A group of youngsters has spent the summer holiday creating music, forming a band and producing their first single, entitled ‘Summer’.
The song is a part of an eight-track album the group, Future Fobia, created during the Songs after-school programme, supported by the Cayman Arts Festival and the Ministry of Youth, aimed at teaching everything from songwriting and composition to mixing, mastering, marketing and the music business.
Caymanian Grammy-award winner, record producer and songwriter Jason ‘JG’ Gilbert, who masterminded the programme, said he was blown away by how fast the students learned and what they were able to create.
“It’s amazing to be around and be a part of. I learn a lot from them,” Gilbert said.
The group’s single encapsulates the joy of some 30 students, representing schools across the island, who had just finished exams and were looking forward to being out of school for break.
Gilbert said the kids created most of the music and he just guided them along.
“Most of the students are multi-instrumentalist, so on this song, the drummer in the band, Victoria Scott, also took the lead vocals. Each band member played their part live,” he said.
“It’s important to go through the process of creating and releasing your work and feeling the gratification of it all. They are very proud of what they were able to accomplish by just expressing themselves creatively.”
A summer of creating
Student Victoria Scott, 17, said the experience was far more interactive and enjoyable than she had initially expected.
“I learned how to work with a group, improve on other musical instruments and how software is used to programme and create music. Creating the song was a fun experience and definitely out of my comfort zone with the style,” Scott said.
She hopes to continue working and growing creatively in the area of music and make her mark professionally.
Hans Bodden, 16, had the guitar solo on the track. He said the experience and the things he learned along the way had a very positive impact on his musical journey.
Bodden said his favourite part was being in the studio and hearing how all the ideas came together to end up with a product that they could be proud of.
Deja Brownrigg, 16, helped write lyrics, sang and interacted with the group on the finished piece.
“The experience was a lot more hands on and creative than I was expecting but it was a very pleasant surprise,” she said.
“I learned better structure for songs and how to create lyrics on the go that correlated with our chosen themes.”
Jude Solomon, 17, said he enjoyed his time in the studio and hopes to become an audio engineer.
“I didn’t know what to expect going into it because I haven’t worked with people on songs very often, but I was surprised to find so many cool people to write things with. I’ve really enjoyed my time here and hope to spend more of it in the studio in future.”
His favourite part was getting to play music with other people his age.
For Omari Reid, 14, although his career aspiration is to be a pilot on Cayman’s national airline carrier, he said the experience this summer was very enjoyable and fun.
As the piano player in the song and band, Reid said, “I enjoyed when we finished the song and heard it all come together. It’s the best feeling to hear when all the hard work comes together.”
For Victoria Suarez, 16, her spark for creating music came later in her academic journey.
“While others are insanely talented, I am just starting out with my instrument of choice: the electric bass guitar. This programme and the people involved in it helped me learn so much and in an enjoyable way,” she said.
She said overall, her experience was life-changing.
Close to 50 students have benefitted from the programme so far. Along with the message of positivity, raising the next generation of musicians struck a chord with Gilbert.
“The programme is my [way] of contributing the Cayman’s musical ecosystem, so expect more great music, musicians and artists,” he said.
‘Summer’ is available on all streaming platforms. There are plans to release the full album in the fall with an album release event to be held in the coming months.
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