FINNIAN - JUNIOR

Combining his long history of music in his family and friends, love of creative writing, and interest in musical self-expression, Finn will be researching the experiences of musicians both in their inspiration and creative process to explore lyricism techniques and production tactics that he can interpret and integrate into his own music. “Throughout my journey through both listening and playing it, I've discovered that music always has more to offer to anyone willing to listen. It’s a voice for when no one else fills the silence and a silence when everyone else has something to say,” Finn said. As both the founder of the middle and high school Gender and Sexualities Alliances here at Prep, and co-chair of the Youth Celebrate Diversity, a national nonprofit organization, Finn values giving back to and educating his community. Finn’s Odyssey Scholars project is both profoundly personal and educational, a reflection of the intricacies and universality of self-expression through music and lyricism.

 

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER - Stereophonic: The 3-Hour Play That Felt Too Short (SPOILERS)

 

Over the summer, I was lucky enough, (thanks Mom), to go to New York to see several shows including 3 musicals and 1 play, the play being my favorite of all I had seen. The play is called Stereophonic and details the inner workings of the life of a band that blew up overnight. It took place in the late 1970s and mirrored the story of the band Fleetwood Mac, where the lead singer left the band to pursue a solo career (Stevie Nicks). It featured its own songs and instrumentals; the set never changed. The set was a recording studio, see the picture below (I don't know why the quality is so bad).




 

The play details the band’s problems not only from a band perspective but also from a social aspect. When they blow up and become extremely popular, they must get along and continue making music, because of their record label, their finances, and reputation. This makes it so that the tension between them attempts to replace any outbursts or show of anger. This tension is MASTERFULLY shown, with long and almost awkward pauses, where the actors simply stare at each other for a few seconds. However, it doesn’t always succeed. The times when an argument does break out, the actors incorporate these pauses at just the right moments to convey the situation. This is going to be a model for my project in a way. I will come back to this play and remember how difficult it can be to be in a band, and I know that as I continue to study the lives of my favorite bands, I will see this exact scenario play out in real life.