Frosh Emily Clayson has been involved in the arts her entire life. The Film and Digital Media major plays several instruments and is part of a band she formed with her friends this past year.
Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, Clayson, who is the youngest of four, moved to San Francisco when she was 10. Growing up she learned to play the piano then expanded to the clarinet, and harp; she’s recently been teaching herself the guitar for her band. “I’ve always been around the guitar, so I’ve always known a couple chords,” says Clayson. “I’ve started to actually do all the technical stuff pretty recently.”
Her passion for music flourished in high school when she attended the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA), a public, audition-based, alternative high school committed to equity and excellence in the arts and academics for all of our community members. Clayson joined their orchestra program and spent four years honing her skills and expanding her knowledge of contemporary instrumentals.
While she loves music, Clayson wanted a new adventure in college. She always had a fondness for SOTA’s film department, and loved taking film classes in high school when she could. At UC Santa Cruz, she is loving the opportunity to discuss film in an academic setting and work with like-minded students.
Clayson is considering carrying on her passion for music with a minor, but her artistic interests expand beyond film and music. She’d also love to create a video game. Currently, she has an idea for one that she’s holding off on initiating because she wants to build smaller games and gain experience first. With a program dedicated to game design, she has a world of opportunities opened to her.
Like most frosh, Clayson doesn’t yet know exactly what she wants to do with her life, but with all of her interests there’s no end of potential futures. It’s clear that wherever she ends up, Clayson will be dedicating herself to the arts and creating something new.