As the 2025-2026 school year nears an end, many seniors are deciding what direction to take for their future careers. For Seniors Gracie Buckner and Colby Jeffrey, their decision doesn’t require much thought. Buckner and Jeffrey are both involved in music, with Buckner playing piano, guitar and singing, and Jeffrey playing the guitar and singing.
They both have many accomplishments. Buckner writes and produces her albums herself. One of her songs, “Middle of June,” was in an HBO miniseries, “Task,” and was another big accomplishment for her. Jeffrey’s biggest achievement is being able to book his own gigs without having to work another job.
Buckner has always had music in her life. The majority of her family makes music, with her dad being her biggest influence. Jeffrey’s biggest inspiration is also his dad because his dad was in a band and always pushed him to be the best he could be.
A typical day of making music for Buckner and Jeffrey differs, but the creative process is similar.
Buckner states, “I sit by my piano and write whatever comes to mind. I just play around with my guitar and piano.”
Buckner finds inspiration for songs as she reflects on past experiences and emotions, then she creates meaningful, heartfelt lyrics.
Jeffrey states, “I get up and practice, just trying to find what works. I just try to find some lyrics and then roll from there.”
Jeffrey tests out different melodies and lyrics that come to mind as he figures out what he likes the most. His music is curated specifically to himself, as he makes sure it fits his standards.
Buckner and Jeffrey make different styles of music. Buckner makes pop music and ballads with R&B influence, and Jeffrey makes country music. They each have their own aspirations for where they want their music career to go.
Buckner states, “No matter what I end up doing, I still want to incorporate music in my life. It’s not my main major in college, but it’s definitely something I will continue to do for the rest of my life, regardless of whether it’s something I’m doing for fun or for a career.”
Although Buckner is unsure if music will be her main focus, she never wants to lose music in her life. Her friends are also supportive of her decision, no matter what she chooses to do.
Senior Emily Pritchard states, “I think Gracie has a lot of talent that is only going to get better. She should pursue this if it’s what she decides to do, but she’s also very smart too, so it’s up to her. She’ll be successful no matter what.”
With Buckner and Jeffrey’s time at THS coming to an end, they continue to set a good example to others that following your dreams is important. They both never want to stop making music, even though Buckner is considering going into engineering at Pitt Swanson School of Engineering. Jeffrey will continue to make music and pursue it as a career, performing live when he gets the chance. Buckner shows off her talent online on her Instagram and TikTok, where she posts herself singing and playing instruments. Best of luck to both of them and their careers!
