The sweet sounds of Andrew Huffman

By Mellette Maurice - Staff Writer

For senior Andrew Huffman, the end of the school year marks the beginning of a long journey to be heard, not only in his career, but through his hobby.

Majoring in political science, Huffman’s other passion is music. From singing and playing guitar with his friends, to performing on the Mount Mercy stage, Huffman is setting out to take his music to a new level.

“I’m recording mostly for me, but it had been suggested by friends and fellow musicians that I make an album,” said Huffman.

He began recording his 12 to 15 track album a month ago with the help of his father who is retired. Huffman’s father is working the equipment while senior Kurt Straube is participating as the background vocalist.

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this and experiment,” said Straube. “I’ve been involved in music and writing separately but this is a good way to put two different talents together.”
Huffman has been making music since he was 15 or 16. Some of his songs are written in 15 minutes while others have taken up to a year to finish.

“I’m a big audio file if you will; I’m a story teller,” said Huffman. “I like being able to express myself in a way others can relate to.”

The album, still in its demo stage, consists mostly of guitar and vocals. It is the first album for both Huffman and his father. They plan on spending a lot of time recording this summer. So far Huffman has no ideas for what he will do with the album after it is finished. While getting down his original tracks has been a learning experience, it’s also been one of bonding. Huffman has enjoyed, “knowing there’s people out there that will share strong emotions without judgment for creativity’s sake.” He invited friends over to record stories for the introduction to one of his tracks.

Huffman credits his influences for this album as the music his parents listened to while he was growing up, and whoever he’s listening to at the time he creates a song.

Right now you could find Huffman listening to Ben Harper, Neil Young, and the John Butler Trio, on any given day.

After ending the school year, Huffman will record extensively at his home in Marion, while he continues to learn about the album making process. “So far, I’ve learned I can play guitar better than I thought, and I can’t sing as well as girls told me I could,” said Huffman.