Local Music Spotlight:

Austin Pratt sits in the Lamson Library café in an oversized chair, his legs crossed beneath him. Pratt is clean-shaven, his brown hair swept into a neat faux-hawk. He wears a deep red sweater over a white button-up shirt, the collar crisply folded.

Pratt is an eighteen-year-old freshman at Plymouth State University. As someone who graduated from a class of 50, from a school with a principal who, “did not think that music should even be in the curriculum,” Pratt gawks when people call Plymouth a “small town.” Epping, New Hampshire was not very fun for Pratt, an avid musician and vocalist. He had no resources with which to expand upon his talent. With music at the bottom of his school’s priority list, he struggled to be himself. A speech impediment did not help, either. Teachers often told him, “don’t talk.”

This suffocating system did not stop Pratt, whose determination only increased when faced with opposition, and he has faced his fair share. From seventh grade to his junior year in high school, Pratt lobbied for the creation of a drama club. His principal’s stance on music varied from disinterest to moderate distaste. He directly opposed Pratt’s charge for eight years until, at last, allowing Pratt, then a junior in high school, to co-direct a middle school drama club. 

 On a chilly night, Pratt’s animated discourse did not waver as he spoke of his past, present, and future in the realm of music. 

The Clock: What is your musical genre of choice?

Pratt: Jazz. I listen to a lot of jazz.

The Clock: What or who influenced this?

Pratt: I love scatting, and, dare I say this name… Johnny Cash…Dean Martin, Sammy Davis. The history, the meaning…the music then was so much richer than it is now. I mean, musicians then didn’t always write their own music, but they put…something into it. They found…I don’t know, a way, to make it theirs. It’s not like when you hear, like, a Nicki Minaj song or something. It’s like, okay, it’s the next best thing, but there’s no, I don’t know, core.

The Clock: So, Austin, you’re part of the Chamber Singers. What was the audition process like?

Pratt: Well, I called Plymouth State, and told them I’d like to join Chamber Singers. I had to go to [Director] Dan Perkins’ office and get the audition piece. By three days after September 1, move-in day, I had to have the piece, Seal Lullaby by Eric Whittaker, memorized. 

The Clock: Did you ever have any doubts about making Chamber Singers?

Pratt: There’s always that moment. And I felt like people were thinking, “Ha…freshman auditioning…” What was I thinking? It wasn’t just like, you and Dan in a room. There were other Chamber Singers there, some from past years. It was intimidating, but then you just get into it. 

The Clock: Why Plymouth State for music?

Pratt: I hate New Hampshire, I hate the cold. This college though – the one thing that stuck out to me was the music department and dance department. Because of the faculty I was going to be working with I knew I would be in good hands. 

The Clock: Do you have a musical idol on campus?

Pratt: Dan Perkins has always been my role model. I never thought of myself being a teacher, but I don’t know. It seems funny for me to say that, but because of him I could see myself doing that one day.

The Clock: What do you wish to achieve with music?

Pratt: I want to be a musician. I want to travel the world. I wanted to be an actor, but I can’t say what I want to say, I have to say what someone has given me. I stand for so many things, I want them to be said and heard. I tried out for American Idol in 2013, and I got the golden ticket…I mean, the pass. But I said no to it. There were just so many issues with the contracting. It was bogus, and I don’t want to be phony. I don’t want to say what other people wrote for me. I don’t want to sing other people’s songs. I want to be heard. I’ve had people ask me, “Can I pay you?” I’ve said no, I just want the exposure.

The Clock: Where was your first performance?

Pratt: I was in Newburyport, at the Yankee Homecoming. It’s like, this parade where there are political things and a ton of little stages all around, with one big stage. I was playing the guitar on the street. I had just learned how to play but I picked it up quickly. A man came up and asked me if I wanted to play on stage. There are thousands of people there, and I was an opener for this band, but people were going crazy. People were saying that I had been the best part of the show. 

The Clock: Which instruments do you play?

Pratt: I play guitar. There’s a band I’m in, Jesus and the Penny Droppers. It started with me and my friend, Jesus. His name isn’t Jesus but everyone just calls him that. We jam with a few other guys. It’s a bond you have when you jam with someone.

The Clock: What challenges have you faced involving music?

Pratt: Relationships suck. I can’t tell you how many girlfriends have left me because I paid attention to music more than them.

The Clock: Do you find the Chamber Singers intimidating as a freshman?

Pratt: I look up to the upperclassmen. It’s good to see them and be like, ok, that’s what I’m going to be doing. They are my role models. I can’t even tell you how intimidated I am, though. Especially in Chambers. I feel like they will be looking at me if I mess up and be like, “that freshman. What the hell is he doing?” But it’s not like that. I love working with everyone in there.

The Clock: Any words of advice for other kids pursuing music?

Pratt: Show yourself and what you’re doing. Don’t be afraid to get into music. I mean, if someone is good at English, that’s what they are good at, and I respect that. Music is no different. If you love it, do it.