![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Emerging female musicians to look out for this year
In honor of March’s title as “Music in our Schools” month and “National Women’s History Month,” here are five not-to-be-missed tracks from new and upcoming female artists.
Follow the Spotify playlist above to hear Aquila’s top picks for tracks showcasing the talent of both established female musicians and newcomers to the industry.
“Somebody to Love” by Betty Who
Jessica Anne Newham, going by the stage name Betty Who, is an upbeat alternative singer-songwriter who has just recently entered the industry. “Somebody to Love,” her debut single, gained traction online as a free download in late 2012 and preceded the April 2013 release of The Movement EP. The 22-year-old Australia native is also a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboard, guitar, and cello in addition to singing. Her debut album, Slow Dancing, is set to be released by RCA Records next month on April 8.
“Problem” by Natalia Kills
Natalia Kills is the stage name for 27-year-old Natalia Cappuccini, an electropop artist hailing from England. With two albums (but no definite label), the singer-songwriter takes inspiration from her past to craft meaningful, insightful lyrics layered against EDM beats. Her sophomore album Trouble was released last fall, covering personal issues such as lost youth, depression, and family problems.
“Bedroom Eyes” by Dum Dum Girls
Lo-fi indie rockers Dee Dee, Jules, Sandy, and Malia of the underground band Dum Dum Girls just released their third album, Too True, in late January. Although starting as the small-scale project of lead singer Dee Dee, Dum Dum Girls has blossomed into a still fairly-recent group with a sizable discography. The Girls, who are signed to Sub Pop Records, share the prestigious label with acts such as Fleet Foxes, Nirvana, and The Shins, and produce youthful singles with just a hint of angst and dark cynicism.
“Water Me” by FKA twigs
Tahliah Barnett, known as FKA twigs, began her career like many other artists by releasing tracks on the musician-friendly site Bandcamp. With slow rhythmic pulsations and perpetually fading backgrounds, FKA twigs’ tracks waver in the space between surreal and corporeal. The young England native has released two EPs: EP and EP2. Transcendent vocal melodies and an eerie countenance characterize FKA twigs, who is currently based in London and signed to the British indie label Young Turks.
“Home” by Gabrielle Aplin
The earnest yet powerful croon of 21-year-old Gabrielle Aplin manifests itself in her three folk-rock EPs and sole album, English Rain. Signing to Parlophone Records in early 2012, the British singer-songwriter released her debut album in May 2013. She has supported large-scale acts such as John Mayer, Gotye, and Ed Sheeran in addition to performing on her own headlining tours. Aplin also founded her own record label called Never Fade in 2010, which is now open to representing other musicians as of 2013.
Juhi Gupta is the Multimedia Editor for Harker Aquila. She is a junior and has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her position...