Each and every time singer and second-year music industry studies student Katie DeMartini steps foot into a studio or sits down to write a song, she has one goal: to portray an exact feeling and emotion in the listener's head throughout the track, Lily Baniewicz said.
Baniewicz, a first-year music industry studies student, met DeMartini during her first semester at USC through a songwriting course, and is now performing with her at the St. Patrick's Day Festival on March 15.
Ever since high school, Katie DeMartini has had her eyes set on continuing her musical career, she said.
DeMartini said her creative spirit came from being in musical theater and an interest in the arts. As she grew older, she would begin to realize musical theater wasn't in her long-term plans, putting in more time into creating music, she said.
She began to write songs daily as a young teen, and songwriting became her outlet of expression.
"I think after a few weeks of writing and having this almost portfolio of songs, I listened back to them and realized that it was something that I was super passionate about," DeMartini said. "And they actually were turning out pretty good."
DeMartini recorded and released her first independent song "Stupid" in August 2022. She said she took her time to finish the single and released it onto digital streaming platforms at the age of 17.
Her writing style comes from various mainstream pop artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Alanis Morissette and Gracie Abrams, referring to Abrams' 2020 EP "minor" as a major source of inspiration.
The writing process of each song aids in her releasing her emotions, whether that's about her romantic life or other parts of her life, DeMartini said.
"It's very therapeutic to kind of really hone into those emotions," DeMartini said.
DeMartini said her process of creating each song differs from others, as the writing process typically comes first, giving her a feel of what music she feels is appropriate behind the lyrics.
"I think when I have an idea, I have the music in my mind, and then I can hear what I want (the song) to sound like. But I think I do typically start with a little poem or just some lyrics, and then I later put music to that," DeMartini said.
Baniewicz met DeMartini in her first semester at USC. The two got along well by writing about familiar topics, creating a song in their songwriting class. During this time, she immediately noticed DeMartini's confidence and skill, she said.
"Since the first time I heard her sing, I was like 'Wow,' she also had the guitar with her, and she's just starting to learn guitar, but it didn't sound like it," Baniewicz said.
Through the consistent performances and coming up with new song ideas, DeMartini and other student musicians still have to balance being a student and getting their degree, Baniewicz said.
Maintaining a steady and consistent academic record also serves to be important, Baniewicz said. This proves to be very difficult with how time-consuming musical composition can be for beginners, she said.
"I just think there has to be a point in your day — me and Katie have talked about this — where we have to just sit and breathe and realize that it's going to be OK, and the stress is going to go away in the future, but it gets very stressful," Baniewicz said.
Fourth-year music industry studies student Maddy LaFontan also said it's important to balance the stress of school is with other aspects of life.
"I think it's definitely about making time for things that you truly enjoy," LaFontan said. "Obviously, we're doing what we enjoy every day by performing and working on our craft, writing music and for me, taking photos is something I enjoy, but I also make sure to do other things that I enjoy, especially unwinding."
LaFontan said she met DeMartini through USC's Commercial Music Ensemble group, and DeMartini later asked her to sing in local performances alongside her. She is now in charge of her creative team, helping with her social media presence, photography and even creating her cover art for her upcoming album, she said.
LaFontan said she was impressed with the skill DeMartini possessed while starting to release music in high school. She said she was particularly impressed with DeMartini's 2023 single "Strangers."
"I've just never heard a song like that, and I think that her voice just sounds so clear and concise on the recording. I thought the recording itself was great," LaFontan said.
DeMartini's signed with Greene St. Records in December 2024 as the student label's first artist. She has now performed at local venues such as Live at the Underground and will perform at the St. Patrick's Day Festival on March 15.
These opportunities have allowed her to further grow her audience and presence among younger crowds and specifically, collegiate-aged women, LaFontan said.
DeMartini's continuous development in artistry and skill will only continue to boost her support around the Columbia community, LaFontan said.
"I've already seen her growing on stage, just in her performance, in her stage presence and just how she presents herself to an audience," LaFontan said. "I can't wait to see what else that she puts out. She's been writing so much music, and it's all amazing."
DeMartini performs at local and USC venues and is hoping to perform in her home state of New Jersey and the rest of the tri-state area over the summer. She wishes to drop a full-length project and continue to perform, write and create quality music for her fans to enjoy.