WORLD'S LEADING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Dreamer Spotlight: Adam Kirr

Adam Kirr has the kind of music ability most people can only envy. Fortunately, he is more than willing to treat the rest of us. “My favorite thing is sharing music with other people,” he said.

When Adam messes around with the guitar, a melody instantly appears. “It doesn’t seem like a great talent,” he said. “It’s just natural to me.”

On July 19, Adam performed for NY2’s staff and participants at Kenny’s Castaways, where he opened for Columbia signed artist Susan Cagle.

The best part of Adam’s story? He is basically a self-taught guitar player. In sixth grade, his mother bought Adam an acoustic guitar, but he never took lessons until his sophomore year of high school. These lessons taught him to play specific songs, a feat he could already do on his own. “I learned by going online and finding tabs on my favorite songs,” he said.

Adam started singing before playing the guitar, but nobody else knew he could sing well. “When I was little, people would say I couldn’t sing. I never sang in public,” he said. “But I have always loved to sing. Even when I was little, I told people, ‘Alright, you don’t know.’”

Many times, Adam and his high school band, Longhouse, sold at least 100 tickets and performed for other high school students. Adam did not play guitar, but he was the lead singer/songwriter. “At first, there were times when we learned that we had to rehearse better for shows,” he said.

Eventually, the band moved from Sunday night gigs to Saturday evening performances at local Maryland venues. They opened for other acts and once made $1,000 in 45 minutes on tickets and commission.

Although Adam’s band broke up once he and his friends moved away to college, Adam continues to harness his guitar and singing skills. In front of the entire Greek community at Gettysburg College, he represented his fraternity at the annual Mr. Fraternity Competition two years ago. After playing guitar and singing in front of 1,000 people for the talent competition, he won the event. “There were a lot of girls in the crowd, and the judges were all female,” he said. “They freaked out when I was done and gave me high marks.”

Adam wrote his first song, “Silent Connection,” as a junior in high school. He has written love songs and others about learning not to stray from a good time. His song “Good Times” is about cherishing good times with friends. “If you compare the moments when you are not having the best time to how much you feel connected when you are with your friends, I think you will blow your mind,” he said. “We can act so naturally around our friends and I like to take time out and feel how connected I am with other people.”

So far, Adam has written seven songs by himself. Each of them is extremely personal. “They are about feeling the moment, taking some time out of the chaos of socializing, and just really feeling how good of a time you are having,” said. “I write about what I am really feeling, what I have been most passionate about.”

Adam always takes an uplifting, positive approach when writing songs. “Remember the good times,” he said. “If you are sad, think about that moment and really feel how it was when you are there because it brings you up. Generally, I don’t write any songs about negative things. It seems anti-constructive.”

On stage, Adam weaves his songs into the audience’s temperament. “I feel the energy, good or bad, from the crowd,” he said. “I feel that and I get excited. I try to portray the overall mood into my performance to keep the mood up.”

Just as he takes a positive viewpoint when sitting alone, writing songs, Adam is positive when he performs live. “The energy of a big crowd pumps you up,” he said. “But even when the energy seems to be mediocre, I try to bring the mood up with my music and really harness what my songs are about. I try to portray to the audience how passionate I am about those moments I wrote the song about and what my message is,” he said.

Adam believes that passion for his songs is crucial to his success on stage. “The way I have gotten good responses is feeling the song and being passionate about what I am talking about,” he said. “There are tons of melodies I don’t feel, so I don’t play those. But if it feels right, I just do it.”

When the tune is right for him, Adam always goes for it. “There is nothing better than that,” he said.

Adam is heavily influenced by Dispatch, his favorite band. “Every time I have a great moment with a girl, every time I have a great time in a social situation somewhere, it seems like Dispatch has been playing,” he said.

This summer, Adam’s internship at Def Jam Records keeps him close to music. “I love working with music in general,” he said.

After college, Adam will devote more time to his own music and may even book his own tour. “I want to go for it and try to make a run,” he said. “I would love to live in New York and write more songs.”

At the least, Adam is certain about his passion for making music. “I could never stop,” he said. “It is one of those things I love so much. I can’t not do it.”

Adam is a senior English major and writing minor at Gettysburg College. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he is the son of Lori and Steve Kirr.