Many seniors may struggle to find what they want to do after high school, but for senior Marko Iancu, he’s already begun creating music. Smiling, he explained how he was inspired by the music he listened to in a summer camp. Iancu then began to create his own hip-hop music.

“I was in summer camp in eighth grade, and I actually never listened to hip-hop… even though it was a Christian camp, I don’t know, they just played hip-hop, and I guess I just fell in love with the beats and the sound production of it,” Iancu said.

Iancu uses software like FL Studio to create his music and cited Nick Mira as an important teacher and spoke with gratitude about his work. But, while he may take inspiration from other creators, he ultimately stressed the importance of having his own style.

“I watched some YouTube videos. There is this one famous producer: Nick Mira, he showed a lot of the steps and what FL studio is. So that’s what really helped me develop my own style… He’s a huge inspiration,” Iancu said.

Finding it as an escape, Iancu creates music he wants to hear. Iancu stressed that his emotions played a minor role in his process compared to the sound of the music and the final product. He also noted that he tries to create something everyday to continue growing.

“I feel like when I create something, I come up with something I think would sound cool…I’m just trying to create the most professional sounding thing I can make,” Iancu said.

Fine arts director Jerry Lowery emphasized the impact music production can have on people’s lives. Lowery, a music producer himself, noted that for Iancu it has had a massive impact on his life.

“I can tell he’s already working with people he hadn’t before. I’ve expressed my ability to help him spread a network… I think it’s going to open a lot of doors as he gets more mature with his music,” Lowery said.

While creating this style is very different from traditional styles of music, Iancu’s reasoning for loving this type of music is understood while explaining how he goes about creating it. As he spoke, his speech slowed as he explained what a typical day for him may look like.

“Usually I listen to a reference track or something I think sounds cool, sometimes I go solely off something I think is cool in my head. So usually I start off by layering a couple melodies, creating different instruments, and then adding those instruments together,” Iancu said.

Iancu made it clear that he would like to turn what started as a hobby into something more.

“I would love to make it a profession and actually be successful… at the end of the day, that’s what I’d like to really do,” Iancu said.