What kind of music do you love, and who are some of your favorite artists or bands?

I love indie rock, bedroom pop, r&b, hip-hop, and folk! Some favorites artists that come to mind are Twenty One Pilots, Joji, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, Jon Bellion, FKA Twigs, Bad Bunny, Frank Ocean, Doechii, and Gorillaz.

What was your relationship with music like before your cancer diagnosis?

I was performing a lot of music with different ensembles at school before my diagnosis. Improvising was the most I did speaking creative/original ideas-wise. I also loved listening to music and exploring new genres.

Can you share a little bit about your cancer story?

I was diagnosed with Leakemia (A.L.L.) in 2017 when I was 15. Went through treatment up until 2021 when I was 19. I also unfortunately lost my dad to colon cancer when I was 17.

Did your experience with cancer change your relationship with music in any way?

My cancer experience helped me cope and express myself. It lifted me up and gave me something to relate to when I was really going through it.

What led you to join Play It Back, and what are you hoping to get out of the experience?

A child life specialist at Ucla’s medical center brought it up to me. I really wanted to try it out. I mainly wanted the chance to potentially learn new production skills. I had been wanting to experiment in that side of music for a while by that time. I got that and much more, including a whole community of survivors and patients who loved music.

If you had to describe the kind of music you make or want to make, how would you describe it?

My music is a mix of a lot of things that make up my music taste. I guess I’d say it’s very indie pop that leans into alternative. I love mixing the sounds of acoustic guitar with synths and going in an ethereal direction. I also love playing around with vocal production.

Anything else you want to share?

My experiences creating music with Play It Back supplemented my professional music business and production education at Usc. I am now a Grammy winning mix engineer! That all happened really fast haha.