By: Kourtney Webb
The music industry has been lusted over by so many musicians looking to take their talents to the next level. For York College Nursing major, Alex Theodule, 20, music has been a creative outlet for expressing his thoughts. Instead of being on the mic in front of a packed house, Alex wants to be the man behind the music.
“I want to produce tracks for all genres of music. Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, it doesn’t matter. Anyone that listens to music will have one of my tracks in their playlist,” said Alex.
Theodule found his passion for music when he was a child, seeing his cousin make beats on fruity loops, a digital audio software for music production. He was inspired by anything and everything to create something beautiful, a piece of art you could listen to and could make you feel something.
“From there I learned how to play the piano, drums, base, and guitar,” said Theodule.
York College is filled with many talented musicians. This is reflected in the talent shows York College has throughout the school year. Alex plans to collaborate with the numerous rappers and singers in York.
Professional music production is a dream for many, but a reality for few. Breaking into the music industry is tough and the competition is even tougher. Alex is not afraid of not making it because his passion for music runs deep. He won’t be swayed from pursuing a life in music by the naysayers or his competitors.
Part of his drive is the motivation he gets from his parents. Julien and Marie Theodule have been the type of parents to support his dream no matter what.
“My mom actually bought me my first keyboard,” said Alex. He could make as much noise as he wanted. The only condition they had was to have the music turned down by 11.
Everything he creates, down to his label’s name, is made up of a well thought out conscious decision that represents him. Alex started his own label 3 years ago called ADOTMUSIC.
“The A stands for my name. I used the ‘dot’ because I thought it looked better than just a period (after all image is everything) and music is because I feel like I’m not just an artist/producer/singer/songwriter/rapper, I’m all those things. I am music.”
Alex began rapping, singing and writing for the beats he produced as a way to reach a broader audience.
“Around my freshmen year of high school I started putting beats on my sound cloud. My reception wasn’t that great, my cumulative plays from 2009 to 2014 was just a little over one thousand.” Said Alex. He adds, “people didn’t take to my beats I think not because they were bad or amateur, but because they couldn’t tell where I was going with my beats. They couldn’t see the potential in the beats, so I showed them. I stated writing lyrics for my beats.”
Alex now has more than 75k cumulative plays on his Soundcloud.
“I will be a professional producer, I just have to wait my turn.”
Alex has already started sending out his music to potential collaborators like Fetty Wap, Chris Brown, and Pro Era in hopes to jump start his career.
In the meantime, Alex is focusing on collaborating with local artists. He has been influenced by Ashley Henry, an upcoming artist from Queens, who goes by the stage name Ashen. At only 17, she has the skill and professionalism as someone twice her age said Alex. Her genre of choice in music is old school hip/hop and R&B.
“Alex motivates me to always be better, and try new things in music I’ve never done before. He’s very determined, he’s always bringing new ideas for us to work on, said Henry”
They continue to work together because her gift was something he wanted to work with and his talents appealed to her.
“Overall we motivate each other,” said Henry.
Alex said her skills in music surpasses even his, though she has only been doing it for a short period of time.
“She’s so talented. She could be great one day. She has an old school Hip Hop and R&B vibe and I think she could be like an Aaliyah one day,” said Theodule.
A studio is as important to a music producer as a camera is to a director. But for a college student on a budget buying professional equipment can seem like a mortgage payment. Alex took a job as a janitor determined to have the best equipment he could buy.
“I paid for all the equipment out of pocket, aside from the base amp I received as payment for a wedding I did,” said Theodule.
He sets himself apart from the crowd by constantly revamping himself, not only through music but by being influenced by the world around him. Alex speaks several languages including Creole, Spanish, French, and is learning Japanese and Korean.
“I’m influenced by different cultures and speaking the language helps me connect better,” he said.
The music industry has been lusted over by so many musicians looking to take their talents to the next level. For York College Nursing major, Alex Theodule, 20, music has been a creative outlet for expressing his thoughts. Instead of being on the mic in front of a packed house, Alex wants to be the man behind the music.
“I want to produce tracks for all genres of music. Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, it doesn’t matter. Anyone that listens to music will have one of my tracks in their playlist,” said Alex.
Theodule found his passion for music when he was a child, seeing his cousin make beats on fruity loops, a digital audio software for music production. He was inspired by anything and everything to create something beautiful, a piece of art you could listen to and could make you feel something.
“From there I learned how to play the piano, drums, base, and guitar,” said Theodule.
York College is filled with many talented musicians. This is reflected in the talent shows York College has throughout the school year. Alex plans to collaborate with the numerous rappers and singers in York.
Professional music production is a dream for many, but a reality for few. Breaking into the music industry is tough and the competition is even tougher. Alex is not afraid of not making it because his passion for music runs deep. He won’t be swayed from pursuing a life in music by the naysayers or his competitors.
Part of his drive is the motivation he gets from his parents. Julien and Marie Theodule have been the type of parents to support his dream no matter what.
“My mom actually bought me my first keyboard,” said Alex. He could make as much noise as he wanted. The only condition they had was to have the music turned down by 11.
Everything he creates, down to his label’s name, is made up of a well thought out conscious decision that represents him. Alex started his own label 3 years ago called ADOTMUSIC.
“The A stands for my name. I used the ‘dot’ because I thought it looked better than just a period (after all image is everything) and music is because I feel like I’m not just an artist/producer/singer/songwriter/rapper, I’m all those things. I am music.”
Alex began rapping, singing and writing for the beats he produced as a way to reach a broader audience.
“Around my freshmen year of high school I started putting beats on my sound cloud. My reception wasn’t that great, my cumulative plays from 2009 to 2014 was just a little over one thousand.” Said Alex. He adds, “people didn’t take to my beats I think not because they were bad or amateur, but because they couldn’t tell where I was going with my beats. They couldn’t see the potential in the beats, so I showed them. I stated writing lyrics for my beats.”
Alex now has more than 75k cumulative plays on his Soundcloud.
“I will be a professional producer, I just have to wait my turn.”
Alex has already started sending out his music to potential collaborators like Fetty Wap, Chris Brown, and Pro Era in hopes to jump start his career.
In the meantime, Alex is focusing on collaborating with local artists. He has been influenced by Ashley Henry, an upcoming artist from Queens, who goes by the stage name Ashen. At only 17, she has the skill and professionalism as someone twice her age said Alex. Her genre of choice in music is old school hip/hop and R&B.
“Alex motivates me to always be better, and try new things in music I’ve never done before. He’s very determined, he’s always bringing new ideas for us to work on, said Henry”
They continue to work together because her gift was something he wanted to work with and his talents appealed to her.
“Overall we motivate each other,” said Henry.
Alex said her skills in music surpasses even his, though she has only been doing it for a short period of time.
“She’s so talented. She could be great one day. She has an old school Hip Hop and R&B vibe and I think she could be like an Aaliyah one day,” said Theodule.
A studio is as important to a music producer as a camera is to a director. But for a college student on a budget buying professional equipment can seem like a mortgage payment. Alex took a job as a janitor determined to have the best equipment he could buy.
“I paid for all the equipment out of pocket, aside from the base amp I received as payment for a wedding I did,” said Theodule.
He sets himself apart from the crowd by constantly revamping himself, not only through music but by being influenced by the world around him. Alex speaks several languages including Creole, Spanish, French, and is learning Japanese and Korean.
“I’m influenced by different cultures and speaking the language helps me connect better,” he said.