Your name is called. The lights in the room dim, but the lights on you only grow brighter. The room is silent except for the sound of your heartbeat, which seems to be the loudest sound in the room. You take a deep breath, grab your guitar, and begin playing.

For many Cathedral Catholic High School students in Campus Ministry Schola, singing and playing at Liturgy showcases only a part of their talents. Many students perform, and are involved in other musical endeavors outside of the Campus Ministry environment.

Some of these accomplished cantors have added a creative layer to their musical careers. In addition to performing traditional songs in Mass or contemporary songs in concerts, students write and compose their own music as well.

“I like being able to express myself through music instead of spoken word,” Schola Campus Minister Rachel Wilson ’16 said. “There’s something raw and vulnerable about singing and playing your own music that is unlike just talking to someone.”

By writing their own lyrics and music, these students pursue a unique avenue of expression that can lead to beautiful results. Mr. Pat Robell, Director of Music Ministry and Schola teacher, acknowledges the value this creative expression holds. He uses the Schola room as a sort of workshop for students to use as they please. Students can come in during lunch and use the piano to work on music or collaborate with others.

“I’m a big believer in creative expression,” he said. “Music can get us through difficult patches in our lives by not just changing the way we feel about ourselves, but how we feel about things outside of ourselves. That’s why I encourage them to come in and create and write.”

Being surrounded by fellow-minded musicians, Campus Ministry offers students unique opportunities to collaborate and write with each other. Ideas often bounce from one singer to another, and the frantic rush for a pen to write down a new lyric idea is a common sight.

But inspiration for the songs themselves often emerges from real-life experiences.

“Pretty much everything can be a form of inspiration in some way,” Schola Campus Minister Niki Maroon ’16 said. “The people around me and the kind of day I’m having are definitely important though.”

Wilson echoed the idea that inspiration can be found anywhere.

“Events and people that put me both in a good and bad place can be really inspiring,” she said. “Also, my favorite artists like Mac DeMarco, Adele and Pink Floyd all offer inspiration in pretty diverse ways.”

Once the song is written, it is often worked on and tweaked for a long period of time. Following the editing process, the artists choose if they would like to share their work, and with whom. Once an artist shares his or her work, the experience is generally rewarding.

“It’s such a cool connection you make when someone hears your original music,” Schola Campus Minister Alexa Vadnais ’16 said. “It can really give everyone the same feeling of not being alone.”

“It’s the best feeling in the world share my music, really my thoughts, with people,” Maroon said.

The creative environment surrounding Schola offers students new ways to forge relationships with others and share emotions and experiences through music that they might otherwise keep to themselves.

“I love collaborating with Niki and my friends and listening to their music and sharing my own,” Wilson said. “I’ll find myself walking around or driving and Niki’s song ‘My Skin’ will be stuck in my head.”

“It’s totally the same with yours!” Maroon said, referring to Wilson’s ‘Chained.’

Niki Maroon’s original song ‘My Skin’ is linked below.