Zachary Gottschall ’16
EE Staff Writer
Fingerpainting, spelling bees, recess — these are the moments that define our childhoods. That is, for everyone except Nicolas Gomez-Colon. At just eight years old, Nicolas had discovered the inner composer inside him, a part of him that would take him through tough times and provide him the perfect canvas to paint his feelings.
Nicolas’s story began in the fourth grade where, like any fourth grader, he was introduced to the recorder. Most elementary schoolers don’t give much thought to the ten-inch piece of plastic, but then again, Nick wasn’t like most kids.
“I liked the idea of learning with tiny songs, so I started writing my own with all the notes I was learning. I eventually shared the music to my class and then one of my songs was performed in concert. I’ve continued writing since then,” said Nick.
His talent and breadth of musical knowledge have only expanded since. Today, he arranges and composes for choir (his main style), band, and strings, all with only two music theory classes he took at the Regional Center for the Arts under his belt. For Nicolas, it was as easy as riding a bike. Once he removed the training wheels, he’s been able to ride faster, tackling bigger hills and challenges. Oftentimes, the wheels can’t keep up with the pace he’s pedaling at.
“Sometimes,” he says, “I’ll just be playing piano and when I come up with something, I immediately open my notation program on my computer and start.”
Some might argue that spending hours writing music that might not be heard or even performed is a tedious waste of time. But for Nicolas, every hour, minute, and second that he spends precisely calculating accurate rhythms and notes in his pieces is time well-spent.
“It’s my way of speaking. While it may not seem like it, I’m a shy person. I don’t really open up to people until I know they’re going to be my friend. Music helps me open those doors.”
In fact, for many of the difficulties Gomez-Colon has faced in his life, music has always been there to raise his spirits, especially with the lyrics in some of the songs. For example, when Nicolas graduated middle school, “I Lived” by OneRepublic was there to remind him of his survival and his strength to power through the future challenges he would face.
“There are many songs that I’ve listened to on repeat for hours, since the lyrics are what strengthen me. The lyrics have gotten me through everything, since they were that strong reminder.”
For this reason, Nicolas has been careful in crafting the lyrics to his pieces, ensuring that each and every phrase complements the tone and the overall message.
The story of the young artist is certainly remarkable, but what’s truly impressive are his aspirations. It may come as a surprise to many that Nicolas Gomez-Colon does not intend to pursue a career in music. Yes, it will forever remain a large part of his life, and he plans on minoring in it, but his overarching goal is to major in biochemistry and become a doctor.
Nicolas Gomez-Colon, the musical surgeon. That’s right, twenty years from now when he’s saving your life, perhaps he’ll even sing you a song.