music portfolio

I started taking guitar lessons at age five and drums at six. Music seems like it has always been a constant in my life.

My guitar lessons led me to a guitar duo with my friend Sara and we eventually started a band called Darnabee Jones. it grew to a trio and it has been a major part of my high school years. We have played all over New Jersey and it has really turned into something bigger than the three of us thought it would become. www.darnabeejones.com

I started jazz instruction in drums during middle school. In eighth grade, I started to teach myself how to use recording software and worked on all kinds of music production.

In the spring of 2021, I applied to the Manhattan School of Music precollege program for jazz percussion. Starting the program in fall 2021, I took classes on jazz, music theory, ear training, worked with a jazz drums instructor and played with several small jazz combos. Not only did it improve my playing immensely, but it gave me a wider appreciation for all kinds of music, tempo, theory and style.

In spring of 2022, I received a scholarship to the University of the Arts (Philadelphia) summer program which I attended. It also enhanced my abilities and since then I have continued to look for new ways to collaborate with other musicians and play all kinds of music on drums and guitar.

Here are a few videos of the music that I am playing currently. I look forward to finding ways to stretch myself musically and continue to explore new directions with new people once I get to college.

Renegade

Smooth Operator

Dust in a baggie

High and Dry

Take Five

How I see music fitting into my college experience

I find music to be an inspiring unifier. No matter who people are, anyone can throw their head back and belt out whatever early 2000s guilty pleasure might be the anthem of the night. Music plays a role in everything from Friday afternoon frisbee throwing to the 2:00 a.m. study sessions in the library. Being a part of an environment that understands music as a perpetual part of campus life is the dream to me. 

While I am not planning on becoming a conservatory musician, I have a deep love of music and plan to grow that love as I move into college. I truly enjoy playing drums and guitar; I also really value what sharing music can do for others. When my rock band plays at parties, bars or community events, we have the capacity to create an atmosphere that enriches the experience of every person at that venue. Through music, we can create a party, a thoughtful backdrop, or a space that transforms. Whether it is a small coffee house show or a busking session outside of a big college game, I want to be part of the soundtrack that puts some smooth grooves and boogies into the happy atmosphere of a campus during my four years.

art portfolio

I have always considered myself a visual artist. My creativity has found its way into many areas of my life.

I have always drawn, painted, sculpted and taken photographs, but my art has found its way into areas beyond the traditional studio mediums. I am interested in combining fashion and technology, art and chemistry, architecture and design, and digital art forms.

The following few images represent an overview of works that I have created; they are just a small sample of the kinds of work I produce. Whether I am crocheting a fashion piece out of hundreds of in-ear headphones or designing installations for the woods, I look forward to taking my creativity into all aspects of my education and life.

How I see art fitting into my college experience

Liberal arts colleges are the places where most people have their first roundtable style discussions about art. These discussions encourage people to share their opinions, critiques and epiphanies on an artwork without the fear of being judged. I look forward to these kinds of conversations which allow students to revise their own work, or integrate the ideas of others into the way they think about art. 

In college studio art allows students to filter art and culture into their more traditional areas of study. I plan to double major in Chemistry and Studio Art which I have been told is “the most liberal arts combination of subjects” I could possibly choose.

Chemistry is not always the most creative subject, but learning studio art in tandem with a less creative subject allows me to see the creative side of chemistry more easily. For example, I am concerned that it may be impossible to move away from fast fashion and the severe rise of textile waste. The Mitigation of environmental harm through the creation of earth friendly textiles is being done with proteins, yeasts and molds amidst others. As my art style has progressed, I have become more interested in harnessing my creativity for environmental good by blending my love of chemistry with my love of fashion. While this kind of research would be available at a research university, a liberal arts university encourages students to thoughtfully meld subjects together.