Striking a Chord

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Photo Contributed

Senior Brody Shadle practices music on his guitar.

Mia Frankenfield, Staff Writer

From playing the air guitar and singing made up songs as a kid, senior Brody Shadle started writing real songs his sophomore year of high school when he had free time on his hands. 

“Having a love for music was one of my earliest memories.” Shadle said. “Music runs deep in my family, so the love has sort of always been there. Music is a big part of my environment. ” 

Once Shadle started making his own music, he knew he wanted to be original and stay away from things his favorite artists tend to do. 

“I always try to make my music sound like myself and not anyone else. My dad was in a band that toured the west coast. He taught me to always be original. ”Originality is key when getting into the music industry,” Shadle said.

He does, however, have artists he looks up to. Creators like Lil Nas X, Tyler the Creator and Frank Ocean caught Shadle’s attention. 

“They are able to articulate their personalities through music [which] allows them to really be creative and articulate who they really are.” 

Shadle finds it motivational and thrives to do the same thing: be original and creative. With overwhelming support from his parents, Shadle has been able to truly create music. 

“My parents inspire me and without them, I wouldn’t know what to do. They have a more hands-on approach than many might think. My mother has named every single one of my album names, and my father is the one that thought of my music name, ‘Brody Miles.’”

However, Shadle’s music career has not always been supported by the community. 

“I’ve had memes made about my music. I’ve had people say my voice is not very good, and it feels like when I talk about music to most people, there is always that hint of doubt within them toward me about me actually pursuing it,” Shadle said. “Most people see music as a dream for me and not something tangible that I could actually achieve. Being financially independent while being a musician is a big goal of mine.”

For his music to become a career, Shadle knows he must work to improve.

“Sometimes I listen to my own music,” Shadle said. “I always try and pick apart pieces where I feel I could have improved on while always allowing myself to feel accomplished when I feel I did really [well] on other parts.”

Shadle’s passion for music has allowed him to produce seven songs, and he will continue to release new music the following years.