Phin Choukas (Hanover, N.H.) is a junior on the men's golf team and is a philosophy major.
 
Tell us about your experiences producing music.

I started producing music 10 years ago, and ever since then, it has been an important creative outlet for me. It's that one interest of mine where I can spend hours in a row sitting still in front of the computer, not knowing how much time is passing by. I use the software Ableton Live, which is a popular digital audio workshop (DAW) to make all kinds of music. I work with folk artists, rappers, and everyone in between. I also produce my own electronic music and am working on a solo project that is more indie/pop oriented.
 
In the past few years, I've started making money off my own songs and songs that I've produced and helped write with other artists. Most notably, I was hired by Universal Music Group to produce Noah Kahan's "Cape Elizabeth" EP over quarantine. I am continuing to pursue music professionally, and hope that, whatever I end up doing, I still have time to make music.
 
Walk us through the process of creating a piece of music.

There are so many ways that a project can begin. If I am working by myself, I usually start with the instrumental. Sometimes that means starting by writing chords and building the song up from there. Other times I program a drum beat by arranging individual samples like the kick, clap, hats, etc. in a particular pattern. Once I have the instrumental, I will start humming melodies, and ones I've nailed down a melody, then I'll start refining the lyrics.
 
If I am working with another artist, they tend to come into the session with some ideas in mind. It could be a guitar riff, a concept for lyrics, or even another song they really like that we want to use for reference. As a producer, it is my job to bring the artist's vision to light. Once the song is written, and the vocals and guitar are recorded, I take all of those pieces and bring them together as a cohesive unit. I've learned that this process involves a lot more cutting than adding. There are numerous directions a song can go, and the final cut cannot include all of those possibilities that we've explored, so I have found it helpful to focus in on one aspect that really draws the listener in.
 
What drew you in to meditation?

I got into meditation through people like Joseph Goldstein and Sam Harris, who both have great meditation apps. What drew me in was this realization that we are constantly bombarded by our thoughts, and we don't even realize it. I am naturally a bit of an anxious person and noticed instantly after my first time meditating for 15 minutes the positive effects of the practice. Living in a time such as ours, there is more sensory overload than ever before, so I think slowing things down and simply refusing to get pulled into every thought or distraction that comes into consciousness is an invaluable skill, and one that takes a lifetime to master!