Creativity Against the Current: Chanan Lewis and Braeden McClellan

Townview is a school that at times can discourage creativity. Yes, the school offers theatre and visual arts classes. Despite that, most of the students who take these classes take them begrudgingly, simply because they must in order to fulfill their required fine arts credit. Additionally, these classes are often not focused on the arts at all, such as the theatre program, which involves more work on the computer than on the stage. With Townview’s lack of art-centered programs, it can be difficult to have the time or means to create art. Tests, homework, and the need to study tend to pile on top of and muffle the voices of those who still want to pursue different forms of art in spite of how the environment at Townview challenges that. Despite these factors, artists at the Law Magnet still find ways to express themselves via their creations and keep up with school. Two of which being Chanan Lewis and Braeden McClellan, who both create music. We interviewed both of them to explore what the music making process is like, and what sparked their fuses to start making music.

When did you start making music?

“I’ve actually been making music since I was little. I wanna say, like, 6th grade. I didn’t start very recently.” – Chanan Lewis

     “I’ve been making music for a while now. I started all the way back in 7th grade.” – Braeden McClellan  

     Despite only recently gaining more traction, Chanan has been making music since middle school. As you can imagine, a 6th grader might not have the best resources to make music, but he did not let that stop him from continuing to create.

This momentum made him who he is now, a (temporarily) small and growing musical artist.

     Making music as a 7th grader initially started off as a challenge for Braeden. He had to learn the entire process– from creating beats and writing lyrics to blending melodies into complete songs. But those early challenges didn’t hold him back. More than three years later, Braeden is still producing music and gaining steady momentum.

What made you start getting into music?

“I wanted a way to express things and ideas in a kind of artistic way, and I also just wanted to try it out and see what happened, how it went.” – Chanan Lewis

“I needed an outlet to express my emotions and myself” – Braden McClellan

     Music, as well as any other form of art, is a way that many people use to express themselves. Every part of a piece of art, given that it isn’t AI generated, had intention behind it. Every brush stroke, snare, or comma has a decision made in someone’s mind behind it. This is the expression that all art requires, and Chanan does this in his music. 

     For Braeden, music is an outlet, a way to express himself and his emotions. It’s more than just musical notes and lyrics; it’s a language through which he can convey feelings that words alone sometimes fail to capture. Every song tells a story, and reflects on his experiences. Through his music, Braeden is able to express himself, and also resonate with listeners.

What’s the process of making a song like?

“It starts with something small. Like an idea, or hearing a beat that I know I can flow on. And then it just goes like that, where I automatically start to flow.” – Chanan Lewis

“Oh it’s a long process. First I start with the beat, then start adding vocals and then record lyrics. Overall it takes a couple hours nonstop to finish a song” – Braeden McClellan

     Hearing about what can spark an idea for a song from Chanan shows that the thing that can make someone want to create art can be big or small. Be it hearing a sampled beat in a song, reading a book, or admiring graphic design out in the streets, anything can inspire art.

     Making music is a long process, one that takes patience and a genuine passion for the craft. In Braeden’s music, every note, vocal, and lyric is carefully shaped and refined. It’s a journey of trial and error, where dedication and perseverance turn that original spark of an idea into something meaningful that can move and connect others.

Do you produce everything by yourself, or do you have a team?

“For the beats, I have producers. But everything else, the mixing and mastering, I do.” – Chanan Lewis

     “I work with a lot of people. I have friends all over the country and I work with Chanan a lot to make music together.” – Braeden McClellan

     Although this is a simple question that begs a simple response, it can show just how much work has to go into making even a singular song.

Especially for a student juggling both music and school, it’s nearly impossible to be done alone. But even with that in mind, a majority of Chanan’s producers are also students pursuing the arts as well. With effort and collaboration, a team can come together to create and express themselves.

     Music is an art that involves a lot of people. Braeden has connections with many pursuing artists, and works with them on a regular basis to create songs. In particular he often teams up with his good friend Chanan, and together they help and inspire each other to make the music they love.

Lastly, do you go by a screen name?

“Yup, jup1tr.” – Chanan Lewis

     “Yeah, I thought of it randomly while playing basketball one day. It’s Novereign” – Braeden McClellan

     These names are also what they can both be found as on Spotify. Screen names are commonly used by artists to better reflect their musical identity and have a more memorable name to go with their music. It clearly works, because in jokes and conversations at the Law Magnet when it comes to music, Jup1tr and Novereign are often the names you hear.

In interviewing these two growing musical artists, we learned about how they make music, and what made them start doing so. They showed that creating music is a process that takes time, effort, and a massive amount of dedication. Because it truly does take dedication to keep up with both a career in music and school, but both of these students manage to do this every day. In a time where the creativity and intention behind art is threatened by AI, and the ability to create is trampled over by the not-so-art-focused environment of Townview, Chanan Lewis and Braeden McClellan still express themselves through music one song at a time.