A small melody, a couple of notes. Making that into something complete. A full song. Where every little detail was made with intention, and the lyrics are written from the heart. Releasing this part of yourself to the world can be a daunting task for anyone, especially high school students.
Senior Max Myser, under the name Love, Maxwell, said he put himself out there with the release of his recent album “The Right Time.”
Myser explained his love for music started when his mom forced him to learn guitar at the age of 6. Although he didn’t like it at first, he kept playing and music became more of a passion, he said.
His interest in songwriting and production would develop in 2021, Myser added.
“I would hear something and I would just be like ‘Oh! I love how that sounds!’” he said.
His inspirations in the music industry range from top of the charts artists like Billie Eilish to other students who also produce music, he explained.
“I really love Frank Ocean,” Myser said. “I wish my music sounded more like his, but I also like that I have my own style.”
However, Myser said he doesn’t know exactly what style of music his album could be defined as.
“It definitely comes across more as a poppy genre, but I’ve also gotten experimental,” he added. “Honestly, I just kind of leave it up to who’s listening.”
Myser explained he wrote the songs onand-off for a year and a half; he then edited the songs for five months. However, constructing the album was not the most difficult part, he said.
“Putting my music out and not being worried about what people are going to say was definitely the number one difficulty,” he added.
His family was a huge support to him while making his music, Myser said. His mother helped him with the equipment, and his dad was always supportive and willing to listen when it came to his music, he explained.
“My brother’s very helpful,” Myser added. “He’s honest and will tell me if it’s bad.”
Michael Myser, Max’s dad, said he was always open to listening to Max’s music.
“I kept saying ‘I want to listen to it, can you send me something?’” Michael Myser explained.
He said Max first sent him a song about a year before he released his album, and he encouraged him to continue pursuing music.
Myser said a high point in the making and release of his album was when he got a couple of positive responses on a video he made.
“It was huge for me, and getting that kind of response was awesome,” Myser said. “Honestly, kind of unreal.”
He explained his advice to anyone making music is to be confident in what you’re creating and that it’s okay to start off small.
“If you’re worried to put stuff out there for everyone, don’t be scared to show your friends or just show your family,” he said.
He was on the fence at first about releasing his music but, in the end, he said it made him more confident over time.
“In high school, you expect people to be rude, but honestly nobody is going to be rude,” Myser explained. “Take your time and just appreciate the process of making music.”
