In a Nov. 17th virtual performance, criminal justice sophomore Thomas Boyd performed in San Diego State’s first “Virtual Nooner” of the semester.
Nooner is an event held by Associated Students to allow up-and-coming students to perform for the SDSU community.
Boyd’s performance comes after previous attempts to start the event earlier this semester were canceled due to miscommunications. The Virtual Nooner was posted on the official account of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union on their Instagram as a live IGTV stream.
Boyd kicked off the show performing in his band Cardboard Breakfast alongside bandmates Ricardo Dollero and Josiah “Jojo” Mundo. For the first two songs in their set, they played original pieces called “SD up to LA” and “Tokyo Town.” The band also played two cover songs, “Sabor a Mi” by Luis Miguel and a traditional Mexican folk song “La Bruja,” displaying their talents with many instruments and vocals.
For the second part of the act, Boyd performed as a solo artist, singing nine original songs under the stage name Midnight Crow.
Midnight Crow played an original song titled “Mercury,” a soft bass and soothing keyboard track that underlies an environmental influence to kick off the performance.
“I started in music as a mariachi student two years ago,” Boyd said. “I learned the guitarrón, which is the bass for mariachi, and ever since then, I have continued to learn more instruments.”
One of the instruments he currently plays is a bass guitar, the foundational beginning of his creative musical process.
With every artist having a different approach to finding their muse, Boyd’s process comes organically with the help of his bass.
“I normally just play my bass and then work off of whatever sounds cool,” Boyd said. “Once I have something cool sounding, I like to fit it to a drum track and then add in anything else, whether it’s more bass, guitar, keyboard, or samples to spice up the track.”
Boyd writes and composes music inspired by lo-fi, short for low-fidelity, music, and related beats. Although this is his primary music genre, he plans to make more alternative music in the future.
During the virtual performance, each song performed by Midnight Crow has a theme within the song titles.
“A lot of the music presented in the Virtual Nooner was written while I was sitting outside looking out at the stars and planets, which is actually why a lot of the songs are named after planets,” Boyd said.
With Boyd’s intense passion for music, his inspiration draws from everyday things and organic processes.
“What inspires me are my problems in life and what I see around me,” Boyd said.
Sophomore political science major John Clamon is a close friend of Boyd and a loyal supporter of his music.
“Yeah, it’s great, just chill study music,” Clamon said. “Some of his other stuff that he hasn’t released is pretty amazing too. The guy can learn any instrument in a heartbeat.”
San Diego Mesa College sophomore Ricardo Dollero is not just a member of Cardboard for Breakfast, he is another close friend of Boyd.
“I’ve known Thomas for almost eight years, and I support him a lot,” Dollero stated. “I like the music he makes and I think he would have a great future if he makes connections and continues to perfect his work.”
Boyd’s creative process is not easily defined or confined, but even artists have to be good at the technical stuff, and that’s the most tedious part, Boyd said.
“I would say my least favorite part is making sure the track is at equal volumes throughout the whole track, and making sure everything is exactly where it should be,” Boyd explained. “Although I know it’s insanely important, it’s the most tedious part of the process, in my opinion.”
Midnight Crow’s last song for the performance was titled “Alone in the Dark,” another bass-heavy and aesthetic sounding track.
“My favorite part would be listening to the track in full and hearing how it comes out altogether; it’s super exciting,” Boyd said.
Along with encouraging friends and hopeful aspirations, Boyd shares his future goals for his passion for music.
“My dream is to become a performing artist, but if I never make it, then I plan on composing music and teaching it to future generations.”
Clamon said he “wouldn’t be surprised if he (Boyd) is very successful later in life,”
For more music from Midnight Crow and his band Cardboard for Breakfast, you can follow his Instagram @thejokernew52 or check out his music streaming on Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music and iTunes @MidnightCrow.
