Interview with Leika Hillebrand, creator of "Story"

Interview with Leika Hillebrand, creator of Story

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• Question: Could we start off by having you tell me a bit about yourself and your piece?

"Well, I'm 15 and I go to Pioneer. I love theatre and all music. I love sitting outside on my porch to write music, and hanging out with my cats and my siblings."

• Question: Can you describe your development as a musician? What does the song Story mean to you? Where does your inspiration come from for the lyrics you’ve written?

"I started playing piano in third grade and then Cello in fifth grade. I ended up quitting both in 9th grade. But picking up piano again this year. I also started playing ukulele and a little bit of guitar. Story was a song the I wrote this song about a family friend who is in her 80's. She fell in love and when her husband died when they were young, she never dated anyone else because she's still in love with him. She is still alive. But the song is dedicated to them." 

• Question:  Do you have a musical artist who inspires you a lot? If so, who and why?

"When I was little, Adele inspired me a lot because she was a curvy alto just like I was. Now however, my main inspiration is a band called The Accidentals. They started when they were 15, and the lyrics in their songs are amazing." 

• Question: You have the unique ability to be able to record and produce music at a very young age, do you see this leading into your later life? How do you plan to develop your skills as an artist?

"This is an amazing experience. Since I was little, I've wanted to record music. For a long time it seemed unrealistic. Now however, it seems like it might actually be able to happen. My sisters friend has some recording equipment and he said he would be interested in recording some of my songs. I play on learning and writing a lot more in the future."

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To learn more about Leika, Story, and her writing or music, check out the First Edition of Pufferfish at the Neutral Zone's Shopify (link here) or check out the link to the Pufferfish album here.