Growing up, I never fit in with my peers. I was poorer than them, had a single father, was perceived as weird, and, although I wouldn't realize it until much later, I was queer. My classmates would call me gay, partially because of my name, but also because I suppose they knew before I did. I didn't end up making many friends, and the friends I did make weren't particularly interested in me as a person. When my grandma who helped my dad raise me died, I was distraught, and I remember most of my friends stopped talking to me because I just "wasn't funny anymore." It was an isolating event, and I didn't find any real friends for another year after that. It was this that helped me to realize that I had also been struggling with my mental health, as when the initial grief faded, I still found myself depressed and anxious. I had been a silly, goofy kid, but I became sad, closed off, and isolated as I got older. The fact that I didn't have friends finally got to me, and it created a lot of issues. I didn't really have any dreams for myself besides being an astronaut like most kids said when they were younger, but then I started listening to music in my free time. I had always loved music. The highlight of my days was my music class, and eventually choir, then the musicals. I found that when I was singing or listening to music, my emotions felt palpable and easier to deal with. Music helped me connect with how I was feeling, and I realized that I wanted to be a musician. I picked up a guitar and started teaching myself so I could learn to play along with all of my favorite songs, which ended up letting me connect even deeper with the meanings of the songs. It wasn't long before my new friends, who also happened to be musicians, and I started a band to play covers of songs we all collectively enjoyed. After I discovered music, I found that I was able to finally be myself again, and slowly but surely, I learned how to express myself. Now, here I am, 18 years old studying music composition and technology in college, somewhere I never thought I'd be. Music is one of those fields of study which people tell you not to waste your time with because it's impossible to get a job and you'll never pay off your debt, but honestly, that's not why I'm here. I know how powerful music had been to me when I was struggling, and it continues to help me as I struggle still, so I want to be able to influence others in that same way. I want to draw on my own experiences and my own struggles so I can help the future generation of kids just like me who can find shelter in such things when they feel like they don't belong in the world. Most importantly, I want to write beautiful noise for everyone to enjoy, regardless of whether or not they're struggling, as music benefits everybody.