Music composed by senior David Cha conveys multiple emotional, deep, and complex feelings. The compositions could only be described as thoughtful, clearly demonstrating Cha’s effort and dedication to his craft.
Cha’s music is inspired by impressionistic and modernist composers. Though Cha mainly composes classical music, his works also include other musical genres, Cha said. He was exposed to classical music by his parents, and has formed a special relationship with music since, Cha shared.
“Music has always been around me, and I realized that it is what I love doing and it’s what I enjoy the most,” Cha said.
Cha created his own short films through his animation and storytelling before accustoming himself with the idea of composition freshman year, he said.
“Music has always been such a strong part of my life,” Cha said. “It’s something that’s so powerful and emotional at times, but also very intellectual and intricate.”
Cha’s creative process usually starts with an idea, such as a melody or texture. Then he sits at the piano and sketches on paper, often using various colors, before moving to his computer software to continue developing his composition.
“Sketching on paper gives flexibility to get ideas down before moving into software,” Cha said. “It doesn’t have to be clean, it would just be me trying to communicate to myself what I was thinking.”
Cha’s composition began to gain more traction during his junior year, Cody Halberstadt, Instructional Supervisor for Fine Arts, said. Cha’s talent was clear from the moment Halberstad had heard his music, Halberstadt said.
“He’s somebody that has consistently set high standards and challenging goals for himself, and has worked toward achieving those,” Halberstadt said. “I’m confident that he can be incredibly successful in whatever he ends up pursuing.”
Last year Cha was selected for Illinois All-State Honors Band and earned Honorable Mentions in the Illinois Music Education Association’s Student Composition Contest, Halberstadt said. He received one Honorable Mention in the Senior Instrumental Small Ensemble division, and the other in the Senior Orchestra Category, Halberstadt said.
“Making All-State or earning honors in the composition contest—those are all really major things that he has striven for,” Halberstadt said.
Senior Renzo Lopez saw first hand how Cha expresses himself through social media platforms. Cha’s achievements and dedicated character are considered extremely impressive and are highly recognized, Lopez said.
“Everyone he knows is really proud of him and supports him,” Lopez said. “He absolutely deserves that recognition.”
Cha explained his gratefulness for developing and sharing his abilities with others, and how it has led him to opportunities to produce music, he explaned.
“The way I best express myself is through music,” Cha said. “Whether I’m trying to communicate an idea or a belief I have, I love writing music because it connects people.”
