Nick Ducko doesn't let genre or convention tell him how to make his music.
"Making music is very much an experiment," the third-year media arts student said.
That's reflected in his work, currently available on Soundcloud — it skips around from sound to sound, sometimes within the same song. Electronica, rock and ambient all make appearances, leaving Ducko without a signature sound, but with a wide range of options.
Diversifying is part of why Ducko is majoring in media arts instead of music. Ducko insists the title of his degree doesn't matter much — he majors in media arts primarily because he works with audio and other music-related things. The Oakridge, Tennessee native said his media arts classes help him create music, and his major allows him to work with sound and has opened him up to friends and creative collaboration networks.
Ducko has only recently started sharing the music that he has recorded. He describes his sound as alternative and his most recent work draws influence from both rock and hip-hop. He creates his music in a home studio that he shares with a few roommates.
Ducko works on his own to create his alternative rock sound, but someitmes he'll get his roommates into the mix.
"Sometimes I’ll get them in to do guitar or drums or something if I think that I can't do it very well," Ducko said. "But for the most part, I do it all myself.”
Ducko aspires to create music for films and is working on a theater production program for the university and said college truly has helped him become a better musician. He considers Jennifer Tarr, a media arts instructor for the School of Visual Art and Design, and her husband Simon Tarr, to be outstanding teachers and influences.
Other inspirations for Ducko include artists such as David Bowie, Radiohead and London producer Burial.
“The inspiration mostly comes from just the emotional impact they have on me,” Ducko said. “I wish I could have that sort of impact on someone else. I want to inspire people to do what I’m doing.”
Ducko said there isn't a right way to make music. Being a musician has its ups and downs, he said, and it can be frustrating when nothing seems to be working.
“It's always rewarding though," he said, "especially when you find a breakthrough."