Melody Rapela: Making Music From Life
Songwriter and college student Melody Rapela shares her insights on making music.
You’re reading an interview in Sketch Pad’s “College Artist Interview Series,” which you can read more about at the bottom of this post. I use the term “artist” to refer to all those pursuing creative careers—writers, visual artists, musicians, performers, etc. For other interviews, click here.
This month’s interview features Melody Rapela, a songwriter and zoology major at Ohio Wesleyan University. She shares insights about using songwriting to cope with life’s ups and downs.
Q: What kind of “creative type” do you identify as?
I am a musician, first and foremost. I have been singing since before I can remember; my parents joke that I was singing before I could speak. It is all I have ever known. My nickname around campus and with my friends is Birdie, short for songbird, because I always have music on in my headphones. When I'm not in class, you can usually find me singing along with the songs on my playlist.
Q: Did you always think of yourself as a creative person? Were you a creative kid? And, if so, in what ways?
I have always been a creative person. I have always been a dreamer, and I made up wild stories and make-believe games while growing up. To this day, I still have vivid daydreams and dreams at night, usually of fantastic stories and faraway lands. I think I will always have a very active imagination. As an adult, I am still incredibly creative. The type of creative I am now is a lyricist, or in layman's terms, a songwriter. I have been doing this for around five or six years now.
Q: Did you choose to be an artist, or did it choose you? In other words, do you feel called to make art even if you never made money at it?
From when I was a child to about a year ago, if you asked me if I considered myself an artist, I would have said absolutely not. I am not a talented visual artist, and my essay and story writing aren't the strongest. I have to say, songwriting chose me. A younger me would be shocked at what I do now.
Q: Do you do your art for a living, part-time or full-time? Or would you like to pursue it as a career?
I do not consider this something I do for a living. It is more of a hobby. I don't think I could ever do music as a career because a part of me feels like I may get bored of it and no longer love it as much as I do now. I never want to lose my love of music and storytelling.
Q: How and when did you first discover you wanted to be an artist?
Music has always been my outlet, my safe place, my escape. I grew up severely bullied. For fifteen years, I was bullied by one person that I went to school with up until I hit college. One day, I sat down with a notebook and just started writing. I wrote a more poetic story of some of the things that happened to me. My emotions, some of the things that were said, feelings, and thoughts I had. I sat with them for a long time and wrote and titled about four songs. I went back and read them, and my childhood best friend read them as well. She loved them, and so did I. I learned that I have a talent for lyrics. It is the one form of writing I am good at and the one form that I love with all my heart. All of this happened around five or six years ago, and I have been writing about it ever since.
Q: Why did you decide to go to college?
I was very surprised when Dr. Graves approached me to do this interview because my major has nothing to do with my music. I came to school for a STEM field and never really intended to release my music until I met some people here.
Q: Did your interest in your art influence your choice of major? Why or why not?
As stated before, my major has nothing to do with my love of music. I am a General Zoology major with a Spanish minor. My major has actually inspired some songs that I have written, incorporating poetic animal facts into my songs. Those facts are some I have learned in classes here.
Q: Do your college courses influence the practice of your art?
Being a third-year zoology major, I am incredibly busy. I made the incredible decision to take three labs this semester, so from basically sun up to sun down, I spend in classes, labs, and the library working on papers or studying for tests. I also help out with the Women's Rugby team on campus by taking pictures and helping around when I can. I don't have as much time to focus on music as I would like. However, whenever I have the time, I either sit down with my old beat-up notebook and write for hours, or I make the instrumentals in my music and record things. I hope I'll have more time in the future to dedicate to songwriting and singing.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add about your experience of being an artist, going to college, or making a career in the arts?
If you would like to follow along with my music journey or are curious about my songs and want to hear them, you can find me on almost all streaming platforms at Wild At Heart. If that doesn’t work or you don't know which artist I am, you can also look up the names of the two songs I have out. They are: “So I Survived” and “Addicted to Maybes.”
If you like what you hear or want to know more about the writing process, you can also find my Instagram, where I post behind-the-scenes covers of some popular songs. You can find that at wilda_thearttt
Q: Do you have any advice for other artists bound for college?
To my fellow songwriters and music lovers, I have a few things I want to share with you.
Write from the heart. If you choose to write about your own experiences, it can be terrifying. Trust me, I understand that; the first song I released, “So I Survived,” covered some topics that I wasn't sure I was ready to share with people. However, I have found that there is more love than hate with songs that people can relate to. I have had people message me or, if they know me, find me and tell me they didn't feel so alone. It also can help you realize that you're not the only one who had the experiences or emotions you felt. I always say that if my songs can touch one person and make them feel better, or not so alone, then I have succeeded as a singer and songwriter. That is why I do what I do. I don't care about being well-known or being famous. Writing from the heart can be helpful to yourself as well as other people.
Don't be afraid. If you choose to release your music and share it with others, it can be really anxiety-inducing. Not everyone is going to like your music. But that's okay! Not everyone has to. It's easier said than done to ignore negativity, but I recommend finding the positive things people say and clinging to them. People will always be awful, but the good outweighs the bad most of the time. Keep your head held high and know that no matter what, there will always be someone who loves your music. And know that your music is doing great things. YOU are doing great things.
Try new things. A songwriter can often be their own worst critic. 90% of the time the song you hate and think is your worst really isn't that bad. If you take a step away from it and read it again a few weeks later, you may see that. But if you keep thinking something isn't working, don't be afraid to change gears. If you are writing more serious or sad songs, try writing a happier or more upbeat song. Or even try a comedic approach! You don't need to put yourself into a box; a good artist explores what they can do! Try new styles or new genres!
Have fun. This is the most important advice I can give you. No, not all songs you write are going to be fun, upbeat songs. However, don't take yourself too seriously; getting in your head can cause severe anxiety and take away the joy of writing and sharing your stories. Songwriting is a fun thing, you get to be creative with your words, creative with their music. It's a way to express yourself! Don't overthink things too much. As someone with extreme anxiety, I understand how hard that is. Take a deep breath and know that no matter what, whether you choose to share them or not, you worked hard, you used it to help you, and YOU are amazing. As cheesy as it sounds, it is incredibly brave even to sit down and write about an experience or emotion. Keep your head held high!
About Melody
Melody is a zoology major at Ohio Wesleyan University. She writes song lyrics in her spare time, and has published two songs: “So I Survived” and “Addicted to Maybes.” find her on Instagram @wilda_thearttt.
About the College & Grad Artist Interview Series
Hey, there! I’m Sarah Graves, a writer, author, English professor, and mom to a creative kid. I’m interviewing writers, artists, musicians, performers, and other creative types who are currently attending college or have college and graduate degrees because going through college when you have nontraditional career goals comes with unique challenges. My hope is that seeing how others with creative interests have navigated college and grad school helps you in pursuing your own dream. There are many ways to approach art, college, and career. However you go about it, the most important thing is to make your art because the world needs your art (and so do you)!
If you’re a creative type with advice to share about navigating college, I’d love to feature you in an upcoming interview. Just hit reply to this email!