Jenna Foley is a member of the NIU marching band, but she appreciates marching to the beat of a different drum, guitar or solo.

Foley, a sophomore meteorology major, said her favorite musicians connect emotionally with their fans.

“Their attitude and their personality – how they present themselves when they are recording and performing – is key,” she said. “Good music relaxes me and relates to problems in my own life.”

Here are Foley’s top 10 favorite music acts:

10. Big & Rich – “They are putting rap into country and it’s actually working out. They are combining different music genres very well. I love ‘Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.’”

9. Shania Twain – “She’s been around for a long time and her voice is really good. She sings about love all the time.”

8. Gwen Stefani – “She doesn’t even sound like a woman. She sounds like a little girl and that interests me. Not a typical R&B singer.”

7. Eminem – “I’ve always been interested in him. He’s one of the good white rappers. He tells us about his problems in interesting, different ways. I can’t stick to one radio station after all.”

6. Kenny Chesney – “He’s starting to become more popular, so I’ve started paying more attention to him. He gives Toby Keith a run for his money at awards shows.”

5. Terri Clark – “She portrays a country cowboy girl and is a real hard [expletive.] Her stuff actually has a lot of humor to it.”

4. Gene Kelly – “He’s more of a broadway dancer. You might know him from ‘Singing in the Rain.’ It’s become a tradition like the ‘Wizard of Oz.’”

3. Gretchen Wilson – “She’s a really good female performer who tells it like it is. She started up poor and worked really hard to get where she is now.”

2. Toby Keith – “He’s a real redneck country singer who also tells it like it is. I saw him live. He’s really into it and gets the audience motivated.”

1. Elvis Presley – “He’s the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ and changed a whole generation of music. I love ‘If I can dream … ’”