For as long as he can remember, Guy Sreesangkom has had a passion for creating and performing music. A Thai-Australian Senior at ISB, his love for music has led him to release songs while frequently performing at the school during open-mic events.

Ideally, his dream of being a full-time musician would come to fruition soon. However, he also reflects that often, as a musician, you may have to “first get a good-paying job to be able even to afford to go all in.” Consequently, Guy has explored his talent and passion for STEM, which he hopes will land him a job that can support his music. Besides his rigorous work in STEM, he is also an HL music student and has taken multiple music-oriented electives throughout high school.

His music focuses heavily on love and the relentless pursuit of it, even after loss or heartbreak. His music preaches a determination to be positive about the romantic side of life no matter how badly you get hurt, and this attitude permeates every lyric. While he has only released two songs, they provide a fresh outlook on the world around us and give us a deeper drive to tough it out.

Guy’s thoughtful yet realistic views on music as a career highlight one of the issues new musicians go through: the ever-nagging question of “Can I actually make this happen?” Using statistics provided by Billboard, the creators of the accredited Billboard Top100, only about 12% of developing artists are able to rise to mid-level status. Far fewer — a number estimated to be around 3% — actually make it as successful musicians in their own right. This is why many aspiring musicians like Guy have to reach for more financially viable career paths to consider being a full-time musician.

When asked how his music has evolved to be one of those lucky 3 %, he immediately notes how important it is to make your music true to your style. He “used to be a really acoustic-driven artist with a good bit of electric guitar thrown in there as well,” he says. This is evident in his first publicly released song, “Feel Love Again,” a track very similar to the works of artists like Boy Pablo and Harmless (formerly known as Twin Cabins). Following a laid-back style and frequent reverberation, he aims to fit right into the up-and-coming genre of ‘Bedroom Pop,’ a style that is meant to organically emulate the sounds of home recording set-ups found in many musicians’ homes.

The techniques used in “Run,” another one of Guy’s songs, show his changing music production as he explores more “synth-heavy genres” seen with artists such as Tame-Impala and MGMT.” These inspirations become clear when listening to “Run,” but Guy also stays true to the mellow yet simultaneously upbeat rhythms that are present in “Feel Love Again.”

Indie synth has become increasingly popular, especially with the continual rise of artists like Tame Impala as they make their way into the mainstream. “Getting introduced to new techniques really allowed me to develop my skill as both a producer and musician,” he says. “It really opened up a lot of experimentation for me.” He also reflects on how much more convenient technology has made production, especially as a new musician. “Instead of having to try to recreate a professional studio-sounding guitar, it’s a lot easier for me to be able to use an FL studio sound instead of having to record a full guitar line,” he explains. “I think it’ll definitely encourage a lot more people to pick up music, as digital production is a lot more accessible.”

With the ability to use many free programs like GarageBand and BandLab, alongside pirated versions of sophisticated software like FL Studio, producing music has never been easier. In 2022, there were an estimated 75.9 million producers, which is expected to inflate to a staggering 198.2 million in 2030. This influx of new musicians trying to start their own careers gives artists like Guy, who have already started establishing themselves, the ability to provide invaluable advice to industry novices.

“A lot of people think of music production as this thing you need to be some music theory expert to get into,” he says. While Guy is technically well-versed in music theory and has a background in many different genres, he says he’s never needed it entirely to succeed. “You don’t really need to know the chords that well or be some classic virtuoso. A lot of the music I make is me going with whatever sounds good to my ear.” Guy also claims that a lot of music theory is just a natural reaction to the sound. “You can create harmonies just by listening and dropping a note a couple of tones.”

Guy strongly encourages anyone who is even mildly interested in music production to give it a shot. “There’s no reason not to try, and you might even find something really special if you succeed.” At the moment, Guy is halfway through his senior year of high school and plans to move on to college after graduating. He also plans to keep making music and see if he can make it work “for real this time.” You can listen to his music across streaming platforms under the artist name “gaii.”