Editor’s Note: The Tribe Tribune is excited to revisit our annual feature, Tribe Tracks, to celebrate our school’s unique music tastes. We enjoy seeing the different tastes in music that students have, and certain songs always catch our attention. For this issue, we’re shining the spotlight on sophomore Iris Miller, who stood out for her old alternative favorites and her story as a musician. We also included a few other students’ top 5 that we found interesting. Add these songs to your queue, and you might just find a new favorite!
Q. You mentioned that you produce music with your dad. How did that start?
A. My sister is living out of state right now, and since she left, my dad and I have started recording songs and sending them to her. They’re usually covers of other songs, but sometimes we do originals. Our first one was a Christmas song, where we recorded an acoustic version of Silent Night for my sister. She had been serving a mission in Idaho for our church for a few months at the time, and we wanted to record something for a Christmas present for her. She ended up loving it so much that she started asking for more and more, so we decided to keep sending them.
Q. Do you have any instruments that you enjoy playing?
A. When my dad was in college, he was in a bunch of different bands. He taught me how to play guitar when I was 10, and I also did piano lessons. When I got to middle school or somewhere around there, my brother got a drum set, and I was the only sibling who bothered learning how to play.
Q. How has the meaning of music changed since you started to produce it yourself?
A. Music is one of my favorite things in the world. Ever since I was little, I’ve played at least one instrument– or at least tried to– and I’ve always loved how it allows you to bring other people joy. I even used to play piano concerts in church or at the nursing home. Since we started recording, I get excited every time we finish a piece and get to send it off.
Q. Can you tell us more about why you chose The Thing by the Pixies as your favorite song?
A. It’s just a really catchy song, honestly. I’ve listened to the Pixies my whole life since I was a kid. I went to the Pixies concert last summer with my dad, brother, and my dad’s really good friends from college and his family. The friend that we went with actually used to be one of the guys in my dad’s band when he was in college, so I’ve known them all my life. That concert was like our third concert that month, and we were beyond excited. I think that was when I first heard that song, and since then, it’s been stuck in my head.
Q. Do you have any genre of music that you actively avoid?
A. The only genre of music I absolutely cannot stand is modern country. I don’t love old country, but the classics are pretty good.
Q. Can you name some artists who inspired you to produce music?
A. Well, the song we recorded after our Christmas song was finished was a Strokes song. So I would say the Strokes inspired me the most. I think what I like most about them is that they have a really raw sound that is very achievable to replicate, but it still sounds really good at the same time.
Q. Can you describe the process of making music with your dad? Has it affected your relationship in any way?
A. When making music together, he always lets me pick the song, and then we find a chord progression that we think sounds right, and I usually play most of the physical instruments. My dad does a lot of the technical stuff and the production, but he always lets me have final say on what goes or stays. We use a software called “Logic Pro”. Then, for the production and synth, we use an OP-1 Field. We’ve definitely gotten closer since we started playing music together. On weekends, it gives us an excuse to hang out and stuff, or even after school.
