William Olsick

ESCANABA — Music Maker of the Month is William Olsick.

From as far back as I can remember, I have always had a deep appreciation and connection to music. There hasn’t been a moment in my life when I wasn’t drawn to music in some form or another. Even in my earliest years, I felt certain that this is the path I wanted to pursue

As a child, I eagerly delved into a multitude of music genres, spending hours scouring the internet for new sounds. I think this taught me to be open to new types of music, because you never know what you might enjoy if you aren’t open to embracing the unfamiliar.

I eventually felt compelled to learn to play music because I wanted to get the sounds in my head out into the real world. I also thought being able to play my favorite songs for myself would be fun. For my 13th birthday, I asked my parents for a drum set. A few years later, I began to teach myself guitar, piano, and even to sing. Recently, I have started composing my own songs.

The first time I played alone in a live setting was at a music festival called OsierFest. I remember being very nervous on stage and hoping that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of an audience. However, after performing at the Rock the Dock music festival, collaborating with the NMU jazz band and orchestra, and playing with many local musicians, I conquered my nerves and discovered that I am happiest while playing or performing.

I’m drawn to alternative rock and folk, and playing songs you wouldn’t expect to be played on the acoustic guitar. I feel like I’m at a point where I am confident in my abilities as a guitarist/vocalist and I want to immerse myself in as much live music as I can in order to live my dream. My ambition now is to create and share music with others.

I plan to play this summer in Delta County at various festivals, as well as the Open Mic at Gladstone Beach House on June 15. Please follow me at Willolsickmusic on Instagram.