Many students take joy from playing instruments as a form of self-expression. Their passion can be deeprooted from family members or just musical influences.
Freshman Brody Nguyen, former guitarist of the band Estranged Individuals, plays two instruments, the guitar and bass, and is learning how to play the piano, he said. “When I was in fifth grade, my (older) brother picked guitar (to play),” Nguyen said. “He taught me ‘Hey There, Delilah’ and after that, I started just learning my own songs and then stuck with it.”
Nguyen’s band had to break up because their drummer moved to Japan. However, he is looking forward to joining another band in the future, he added.
“I like playing solo, but I do also enjoy playing in a band,” Nguyen said. “I want to pursue music for the rest of high school and even in college. I want to make a band, and maybe (be) a music teacher in the future.”
Senior Jorel Hernandez plays the guitar for the band Peach Skies and can play three instruments – the alto saxophone, guitar, and piano, he said.
“There wasn’t a single factor that drove me to music,” Hernandez said. “There were a lot of factors; there was my uncle, there was my cousin, but also just listening to music. As a kid, I fell in love with music that way, and when I got introduced to instruments, it really drove my passion to recreate songs and start creating my own music.”
Hernandez takes musical inspiration to artists such as Charlie Puth, Pharrell Williams, and Bruno Mars, he said.
“It’s not their music that caught my attention — it’s how they approach their music,” Hernandez said. “The way they approach their music involves a lot of music theory and that really spoke to me because it gives a bigger depth of meaning to the music, rather than just really common chords that one may hear in a pop song.”
Freshman Neil Prabhu playstwo instruments, he said. Prabhu can play the piano and a bit of the trombone, and is learning how to play the bass, he added.
“On piano, I can play anything you play in front of me,” Prabhu said. “I’m a D1 sight reader. Trombone – I know three songs.”
Despite his parents introducing him to music, Prabhu slowly lost interest in it during quarantine due to the unavailability of in-person classes and not wanting to learn by himself, he said. However, his interest in music sparked again in sixth grade because of Nguyen, he added.
“Brody (Nguyen) is the one that brought me back into music in the sixth grade,” Prabhu said. “During that (year), there was a talent show. He said (that) we should start playing again. Ever since then, I’ve been playing piano more.”
With a rediscovered passion for music, Prabhu has a new perspective on music, he said.
“Music is like an art – it’s a way to express yourself,” Prabhu said. “ Music has multiple levels to it. You have to really think about what you’re listening (to). Each lyric has a story behind it.”