by Kristen Shlakman
Let’s face it; not many of us had our lives figured out when we started college. There is so much to experience and learn, that even by the end of freshman year, very few people have a clear path to follow.
At a school flooded with talented musicians, it can be even harder to find your voice so early in your college career.
Spencer Saylor, however, is proving that stereotype isn’t always true, and that once in a while someone can make a huge impact early on in the game.
As a Music Industry and Voice major, Saylor already has an intense curriculum and not a lot of free time on his hands.
However, in the last four months he’s been named the number one singer-songwriter in Columbus, had successful releases on iTunes, Spotify, and on the radio, and even signed his debut record deal with EP records.
Adding on the success, Saylor is opening for Aaron Carter this month, which in itself, is more than impressive.
“I have a friend who opened for him [Carter] in New York and knowing that we both play the same style of music, I knew that it could be a possibility. I did some research and worked closely with my booking agent to make sure it happened,” Saylor said.
“After a lot of back and forth with the promoter, we were able to make it happen and I could not be more blessed and excited for the opportunity.”
Aaron Carter is no small name in music. Being a child of the 90’s, we all could probably still sing the lyrics to “Aaron’s Party,” or “How I Beat Shaq.” Saylor is no exception.
“The craziest thing is that I can remember putting his album “Aaron’s Party” in my CD player and jamming in my bedroom singing along all day long.”
“Now here I am playing a show with him. I never would have imagined it in a million years,” Saylor said.
Even though Saylor knew he wanted to write music at age 14, it wasn’t until about four months ago that he started to act on his song writing abilities.
“I was constantly writing my own stuff, from one to two lines that I thought were catchy, to choruses and full verses.”
“However, it was not until about four months ago that I did anything with my singing or songwriting. A lot of that writing from the past has been incorporated in my songs,” said Saylor.
“Waiting years after starting my writing really helped set a strong foundation; it allows me to continue to put out new songs without the pressure of having to write completely new ones.”
All of Saylor’s music is original and his inspiration comes from all aspects of his life.
“I have a switch in my mind that can either allow me to write based on my personal life and events, or when nothing is really happening in my life, I have the ability to just write something marketable that others can relate to,” Saylor said.
But don’t worry, Saylor hasn’t taken any advice from Taylor Swift and won’t be focusing his music on bashing exes anytime soon.
Now living in Columbus, Saylor is taking full advantage of the city and all it has to offer for his career.
“I decided to make it (my music) something that I would share with everyone just a few months ago. I realized the opportunity of being in a larger city and being at a college where people are willing to listen and share your work,” Saylor said.
Very humbly, Saylor admits that he knows his situation is not typical. Usually the kind of success he has experienced takes years to even get to where he is at now.
“I am so blessed; the big focus around my name has serious potential because the hard work and time I put in to allow all this to happen so fast,” Saylor said.
The Aaron Carter show is only two weeks away, and Saylor is hard at work preparing for the big night.
“A lot is riding on this show in many different ways. The concert is through a large promotion agency and playing a great show, and bringing a lot of people out that night to watch, is the perfect step in scoring more big shows,” Saylor said.
“However, aside from those nerves I’m blessed and excited; without the support I have received, I would never be here right now.”
If you’re interested in seeing Spencer, and Aaron Carter too, of course, tickets can be purchased through Saylor himself or with Ticketmaster.
“I do know the event is almost, if not already, sold out and they will be probably opening up an additional space for about another 150 people,” Saylor said.
Tickets are $20 and those who are under 21 will have to pay an additional $3 at the door. The show is March 20 at Skully’s Music Diner on High Street, and Saylor starts singing at 7:25 p.m.
“The best place to go in order to find most of my information is my ReverbNation page (www.reverbnation.com/spencersaylor). This page displays future events, photos, videos, blogs, some of my songs, and links to all of my other additional pages,” Saylor said.
“Of course though, you can find me on twitter (@spenmoneybeats), on my Facebook artist page, or on iTunes and Spotify.”
kshlakma@capital.edu
