Music is defined as a sense of beauty, harmony, and expression of emotion. It’s a methodical yet ethereal way to express oneself.

High school students are overwhelmed with a plethora of emotions and music is one way of dealing with them. It is absolutely necessary for students to find ways to release the stress that surrounds them. At Cape High, students have found a way to creatively express themselves through the art of music.

Junior Reiko Nakao is a part of a band called Postal Nervous where he plays the bass guitar and posts his music on the audio sharing website, SoundCloud. He has been playing the bass for about a year. “I’ve been just messing around since I was nine, so [I’ve been into music] for about six years,” Nakao said.

Social media had a major influence on how he became inspired to pursue music as a hobby. “YouTube videos [inspired me]. I guess I just saw them and thought it was cool, and I gave it a shot,” he said.

Nakao isn’t the only student at Cape High who developed a passion for music. Senior Kameron Kefer also has grown a close bond to music. Kefer goes by the name YNG.sus and may also be found on SoundCloud and other platforms like Apple Music.

“Ever since sixth grade [when] I first picked up an instrument, my first being the trombone, I’ve really loved music,” Kefer said, “I can express [emotions] through music. If I want my soul to be heard, I’ll just write it and turn it into a song.”

Kefer plays a variety of instruments such as the trombone, trumpet, piano, guitar, and Chinese violin. He mainly uses his piano and miniature keyboard which is loaded with sounds while recording.

Music has led Kefer to want to pursue a career down that path in his future. “When I’m older, I want to become a producer, a rapper,” Kefer said. “I just want to make it big with music. I love it. It’s my passion.”

Along with Nakao and Kefer, Senior Jose Barata has become enthralled with music. Barata goes by the stage name of Jae-Em and does hip-hop and rap music.

With all the time and effort that goes into producing a song, Barata’s favorite part about the whole process is the completion of a project.

“Honestly, [my favorite part is] probably the satisfaction that you get after you complete a song, because it’s like, ‘Wow I just did that,’ especially when it’s one that you really like and you feel like it really sounds good. No matter what the outcome is, that feeling is many times unbeatable,” Barata said.

Sidney Oser, the band teacher at Cape High, said, “The whole SoundCloud, Apple Music thing is just a way of getting your voice and the musicality out there. I think SoundCloud is a really good way of showing what they can do and then potentially getting recognized whereas when I was in high school, that wasn’t a thing.”