As seniors enter their final semester of high school, they look to their past for guidance on future decisions. For some, it is clear academically what they want to pursue, and for others, it’s their dreams they wish to chase.

As a child, senior Carver Jones was said to have a fiery passion for music. As he grew, his infatuation with music never faded, but blossomed, making it clear to his family what his future would be.

“Carver has always been musically inclined,” older brother and MN alumni Justice Jones said. “He would take showers, and our whole family would sit in front of the door and listen to him sing because he would never sing in front of us. I knew he would always want to pursue something like that.” 

While Jones has found a passion in other activities, including football and basketball, music has always shined through as his main focus.

“Music was always something that seemed to overpower whatever I was doing. I was afraid of failure so I didn’t pursue it. As I have gotten older, I realized that failing is the biggest win, and music was always what I wanted,” C. Jones said. 

Jones released his first single, “Moonwalking,” on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Pandora on Dec. 26, which was shortly followed up by the release of “Pain Away” on Jan. 5. His two debut singles are just the start. 

“I’m planning on dropping an EP and a couple more singles soon. I [hope to drop] something on Valentine’s Day, and I have multiple features on songs that will come out soon, so be on the lookout,” C. Jones said. 

His musical process is very simple. He records at his home recording studio and works with producers to find tracks to base his songs around. 

“I record most of my music at home,” C. Jones said. “I usually get beats sent to me by some producers. Then, I pick the one I want and start recording. I experiment with melodies and lyrics and just keep building it up until I have a complete song.” 

He looks to daily experiences to influence his lyrics in hopes to relate to his target audience. 

“I feel like everyday life inspires me to make music,” C. Jones said. “I want to bring awareness to certain topics and everyday situations that people go through with emotions people have. Hopefully, my music can make people happy and really feel and relate to what I say.”

While Jones is not currently signed under a manager or record label, he is working closely with his brother to create connections in the industry.

“Everyone who knows Carver knows that he’s super special, and we are just trying to figure out how we can bring himself into his art. We have been looking into different things using my connections in New York [to help him move forward],” J. Jones said. 

Up and coming artists find the music industry difficult to handle. With the support of his friends they are encouraging him to continue making an impact. 

“I think that it is cool he is doing his own thing,” senior Jada Nielsen said. “He could be getting judged, but he doesn’t care. Especially in high school where everyone is judgmental, I definitely wouldn’t have the guts to do what he did.”