Music for most students at this age is just a hobby or a required class to take, but nobody talks about the students who actually want to get out there and create something, such as a song, a music video or even a podcast. At such a vulnerable time in high school, students face the pressure of being bullied, being talked about or even embarrassing themselves. When students finally find a hobby or something they want to pursue, they have to make sure they don’t let what others think judge them.
Avery Brooks ’27 is a newly published artist, with his song streaming on huge platforms from Spotify to Apple Music. This song, “Better Off Friends?” is a huge bookmark in his music journey. The song explores how a teenager can get their feelings mixed up between a friendship and something more. Brooks wanted to make sure this song fed off of his experiences, and it was something everyone in high school could relate to.
“I’ve always been around music; my parents have both been in and out of bands, I kinda wanted to continue that legacy because it’s always been a hobby of mine,” Brooks said. “It all started in early November, and it wasn’t until January that I started producing the song. It took a while, but I wanted to make sure the first release was good, because it’s really important to me.”
While his new hit is one of his first public releases, Brooks hopes it is only the beginning of his career. Sharing music with others while in such a vulnerable point in high school is nowhere near easy, but making sure students keep on doing what they love and not focusing on what others think, anyone can really do anything.
“When I released it, only so many people knew about it, and I was planning to keep it that way, until one of my hockey teammates found out about it, sent the profile to our team and as soon as it was sent, I knew it was over,” Brooks said. “I honestly just let it sail away, and I was expecting that to happen.”
Just like every student, Brooks has to juggle school, social life and sports, while also finding time to do what he enjoys most, making music. The songwriting process is nothing short of easy, so making time in his schedule to continue creating can be challenging. With the finishing of his hockey season, Brooks is excited to create new music for people to listen to, maybe sooner than you think.
“This song is definitely going to be a faster pace for sure, more of a summer feeling song,” Brooks said. “Finding time to write can be hard, but I’m hoping to get this one out by summer for sure.”
