Seniors Kealy Bryman and Chionna Armoni released their own music recently—all written, recorded, and produced entirely by themselves. Songmaking is a long and tedious process, and they worked hard to release their singles while balancing school and social life. For both students, music is a creative outlet and platform to share their voices as aspiring artists. Let’s take a look at each single and the story behind it.
“How to Hold Your Hand” by Kealy Bryman
Bryman released her single “How to Hold Your Hand” on August 30th. With strong guitar notes and a groovy base, the new single is the perfect jazz song for a rainy day or taking a walk.
Bryman comes from a musically talented family. In fact, this is her second single: when Bryman was in eighth grade, she produced “All I’m Gonna Be is Me” in her grandparents’ living room. “My mom is a jazz vocalist and my grandpa is a jazz pianist, so I kind of grew up around jazz my whole life,” Bryman said. “My first single was pretty informal. This time, I actually went into a studio, played the guitar, and sang right into the mic.”
Creating music is Bryman’s passion, an outlet she hopes to share through her music. “I think that a lot of music has really shaped who I am and helped me get through a lot of things,” she said. “I’d love for my music to kind of have that effect on others.”
Her single is a kickstart on her music career. Apart from releasing her own music, Bryman sings for the Jazz Band and is a star actress in many of M-A’s dramas and musicals. “I’m applying to schools right now for jazz. It’s definitely my goal,” she said.
For students interested in producing their own music, Bryman advises them to embrace trial and error. “Everyone starts somewhere. A lot of the time, I write songs and they don’t go anywhere,” she said. “I think you should find your own groove and be ok with making mistakes.”
“ADDICT” by Chionna Armoni
Featuring homemade beats and emotional lyrics, Armoni released her first single “ADDICT” on July 23rd. The song’s calming instrumentals and Armoni’s soothing voice make it perfect for a relaxing car drive or unwinding after a long day.
Throughout her life, Armoni has been surrounded by music. She first discovered a love for music in her church choir, which she sang for since she was a kid. In middle school, she played the drums as an avid participant in the jazz band. She is now producing and recording her own music. The process of writing, recording, and producing her single took months. “I started writing [the song] my junior year, and then I recorded it in this closet. I stayed in the closet until I finished the entire song,” Armoni said.
“ADDICT” stems from her personal experiences of feeling addicted to finding love and compassion in others, with relatable and deep lyrics from the heart. “It feels really good to finally get my voice out there,” Armoni said. “I’ve always been writing, whether it be poems or stories.”
Armoni’s brother played a big role in her music, helping her create beats and with the whole process. “My brother helped me with the roll-out, he helps with a lot of my music,” she said. “I think my family and close friends’ faith in me is really all the support I need.”
In the future, Armoni hopes to create more music to continue to share her voice. Currently, she is creating an EP to release in the future. For students passionate about music, she hopes they pursue it actively. “Go for it. Don’t wait. Don’t sit on it even if you are scared,” Armoni said.
Check out both singles on Spotify.
