a black hole filled with promise

After sending myself in a futile, capitalism-propelled journey to work as hard as possible for my college experience, I realized that I had completely lost sight of who I was, and I barely spent any time doing things I actually valued and wanted to get better at, namely making music. This thesis project is an attempt to make up for all the time I’ve wasted in the past four years sitting in coffee shops and pulling my hair out, trying to fully grasp whatever critical theory I was reading, instead of honing my skills as a music producer. Thus, over quarantine, I began to recultivate my passion for music by listening to my favorite songs from high school and learning what makes me tick as a listener. I learned that I valued music that tells a story and takes you on a journey, whether it’s through lyricism, melody, or unique soundscapes. Taking techniques I’ve learned from my musical influences, including Kendrick Lamar and Porter Robinson, I attempted to craft a series of instrumental songs that would inspire a sense of travel and motion and would stir my listeners in the same way that my favorite songs move me.