Photo courtesy of James Zogby

Artist Slump Madi has a photo shoot for his new album cover for “Slump Star.” While still being in school, many student pursue a music career in dedication to their music.

In a school of close to 3000 people, WJ does an excellent job in fostering numerous passions for its student body. One such passion is music, something that entrances most people daily. While there are countless who pursue music in school, not many pursue it outside of school.

Artists spread their music in any way they can—from social media to Spotify to playing at venues. Despite our collective passion for music, not many are aware of our talented artists.

Senior Matte Lerche produces music using instrumentals and vocals drawn from rap and hip-hop. Lerch, like many other musicians, found his interest in music from a young age.

“I grew up in a very musical household, so music was always around me and I naturally gravitated towards it,” Lerch said.

Another musician who started music from a young age is Senior Madi Cisse, a rapper who also taught himself how to sing. Besides singing, he occasionally plays the guitar. Cisse grew fascinated with music, his initial inspiration coming from Michael Jackson and Eminem. Lerch and Cisse sometimes work together to produce music, with Lerche working on the instrumental aspect and Cisse on the lyrical aspect. Cisse has come out with multiple albums, the most recent being “Slump Star”.

Under the name “Slump Madi,” Cisse puts out his music on many platforms, including Spotify, and much of the hype surrounding his releases come from social media. “A lot of my music is spread by word of mouth,” Cisse said.

While Alex Lewin-Knauer isn’t coming out with albums like Cisse, he produces his own music.

“I remember begging my dad for this hardware machine for music production when I first started out,” Lewin-Knauer said.

He began with producing his own beats and music and has evolved to mixing other people’s music. When he first began making music, he had no idea of the impact it would have on his life. Lewin-Knauer is now striving to pursue a career in audio engineering and currently works at a recording studio. While some musicians, such as Lewin-Knauer, focus more on the technical aspects, others focus more on the instrumental aspect.

Senior Dan Grimley is a singer/songwriter/guitarist. She takes inspiration from many other artists such as Roy Blair, Puma Blue and King Krule. She defines music as an incredibly important part of her life.

Some people just listen to music in passing, some people go to concerts, and some people play music. Especially for people who pursue music, it can take prominence in their lives.

“Music is almost a part of me,” Lerch said.