Fernando is a regular at the Albany Park Branch's YOUmedia. With help from the YOUmedia mentor and librarian he has been studio-certified and creates his own musical projects in the YOUmedia recording booth. We followed up with Fern to learn a bit more about his creation process, both inside and out of the library.
Q: When did you first know that you wanted to make your own music?
A: I always listened to music when I was young. I first started writing when I was 7 and I started taking it seriously when I was 14. My music is influenced by artists like J. Cole, August Alsina and Tupac; artists that have a lot of substance in their music. Storytelling is important in lyrics.
When I first started out the easiest part was the writing. Just getting the words from my mind down on paper. I just wrote anything I felt at that moment. But the words can also the hard part. Sometimes I’ll start writing something, get halfway and then it takes two or three months to finish. It’s important to think it out, give an idea the time it needs.
When people listen to my music I want them to take something away, feel like they learned something, or to have a line that really sticks with them. For my most recent project 'Lost In Love' the concept was all about love and love stories. Love is a way to connect with people, any type of love.
Q: What role did the Library for you in making music?
A: I like how YOUmedia has the studio ready to go, we [teens] can use it any time. Getting some lessons on the equipment helped me learn and be self sufficient.
Q: How has being from Chicago influenced your music?
A: People are really creative in Chicago, there a lot of different types of artistry. Most people think Chicago is just drill rap. I love Common, I love Chance the Rapper, they are both so different from each other. I also love my neighborhood, it’s so beautiful. I’ve met a lot of people coming to the library. My advice to anyone starting out is to just be yourself. Don’t follow trends, don’t chase sounds, talk about what you want to talk about and really make it your own.
Thanks for sharing your inspiration Fern!
Check out Fern's new project 'Lost in Love' here.
