Performances + Events
Singer-songwriter Andy Messier ’27 recently participated in NEC Studio Sessions — a series that serves as a digital stage and provides an intimate setting in which members of the NEC community can express themselves. After recording a session with his band, Messier spoke with us about the approach he takes to his work, the experience of studying in NEC’s Contemporary Musical Arts Department, the emergence of AI, where he finds inspiration, and more.
Q: Was there a singular musical experience that set you on your current path?
A: When I look back on my musical journey so far, I can think of many experiences that have shaped the current path I am on today. I am really fortunate and privileged to have had great family, friends, and mentors who have encouraged me to pursue music. During my junior year in high school, I went through a deeply moving personal experience that opened up my perspective. It made me realize that life is unbelievably precious and that it’s worth pursuing what you love. From then on, I have dedicated my time and effort into this craft and haven’t stopped.
Q: How is NEC’s Contemporary Musical Arts Department preparing you for and informing the career you’re embarking on?
A: NEC’s Contemporary Musical Arts Department is truly a one-of-a-kind program. The program has allowed me to explore my creativity and personal artistic goals while also laying a strong foundation of advanced musical skills. The department offers the freedom for me to write the music that I want to create while also exposing me to different influences that help define my artistic perspective. The faculty in the CMA department do this while also challenging students with a strong emphasis on ear training, music theory, and improvisation skills that have influenced my writing and given me the skills to be an advanced and proficient musician in the modern music scene.
Q: What have you learned from your peers in the CMA Department?
A: During my time here so far, I have been able to work with a wide range of musicians I am lucky to call my peers. Their perspectives and philosophies on music, art, and life in general have opened my eyes in ways I wouldn’t have been able to come to on my own. From suggesting an artist to listen to, inviting me to play a new style of music, or collaborating on creative musical projects, my understanding of musical language has grown tremendously. Every day at NEC, I learn more about music and also realize how much more I have to learn.
Q: Which musical instrument is your primary writing tool?
A: I typically approach writing with a guitar or piano but don’t feel limited to either. I have written songs on mandolin, bass, banjo, and many other instruments. When a lyric, melody, or concept enters my mind, I immediately want to capture it as efficiently and effectively as possible. I write down lyrics and ideas in notebooks, note apps, and record voice memos to not lose these ideas.
Q: Who and what influence your lyrics?
A: I take lyrical influence from all aspects of my life and what I observe. My approach to songwriting is to try and capture the most honest and accurate portrayal of life I can. I observe people, nature, and the world around me and try to articulate my perspective on it. From watching an interaction between two people on the street, noticing how trees sway in the breeze, to my own personal emotions, I try to capture it all and reshape it into art. In terms of people I take inspiration from, I am influenced by my favorite lyricists, writers, and poets such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Phoebe Bridgers, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), John Lennon, Allen Ginsberg, Joni Mitchell, Thom Yorke, Bob Marley, Ernest Hemingway, Roger Waters, as well as many others.
Q: What are your thoughts on artificial intelligence as it relates to being an artist?
A: With the rapid development of artificial intelligence in the music industry, I see some artists becoming more and more nervous in terms of AI’s ability to seemingly create songs quickly and efficiently, with the thought that they might outpace and displace artists. While I do understand the concern that people have about AI, I feel that this has given artists an opportunity to think outside the box, become more ingenious, and create new art that only can be shared by the human experience. With every major technological advancement in history, artists and people in general have been able to translate their experiences, skills, and perspectives into new creations.
Q: How and where are you identifying opportunities to share your work?
A: NEC and the Boston area have such a fantastic art scene to share creativity. The CMA department holds many concerts throughout the year where people from NEC, Boston, and the greater community can come and watch artists perform. From the Songwriter’s Workshop with Steve Netsky, to the Jordan Hall CMA productions such as the recent concert What Does the Earth Need? A Call to Action and the NEC Studio Session I just recorded with my band, I have been able to share my music with engaged audiences and will continue to do so.
Q: What have you been reading, listening to, and watching lately?
A: I have been listening to a wide variety of music lately — Bon Iver’s single releases from his upcoming album SABLE, fABLE, re-listening to Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, OK Computer by Radiohead, and some classical music such as Taneyev’s Oresteia Overture as well as Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1. I’ve been reading Widow Basquiat by Jennifer Clement and just re-watched At Their Very Best, the 1975 concert movie from Madison Square Garden.
