Emory sophomore talks the joy of making music, the elusive nature of inspiration, and the beauty of artistic collaboration.
First off, tell us about yourself! Where are you from? What year are you at Emory? What are you studying? What kind of art do you make?
Hello! My name Is Gabriel Harr-Siebenlist, and I'm a sophomore from the DC metro area majoring in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic. I am a musician - I like to write a lot as well, short essays and poetry, but I think that has a bit more to do with lyrics for my music than anything.
When did you start creating music? What drew you to your genre?
I started playing music when I was really young. I began classical violin when I was 4, and continued for about 11 years. I think I hated almost every minute of it! I couldn't take the mandated practicing, or the egotism of conductors, the strict guidelines of how to play the music - it was all painful. Luckily during that time I began to take up piano and guitar, played the trombone and tuba in the school band, and pretty much began to play whatever instruments I could get my hands on. Music was always a big part of my family life, and listening to classic rock CDs with my dad on roadtrips in the car definitely formed the basis for my love for music. By the time I reached highschool I had played in a lot of different ensembles, but landed at a local music school that taught rock. I met my future bandmates there, formed these friendships, and together we started writing.
What do you love most about making music?
Making music (performing, teaching, writing, jamming) is one of those few things that makes life feel less mundane. It sort of takes me out of the daily cycle most people have to perform, and for a moment I feel like I'm doing something significant. It's self-reflective, it's inspiring, it's sorrowful and cathartic - above all else, it feels like something more real than the monotony. It just feels important. I love too the bond we form with other musicians when we play together. It's unspoken communication, it's almost telepathic. You can learn a lot about someone from the way you play together. The friendships I have with my bandmates are just different from my other relationships - music is such a big part of my life, it seems like they know a truer version of me.
Who or what inspires you?
Inspiration for music is so absolutely frustrating for me. I had a musical mentor tell me that if you sit down to write something with that exact intention, it's going to turn out terrible. He thought that the universe picked a random moment to give you inspiration, and once you feel that, you have to run with it and keep up the momentum. These days I'll pull over on the side of the road while driving to write down a phrase that came to me, or pull myself out of bed on the brink of sleep to record a voice memo of a melody that began to form. Moments of inspiration that yield authentic and unique art are valuable, I think precisely because you can't force them. Authentic moments of inspiration come to me usually when I'm feeling low - negative emotions are so much easier to convey because they feel so heavy, and so genuine. I'll go to my guitar to write not when I want to, but when I'm so torn up about something it seems like the only way to sort out my feelings. I think you sort of just have to be patient and keep an eye (or an ear) out for inspiration.
How has COVID-19 impacted your creative process, if at all?
COVID has definitely impacted my creative process - without bandmates or people to easily collaborate with, I turned to a lot more solo work. That combined with the quarantine depression had me writing a mountain of sad acoustic guitar songs... But in general I think it gave us a reminder of how lucky we are to be able to work with other musicians, other artists. The experiences you write about and express in your work can be transformed and made more complex or beautiful when you do so in conversation with other perspectives. It made me realize that there's a time and a place for solo work and introspection, but one of the great joys of music is making it with others.
What are your goals for your music? What message do you hope to convey?
From the beginning of high school my musical mentors have all told me one thing; if you want to pursue music as a career, you better be ready to live in a cardboard box and play for pennies. It is a cutthroat and arbitrary industry and playing music in search of fame and fortune is a real pipe dream. I make music to make sense out of my life. To try and take all the confusing emotions and experiences, and draw a meaning and direction from them. More than that I think I make music because nothing else makes me feel quite right. It's like coffee in the morning or a hot shower after a long day - I feel off without it. It's just something we do. Of course there's always the bright possibility and hope that the music I make will resonate with a listener, and help them with their own issues, or at least make them feel less alone.
How do you stay involved in music as a student at Emory?
I stay involved in my music at Emory by playing guitar and singing every day, writing whenever I can capture some inspiration, and keeping in touch with my bandmates back home. But I also lead an a cappella club which is just a ton of fun, and when we were back on campus, I formed jam groups with other musicians to cut loose a little bit. I'm involved with the Emory Musicians Network where we get opportunities to share our music with likeminded artists, and help each other improve. Just like anywhere, I stay involved at Emory by making it a part of my everyday life.
Do you have a website/instagram for your music?
My instagram is @gb.harr , and my band's instagram is @hanoiragmen , and our music is available on all streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) under "Hanoi Ragmen". We've already released a small EP, and are planning to release a full length album this summer so stay tuned!
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