Student musicians go beyond the classroom by releasing their own music
Photo courtesy of Jarod Noel.
At a university with a significant music emphasis, Lee students and alumni take their passion beyond the classroom by releasing their own music.
Aaron Hayes, a sophomore studio production major, recently released his first single, “The Way I Made You Smile.”
“I’ve loved music ever since a young age and have always been attracted to it,” said Hayes. “I got a Walmart guitar when I was like three or four and started taking guitar lessons when I was in fifth grade and have been ever since.”
During his junior year of high school, Hayes had to decide between continuing to play football or seriously pursuing music.
“I knew God was calling me to do music in some fashion, and now I am seeing how all of that is playing out,” said Hayes.
Hayes gained experience with songwriting before releasing his song. He has co-written songs for the LeeU Worship Album with Director Dr. Brad Moffett and Abigail Joy during this past December.
For Hayes, elements in his songwriting are often pulled from previous ideas and later incorporated into the process of creating music.
“There have been times where I had a musical motif in my head that I held onto for a long time, and then I put it on a song I was also writing,” said Hayes.
As Hayes continues to grow as a musician, his focus is split between music and his status as a full-time student.
“It’s been hard,” said Hayes. “There have been sacrifices for both school and music in order to balance the two. There have been times I have had to sacrifice schoolwork obviously to be able to do other opportunities, which I think isn’t a bad thing. [Music is] what I want to do ultimately,” said Hayes.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Hayes.
Similar to Hayes, Jared Noel, a Lee alum and student success coach, recently released his new album, “Songs Along the Way.” His journey with music began with attempts to “get girls” and was later revamped when his dad signed him up for a church youth band camp.
“I was in a stuffy room with a bunch of prepubescent middle schoolers, and that was the first time I worshiped the Lord out of my own discretion,” said Noel. “[Eventually], I would lock myself in my room to play and worship; honestly, looking back on it, I would go in there with the intention not to learn how to play the guitar better but just to worship the Lord.”
Upon his arrival at Lee, Noel worked to find his place within a talented and growing music culture.
“I came to Lee with a lot of expectations because I had earned a reputation at my church as the worship guy,” said Noel. “I auditioned for Singers and didn’t even get it — which was a big blow to my pride, ego and reputation.”
As a result of not finding his niche within Singers, he found himself working with Res Life, as a Peer Leader and as a part of Lee’s Tech Crew.
“It was through those other avenues that helped me get involved in Alternative Chapel,” said Noel.
Noel initially began working with the committee for Alt Chapel and was later asked by Dr. Mike Hayes to be a part of the band.
“Which is kind of crazy because I wasn’t a music major, and I wasn’t in any choirs or ensembles,” said Noel. “The anomaly of someone like that, being in chapel leadership — it truly is alternative.”
For songwriting, Noel bases his creative process on Psalm 49:4. His recent, release “Songs Along the Way,” alludes to the way of Jesus.
“My creative process is bringing my questions, bringing my riddles to music,” said Noel. “In that divine moment is where my songs arise from. ‘Songs Along the Way’ is my own journey in that — trying to live that discipleship life,” said Noel. “[The songs are] about how you relate to God, how you view yourself in the human struggle versus the way Jesus says to be human.”
Seth Thompson, a senior studio production major, worked as a producer for Noel by helping to bring his latest project to fruition.
“When I got the songs from Jarod, they were just recordings of his acoustic and him singing,” said Thompson. “I would take those and flesh them out with full arrangements of instruments, and we would meet again and talk about what should stay and what should go.”
For Noel, music is an outlet to further his main passion for teaching and to inspire others in their walks with Christ.
“I use my music as a means for teaching; that is primarily where my passion for music is — it’s not necessarily to be a musical artist,” said Noel “If you happen to stumble across my music, I hope you have ears to listen. I hope it challenges your thinking and inspires faith.”
