Music is a universal language, an aspect of life that people of all ages participate in. What do Lawrence High students do with music? How does it impact them? Most students listen to music, but some also create their own. Thomas Sikes and Freya Girard are two LHS seniors who are involved in music programs, but also spend time creating music.
Sikes, a member of A capella choir, spends his free time writing songs, a hobby that he picked up over the last three years. To him, writing music is something that all musicians are bound to experiment with at some point in their musical career.
“I think it’s kind of like writing music is something that all musicians are bound to try out at some point,” Sikes said. “People who love music is a community of people who are moved by it and are really affected by it, and so the desire to create that feeling for other people is something that’s definitely there in every musician.”
Growing up in a musical house, Sikes was predisposed to being involved in the arts. Starting choir in middle school, Sikes also plays piano and participates in school musicals.
“My dad especially was always singing around the house when I was young, and so singing very early on was like a form of expression for me, but also something that made me feel good and made me feel safe and secure,” Sikes said.
For his music, Sikes takes inspiration from infamous folk groups such as Simon and Garfunkel. Allowing bits of the music he consumes to influence the music he writes.
“I feel like they have such a simple formula, it’s not super complex or anything, but it manages to be pretty, and that’s something that I definitely strive to do,” Sikes said.
Sikes likes to take a more melodic approach to his music, creating songs with prominent, slower melodies and heartfelt lyrics.
“I think that I’ve always been a melodically driven person, and so that means that a lot of the music I write is slower, maybe quieter even, and it’s very much centered around the melody that I create,” Sikes said.
Writing his own songs is a way that Sikes is able to face his emotions. Creating music is a way for him to validate his own feelings and experiences, while also producing something that is meant for others to hear, even validating their feelings and experiences.
“You’re writing music for other people to hear, but you’re doing it with respect to things that have happened to you,” Sikes said. “That way you can absolutely process through things and validate the way you’ve been feeling and put that out there for other people to enjoy, and that’s really special.”
Starting with lyrics is the easiest way for Sikes to start his songwriting process. From there, Sikes can take a sample of his
lyrics and begin to form a melody. From there, the rest of the song can flow.
“The reason why is that lyrics give you so much idea about the color of a piece and the vibe. It informs the whole song, and so I always start with lyrics,” Sikes said.
Freya Girard started composing her music late during her freshman year at Lawrence High. Girard initially took band as an extracurricular in order to find an area that was most interesting to her, band being the one that stuck with her the most. Girard is now a member of the LHS drumline, as well as wind ensemble.
“Unlike most of the sports and other activities, music happened to be the one which stuck with me,” Girard said.
Girard composes classical music, her biggest inspirations being different types of movie and media soundtracks, as well as classic composers.
“Some of the music I listen to gives me direct inspiration, as I try to emulate the rhythms or moods while listening,” Girard said. “These are most often from soundtracks relating to movies and games, or contemporary piano music. Song tunes offer me a goal that is currently out of my reach, which is honestly equally important.”
The creative process for Girard is all about the ability to play around with different melodies and improvising, a step that eventually turns into music. Girard is able to use technology to help with her composition. Having music software that has a playback feature makes it so that Girard can experiment, hear her creations and get instant feedback.
“With music playback, I can efficiently edit and try out different ideas with instant feedback,” Girard said. “This is helpful for more experimental ideas, or ones I don’t have the current skill to execute.”
Music is so much more than lyrics and melodies for Girard. It offers her a way to express her emotions in a deeper, more meaningful way than simply speaking or writing.
“Music gives me a deeper way to communicate emotions than words or writing otherwise would,” Girard said. “This is especially important to me as I struggle with voice dysphoria.”
Girard gets support from the LHS music staff, as well as outside support from the Music Clubhouse director, Janet Hart. The pair has been working together for the past two and a half years. Girard takes piano lessons with Hart, as well as working on composition together.
“We make composition a regular part of her piano lessons, and when she’s in a period of time where she’s producing a lot of music, that’s almost all we do,” Hart said.
Hart also helped Girard put together her composition concert. The two would go over details together, with Hart helping Girard refine the crucial details.
“Freya was so attentive, creating lists of details and tasks that needed to be done as we progressed towards the performance date,” Hart said. “She left no stone unturned throughout the entire process.”
Girard and Hart continue working together to expand Girard’s composition and musical skills.
“I truly could not have made it this far this quickly without her help. She has even offered to support me in purchasing equipment to further my compositions,” Girard said. “She is really just the best.”
Sharing music is an essential part of creating it. For these two musicians, sharing their music looks a little different. Sikes takes a more modern approach, posting short videos to his TikTok and performing his songs for his family and friends. Girard likes to share her music through live concerts. She hosted her first one back in October and hopes to continue to perform more.
The end goal for both musicians is to continue doing music, no matter where their futures take them. Music continues to grow with those who listen to and create it.
“It doesn’t stop based on age, people of all ages listen to music and love music and write music, and it’s an honor to be a part of that community and to contribute to it every day,” Sikes said.
