Nathaniel Arnold ’25 is writing, producing and creating three songs in the style of three different bands he enjoys for his Senior Independent Study.

Arnold said he aims to make music in the future and is using his Senior Independent Study to further his interest.

“Music is my passion and what I see [myself] doing for the rest of my life,” Arnold said. “I wanted to be able to show colleges the type of motivation and dedication that I have towards music by doing this [Senior Independent Study].”

Arnold said he wants  to be a versatile musician and views his Senior Independent Study  as an opportunity to draw influence from a variety of music.

“As a musician, it’s really important to be versatile, meaning being able to draw influence from many different places, genres and styles.”  Arnold said.

Rhythm Section Workshop Teacher Greg Goddu is Arnold’s advisor. Goddu said he followed Arnold’s musical journey since his time at the middle school and was thrilled by the evolution of his music.

“I first heard Nate perform when he was in 8th grade and taught him in music technology when he was in 9th grade,” Goddu said. “I was impressed with his musicianship and songwriting even then, but getting to hear how far he had come as an artist has definitely been the most exciting aspect of this entire process.”

Goddu said after not hearing Nate’s music for several years, he was amazed by his growth and admired his range, from powerful rock tracks to heartfelt, emotional compositions.

“I hadn’t heard Nate’s music in almost three years. I was surprised by how mature his work sounds,” Goddu said. “As a rock and roll musician myself, I was also pleasantly surprised by how hard he can rock out on his songs, although he’s very eclectic and can also write softer, more emotional music really well.”