This essay, resulting in Damnesia's admission to CSSSA, will be useful for understanding his background.
My interest in music first sparked at six years old with sibling rivalry, but now music means so much more to me. When my parents first put me on a drum set and enrolled me in lessons, my ever-growing passion for music began. Later, around 10 years old, I wanted to become a multi-instrumentalist. I saw my brother as a professional; I watched him make easy switches from instrument to instrument during the brand practice he hosted inside our home. I desired that versatility, that world of pitches and rhythm intertwined, and that rock and roll. Subsequently, I was double-enrolled in private lessons at “Join The Band Music Lessons Studio” (JTB) for drums and piano.
After a few years, I became curious; I was playing music, but I wanted to create it, and to go to the very source of where music comes from! With this, the competition with my brother was revitalized. He had released an album in his sophomore year, and I set it as my goal to release one during high school. I went all-in on this goal, which included attending two songwriting camps at JTB in the summers of 2024 and 2025, 15 band sessions from 2022 onwards, taking Choir at Buckley in eighth and ninth grade, taking drum and guitar lessons afterschool for Buckley’s conservatory for the past two years, taking a music composition class in ninth grade, and an advanced studies in music theory class this year.
Throughout this time, there were three critical junctures that I would like to highlight. Firstly, during eighth grade, I collaborated with the Dance department and composed an original song, "Motorcycle", which was used for a performance by one of the classes at Buckley's "Cause and Effect" dance show. I was proud to have my music heard by so many people who enjoyed it, and it was incredibly rewarding to work with other artists of different media to create something larger than ourselves. It made me more motivated to create music - not just for competition in my family - but because music made me happy. Secondly, I had been noticing and reflecting on growing signs of OCD in my ninth-grade year. I still shoved all-in nonetheless, letting music and OCD build off of each other. I took the would-be stress of excess-handwashing and turned that energy into precise mouse flicks, producing around 15 instrumental tracks. Thirdly, at the start of 10th grade, I found myself stuck. My dad kept saying, “You know, if you write lyrics for these instrumentals, you could have an album.” I felt suffocated; it felt like being asked to write a million essays.
But soon, I had to vent. I released “Maduivor” on October 15th, 2025, in which the lyrics pondered the origins of my OCD. It turned out amazing. Friends, teachers, and new faces came to me, saying they loved the song. But most importantly, this was the same “big win” that I had felt in eighth grade, but here came a new realization. Making music was truly possible, but I had been underutilizing my emotions. I could express the bittersweetness in my body with horn sections, yes, but I also needed to shout the millions of essays caught in my throat that needed to be said. Thus, another fire ignited as I blitzed through the new open door. I went on and wrote my debut album, “Slingshot Vestibule” (released January 1st of 2026), a reflection on my emotions, for me.
I let go of the sibling competition and instead desired to have my voice heard. I would love to attend CSSSA for a similar reason: to continue developing my ability to express and understand myself. Furthermore, I would relish understanding how people of other cultures explore music, which is why I am also drawn to the African drumming and Indonesian gamelan lessons. I wish to develop my musical thinking and self-confidence even more, utilizing the high-tier degree of musical education that CSSSA can provide.