Some students sing, play an instrument, or do both. One student, however, is expressing his musical abilities through a lesser known genre titled “noise music.”

“I do a project called ‘Sick Grrl,’ where I use modern electronic music programs and antiquated technology, like older microphones, tapes, and boomboxes to make what is called noise music,” senior Malcolm Gooch said.

For Gooch, the unconventional noise music genre feeds off of intense emotions of music, and he follows the motto, “get as loud and as weird as possible.”

“It is basically music without all of the rules,” Gooch said. “You take all of the ideas of melody and rhythm and throw it out the window and make soundscapes.”

Gooch finds his influence for his music from different sources, but movies most heavily contribute to his inspiration.

“I like to take and make sounds for visuals that I do not feel normal music fits,” Gooch said. “I think it is more accurate to do something as visceral and primal as noise music, which uses a lot of feedback that is not supposed to happen in music.”

Gooch has been involved in other musical projects in the past, but he has been working in the noise genre for a year and half.

Friends of Gooch have shown their support for his music by purchasing tapes and seeing him live.

“For me, before I found out what the name of the genre was, I was best able to describe it as an abstract painting gone to audio,” said junior Jefferson Davis, a friend of Gooch who saw him perform.

Gooch had his first performance at Oxford’s Fringe Festival in August.

“It was my first time ever going to something like that, so it was just really cool,” said junior Alex Lowe, a friend of Gooch who also saw his performance. “It was not music I normally listen to. It was a good experience.”

Gooch has future shows lined up, as well. The next one will be October 24 in Cleveland, Miss.

“I will be doing the Mississippi Noise Convention,” Gooch said. “I will also be doing some shows throughout the year at The Wall, and other places.”

Students can listen to Gooch’s music on the internet at https://tvintheattictapes.bandcamp.com.

“If you want a tape, you can come to me and ask,” Gooch said. “I have one album out, then I have a lot of collections of singles and short albums.”