Some students at Summit strive to take a different path than their peers, they are taking the artistic route and building a musical career.
Junior Joe Gates said he writes songs based on experiences in his life. He takes his emotions and writes his music with purpose. He enjoys hearing his music when it’s completed because of the authenticity he puts into it.
“My favorite part about making music is the finished product. It brings me joy to hear the pain, emotion, and integrity in my music. My songwriting process comes from past experiences, present experiences, and also future manifestations. I take all of what I feel and what I bottle inside and splurge with deep, meaningful words,” Gates said.
Senior Nohzat Naqibullah said that when he shares his music he strives to spread uplifting messages and hopes his listeners will empathize with his songs.
“Through my music I feel I will gain a certain level of respect. Especially if people genuinely listen to my lyrics and feel inspired or motivated by my words. I want others to gain something positive from my words and even sounds,” Naqibullah said.
Junior Sienna Walton said that her and her friends create music together and were inspired to create the concept to start a band. They’ve written songs but are still in the process of producing them to release to the public.
“[We came up with the idea when] we were hanging out one night. We all play the guitar and we all like to sing and we thought ‘oh we should write a song that’d be fun’ and we wanted to start a band so the idea went from there. We’ve written a couple songs but we’re still trying to figure out how to get them recorded and try to release them [on Spotify],” Walton said.
Gates said that he wants to build a career for himself through his music but he also hopes to establish a connection with his listeners through his songs.
“I hope to gain love, support, motivation, and relationships with my music. I want to make a dump load of money from making music, but also I want people to understand the message of what I speak and how relatable it can be and also how much it can help you in your life,” Gates said.
Naqibullah said that he enjoys writing songs because he can express himself freely, but he waits until he feels inspired because if not, he doesn’t feel as satisfied with his work.
“My favorite part about making music is the creative process. I get a chance to be as weird as I want to be and that makes all my work unique. I wait to feel motivated and for the right time to start. When I feel certain emotions, that’s when I start writing lyrics. When I’m rushing a project and not feeling it then my work will not be as good as it normally is,” Naqibullah said.
Junior Audrey Schammel said with her music she wants her listeners to understand her music so she can connect with her listeners.
“I like whenever people connect with my music, I want the songs that I write to connect with them so they can relate to [my music],” Schammel said.

Junior Alivia Valdez said that she has always enjoyed music from a young age and her life experiences encourage her to write songs.

“I’ve always liked singing and my dad put me in piano lessons when I was in first grade, I get inspired [to create songs] from things that happen in my life and I write songs about it,” Valdez said.

Stream Joe Gates on all platforms @FerroRomani

Stream Nohzat Naqibullah @Nohzat Naqibullah

Find Audrey Schammel on TikTok @audreysings17

Find Alivia Valdez on Tik Tok @alivia_valdez_music