Splash Biography



NEVE O’BRIEN, Yale sophomore studying history



Major: History

College/Employer: Yale

Year of Graduation: 2026

Picture of Neve O’Brien

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I’m a sophomore in the History major, but I also love taking literature, classics, art, and music classes. I sing in a student band and have a small graphic design/art commission business. I used to teach at an art camp during the summers, and I love working with kids!



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

H4822: Copycats? The Importance of Cover songs in Music History in Splash Fall 2023 (Nov. 11, 2023)
Artists have been getting a lot of lawsuits recently for “copying” others’ songs, but the concept that music must be totally original is a recent invention. From jazz standards to Elvis to punk rock, cover songs have shaped the evolution of English music. Even so, when does covering a song turn into plagiarism? What are the politics of appropriating music from certain cultures or experiences and recontextualizing them? In contrast, can cover songs be a form of political empowerment?