For years, senior Madie Weaver has immersed herself in the many forms of music. 

Whether that is a written song or one of the four instruments she has learned to play, music is Madie’s escape from the world to reconnect with herself.

In early middle school, she discovered the magic of the deep timbre of the cello, and she played for three years. Madie has also gone on to teach herself the ukulele, the piano, and the guitar after her curiosity got the better of her. 

“I’ve always had a love for music in general,” started Madie, “but like most students, they ask you to learn an instrument or sing or whatever, and so I chose the cello. I got into cello, and then I wanted to venture elsewhere with instruments. I found my dad’s guitar in the basement, and he hadn’t played it for years, so I asked him, ‘What is this? Can I play it?’ He was like, ‘Sure.’ I just Googled [some basic chords] and started playing those. And then from there, I learned some really basic songs with only a couple chords.”

In addition to learning multiple instruments by herself, Madie loves how she can be who she is by simply picking up any of them. 

“I just fell in love with it and how I can express myself through music,” Madie said. “I very much like the aspect of being able to teach myself instruments.”

Besides being able to play an instrument and create a comforting atmosphere around her, Madie is an avid listener of ’60s and ’70s bands, more specifically from California. From more popular bands, like The Beatles, to smaller solo artists, like Joni Mitchell, this genre has a revolutionary grasp on the music industry. 

This era of music was big. However, Madie believes that other members of her generation do not quite grasp the effect this time period had on the music industry. 

“It’s something that really resonates with me,” Madie said. “I like how they are so communal and work together with each other, but also how stripped down their music is, and it’s not as overproduced like some new music is, in my opinion.” 

The California Sound—a term used to describe the music Madie listens to—is supposed to feel like happy and bright rays of SoCal summer sunlight. The Hippie Movement strongly influenced California during this time and, in return, influenced a lot of bands living there. 

“From what I understand, people in California at that time were much more cooperative, and they worked together a lot,” Madie said. “I feel it was more of a competitive industry elsewhere. I like that, but also, I think that in other places, [there were] less heavy hippie vibes. In California, that was the vibe. “

The bohemian influence of Californian music enlightens Madie in ways other acoustic styles and aesthetics can’t seem to parallel. 

Through Madie’s adoration for the fruitful and upbeat melodies of the ’60s and ’70s, she has found room to integrate art into all aspects of her life.  The creativity from the tunes clears a path for ingenuity and helps to keep her anchored. 

“I feel super happy and really energetic,” Madie said, “but depending on the music and the artist, I feel grounded more so than if I wasn’t listening to that specific artist. For example, I really like listening to Joni Mitchell. Her music is, in my opinion, very grounding, and I like to listen to her. Her music is very much stripped down and very simple, and I think it’s nice because it’s not hard for your brain to listen to.”

Truly finding an aspect in one’s life that grounds them is important, and Madie recommends that self-discovery no matter the involvement.

“I think you definitely need to find things that make you happy and things that will bring joy and ground you,” Madie said. “Especially at times like these weird couple years with COVID and school and weird back and forth, you definitely need to find things that will ground you and keep you centered because without that, it would be really bad. Obviously, it’s different for every person, but I do definitely think that you need to find what grounds you. That will really help you in times of craziness.”