Disclaimer: What you're about to read may be kinda cringe.

Proceed with caution. 

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My mother tells me that I used to sing before I could talk. And I believe her because for as long as I can remember, I have been making music. Whether it was singing my own tunes or practicing the piano, music has always been a part of me. My parents didn’t pressure me to play the piano like many other parents. At the age of four, they felt obligated to find me a teacher, because I obviously needed to make music. Beginning in the fourth grade, I started to play my own compositions at piano recitals with encouragement from my teachers. As I’ve grown, so has my understanding and ability to express myself through music. 

Everything that is moving has a rhythm. If I hear my clock, I subconsciously sway my body back and forth along with it. When I listen to music while eating, I chew along to the rhythm. As I walk, I feel a rhythm, going back and forth as my weight shifts from one leg to the other. All of these sensations make me realize just how connected to music I really am. These observations can also inspire me to make my own music as well. 

When I turned eleven, I received my first electronic device: an iPod Touch. This was my first experience with digital music. I taught myself how to use GarageBand and connect a MIDI keyboard to my device. Soon after, I was allowed to use my parents’ old computer that had an older version of GarageBand. I made several albums of instrumental songs on that computer. When I was about twelve years old, I got a looping pedal, a machine that records and loops sound. This was the first time that I really got into the process of learning how the hardware and software worked together to create the music. I have upgraded several times since and I now use FL Studio to make music digitally. 

My friend and I used to make movies from images and ideas in our imaginations. We would also write original soundtracks to these short films. This was where I first discovered that I could capture and portray an image in even finer detail when I combined it with music. Ever since I have made this discovery, I continue to add the element of music to my visual creations. Recently, I was given an assignment to write an original soundtrack for a video game trailer. I finished the assignment that afternoon. My teacher seemed absolutely blown away by it, and my parents were in just as much awe. They both gave me feedback; my parents said that the music made a very large impact on the visual, and my teacher asked me if I was considering going into the film industry for composition. I am interested in making music for movies as part of my career.

Art means a lot to me. Maybe even everything. Without it, I would be a completely different person. When I write a song on the piano, it sometimes reflects what the piano is saying to me when I play it. The way that the tone of a note being played on the instrument sounds to me or the way that a chord resonates with me can inspire entire songs. My emotions are a part of my music. When I write a song, it may reflect how I am feeling at the time of writing it. I often write songs that feel very emotional to me. Every time I play or listen to these songs, they bring up emotions that feel like they are a part of the song. My feelings are where a lot of my inspiration comes from. The way I make music, I don’t really think about it. It’s a very intuitive process. I feel like I’m not writing the music, but discovering it as it presents itself. The music is already there. I am uncovering it. 

I don’t know why I make music. To ask this is like asking a person why they are breathing. I feel as if I have been chosen by some great force, and it is my honor to express music to the world. Not only do I feel the need to make music, but I love it. I truly love music with the entirety of my heart.

I attended a composition program at UNC School of the Arts in the summer of 2022. While I was at the school, I connected with other students. They were not only very talented composers and musicians, but also very humorous and relatable individuals. Being with them made me feel light and free. I felt for the first time that I had truly found my people; friends who I could collaborate with and share my thoughts and ideas that no one else in my life truly understood. When I think back on the experience, it makes me smile. This was probably one of the happiest times of my life, and I will remember it forever. I would like to be a part of a creative community again.