Finding Musicality in Every Sound: A Student’s Musical Endeavors

Musoffee is a great opportunity for developing musicians to present their individual styles to the student body. For many artists, it is a start, one of the first on a list of many musical goals. Sophomore James Spaite has been working on his own set list since his Musoffee performance on Jan. 23.

Spaite, a psychology major and music minor, sees music, the world and his place in very special ways.

“I feel like music is something that I can’t not do … I honestly feel like it burns inside of me,” Spaite said.

Drawing motivation from his father and further support from his grandmother, Spaite learned to play the piano at an early age. He explains that his interests were somewhat natural having such a musically talented dad, but that they were ultimately “sealed” by the “warm and fond” memories he has of musical moments with his grandmother.

Today, his interest has grown to become much more than that. Music is now “a part of [his] everyday” that he cannot imagine being without. Spaite claims to hear the musicality in every sound he encounters and wants to turn those sounds into music for his listeners.

“One of my life goals is to ask people good questions through music,” Spaite said. “You can give someone an answer or tell someone something, but that is less valuable to them because they were just told it. So, asking people meaningful questions about different scenarios that have played out in my life is what I want to do because I feel that they are valuable.”

Currently Spaite is working on a project in which he is able to ask those significant questions. His first full-length album, “A Woman Gave Me Music,” was inspired by his initial inspiration to pursue music — his grandmother.

“Basically [the album] is a lot of lessons and things I have learned over the course of my life being compiled into an assortment of songs that go back to the same genre but all have their own flavor,” Spaite said.

As for how the public can support him in the process, encouragement and funding are Spaite’s main sustenance.

“The economy of music is so large that I feel like it is hard to sift through it all to make yourself known,” he said. “So people just encouraging me through that and sharing anything they enjoy with others is always helpful. Besides that, money is always cool.”

“A Woman Gave Me Music” is set to release in April. If you’d like to contribute to Spaite’s music project, head to his www.indiegogo.com site