SBHS Musician of the Month

Amber Carmean is a widely versatile musician whose primary instrument is guitar, but her instrumental range spans way far beyond it. Since she was just seven years old, her passion and love for her craft has continued to expand and is yet to stop. Since Carmean started, her talent has blessed over eight different instruments and counting, including drums, piano, bass guitar, banjo, North-Indian tablas, Latin percussion and even a two-string Kazakh instrument called a dombra. Similar to her wide range of instrumental ability, rather than choosing a genre and sticking with it, Carmean gravitates towards whatever genre spikes her interest. 

When writing music, Carmean sees her work less as a snapshot of who she was but more of a record for how she felt during the time, saying, “The music I write is who I was, but more importantly, how I felt.” Her music captures emotional states making them more relatable and moving to her listeners, applicable to almost anyone’s personal struggle or difficult situations. In order to keep her music her own whilst also taking inspiration from the artists she looks up to, Carmean utilizes her voice and instincts to create a mix of originality and familiarity. The result is music driven not by streams or recognition, but by a shared emotional space, captivating her audiences providing a window into her life.

Much of that explorative mindset dates back to her early artistic influences, particularly one pivotal moment in 7th grade when she came across a Japanese math rock playlist. Discovering the early 2000’s band Hyakkei almost completely changed the way she thought about composition, proving that music could be both technically complex and emotionally open ended. Additional influence from rock and metal bands like Racer X as well as the structure and theory of Jazz bands further deepened her passion for music as both an intellectual and creative process. 

Despite her endless love for what she does, the perks of being a musician do come with a few downsides. Due to her fluency across so many instruments, Carmean noted that one of the most challenging aspects of being a musician is the storage of the instruments themselves. She said that in her living room alone there are hundreds of gizmos and instruments scattered unorganized across the walls and floors. Another difficulty she stated is sticking to the discipline  and constant loyalty to each instrument, hoping to put an equal amount of effort into each. She said that it’s hard to deal with non-musicians who she’ll play for and receive praise from even after an imperfect run through which she tries so hard to avoid. 

So what’s next for Carmean? Unfortunately, due to a flooding in the recording studio she borrows, the progress of releasing her EP has been slowed. Regardless of this roadblock, Carmean sees her in a release window of late February through early March. Despite unexpected setbacks, Carmean remains focused on what has always driven her, creating honest music rooted in emotion rather than expectation. As she continues to grow, experiment, and release new work, her journey stands as a reminder that true musicianship is defined not by recognition, but by passion, persistence, and connection. You can find her music under SadMochi on Bandcamp and SoundCloud.