From a young age, junior Mateo Gonzales knew he wanted to write and create his own music. Beginning with musical theatre, Gonzales’ passion for performing and music continued grew over time, eventually leading him to record his own material. Starting in middle school, Gonzales began to write songs based on his personal experiences. He now has three singles released on several streaming platforms and is on track to become a well known solo artist.

His first single “9:29” was released about a year and a half ago and now has roughly 10,000 streams on Spotify. Gonzales wants his listeners to feel his raw emotion through his song lyrics, so he takes pride in his honest writing. Gonzales begins the writing process by playing chords and improvising a surface melody. After this, he adds lyrics and spends about two weeks making adjustments.

“I draw inspiration from basically everything I hear,” said Gonzales. “R&B and jazz really inspire me; I can be the most creative in those two genres.”

Not only does the singer have a passion for music, but he also aims for good grades in school. Gonzales is enrolled in multiple AP classes and involved in many extracurriculars including a capella groups “Unstrumental” and “Legacy”.

“I won’t lie, it’s really hard to balance academics and extracurriculars especially because I’m doing so many extracurriculars inside and outside of school,” said Gonzales. “There’s never really a free minute for me. That’s honestly how I want it though.”

Gonzales credits Calabasas High School’s music department for helping him grow as a musician and giving him amazing creative opportunities. Not only has he been able to participate in countless musicals and a capella performances, but he has also been given the opportunity to stand out as a soloist in these performances.

“The music program at CHS has helped me in so many ways,” Gonzales said. “My overall understanding of music has grown a significant amount, and I’ve been given great opportunities to be creative when working on music here.”

Gonzales is currently working on many projects. The singer recently released his newest single “Unreal” and will continue to write and release more new music in the future.

“Unreal” debuted on Apple Music, Spotify and Soundcloud in early January. Gonzales says the song is about his personal self-realization and maturity within the past two years. His latest disco track required about two weeks to write and six studio sessions to record. Gonzales also has discreet plans for a music video.

“In the future, I hope to be a successful solo artist putting out my own work,” said Gonzales. •