Whether it be in the band room, with his team; in the pit, under the auditorium stage; seated at his piano or drums; or performing, senior Tony Moceri is always creating. With rhythms and melodies flowing through his mind like blood rushes through veins, a stream of notes and cadences is perpetually running its course in the back of Tony’s head. His vast musical talent has rendered him successful in the countless musical endeavors that he takes on.

“Informally, I’ve been playing music ever since I physically could,” Tony said. “I’ve been formally playing piano for twelve years now. I picked up drums when I was in about fifth grade; I kind of taught myself how to play. Recently, I’ve also picked up guitar.”

Since he embarked on his journey with music over a decade ago, Tony has channeled his emotions into his music, especially the piano. Continually improving his skills over the years, many of his peers have taken notice of Tony’s aptitude. Fan favorites include his passionate rendition of Michael Jackson songs at this year’s Random Acts of Talent show.

“I love playing music, but music is a way to convey my emotion,” Tony said. “I like creating a story with what I create. As a career, I’m looking into going into scoring for music and writing music professionally, so that’s kind of an incentive for me to do more.”

Recently, Tony added a new component to his skill set: an ability to compose and create his own music. Knowing that there’s so much good music out there just waiting to be composed inspires him to create and overcome the challenges associated with composition.

“I love how much you can expand music,” Tony said. “There are still a lot of things that are still undiscovered in music that you could create a lot of new sounds with. I think that sometimes there’s always that writer’s block, no matter what creative position you’re in. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of trying to conquer being really lazy. With some things, I just can’t get a good work ethic going or get through a certain piece if it’s super challenging.”

When he’s not composing and getting over writer’s block, Tony brings his love for music to the football field during marching season. As a part of both the marching and concert bands, his role on drumline involves producing the booming beats on the drum that keep the rest of the band on beat.

“During the marching season, I think it’s a lot more fun just because of the opportunity to play for people,” Tony said. “Besides scoliosis that’s developing in my back from carrying the huge drum, it’s really fun to just march around, and I think there’s more energy in the marching band season.”

From a musical standpoint, the energy of marching band music draws Tony to the unique activity. As a whole, marching band allowed him to meet many of his friends, even early on in high school. For Tony, it became a fun way to get involved without participating in a sport.

Apart from playing and composing instrumental music both at home and in school, Tony also dabbles in singing. Though relatively new to him and his skills not as advanced, singing offers him a worry-free, more easygoing approach to music.

“I’m not nearly as good at singing,” Tony said. “Singing isn’t something I really find solace in because I’m not that great at it. It’s still fun for me; it’s fun for everyone. Even if you’re not good, singing still makes you feel good. I just like finding different ways to sing, like different types of music and genres.”

Though he has not brought his singing skills to the auditorium stage yet, Tony is involved in FHC’s productions in a very different way. Located in the pit under the stage, he is a part of the band that plays all of the music for plays and musicals. This component of theatre is relatively hidden but still a vital part of the production.

“It’s really fun to see the cast and the show come together with the music. We don’t usually get to see it because we’re underneath the stage. But it’s just really fun to see the whole thing come together in the end, and the people are really great.”

In his future, Tony is looking to pursue music and composition, possibly at MSU. With a music major, he could find himself writing scores to movies, which would be a dream job for someone of his talent. With a unique ability to convey emotion and a true love for the art, Tony is more than excited to see where music will take him in the future, and it will undoubtedly always be a part of his life.

“Music has always been a way for me to communicate emotion without actually saying anything, which is kind of fun,” Tony said. “A lot of people know that I make my own music and compose a lot of stuff. I don’t know exactly why I started when I was young, but I think I’ve always just had a musical or creative brain.”