Our campus is bursting at the seams with talent. There are more artistically inclined students in the Boise area than one might think. But what is it like to be a musician and to live in a place like Boise, which is not particularly known for a booming music scene? The Arbiter sat down with Boise State’s very own RJ Aflague, a talented musician. Aflague, a freshman business major, plays the ukelele and the guitar.
Q: How long have you been playing music?
A: I started playing ukelele like 3 years ago, and then I started playing guitar a year after that.
Q: Are you in a band?
A: No, I’m not.
Q: Do you ever play for a live audience?
A: Yeah. I’ve done a few talent shows and then I played my old school’s ‘Welcome Back Bash.’
Q: What kind of music do you play?
A: Ed Sheeran type stuff, a little bit of reggae, and some John Mayer kind of stuff.
Q: What first inspired you to start playing music?
A: I went to Guam, that’s where I’m from, and a lot of my cousins were playing instruments and it kind of made me want to do it too. You know? I don’t want to be the one just sitting there.
Q: How long have you been living in the United States?
A: I lived in Guam until I was seven and then we moved here for my dad because he’s in the military. We got stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Q: Have you ever recorded or written any songs?
A: Me and a couple friends have written songs before, but we haven’t really recorded it. I record covers on my own. I post some of them on Facebook.
Q: If you could collaborate on a song with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
A: Bob Marley, definitely. I mean, it’s a cliche answer but, definitely him. Ed Sheeran, I like the way he plays guitar.
Q: What’s the largest audience you’ve ever played live for?
A: That ‘Welcome Back Bash’ thing was pretty big. It was most of our school, and it was outside.
RJ is just one of the countless talented people this school holds. Out of the thousands of people attending Boise State, there is something which sets everyone apart. If you found yourself a little bit jealous (like me) of RJ’s musical ability, why don’t you pick up an instrument and start learning? What could possibly go wrong?
