As a young, carefree, middle schooler, Braeylon McRae (10) would freestyle with his friends during lunch.
“Ever since then, I’ve had a passion for music,” McRae said.
From the cafeteria table to now in his sophomore year of high school, McRae has continued to pursue music and it’s grown to become something he really enjoys.
Although rapping started off as a funny thing with his friends, McRae has found it to be a very freeing hobby that allows him to express himself. McRae raps about many things including his friends, school, food and his relationships.
“Music is like therapy for me because it helps me escape what’s going on in my life,” McRae said.
McRae gets inspiration from many rappers including NBA Youngboy, Lucky, and Dig Bar. He likes their music because he can relate to the lyrics.
McRae’s writing process can differ depending on his mood and how focused he is.
“When I write music, it can take between three days to a week,” McRae said. “But if I am really serious about a song and in a flow state, it can take only 12 to 15 minutes. When I finish writing, I edit the song, and then add some autotune if I need to make myself sound better. I will then add the beat I like that fits the song.”
Although music isn’t something he plans to pursue seriously, it’s grown to become a comforting hobby that provides him an outlet to convey his thoughts and feelings.
Casey Smith (12) had always loved listening to music. But when he got an iPad at 12 years old, the interest flourished. From watching youtube videos to making his own music, he soon realized how creative he could be on the iPad.
“I kind of just messed around in Garage Band, specifically on the drum set part,” Smith said. “I also used different websites where I use different clips from Youtube to import different samples of music.”
For Smith, being surrounded by art and music from a young age shaped his interest for music greatly. His brother, for example, inspired him to pursue his talent.
“My brother was always making stuff, I guess not music, but art,” Smith said. “So I was kind of always wanting to be like him.”
Although making music is a fun hobby for Smith, it is also a great way for him to disconnect from the world and everything going on around him.
“I mean, making music is just freeing, whenever I’m on the kit, it’s fun to play around with but I’m also never stressed out or anything,” Smith said. “It’s really just nice meeting new people. That’s the biggest part about music. You always just meet different people and it’s a really big community.”
Smith is inspired by jazz, drumming and any vinyl records he can listen to.
