Freshman Cody Fox has always loved music, but he has recently taken it further than just listening to his favorite songs.

Fox began covering songs by other artists and writing his own music about a year and a half ago.

“I’ve been trying to write for a really long time,” he said. “I had those little songs you thought were good, but you would listen to them and be like, ‘Wow, this sucks.’”

He began posting music on Facebook so friends and family could watch and listen.

“I feel like music is something you do for yourself, but you also do for other people,” Fox said. “I don’t see the point in writing music if no one is going to hear it.”

If Fox could do one thing in his life, it would be music, he said.

While making music has always been a dream of Fox’s, he still considers his education a part of it.

“I want to be at a classy bar in a suit and tie and sing, but that’s not going to get me money,” Fox said. “I figured I should get a degree that’s not music so I always have something to fall back on.”

The songs that Fox covers are ones that are relevant to what is happening in his life.

The most recent song Fox covered was “Stay” by Rihanna.

“I was debating going to Columbus and taking a break and working or staying here and continuing school,” Fox said. “I decided to stay, and I know it’s more of a love song but it still talks about staying.”

Occasionally, Fox’s friends will request songs for him to play.

“If he’s playing guitar it’s ‘A Team’ [by Ed Sheeran], or if he’s playing piano, it’s Adele,” said freshman Alyssa Batch.

Sheeran is one of the celebrities that Fox gets a lot of inspiration from.

“You know how people have those really dirty sexual crushes on rock stars, with Ed Sheeran I just want to walk on the beach and hold his hand,” Fox said. “His music is so raw, and he is so talented that all he needs is a guitar and a microphone to make gorgeous, gorgeous music.”

However, his crush doesn’t distract him from writing songs.

It usually a fast process for Fox, but there have been times he has struggled to find the words.

“I can usually crank out a song in a half an hour. I find a chord progression and them I hum a melody and I sit there like an idiot and hum and strum for awhile until words come up,” he said. “The latest song I wrote took me about two to three hours to write because I couldn’t find the words to fit how I felt.”

His song lyrics are relatable to many situations and Fox enjoys writing about things that go on in real life, Batch said.

One of Fox’s friends, freshman Erin Emery, said she fell in love with his lyrics but said Fox is shy when it comes to his music.

“He would come down and play music with my door open but once people heard him he would shut the door,” Emery said.

Fox has not performed live yet, and has a few fears about performing in front of his peers.

“The people I know, if they were to listen to the music if it was about them they’re going to know it’s about them and that kind of terrifies me,” he said.

Fox has recently caught the attention of a record label in Cleveland.

“I have to meet with a producer and hopefully there will be a possible record deal in the near future,” he said “My friend Eli has a bunch of recording stuff … this week were going to get together and record two demos.”

Fox hopes his hard work translates into a music career.

“The most popular people are the ones who put the least amount of thought into their songs and I want to break that barrier,” he said. “I want to make good music … you can listen to and understand what the person is going through.”