Q: What’s been taking up your headspace recently?
Alyssa:
I’ve been trying to figure out what I want out of college now that the first year is ending.
I’ve also been trying to be intentional with my energy and my time.
But at the same time, I’ve been embracing the fact that I genuinely have no clue what I’m doing — and I’m actually happy about it.
I think there used to be a fear attached to not knowing what’s next. But now I kind of like it.
There’s something special about uncertainty.
You’re still navigating it and figuring things out as you go, but I don’t know… I think I’ve started appreciating that feeling.
Q: You like uncertainty?
Alyssa:
I do, which is funny because I’m also kind of a control freak.
So it’s contradictory.
But I think I used to be really scared of uncertainty. I wanted everything mapped out and figured out.
Now I think I’m realizing that not knowing can actually be exciting.
Q: What’s your manifesto right now?
Alyssa:
Something I’ve been thinking about a lot is doing things for the right reasons.
I want to work in the music industry, and I’m starting to realize how beautiful it can be, but also how easy it is for people to be in it for the wrong reasons.
Right now I think my manifesto is just trying to live intentionally.
I feel really privileged to be where I am, and I want to remember that there are people who would love to be in my position.
So I want to move with love and kindness and carry that into everything I do.
It’s hard sometimes.
But that’s what I’ve been trying to do.
Q: What do “the right reasons” mean to you?
Alyssa:
At least within music, I think it’s not trying to exploit people.
I’ve been thinking a lot about whether I’d want to work for a bigger label or an independent label, and I keep leaning toward independent labels because of how they treat people.
But then I started realizing that maybe this isn’t just about music.
Maybe it’s something you apply everywhere.
How do you treat people?
How do you move through things?
Why are you doing what you’re doing?
Q: If you could time travel, where would you go?
Alyssa:
I’m a history nerd, so probably Ancient Egypt.
I’d love to actually witness that.
But I would also kind of want to go back to the early 2000s and see what life was like before technology completely took over everything.
That’s been on my mind recently too.
I kind of hate technology.
Q: Why?
Alyssa:
Because I feel like it’s taking the humanity out of things.
I was talking to a friend about this before, and somehow it always circles back to music, but the industry can feel really dehumanized.
And honestly, I think a lot of industries are like that.
There’s less empathy.
Less realness.
Even conversations like this feel different now.
Nobody really does interviews like this anymore.
Everything’s virtual.
Everything feels optimized.
And I know it’s hypocritical because I use technology constantly too.
So it’s not like I’m against it.
I’m just trying to figure out where the balance is.
Because I feel like technology can connect people, but it can also suck the life out of people.
Q: If music wasn’t the path, where do you think you’d end up?
Alyssa:
I honestly don’t know if I’ll be in music forever.
I love trying different things.
But I think I would probably work in politics.
I took a few political science classes, including one about what’s happening in the Middle East right now, and I found it really interesting.
Politics is hard, but I think everyone should be knowledgeable about it.
I think I’d probably do something involving international relations.
I was literally talking to my grandma while walking here and saying I can’t wait until I’m older and can move out of the U.S.
United States politics just frustrates me.
But I’d love to work internationally somewhere.
Maybe Sweden. Maybe Norway.
Somewhere outside of here.