Creating Music and Emotion
Hi there! My name’s Martin and I’m one of the piano teachers here at Potomac Music! Music in general is not just my favorite thing to do, it’s a part of who I am, ingrained in me! From learning the piano and playing a myriad of different genres and styles, to creating tracks and other things, it’s the way I like to express myself and show who I am and how I feel! A while ago, I started learning how to write songs and have been creating music to put out eventually! I go under a stage name, “plush kid”, a moniker I created that gives a glimpse of who I am as a person, and a performer. Creating music is one of my favorite hobbies, as it helps me take whatever emotion I’m feeling, or event I’m experiencing, anything at all, I can take it and use that event to make a sound out of it! It’s amazing to me how many different sounds I can make and use based on anything, and what’s even cooler is having people listen to it and relate to it. To me, that’s the best part of music, is having others be able to resonate and use it as a pillow for the mind. And that’s what I hope to do in the music I write!
Right now, I’m in the process of finishing up writing songs for what will be my debut album, which I’m calling 🙁 which is literally just a frowny face. So I guess you could call the album “frowny face”! Making this set of tunes has honestly been kind of terrifying since I often worry what everyone will think when it finally comes out, but it’s also exciting because it’s a chance to show the world what’s been going on in my life, and to give a snippet of how real life can look, but also how the hardships in life can be overcome. The experience of not only writing songs, but producing and mastering them has given me a lot of respect for people who can do all of that by themselves! There’s truly a lot that goes into the process of making the music we listen to, and being a part of that really humbles me (man, is it tough to do haha)! But it’s also really interesting because it opens so many new sounds and ideas the more I delve into it. And so, I hope, when the time comes and it’s finally ready, that the album can help show a little what came from that process, and where it’s going!
As for other parts of music and its relationship with me, one thing I always love teaching to my students is how many different types of music there are to listen to, and how I love each and every one of them! From pop, to classical, to heavy metal, to dubstep and beyond, there’s something everyone can learn from each genre, and so one thing I like doing is introducing a new song of the day for every student I teach! I find that, even if the song is something they don’t like, it helps to listen to get a sense of what’s out there, but also to find new types of music to get into! The more one listens to, the better they can understand themselves and others around them, at least that’s what I try to do for me! It’s always fun figuring out new songs to listen to, and it’s great seeing my students find an interest in what other types of music there are (or when they don’t like it, their reactions to certain songs are great too lol)! When I was young, I only really listened to classical music, it was how I was raised. But I remember the first time I listened to something completely different and new, “Faint” by Linkin Park. Hearing Chester scream his heart out in anger, frustration, and release really moved me and helped me get into their whole discography, but also helped me realize how varied music can be! It also showed me how important it can be to not get so focused on one type of genre, but to try new things out and find other sounds to explore into! I still to this day adore classical music, but if it wasn’t for that song by Linkin Park, or them in general, I might not have advanced even further in my musical endeavors and maybe wouldn’t have come to enjoy the other sounds that the world had to offer! Since music is said to be a universal language, from creating to performing to teaching music, that idea is something I always try and live by as I teach people all sorts of music, and as I create new tunes for people to listen to! 🙂
