By Tori Templet | Staff Writer
Many students rely on creative outlets to express themselves during their time in college. Charlotte, N.C., senior Will Boatwright finds comfort in music.
During his time at Baylor, Boatwright said he has learned how to create a space in his bedroom for his love of music along with other things of importance to him.
“I’m pretty into the aesthetics of a room and implementing what I do into my own room, whether it’s clothes, soccer or music,” Boatwright said. “When it came to music, I wanted to have professional-type things that really could help me do what I loved — but in a semi-professional way, where it was high quality. I felt like I had to do that in order to really have that space where I can step into that world and be surrounded by those articles of music.”
To try and find a sense of balance, Boatwright has separate areas in his room for music writing and production, coffee and gatherings, schoolwork and sleeping.
Mililani, Hawaii, senior Paschal Curlin, Boatwright’s roommate, said he has seen firsthand how Boatwright has set up his room to showcase what he is passionate about.
“Will does a great job of utilizing his space,” Curlin said. “If you go into his room, you’ll notice that everything is sectioned off thematically and that different parts of his room serve different purposes.”
Boatwright said it is not difficult to separate his music from the rest of his living space. However, it can be difficult to stay away from his music, which can sometimes be an outlet of procrastination that distracts him from his schoolwork.
“If I just randomly have an idea, then it’ll turn into an hour,” Boatwright said. “That’s the problem. It’s not hard to get into that headspace for me.”
Growing up, Boatwright played classical piano but never really used music for his freedom of expression. He said that even though it was not the best, it gave him a background in music theory and a deep appreciation for music in general.
Throughout high school, Boatwright started playing guitar, writing songs and pursuing music as a channel to process emotions and for his own enjoyment. He said he fell in love with creating his own style and found his sound within a hybrid genre of alternative, pop and rock with influences from acoustic, singer-songwriters.
“Through college, [music has] been something that if I’m exhausted and need a detox, it’s there,” Boatwright said. “If I’m feeling inspired and want to write something, it’s there. It has a feeling of nostalgia but also excitement and being able to create something new.”
Boatwright said creating music allows him to take a step back from the mundane chaos of being a college student.
“Through freshman year, music was a way for me to just take a deep breath and be creative, but over time there has been a realization that ‘Oh, maybe I could actually do this and pursue this,’” Boatwright said.
Boatwright has not yet released any music, but he said he is waiting for the right time and right opportunities to come along to push him forward in his music endeavors.
“Music is something that will always be there,” Boatwright said. “It’s not going to go away. It’s going to be something that I do for the rest of my life, and I find comfort in that.”
