Conversations with Claruin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Claruin .

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was a kid, I would mess around in GarageBand. Any free platform on the internet where I could make music I would. Then I got a 49-key midi keyboard as a gift in high school. That keyboard came with a one-year free trial of Bitwig (DAW) as part of a bundle. I liked Bitwig, and I learned that it was similar to Ableton. Once I started getting into sampling, I often recorded my surroundings and started to get a sense of what I liked to sample. I saved up and bought Ableton, and it has been my main DAW for creating my Claruin music. I’m in love with samples and sampling, and that’s what drives most of my creativity with this type of music. Now, I’ve released an EP and am set to perform solo in August. I am very nervous, but excited to share my sounds.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Sometimes the hardest part is getting started. I had to recognize that in the beginning, I don’t know what genre I writing for and I don’t know how long it will take to get the sounds I’m looking for. For a while, I was making music just to figure out how to make music. After figuring out how to make music the way I want, I had to figure out when to share it. If I sat on a song for too long, I would want to abandon it. But I found that if I waited a few weeks to a month, gave my ears a break, and then came back to a song, I was more likely to figure out some satisfying adjustments. With most of the songs I’ve released at this point I have several things that I would want to change about them. But there is a point in time, I feel, where it is important to share the idea even if it doesn’t feel finished. There comes a time to make new sounds and let go. I’m still on the path to finding my sound, but now that I know how to start, it has gotten easier to create. I’m always looking for more to learn and more to experiment with. Now I’m working on creating with more meaning and intention. I’ve also started to develop an idea of what my target audience should be.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As Claruin, I make music using samples I’ve created from recording the world around me. I’ve started to figure out how to use my voice as a sample and manipulate the audio to create an instrument that sounds unique. It’s addictive to create instruments that can’t be recognized as the original sample. The hard part is making sure every sample is tuned the same, which is something I’m still working on. I am working to continue to create soundscapes that reflect the ways I perceive the world. My goal is to improve the instruments that I make with samples, specifically drum racks and bass instruments. My latest EP “The Wired Oasis” has been my first step in creating an independent sonic world. The title song, for example, was created using a sample of an original electric guitar riff. Every instrument was created from the same sample – some using different segments of the sample of course. Another song off the EP, “Real Television,” was created from a recording of improvised vocals and acoustic guitar. The drum rack, however, is from a separately recorded group of sounds I gathered in one of the buildings of my school. When I say sounds, I mean anything from a traditional instrument to a light switch to a trash bag. Nothing is off limits, and that’s my favorite part about sampling. The world is my instrument. Another focus of my solo project is my art. I make my own cover art and (at the moment) take my own photos. I love photography, and this project is currently my main outlet for it. I’m interested in going further with multimedia music projects, because it allows me to express myself in more ways than music.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The most important thing to keep moving is to keep trying and seek learning opportunities. Ask questions. Experiment. Learn from mistakes. Always search for ways to improve. You might embarrass yourself sometimes by putting yourself out there, but what matters is that you’re doing your best to grow. And once you can look back and see how far you’ve come, there is no better feeling. It is also important to have a running list of short term and long term goals. Break each goal into specific and clear steps to follow. I often learn the most while trying to reach a goal. Celebrate reaching small goals as much as you would big ones. Take a day off or eat your favorite food. Listen to your body and your mind. Acknowledging hard work can increase your motivation to achieve more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://claracaymusic.wixsite.com/claruin
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clararanaway
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarakay/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@clararanaway?si=1MivP2ReRWgtC4aT
• soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-922850535
• Other: https://linktr.ee/claracay

Image Credits
I took these images 🙂