Buddy Harly: the path from medical college to the way of being a musician

Buddy Harly is a Ukrainian musician who creates computer music in the psyhodelic music genre and pays considerable attention to meditative compositions. He has dreamed of becoming a musician since childhood. Despite the lack of support and health problems, he worked hard to get into the conservatory. Find out more about the obstacles to his goal, the role of music in his life, and his studies at the Ukrainian Conservatory on Drive Music Media.

BUDDY'S HARLY CHILDHOOD: DREAMS OF BEING A MUSICIAN AND LOVE FOR MUSIC

The musician, who chose the stage name Buddy Harly, was born in a small town in the Luhansk region, Novoaidar. Since childhood, he was drawn to music. He tried to convince his parents to support his passion, but all he heard was that music was not a way to earn money for bread. Despite the lack of support, the boy achieved his goal: he earned enough money to buy a guitar in 2013 and started practicing music on his own.

Of course, it was hard to practice on his own, and the first thing that helped him get off the ground was working in a music editor.

ABOUT MEDIACAL SCHOOL AND WORKING AS A LABOROTORY ASSISTANT TO FULFILL DREAMS

2015. He had to make a choice about where to go next. Unfortunately, his parents' opinions about the music industry remained the same as in his childhood. Due to the influence of his relatives and problems with his father, Buddy Harly enters medical school, where he stays for two years. When a person chooses a path that is not his or her own, sooner or later, he or she will end up with it. And so it happened.  After 2 years, he decides to leave medical school and to fulfill his dream of entering the conservatory, he decides to go to music school. After 5 months of studying, the musician moves to Kharkiv. Working as a laboratory assistant, he was able to earn enough money to move to this city. Then he starts working hard to get into the conservatory, but it's not that easy. At first, he was advised to go to a music college: the conservatory is too difficult a choice after 5 months at a music school. As a result, he enters the Kharkiv Higher College of Arts, where he studies for 4 years. In 2023, Buddy Harly realized his dream and entered the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture.

ON THE ROLE OF IMPROVISATION, ILLNESS, AND STUDYNG AT THE CONSERVATORY

The process of creativity helps Buddy Harly find balance in his thoughts during his illness. This is what is able to suppress the epileptic seizures that the musician suffers from. The disease began to develop while he was studying at medical college. According to Buddy Harly, it was difficult to survive its inception. It was at that time that the musician was in a philosophical meditative state and was trying to understand what he wanted to do in his life. The decision was not long in coming. The cultural sphere came first.

Among the entire creative process, the musician leaves an important place for improvisation. In his opinion, improvisation is an integral part of music: it helps to consolidate and improve the knowledge he has acquired. Also, the knowledge gained during improvisation can later help in the creation of electronic music. The compositions become clearer and more expressive. According to the musician, there is no clear plan in improvisation: it begins with the search for rhythmic squares, which helps to find the form. At the moment, it's hard for the musician to keep the same mood in his music for a long time, because he has trouble concentrating due to his illness.

But this does not prevent him from continuing his studies at the conservatory. According to the musician, Ukrainian teachers provide a good basis, but without his own contribution to 12 hours of different classes every day, it will be difficult to reach his ideal in composition.

A special place in his work is occupied by meditative compositions. The musician conveys lightness and anxiety in his works. Buddy himself interprets one of his psychedelic meditation compositions “Heavy road” as light, but at the same time says that you can also hear fear there. Several other compositions are also in this genre: Meditation trip and Untitled Composition.

ON CHOOSING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, STAGE NAME AND NEXT STEPS IN MUSIC 

The musician chose instrumental music because of its abstractionism. It helps him to find his own ideal. The name Buddy Harly was chosen for his pop works. It combines the name of Harley motorcycles because it is associated with the road, rock, and the word Buddy, which sounds similar to the musician's real name. In the academic world, he uses his real name. Most of the works on the musician's Youtube channel are demo versions. Now his goal is to complete these compositions.

Among them there are ready-made compositions that surprise with their paradoxicality. Yes, the composition "Heavy road" has such a gloomy name, but when you start listening to it, you hear light music and feel as if you are on an island. The musician himself advises to pay attention to meditation, because the more relaxation, the deeper the connection with music.

Photos provided by Buddy Harly

Video from the musician's YouTube channel