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Tober builds beats, constructs compositions Julia Herlyn ’23 News Editor
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hen listening to the opening lines of Kanye West’s song “Touch The Sky,” an immediate, electrifying response bubbles in Jet Tober ’23—in only a few seconds, his head begins to bob, his eyes close in concentration, and he quietly hums along to the tune. This passion for music began over 13 years ago—when Tober was 3 years old—and today, he pursues this interest through participating in various ensembles as well as composing and producing his own music. “When I was 3 years old, I went to a hotel, and I sat down at a piano in the hotel lobby,” Tober said. “I was just clinking away at the keys, and I played two notes that sounded good. I wanted to learn how to do that again.”
Graphics by Madeline Michalowski ’22
Tober is a member of the Jazz Band (playing piano), the Symphonic Orchestra (playing cello) and Orphenians. He began studying the piano privately at age 5, picked up the cello in fourth grade and has sung for as long as he can remember. Immersed in music for all of his life, Tober began to develop an interest in music composition and production—which is separate from performing in an ensemble or as a soloist— when he was in third grade. “I would hear melodies in my head, and I would want to be able to play them,” Tober said. “I wanted to translate them into something I could experience and other people could experience.” In pursuit of this goal, Tober decided to familiarize himself with a variety of genres and composers, such as Leonard Bernstein, Mozart and jazz music. He experimented with GarageBand before purchasing Logic, a more advanced production software. Initially overwhelmed by Logic’s features, Tober spent time watching tutorials and reading the help guide to gain more understanding of its functions. As a beginner, he started by making simple beats, and upon improving his abilities, Tober began to imitate other artists’ songs. Eventually, through practice and research, Tober started
to compose his own pieces, including classical, hip hop, jazz fusion, rock and rap. After creating a composition, he enjoys sharing them with fellow classmates. “At various points throughout my schooling career, when there has been a project to create something, I normally default to a song, because I like the production aspect of it—it just makes it fun for me,” Tober said. “Honestly, songs are catchy and they help you remember concepts. A lot of [composing/producing] is for personal enjoyment, and for the enjoyment of friends and family.” Zach Brody ’23 recalls listening to one of Tober’s songs during class this year. -Jet Tober ’23 “I heard his song ‘Unit P’ in my WTP (We the People) class,” Brody said. “It was actually insane—like so good. It was a rendition of ‘pushing P’[by Gunna and Future] with his WTP unit as the theme.” Tober feels that the majority of his inspiration for composition and production lies in his love for jazz, and he often incorporates jazz-like features in his pieces. “[Jazz] has this element of surprise that you can throw in by painting [the music] with different colored notes, like when you’re improvising or just playing unique chord progressions in general,” Tober said. “For me,
it’s the most expressive genre [...] You’re using what you’ve learned and you’re applying it, but it’s not pre-planned—you’re feeling in the moment and [creating] what sounds good to you.” Scan this QR code to read the extended article.
“I enjoy [music] too much to not always have it be part of my life.”
STUDENT WRITER Jet Tober ’23 uses music as an outlet for self-expression. Through various programs such as GarageBand and Logic, Tober writes songs in his free time.
Photo by Camille Vynerib ’23
