Clay Lewis

What have you most enjoyed about studying Music? Was there a particular discovery, new skill or way of thinking, or insight that you found especially valuable? Please share an example from your favorite class or experience.

I have always used music as to express myself and to share my humanity with those around me. As a kid I spent my time absorbing as much information as I could, teaching myself to produce and write music online because it just felt natural. There was only so much I could teach myself, though, and I would frequently get frustrated that I wanted to express myself in a particular way but the music I was imagining was just out of reach. Studying at MIT changed this for me. In 21M.302 my professor explained that music is a language just like any other. It has grammar, flow, ways to express similar ideas in different ways. This insight changed the way I see music, helping me to speak in a way that I couldn’t before As I studied, I felt more and more like I could speak this language – building my fluency. I hope to reach the point where music is my native tongue. 

How does the knowledge from this field, or your interest in it, combine with your other major or minor studies at MIT? 

Studying computer science has both enhanced the way I approach music creation and given me more ways to express myself. Music can be as much about problem solving as computer science is and learning to break a problem down and approach it methodically has been an invaluable part of my toolset as a composer. Furthermore, CS has given me the ability to create tools and sounds of my own, expanding the possibilities of sounds I can create and worlds I can conjure.

An MIT education includes study in the scientific, technical, social science, arts, and humanities fields. How do you think that the wide range of knowledge and perspectives will be valuable to you – for your career success and for your enjoyment of life? 

To be a composer is to draw upon lived experiences and communicate them in a way that words can’t. To do that, you have to have a diverse palette of experiences and perspectives to draw from. Having a well-balanced education in science, technology, social sciences, humanities, all give me a better understanding of the ways that humans interact with the world around us that I can use to inspire me in the future.

What are your plans for the future?

After I graduate, I hope to begin my career as a film composer. I was recently admitted to NYU’s Graduate Screen Scoring program so my education may continue, but I’ve also been reaching out to as many professionals as I can to build relationships with people I love to work with. There’s likely a long road before I reach my professional goals, but hopefully someday you’ll walk into a theater and see my name when the credits roll!