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Jordan Sumner
October 25, 2015
Blcok 2A

A Strenuous Hobby
Originally I listened to music for the same reason any person would listen to music, for
an intoxicating pleasure or to escape reality and enter introspective thoughts. Primarily, I felt
music as only substance traveling from my device to my ears. Never did I comprehend music for
what it genuinely was, a wide spread of notes and complex patterns generated from innumerable
instruments and effects. Through this realization, my previous thoughts of music were not
obscured by my new point of view, but broadened to where I could experience it fluently. This
new perspective was what first guided me towards a new passion.
Tunes would listen through my ears consistently day to day, the music usually being HipHop or any type that was comprised of upbeat snares, kicks, hats and 808s. My main go-tos
were the originals like The Notorious B.I.G, Big L, and A Tribe Called Quest. Predominantly, I
listened to them because of how they blended their spoken word into the instrumentals they used,
which only developed from their past works, it was a progressing art. Over years of strictly
listening to the old school subgenre of hip-hop, I was introduced to a unique form of
instrumentals referred to as Trap, more correct term would be Electronic Trap Music.
Electronic Trap is a genre that is built off of Hip-Hop influence and uses drum patterns that can
relate to dubstep. Even though it relates to dubstep, it does not use dubsteps ferocious, in your
face, style.

My friend Cole, who introduced Trap to me, was deeply involved in listening to music,
as well as producing it. There was a day where he called me and gave a cognate suggestion that I
come over to his place to witness something he had created. Skeptical of what he could have
meant, I persuaded my mother into providing me with a ride from my house to his compacted
apartment downtown. Once I was dropped off, I ran up the ceaseless fire escape that led to his
apartment on the fourth floor and just walked right in. His dog Suki welcomed me in with a
cascade of barks. I popped into his room; directly, Cole pressed the space bar on his computer
keyboard, his speakers rolled out a Trap song. I flopped down in his easy chair that tends to
engulf any who makes contact with it. Okay, what is it that you wanted me to see? I voiced out
expectantly, I made this he uttered all nonchalant, referring to the song playing. I immediately,
having doubts in what he created, say No way, show me! He swiftly dragged the cursor over
to a tab and selected it. I eyeballed attentively at a large display, containing digital nobs and
other tools that I was an alien to, overlaid on his monitor, the top left reading FL Studio 9. FL
studio is an imposing digital audio workstation that allows anyone who uses it to create an array
of sounds that can be used to assemble a song.
Once I was introduced to FL, I had the idea that I, Myself, had the ability to create beats
and instrumentals, since I had the ear for it. I downloaded FL as soon as my fingertips met my
computer. When FL opened I initially anticipated producing tasteful music at ease, but that was
not the case. From my experience of toying with the program I recognized that it was
exceedingly elaborate and required guidance in order to comprehend it. Unable to fathom the
software, I resorted to my friends who were producers and the help of YouTube to teach me how
to manipulate the program. Over time I scoped the fundamentals of FL and started making
tracks. Eventually, gaining a technique led me to establish a couple amateur instrumentals that I,

at first, was not very pleased with, but the more effort I put into FL my understanding on beats
and patterns progressed.
Ultimately the focal reasoning behind why I desired myself to acquire music production
was to prove to myself that I was capable of achieving in an area I had no prior knowledge in. In
the beginning, I had doubt in my abilities where I had the inclination as if I was lost in a maze,
not knowing what direction to take. Support from my friends and peers gave me the mental
stability and attitude to persevere in my new pastime. In retrospect I perceive this experience
supplied me with confidence in myself and an attitude where I am able to take on anything I
position my mind towards.