Profile of Darian C., by Tayla

Darian C.

All over the world music is played daily. Some people listen to music or produce music. There is a song out there for about every situation a person could be in. Some people are famous for music, some people produce music, some people just listen to music and some people just do music for fun. Many high school students like to experience the music world in many different ways. 

Darian C., is an eighteen year old senior at Arlee High School. She’s talented in the music department, especially in guitar. She may be humble and you wouldn’t know about her music talent unless you asked her or was her friend. It all started, she said, in the fourth grade when she took guitar lessons for a year, then kept going with it. “I pretty much taught myself, I didn’t take lessons for very long and sort of just figured things out on my own, experienced here and there” Her biggest genre interest is pop and indie, indie being the most favorite.

                “Umm, I was really into Green Day, they were my favorite and I wanted to be like them. I liked their style and was obsessed with them when I was younger,” Darian expresses who influenced her. As of right now her favorite artist is Ed Sheeren.

                There was a time, Darian actually won a music contest and got to perform. “During my freshman year my friend and I submitted an original song to a music contest, which they were having at my high school, in Alaska. And we won, so we got to play at a local coffee shop. It was really cool and I was really nervous.” For her it didn’t just come naturally, “It was hard to perform and get through the whole song without messing up,” she said. There was a little slip up during the performance. “My pick flew out of my hand and hit a kid in the audience,” she laughs.  

                She thinks of her music as a hobby. “I like to listen to the radio and when a catchy song comes on I like to sing it or try to match my guitar with the beat. I don’t have a specific favorite song, just a favorite song that lasts a week or two,” explained Darian.  When asked if she ever got the chance to go bigger or professionally would she? She answered with a little hesitation, “Maybe, I think it would be cool if I could, I guess I would, it would be a really cool experience.”

                Through her music interests she has gained friends from it. She became friend with Eula F. when they realized they shared the same musical interests by singing “Just a Friend” by Biz Markie in basketball practice one day. Eula says, “That’s how we became friends, she has good taste and is really good at guitar and we sing all the time.”

                Darian also has family support from her mom. “I never knew my daughter was interested in guitar until one day she asked if she could get lessons,” said her mom, “of course I let her and she really surprised me.” Raw talent? You may think so. “We had a deal that if she continued with the lessons for a year or so that I would buy her a real guitar, well I got her a guitar. Sometimes I hear her playing her guitar in her room,” smiles her mom.

                Darian would like to say to the younger generation, “If you have a hobby and enjoy doing it, keep going with it. It will be there for you when you get bored, angry, sad, whatever it is, your hobby will be there.”