’s just more fun entertainment. But for some, there is a more powerful impact of attending a musical event.”

Annie Corrigan ’23 got back into the concert scene over the summer when she saw Luke Bryant at the Wells Fargo Center.

“It was kind of surreal and crazy because you didn’t see people for so long and then all of a sudden I’m singing with thousands of people,” Corrigan said. “It was definitely weird but comforting in a way.”

Zac Dobinson ’22 recently attended the Made in America Festival. Like Corrigan, Dobinson found a sense of comfort in the concert community.

“[Concerts] were one of the things that I missed most during Covid because whether it’s a concert or a festival, everyone’s there for the same reason,” Dobinson said. “They really want to see the music or the artists that are performing. So there’s a sense of community at concerts that’s kind of unspoken.”

Maggie Koch ’22 personally feels a connection to music and notices how it has the power to join people together. 

“[The pandemic] happened for so long that people have been disconnected. But I think the music that was created over quarantine could connect us, and now it’s just so great to be able to enjoy that music with other people,” Koch said.

While there are obvious benefits to concert settings, DiLossi is still concerned about potential negative benefits of attending concerts post-COVID for people who may have anxiety, especially because COVID-19 is not completely gone. 

“Unfortunately, there might be a person who really does find music venues therapeutic, but depending on their health profile, now, a concert would be really stressful and not therapeutic for them,” DiLossi said.

So far, students have observed that concert venues in the area have been following COVID-19 guidelines. This put Mia Roa ’25 at ease, who attended the Made in America Festival and the Harry Styles concert on Sept. 17.

“I felt pretty comfortable only because they made everybody verify that they had either a negative Covid test within 48 hours, or that everybody was vaccinated,” Roa said. “That definitely made me feel more comfortable being around all the people.”

Dobinson said although guidelines are set in place, he believes attending concerts also brings about a social responsibility. As a precaution to close contacts and the community, Dobinson said he prepared to quarantine. He also had a rapid COVID-19 test scheduled the day after the music festival.

“Yes I want to go and have all this fun, but I then don’t want to bring that fun back home with me in the form of Covid,” Dobinson said.

Even with the newly added social responsibility of going to a concert, Corrigan still found her experience as a form of escape from her surroundings.

“For the few hours that I was there, you just get into music, everyone’s singing and you’re not really thinking about global problems or even personal problems,” Corrigan said. “It just takes you away for a little bit.”