On March 3, senior Justin Huang publicized his passion for creating music by releasing his traditional jazz album, In Conversation. 

Justin always considered releasing his own music but was apprehensive due to the amount of dedication it would take and the potential of judgment by listeners. However, he realized that “there is no such thing as a perfect product.” He said, “publishing is more [about] expressing and showing yourself to the world.”

In Conversation started with his first single, “Up In The Air,” as a one-off. As he recorded more songs throughout the school year and noticed their similarity, he decided to release them.

He expressed the positive feeling after releasing his album, but that it was also daunting. Although he sometimes feels like he’s making music for others rather than for himself, Justin said that “overall it’s good seeing people enjoying my music.” 

 Although he just released his album, Justin has a long musical history, Hestarted playing classical piano in kindergarten but lost interest due to its collectivism. In fourth grade, he learned how to play the drums and became fond of them. He said, “I think exploring areas of music, other than classical music, has reunited my passion for it.” 

Senior and Bass Player Darian Jimenez shared that he and Justin always push each other to become better musicians. He said, “I would walk into the practice room and he [was] recording bass lines.” 

Senior Loveleen Kaur said that he always shared the idea of releasing his music and noticed his love for creating it. “I was excited for him to share his talent with the world,” she said.

Band teacher Kevin Heathwood said that Justin’s skills in his freshman year blew him away. He wasn’t surprised that Justin wanted to release an album. When asked what advice he would give Justin now, he said, “never stop playing.”

Student teacher Carlin Lee expressed that Justin is a very talented musician. “[Justin] hasn’t really changed, [he has] always been about the music,” he said. He explained that despite Justin’s advanced level and achievements, he’s always seeking advice. “At the end of the day, life is about connections, and [music is] a beautiful way to express it,” he said.