Skyline High School is home to many young artists beginning their musical journey. Whether they’re recording songs with a band, writing a musical, or working on an independent album, students are always coming up with ways to express themselves. With all of this expression, a question arises: How do Skyline students begin?
It all starts with inspiration.
Edwin Jackson (‘27) finds inspiration in his dad. “I started listening to music as a kid, and then my dad told me about music he used to make with his friends,” he says. “I just thought I wanted to do that myself.”
Other students find inspiration through musicians they listen to. “I took inspiration from people – singers, songwriters,” says Shekina Chikosi (‘28). “You can take their [work] and twist it in your own ways, like a song that I wrote for myself. I used some of the chords from Taylor Swift’s “Don’t Blame Me” and made my own song out of that.”
The next step is building a musical foundation.
“I learned music theory and piano by myself,” says Louis Grengs (‘27). “I just read through a book over and over. Now I’m taking AP Music Theory and I think I have more of a [musical] grasp.”
“I was listening to a lot of music during covid,” says Skyline Songwriting Club co-leader Roman Gattuso (‘27). “After covid, I went to a summer camp about making beats and songwriting.”
The final step is application.
“I record music and sounds alongside digitally programming my music to create the sounds that I want,” says artist and Skyline graduate Zachary Huber (‘25). “It all just depends on what I’m going for with the sound of any certain song.”
“My main setup is an acoustic guitar plugged into an effects pedal, then plugged into a Handy H6 recording device,” says Marek Gustitus (‘25), an upcoming musician and recent Skyline graduate. Gustitus describes his most recent album “The Sun Maiden” as “a mix of folk instrumentation with more experimental drones and noise.”
You can listen to Gustitus on any streaming service under the name “Marudalesia.”
Jackson is working on multiple album projects, and is trying to compose music for his choir. “I record on my 2DS,” says Jackson.
Skyline’s musicians have advice for anyone who is interested in writing music themselves:
“[Music] is a good way to express myself. It’s a good way to tell my own story when you know, sometimes you feel like your story isn’t being told and there isn’t music for you,” says Grengs.
“Songwriting club is great for anyone who wants to grow their musical interest,” says Gattuso. “All of the members have different musical styles and tastes.”
“Music should be made because you have to make it, not because you want money,” says Jackson.
