By AULANI MARLEY | March 13, 2020 | Arts and Entertainment

Whether it is while walking through the halls, riding on the bus, or studying, a pair of earbuds can provide an escape for students at Stanton College Preparatory School in the midst of a long school day. Listening to music can be a method to relieve stress or to find a way to cope with the difficulties individuals are dealing with in their lives. Some take it another step further, using music as a means of expression by creating, composing, and performing. Student artists find ways to display their musical talent, using various platforms to express their opinions and share their creations.

Stanton’s musical artists are individual producers or performers who make and publish music as their own entity. They showcase their music on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud to gain popularity and reach an audience with similar music interests.

“I try to align what I release to the sound of who I listen to, the people I view as my inspirations,” said sophomore Akiel Smith, who creates and publishes his own music under the name Akiel the Prodigy. “The biggest factor that determines which artists are popular is definitely the hit factor. If you put out a catchy song everyone is listening to, you’re just going to keep growing.”

Student artists often integrate their personal inspiration into their music to have a more personalized, unique meaning. Each song has a different theme and sound, influenced by the artist’s personal experiences and emotions.

“I think none of my tracks are the same and each track has some sort of inspiration or feeling of my own behind it,” said sophomore Ansh Parikh, who produces his own music under the name XNSH. “Whether it’s a mellow Rhythm and Blues-style (R&B) instrumental or a heavy-bass trap beat, there is always some sort of emotion I try to [convey] through it.”

Various artists take inspiration from other individuals and the major events in their lives that elicit creativity and thought. These artists also make an effort to produce music with their own unique sound or element that sets them apart from others.

“I try to deviate my music from current industry trends by experimenting with chord progressions, collaborating with a variety of other artists and producers, and arranging my tracks in a way where it’s fit specific to each song,” said Parikh.

By making an effort to differentiate one’s own music from other typical or mainstream productions, student artists are able to create a distinct identity for themselves. Just as people listen to various types of music that fit their style, student artists also create various sounds, with each individual having their own specific taste. When artists use unique beats they can also draw in a new and wider audience, further influencing the musical interests of an individual or a whole group.

“I think a lot of us are influenced by others’ music tastes because we hear the same songs on the radio and share these songs with each other, increasing music popularity through this circulation,” said sophomore Elizabeth Moles.

While there are student artists who choose to produce and perform music on their own as an individual, others express themselves musically through school programs. Musical activities are available for students to participate in within the school day, such as band and chorus. These two major musical programs focus on different kinds of music, with chorus incorporating classical pieces, while the band tends to broaden its musical styles. Students involved in these organizations also participate in activities outside of the school day, performing at sports games and other events.

“This year, we’ve started playing in parades [such as] the Veteran’s Day Parade and the Martin Luther King Day Parade that ran from the TIAA Bank Field to the Prime F. Osborne III Convention Center,” said junior Melanie Doyle, who performs in the Stanton marching band’s drumline.

As the band varies where they perform, they develop their reputation in Jacksonville. Events such as the Martin Luther King Day Parade receive television coverage, enabling them to gain familiarity and expand their performance range in Jacksonville.

In their performances, Stanton’s band must determine what musical themes they will choose for the year, dictating what types of songs they will present throughout the year. The band tends to draw on what is popular or what has been popular in the past, then using this music these songs to inspire their creativity and develop unique sounds.

“We tend to cycle through different [songs] depending on the band’s ability to play them from year-to-year,” said Doyle. “The band director, Mr. [Galen] Peters, picks the theme based on music that stays pretty popular because they’re good songs and classics that most people have heard; last year, [the theme] was ‘Les Misérables’, and this year, it’s the Beatles.”

By drawing inspiration from artists like The Beatles, who have remained popular and widely known for years, the bandit connects to a larger audience. Incorporating previously popular music establishes familiarity with the older generations, while still doing something different that is not as predictable as the current trends or patterns in modern music. Steering away from mainstream trends also offers the benefit of standing out from other bands in competitions, such as the Music Performance Assessments (MPA), which tests the skills and performance abilities of various bands from different schools.

“Mr. Peters tries to avoid themes that a bunch of other bands are doing so we don’t end up playing a similar half-time show as other schools at the MPAs,” said Doyle.

Other programs such as chorus also offers students the opportunity to become musically involved during the school day. In their various performances, their style choices typically adhere to classical music, featuring artists such as Allan Robert Petker and Allister Macgillivray. Offering a program where the classical music style is the main focus expands the available opportunities for students of various musical interests.

“In chorus, we mainly do contemporary and some classical,” said sophomore Samar Sahsah, who sings soprano in Stanton’s chorus. “We usually try to balance our styles during performances by doing one piece that is a slow tempo, and then another piece that is more upbeat.”

Stanton’s performers and producers take on different means of showcasing their musical talents. Some choose to take on their creative path as their own individual artist, integrating their musical style and personal emotions into each one of their pieces. Others thrive, perform, and create music through Stanton’s various programs and organizations. Student artists explore music in a variety of ways, regardless if it is among the beats they created in a track or with other like-minded individuals during a performance, Stanton’s artists continue to have their voices heard.

Keeping in Tune

By AULANI MARLEY | March 13, 2020 | Arts and Entertainment