I have quite the passion for setting everything to music. When I was in the comments of Aurora Webcomic, and my friend Quark wrote a set of rock lyrics about a gladiator pit as a joke, I knew I had to turn them into an actual song.

Since I was four, I've been creating music. As a toddler I hummed and sang incessantly, as an elementary-aged child I learned classical piano, and in high school I've improved my piano skills and branched out into singing and composition. Now I post songs on my YouTube music channel, Alkali Earth Metal, while behind the scenes I slowly but inexorably make progress on writing a musical based on the Dracula novel. For me, composition is an outlet. I feel like I don't have enough physical space in my body to contain all the ideas and emotions that multiply in my mind on a daily basis, and I naturally turned to songwriting as a means of expression. I write songs to channel my emotions, I write songs as presents to friends who are too far away to send gifts, I write songs to show my appreciation for other creators who have fundamentally shaped my outlook on art, study, and life. In a sense, composition is intertwined in who I am, beyond one succinct and easily summarized aspect. My ambitions in the musical field are as great as the role of music in my life. I'm already trying to found a band to bring my compositions to life in a way that's impossible with a lone piano and a single voice. I want to become successful enough to have the option of becoming a full-time musician, not simply as a monetary profession, but because I truly believe my artistic voice is a unique one that the world hasn't heard. I bring the sum of my personality and experiences to my music, providing a special perspective that isn't represented in any of the music I've heard. I want my songs to touch other people, not merely as a way to support myself, but, much more importantly, to give others a taste of the same joy and inspiration that drives me.

Ever since I was little, I've loved music. As a toddler, I'd hum incessantly, no matter what I was doing. I've been learning piano for over a decade, and I started singing and songwriting a year ago. My mind is overflowing with melodies at every hour of the day, whether my own or those of a band I love. When I apply myself, I can write a song in less than twenty minutes. In retrospect, it's not surprising that I'd want to be a professional musician. If I ventured to label any career as one that was "meant to be" for me, it would be music. After discovering the LGBTQIA+ community, my drive to create music took on a new dimension. I'm demi- and greyromantic asexual, which means I only rarely experience romantic attraction, and only after a solid emotional bond has been formed. I feel no sexual attraction at all. However, the values of the culture I live in are decidedly contrary to my values as an aromantic asexual, or aroace. Romance and sex have been enduring and compelling themes for thousands of years, playing key roles in such great works as the Bible, the Iliad, and the Divine Comedy. At a societal level, these topics are held to be universally relatable, and people who don't match up with this standard are considered odd, abnormal, or broken.There's a reason the terms "allosexual" and "alloromantic" have only been recently coined to describe those not on the aromantic or asexual spectra: before the acknowledgement of aspec identities, allosexuality and romanticism was simply the norm. The essential, often unspoken cultural assumptions surrounding love and relationships (usually summarized in the term "amatonormativity") can be extremely harmful to individuals on the aromantic and asexual spectra, especially to aroaces who can relate to neither the romantic nor the sexual aspect of amatonormative expectations. The musical industry as it currently stands is steeped in allocishet culture, which can be abrasive to aroaces like myself: identities that revolve around a lack of attraction suffer greatly from the pervasiveness of amatonormativity. It seems as though almost every song focuses on some aspect of romance, whether it be the thrill of falling in love or the heartwrenching emotions that follow a breakup. Even my favorite bands like Nightwish and Sonata Arctica, who deal heavily in broader topics such as nature, imagination, and scientific advancement, have a fair proportion of blatantly amatonormative songs. Seeing the music world so heavily saturated with romantic topics is isolating enough for me as a demi-greyromantic who experiences very limited romantic attraction. How much worse must it be for those who experience none? I've never been interested in writing romantic songs in the first place, but my increasing awareness of how amatonormativity shapes the artistic world has led to a corresponding increase in my motivation to not only write songs about non-romantic topics, but to write songs that actively validate lack of romantic attraction or interest. Allos have access to hundreds upon thousands songs that they can easily relate to; after all, most music is written by allos, for allos. Aspecs have no such luxury. As I slowly gain the confidence to write explicitly aromantic and asexual music, I hope to produce art that aspecs can relate to. Alloromantics and allosexuals have formed the music industry in their own image, but aros and aces deserve to see reflections of ourselves in the music we listen to, just as much as allos do. Winning this scholarship would be an incomparable help to me. It could assist in financing my education, producing my music, and reaching more aspecs like me. Affording college often seems like an impossible task, but I'm committed to connecting with other aroaces to finally create music that makes them feel included. As LGBTQIA+ rights progress at an increasing pace, it's important to give representation to a group that has so often been marginalized within their own community. The LGBTQIA+ acronym was extended for a reason. Please, remember the A.

Many circumstances have made me feel like a misfit. I’ve been homeschooled for most of my life, pursuing higher-lever studies than my peers, and I’m highly neurodivergent. This combination of traits makes me stand out in almost every social setting. In class I’m the talkative genius, in friend groups I’m the lovable eccentric, and at home I’m the absent-minded ADHD student who’s constantly running off to pursue interests of which my family has never heard. Unexpected as it may be, my tendency to be unintentionally conspicuous (or else to quickly make myself so) has affected my life in profoundly positive ways. The unique combination of my dedication and my outgoing personality unlocks many opportunities that would not have come to me otherwise. Last summer, I assisted the co-host of Overly Sarcastic Productions with Hindi pronunciations for his video on Colonial India, as well as participating in Festival Dantesco. I would not have been involved in either of these occasions had I not been so bold as to directly email the supervisors of each project. One of the core principles I have adopted is “No idea is too foolish to pursue.” I constantly attempt the impossible: if I have nothing to lose, then there’s no harm in seeing what I have to gain. My involvement in Festival Dantesco is a prime example: as hopeless as the task may seem, my passionate endeavors to memorize the entire Divine Comedy made me uniquely qualified to participate in a festival centered around reciting passages of it. I’m not afraid to contact the creators I admire whenever I feel I could be helpful. After all, as long as I remain sufficiently within the bounds of courtesy, I have nothing more to fear than a polite rejection. The same general philosophy applies to my own art. When writing song lyrics, no topic is ignored for its apparent silliness. In fact, I’ve even composed a song whose lyrics consisted solely of one catchphrase repeated in various layers of vocals. Other singer-songwriters might feel the need to consistently write about “serious” topics, but in my eyes, a song that brings joy to someone is enough. I hope to share this attitude with others and encourage them to appreciate anything, however small or undignified, that makes them happy. My personal brand of motivation is only one of the traits that makes me feel set apart. Another differentiating factor is my romantic orientation- or, in this case, lack thereof. Like a small fraction of the population, I’m demiromantic asexual, which means that I defy the conventional standards of attraction. While most people are immediately attracted to others who are considered good-looking, I only develop romantic interest after a strong emotional bond has been established. I don’t experience physical attraction at all. In a decidedly romance-focused society, aromantic and asexual individuals are often seen as odd or broken. Frequently, they’re told that others can ‘fix’ them, or even that their orientation doesn’t exist. This erasure is detrimental to their well-being and severely undervalues their place in society. In the process of writing decidedly non-romantic music, I want to create a safe and supportive space for other people who don’t experience a typical degree of attraction, and increase awareness in the wider world so that aromantics and asexuals can receive the affirmation they need. A variety of traits designate me as a misfit in society, but I embrace every one of them as an integral part of who I am. I’m extraordinarily outgoing and creative precisely because of my ADHD, which some might see as a defect. My demiromanticism and asexuality lead me to eschew romantic songs in favor of writing about less-explored topics. By treating the qualities that make me unique as a source of pride rather than shame, I hope to increase acceptance of others like me and encourage people to pursue the things that truly give them happiness.

If I could choose my career independently of income-earning potential, I have no doubt that I would be a singer-songwriter. I’m passionate about music, and I dedicate time to composing almost every day. However, as much as I love writing songs and want to pursue it as a career, it’s not a reliable full-time occupation. Knowing that I have a steady source of income that allows me to provide for myself is important to me. Becoming a full-time musician would mean that my livelihood was left partially to chance: talent and effort are no guarantee of success in the arts world. If this concern were eliminated, I could focus on perfecting and producing my songs without worrying about whether the attention they garnered was enough to support me. I would be free to spend as much time as I needed to finalize a song to my satisfaction, to explore new techniques, or to cope with audio equipment gone haywire. As it stands now, no safety net exists for musicians who encounter compositional or technological troubles. If my livelihood depended on my musical output, an unexpected equipment breakdown or compositional dead end could be disastrous. The knowledge that unforeseen delays could not financially cripple me would provide great peace of mind. With a stable music career, I could also develop my other hobbies. As a student, I have to devote a great deal of attention to studying, so I cannot maintain all of my interests. A day has only so many hours. The energy I have to dedicate to my education, and will have to dedicate to a full-time job, leaves precious little time to pursue my various hobbies. Currently, any free time that I don’t put towards writing music is used to speak to my closest friends, with a few minutes occasionally spent drawing. Composing consistently keeps me sane, and I certainly will not abandon my friends, so most of the time, my other interests are sacrificed. If music were my full-time job, they could be resurrected: I could finally improve my art skills, take longer walks, and finish memorizing Dante’s Inferno. With a stable income, the possibilities for me would be truly limitless.

Most of my art is inspired by the stories that catch my imagination and fill me with wonder: the kinds of stories that touch me on such a deep and personal level that I feel as if I’ll implode if I neglect to engage with them. It is difficult for me to passively experience a truly beautiful narrative. If it resonates with me in such a fundamental way, I’m compelled to channel the emotions that narrative stirs and put the energy towards creating something myself. Otherwise, the feelings stay confined within me, pressing to be released. It becomes a physical sensation of discomfort that I can only remedy with creation. The existence of other people who are devoted to particular works of fiction and produce a great quantity of fan art for them suggests to me that my experience is part of a wider phenomenon: Good art begets more art. In composing and performing my own music, I aspire to connect with others in the same way as the stories that first inspired me. This is the center of my artistic endeavors: to express my appreciation for the people and publications that have most profoundly improved my life, and to pass on that spark of joy and beauty to my audience. With a scholarship, I would have more options to extend my reach and collaborate with like-minded artists. More immediately, it would immensely assist in funding the equipment I need to compose and produce appealing, superior compositions. After a musician puts in their best efforts, low-quality recording equipment can vastly underrepresent the quality of their performance. I’ve already been sabotaged on more than one occasion by my microphone’s inability to transmit high or intense notes. If I want to ultimately succeed in a musical career, it’s imperative that I invest in audio tech that accurately represents my performance to my audience. The entertainment industry can be inhospitable, but I believe that with enough support, I can encourage and inspire others through music.

My dog Clio before a haircut: I have no brains, only floof My dog Clio after a haircut: I am Lady Clio de Bourgh and you shall treat me with appropriate respect (Clio is the pet of @the.little.bit)

This summer, I collaborated with Overly Sarcastic Productions, an educational YouTube channel with 1.39 million subscribers. Since I believed they might appreciate some help with difficult foreign pronunciations, I reached out to offer my assistance, because I'm half-Indian and have grown up speaking multiple languages. Blue, the co-host and history specialist, accepted my offer, and I coached him on his Hindi pronunciations for a video on Colonial India. Blue's pronunciation skills were significantly improved, and he credited me as Varda Alighieri, the alias I use to protect my privacy and identity.