By Ashley Sanchez | Staff Writer 

   In the midst of the pandemic, Gabrielino students found themselves coping by expressing themselves in new ways, such as creating content and sharing it on streaming platforms. For seniors Claire Bailey and Kelly Tran, this time was spent sharing their talents by creating music. 

   Bailey and Tran worked together to create their song “Fingerpaints,” which is available on the streaming services Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Music. 

   For these two students, collaborating on music is new to them, but in the midst of a time when everyone is relying heavily on technology, they have managed to create something beautiful. 

   For Tran, singing has always been something that she enjoyed, from singing along to Disney songs as a child to starting her own music account on Spotify in 7th grade. Tran’s love of singing became a passion and a way for her to express herself. 

   “I always felt a deep connection to music,” explained Tran. “I loved how songs could tell stories or portray exactly how I was feeling, which inspired me to write songs about my personal experiences or others’ experiences.” 

   As for Bailey, the world of music is not her expertise, but when it comes to writing music, she stated, “I love writing lyrics and putting words together in a way that will make people feel something […] with “Fingerpaints,” I created something I’m really proud of.”

   The song “Fingerpaints” was originally the rough draft of a poem created by Bailey in April, something she didn’t give much thought to until later on.

   “In the summer, I reworked it a bit and had the idea to send the lyrics to my friend Kelly because she has the most beautiful voice,” commented Bailey. “She wrote the musical part and sang it!”

   As far as Tran’s aspiration with singing in the future, she explained, “A big goal of mine is to release an album sometime within the next few years. I have hundreds of songs written.” 

  Bailey, however, does not harbor the same apirations. For her, song writing is not a career goal.

“Every now and then I write lyrics/poems for fun, when something comes to me,” Bailey said. “But I don’t think it is something I would pursue in the future. It’s just a hobby!” 

   Tran was quick to offer advice to students who want to share their creative content with the public.

“Don’t be afraid of what others think,” Tran stated firmly. “When I first started, I had no clue I would end up releasing my own single on streaming services. Everyone starts somewhere.”