‘Music is everything’
Campus is always bustling with sound. Whether it’s a concert hosted by the Public Entertainment Committee, a Spree Day band and rowdy crowd, or a jam session in the residence halls, Clarkies are passionate about performing. For many, music is more than a hobby or side gig — it’s a primary area of study.
This past semester, a handful of music students shared with ClarkU News their current projects and inspirations. These artists span genres and talents, including vocalists, audio engineers, guitar players, lyricists, and soundtrack composers, credit Clark for granting them access to advanced music technology to develop their work.
Jane Hake
Jane Hake ’28, also known as Jan3doe, experiments with genre in her work. Inspired by Bjork, cosmic horror, and the book “Annihilation,” the music technology and physics major is bringing something darker to the world of indie pop.
“Music is like my journal right now,” she says. “I was going to be a math major but when I took [the course] Computers and Music, I thought, ‘I like this too much. This has to be my major now.’”
A career in music is her dream, whether that be as a headlining artist or a producer for other musicians. This passion started in childhood.
“My parents had me take piano lessons in my friend’s basement, and then they told me I had to play an instrument in high school, so I joined orchestra,” Hake recalls. She has played cello for seven years, knows her way around electronic music software, and picked up the guitar last fall.
This summer, she used her Sarah Bickman Internship to turn her bedroom into a recording studio and is working toward a release next winter of an album titled “Skinny Dipping into Golden Gardens.” She is the sole songwriter, producer, sound engineer and mixer for all of her music.
Peter Previty
Peter Previty ’28, also known as Peter and the Paparazzi, is a student of pop. He spearheaded the on-campus club, For Lovers of Pop, where members gather to watch award shows, celebrate new music releases, and discuss pop culture. He looks up to campy artists such as Lady Gaga or MARINA.
For Previty, the curation of his persona is a part of the journey.
“Peter and the Paparazzi is almost like my drag persona,” he explains. “Peter Previty is the person, the writer, the producer.”
Previty is inspired by 2010s pop. “I’d listen to [Lady Gaga’s] ‘Bad Romance’ on repeat at my grandma’s house. And when I’d see Miley Cyrus on Disney, I wanted to be like her.”
A recipient of the Sarah Bickman Scholarship, Previty plans on releasing an EP to Spotify. He names the “old Hollywood” aesthetic, “The Twilight Zone,” and science fiction as inspirations.
Listeners can expect to find his music upbeat – “something to dance to,” as he says – but he also creates vulnerable ballads. As a producer, songwriter, and piano player with a talent for marketing, Previty can picture himself going into social media or the music industry long term.
Will Setlik
Will Setlik ’26, a data science and music double major, came from a musical family. His exploration started on his dad’s MacBook Air alongside his three siblings (he’s a quadruplet). The group works in tandem to produce, mix, and master for their sister, Ada. Will primarily partners with his brother, John, on mixing as well as leading recording sessions.
“We like telling a story through audio and lyrics. Although mixing is very technical, it takes a lot of creativity. It’s an art form,” he says.
With two songs on all streaming services, titled “Coast Guard” and “Never Been Kissed,” the siblings are now pursuing an album release. The project swings between indie pop and cinematic influences. One song, titled “Magic Show,” tells the story of performing whil keeping secrets, echoing the sounds of film scores as elaborate strings play in the background.
Setlik is a guitarist in his free time with a knack for business, hoping for a career in audio engineering, product development, or mixing and recording for artists.
Mace Klassen and Zee Zilka
Mace Klassen ’26 and Zee Zilka ’27 have been collaborating on songs for Zilka’s streaming service profiles. Zilka, a vocalist with a musical theater and choir background, and Klassen, a longtime guitarist and producer, have two main projects, a hyperpop track titled “What I Said” and an R&B piece titled “Washing Over Me.”
“Music is everything,” Zilka says. “It can help you feel, influence your mood. If I’m not making music, I’m listening to it.”
Both music technology majors hope to bring music into their professional lives long term.
“I never thought I’d get this far,” Zilka says, “but now I know my potential.” They credit Music Professor John Freyermuth as a motivator for their work. Klassen says he would love to go into the engineering side of the industry. “Music is the only thing I think about,” he says. “I have trouble thinking about other things.”
Xander Haddock
The power of music became clear to Xander Haddock ’26 during middle school.
“When I was in seventh grade, I remember sitting in the back of the car for a week-long road trip and curating playlists for the first time,” he says. Primarily an audio engineer with a knack for piano, Haddock loves music because he likes creating a world.
“The job of a sound engineer is to manufacture a space you want to be in, where nothing is clashing with each other,” he explains.
He started working with the GarageBand app in middle school. He then started piano and jazz band in high school, but he credits Freyermuth for encouraging him to make his own music.
For his capstone project this semester, Haddock worked on mixes for several artists, including Peace in the Chaos, DeAndre Nico, and Sweet Fighter. However, he hopes to soon release an EP under his own name, an electronic project inspired by Boards of Canada. He spent last summer at Farmview Studio in Philadelphia, setting up speakers, running sound checks, and learning about the world of live music.
He says the experience opened his eyes to new avenues as he pursues a career in audio engineering.
Asher Rosenfeld
Asher Rosenfeld ’28 studied music all his life before he started to make tracks for video games in high school.
“I’d like to think of myself as a jack of all trades — I’m a drummer, a singer, an amateur pianist,” he says. Rosenfeld currently plays for the on-campus band Sunfish, performs a capella with the Clark Keys, and creates electronic music in his spare time.
He jumps between genres, emulating indie folk while on stage with Sunfish and then mixing video game tracks inspired by carnivals.
Each avenue serves a different purpose, he says. “When I’m working on video game music, I’m creating a world. In Sunfish, I love collaborating with other musicians. For my original music, it’s super personal and comes from my emotions.”
An interactive media and music major, Rosenfeld has carved out a niche for himself. He hopes to release a solo EP, work as a recording engineer, or continue to produce video game music.
Manny Torto
Manny Torto ‘27 is dedicated to his craft, releasing singles on a weekly schedule. When he first started making music during the COVID-19 pandemic, he pulled from his experience in choir, playing the clarinet and violin.
On Spotify, he goes by Glowmanny, boasting thousands of streams. His influences include nostalgic Nintendo games, gospel music, and R&B artists like Steve Lacy.
“Music is a way I can express myself. It’s the one thing I could do forever without getting tired of it,” he says.
Originally a music major, Torto decided to pivot to a major in business administration with a minor in music. When he’s not singing for a track or producing, he’s out networking.
“If you want to succeed, you need to double down, commit to your path,” he says. “It’s good to be curious and ask questions, to believe in your talents and goals even when results aren’t obvious yet.”
His goal is to make music that makes people feel seen and heard, he says. He is passionate about working in the industry, either as a musician, a project manager, or in music media.
