Everyone is grasping for new hobbies as the pandemic continues to sweep across the U.S. Members of the art community at East have still found ways to work virtually on musical projects.
Maleah Nelson and Carly Tremaine
Freshmen Maleah Nelson and Carly Tremaine, two singers, bonded in middle school over their shared love of songwriting. They continued to keep in touch as they transitioned from middle school to high school and from in-person classes to online learning. Together, they have started to collaborate and grow as performers through one of the most isolating times in history.
“I’ve been songwriting for maybe a year by the time I was in 8th grade, but I hadn’t met any songwriters yet. We sat together in chorus and it somehow came up, and I was like, ‘What in the world, that’s so cool!’” Nelson said.
When the pandemic hit, Nelson and Tremaine started reaching out to each other more frequently to write songs and post on social media. They had worked on covers together before and decided it was time to create something original as a team. Together, they arranged, recorded and advertised November Sky.
“It was really fun figuring out how to do the harmonies. I would totally love to collaborate with her again,” Nelson said.
For Nelson, quarantine has been difficult, but says she continues to stay positive with the help of her family and friends. Her hopes to fine tune her skills motivates her to continue working on her passion.
“The support is just amazing. I feel like it’s really helped me gain confidence with performing,” Nelson said. “Although I can’t do everything I normally would be able to, it’s a buffering period where I can learn a lot more about social media and gain confidence by performing in front of family and neighbors. There have definitely been weeks or months that I’ve been way less motivated while staying at home, but it’s a good opportunity to focus on things that need improvement.”
Similarly, Tremaine finds herself enjoying the ample time she has to work on growing as a musician, but also acknowledges the struggles of trying to be creative while at home.
“It’s been harder to find inspiration because we can’t go out and do things, and you have to really think about what inspires you,” Tremaine said. “Also, because we are making all this music, it’s unfortunate we aren’t able to play it during live performances, because I think that’s such a fun and important part about being a songwriter.”
Having a friend with similar interests has helped Nelson and Tremaine stay motivated during the pandemic. Collaborating together also encouraged them to break away from their comfort zones and broaden their horizons as musicians.
Margaret Breeden
Music is a form of self expression and can be a very emotional experience that sparks nostalgia. Margaret “Margee” Breeden has been writing songs for as long as they can remember. Music inspires them to songwrite and support other smaller artists.
“I really like creating things. I’m a very creative person and I love listening to music,” Breeden said. “It’s a way for me to vent my emotions because sometimes I realize how I feel about things by writing it into a song.”
Breeden feels encouraged to write music of their own after being inspired by other artists. They believe representation within the music industry is crucial and works to support self-starting artists with smaller followings.
“Female, femme, queer artists who make music themselves, I love. The downside is, no one else knows my favorite artists. People know Dodie, but Leana Florence and Francis Forever are my favorites, and no one knows them,” Breeden said.
Songwriting, for many, can be a healthy coping mechanism to deal with the daily stresses of life while also breaking away from the repetitive pandemic schedule many students are faced with. Breeden wants to go a step further by sharing their own music in hopes of inspiring someone else the way Dodie and Francis have inspired them.
“I say the majority of the time, the reason I write a song is because I hear someone else’s song and I’m like, ‘Hey, that was really good, I want to do that, too’ and so I go write a song,” Breeden said.
The process of writing, recording and publishing music can be a laborious task. Breeden tries to dispel misconceptions that it is simple or easy.
“Artists can enjoy creating but also find it exhausting and have to make themselves do it,” Breeden said. “Anytime I’m at home, I turn to my right and I see my instruments. I don’t have any excuses like ‘I don’t have time anymore.”
Richard Yuan
Dedication in the musical field has paid off for senior Richard Yuan, who wants to continue growing the songwriting community at East.
Yuan says musical inspiration can come in many forms. The rhythm, the instruments used or the general melody of other songs can inspire Yuan to create music of his own. Other times, inspiration hits spontaneously throughout the day. Many times, Yuan will find himself singing a melody into Voice Memos before the idea is lost. He says he must have over 100 Voice Memos in his phone.
“Writing is really fun. I think the most fun I have is adding on different melodies and instruments whenever I feel like they’re suitable,” Yuan said. “I like hearing my songs grow from this one thing I started with into a larger piece.”
Songwriting, like any skill, takes time and effort to master. Yuan believes he will always be learning new techniques to improve. He encourages others who also want to pursue music to persevere and not get caught up in the imperfections of the past but rather be proud of their growth.
“Be willing to learn from your mistakes. I remember my first album, I really didn’t like the sounds of it after I learned more, but I needed to write that album to make sure I was getting to the process of writing lyrics and writing melodies and putting things together and using software,” Yuan said. “Comparing where I am now to where I was just a year ago is inspiring.”
The music community that Yuan has created for himself at East has motivated him to continue doing what he loves. He wants a close connection between the songwriter and the audience and strives to continue coming up with creative ways to engage with his listeners.
“Songwriters in general are very empathetic because we put our time into stuff that we want other people to appreciate,” Yuan said. “We find a lot of fulfillment knowing our songs are reaching people. That’s what keeps me going, knowing I’m making personal connections.”
Guitar photo courtesy of Jefferson Santos/unsplash
Love this! Thank you Sophie for the interview, was an honor!! 💛