CHS musicians use tech to create music anywhere

In the back of classrooms all over campus, Calabasas students hunch over their computers, lost in their own worlds, tweaking their latest tracks. Certain musically inclined students continuously immerse themselves in the creation of their own music, specifically rap music, with ease.

New technology enables busy students to join the music industry without leaving the comfort of their own homes. Now accessible from the studio and the living room, music production is becoming a lot more accessible through laptop softwares such as Logic, Ableton and Pro Tools. Senior Ksea Aiu-Schindler takes full creative advantage of the musical resources at his fingertips.

“I try to make one good beat every two days,” said Ksea Aiu-Schindler. “I spend one day actually making the beat and the following day listening to other sounds to try and see if I can create something different with my track.”

Musicians at Calabasas devote a couple hours daily to perfecting their tracks. If school work is light, some may even work up to 7 hours a day solely working on beats. The process of making a beat is very tedious and takes multiple hours to achieve a 2-3 minute track.

“When I’m producing music, I’m in the zone and I’m not thinking about anything else,” said Aiu-Schindler. “It is almost like a way of meditating.”

Like many artists, these students face creative blocks that stop them from creating beats for weeks on end. When experiencing writer’s block, students draw inspiration from other beats, films, or their emotions. The art of making beats originated back to the early days of hip hop.

“It is the music of our generation,” said senior Jackson Page. “Everyone back then was super into rock and now it has just switched into hip hop, it is just a generational thing.”

Music production is taking a turn. Anyone with a smartphone or laptop and skill or natural talent can achieve success. Two time Grammy nominated artist Steve Lacy produces hits through the free Garageband app on his iPhone, and the students at Calabasas are following in his footsteps. Jackson Page, Ksea Aiu-Schindler and many other students at Calabasas High are living proof that expensive tools and resources are no longer necessary for musical artistry. •