Looking back, my body image growing up felt very innocent; I never thought twice about it. When I moved to Marin in eighth grade, and then started high school, my image of myself suddenly became very different. I constantly noticed my size, people's perception of my body, and the way I looked in certain clothes. I wrote Want at the end of freshman year, when I was at one of my lower points concerning my body issues. Want embodies that longing to look like someone else, but not being able to change it. Want is the binge eating, the fasting, and the counting of calories every day- yet no one notices. I have come a long way since writing Want, but I'm not quite there yet, so the song still relates to me.

My original composition titled “Is This How You Here Music” Vocals by Qiana Hester.

hi everyone! this is a submission for arts review only. Dr. Kakkis is my uncle-I am very proud to bear his name (with an ext. congrats on the youth arts festival in its first year). thank you for the vision to keep creativity alive for teens!!

“Bossa Nova” is a piece I wrote for my cello playing friends. During isolation, getting creative has given me a stronghold in a turbulent time. This piece has a bit of a Latin feel to it, with images of relaxing Brazilian style. My hope was to bring out some fun and humor. Hope you enjoy! -ES

This is a short cello solo that I wrote over the summer for “Young Women Composers Camp”. I had fun experimenting with articulation and different cello techniques. My goal for this piece was to capture excitement and confusion.

“Double Take” is a string quartet that I wrote a couple years ago. It was my first time writing for strings and if was fun for me to experiment with articulation, dynamics, and more. This piece starts off angry, but then transforms into many different colors and emotions.

Singer/songwriter/music composition - I've been playing piano since I was 4, and I was inspired to write this piece as part of my eclectic folk/indie collection.

Singer/songwriter/music composition - I've been playing piano since I was 4, and I was inspired to write this sad/upbeat piece. It has a lot of meaning behind it.

My sister Bella B. and I wrote this song about sisterly love and holding on to our innocence. I hope you enjoy it.

The pandemic has been hard on everyone's life, include myself. This violin solo piece that is written and performed by me, is an effort to express the struggle, frustration, longing and hope for our daily life interrupted by Covid-19. I started writing the piece on Sibelius software, but then when I recorded the piece, it kind of transformed and merged into totally different sounds--kind of like our situation right now; rather unpredictable. Therefore I don't have a music score to submit, only the recording.

This is an original song about my grandfather. He passed a few years ago when I was about 11 or 12. I wrote this song to help me release everything I was holding in. The lyrics speak for themselves, but throughout the song you can see I am struggling to process what has been happening around me, and I am learning that I should have been grateful for what I had when I had it.

I wrote this song when I got my MIDI keyboard a few months ago. I felt inspired by all of the new sounds I could make with it. This resulted in a song with strong rhythm and layers. I wrote the lyrics during quarantine thinking about the things I enjoy doing with friends.

This is a song I wrote during a time when I was in a very unstable friendship where it seemed like we were not going anywhere. It is about the slow burn out of feeling really close on day, but then the very next hearing something they said about you behind your back. Or not hearing from them for a long time and then making plans again. This song is in the music genre pop, however the performance I attached is an acoustic live performance in which I am playing my guitar and singing. I hope you enjoy!

Silence is an original song that channels the feelings of regret and loneliness that come with the ending of a relationship condemned by social norms. I wrote this song a couple of years ago, but recently resurrected it after finding it in my voice memos. This is a COVID-performance; I wish it could have been on stage but unfortunately these times call for performing at home instead!

This song is an original written earlier this year, inspired by the addictive pulse of reggaeton and melded with my singer-songwriter style. Reggaeton is feel-good, even when the theme is laced with longing. It is played on acoustic guitar in a café-style live performance.

“I am Enough” is a song about self-value and life purpose. During these past few months, many unprecedented events have taken place that negatively impacted a lot of people’s lives. I wrote this song to spread the message that although we may be feeling low during these trying times, we are strong and can get through any obstacles that are thrown to us. We are enough to make positive changes around us and “we have the power to shape our future”. Each of us has a purpose in this world that we live in.

I find that music is a common ground for people of all backgrounds, and I hope that my song can be part of the bridge that connects individuals of all ethnicities, upbringings, and beliefs. I am optimistic about the future and I wanted to portray that feeling in “I am Enough”.