Whether writing song lyrics in her bedroom or recording compositions professionally in the studio, music allows senior Natalie Jones to transform her emotion into art. She poured her musical talent into releasing her first album titled Last September on October 28th with a total of 11 original songs. Her artist name is Natalie Jinju. The album consists of her journey navigating life as a teenage girl, but her interest in songwriting and music came much sooner.
“I had been playing piano since I was really little, I was classically trained. I started songwriting in middle school, and I really started writing my freshman year more seriously. It just kind of happened,” Jones said.
Jones highlights that while listening to music plays an essential role in people’s lives, the process of creating it holds just as much significance, fueling her passion.
“[I love] the emotions I’m able to evoke when I’m playing or writing a new song. It’s just so powerful. It’s so beautiful. Also, I love how many genres I can get into. It’s really fun to discover more music,” Jones said.
Jones found the task of putting together the album a vital learning experience, which she can put to use in the future of her music career.
“I’ve learned so much about the industry and promotion. It’s been weird and wild to see [the] growth with the album and learning how to work in a studio was really cool. I did everything by myself pretty much. I did the distribution all on my own, so that was a process and now I know how to do it which is fun. I hope to help other people as well,” Jones said.
After previously working from home, the magic of the studio, a key contributor to the creation of “Last September”, played an important role in the process of Jones watching as her ideas became reality.
“It was a lot of fun in the studio because that’s where a lot of the songs really came to life. I was playing them in my bedroom and then they were recorded. We added a bunch of instruments and it just really sounded professional and cool,” Jones said.
Writing about particular situations also shifted Jones’ perspective at times, using her skill to overcome challenges.
“[For] the breakup songs, when I wrote them I was really sad, but now when I listen to them I kind of just laugh. It really did help me move on, writing songs helped me emotionally so much. It helped me express myself and explain how I’m feeling. So I like it a lot,” Jones said.
Additionally, Jones considered the effect of her music on her audience, wishing it would be influential to them just as much as it influenced her.
“I just want [the listeners] to be happy and enjoy my music, and hopefully it inspires people to start songwriting as well, because it really helped me emotionally.” Jones said.
Senior Isabella Forbes, a listener of Jones, had a positive experience after she listened to Last September the day it came out, unexpectedly relating to it.
“I feel like after hearing the album I could find similarities to my own life while also being a teenage girl in high school. It was pretty encouraging to see someone my own age writing these kinds of songs like the artists I listen to,” Forbes said.
As Jones continues to write songs, she often finds inspiration through the opportunity of translating her thoughts into their truest form.
“I just really like [songwriting]. It’s super fun. It’s my hobby. But at the same time I’m an awkward person to find the right words most of the time, but in my songs, I’m able to state what I’m thinking really clearly. I really love that,” Jones said.