Listening to music is something most of us do every day. Whether it’s in the car, on a run, or just hanging out at home, music is a language we all speak. There are many great famous artists, but there are also some awesome local musicians out there too! Here at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), there’s an artist willing to go the distance and bring us great music: Bex Arcuri.
Bex Arcuri is a music student born and raised in Wellington, Ohio, and would perform gigs in her hometown. After high school, she moved to Bowling Green, Ohio to attend BGSU. After spending three years practicing and studying music, she created her own brand as Bex Arcuri. Bex is a senior at BGSU studying Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Music Industry. She has worked with many local musicians and with their help, she has been able to grow her music career here in Northwest Ohio. In more recent news, Bex Arcuri released her debut EP titled Wilting Flowers. Currently, she is working on releasing an entire album by the end of 2022. Her music has an indie/alternative sound to it. I asked Bex a few other questions about her background and where she gets her inspiration from when making music.
The interview
Kassidy: Where do you draw inspiration from to make music or why did you decide to make music?
Bex: A lot of my inspiration is drawn in times when I am depressed or anxious. You can see this too, in my songs, that they are quite sad and real. That’s because it is coming from a deep part of myself that I don’t like to make visible to the naked eye. Sometimes what comes out when I write my music are emotions that I don’t even consciously realize myself right away. That realization tends to come out when I am creating the music with my producer and the other musicians I work with. Other times I go into a song with a whole idea in mind that I want to execute, and the emotions are basically writing the words for me. That’s the main reason I keep deciding to make music. I say, “keep making music” because music and I have a love-hate relationship. Mainly from the pressure of it all. However, every time I get drawn back in when I am in these low moments, it is almost a sort of coping mechanism for me at times. Music was always something that I could feel connected to, and I would like to think that I am creating that feeling for other people.
Kassidy: How long have you been a musician?
Bex: I have been a musician since I was born. Everyone on my mom’s side of the family is a musician, and values music deeply. By the time I was three, I was playing broken melodies on the piano. Not soon after, I was playing in different tempos, figuring out what each note sounded like, and just creating these melodic lines based on how it made me feel. By fourth grade, I wrote my first original song.
Kassidy: I listened to your song Wilting Flowers and thought it was phenomenal! I love the indie rock/pop feel to it. What’s the background of the song? Does it have any specific meaning to you?
Bex: Thank you so much! Wilting Flowers started as just a simple demo track that I put together for my producer and sound engineer. The vinyl aspect of the song was there from the beginning. I wanted it to have this pulsing, chill beat to add a more modern sound. A lot of my inspiration came from In My Head by Ariana Grande and Blueberry Skies by Audrey Mika. Then, we had the band come in. We got this groovy bass line recorded and a smooth guitar part recorded in the studio. My producer got on the drums, and it just all came together. The meaning behind Wilting Flowers is having these certain expectations for yourself as you get older, getting older and finding out it truly is all a bunch of crap, and having to relearn who you are and who you want to be. There are also feelings of wanting to go back and change things, but accepting that this is who you are now, and you will always be changing. It is a mixture of sadness, growth, and rebirth.
Kassidy: Where do you see yourself in 10 years musically?
Bex: In 10 years, I just want to keep making music for myself and others. I want to keep expressing myself. I want to keep meeting amazing and talented people. And if the universe is generous, I hope to continue gaining so much love and support.
Kassidy: Do you have any projects or performances coming up that we can promote?
Bex: I am working on my first ever album, which will be coming out later this year. Right now, we are working on three new songs. You may know one of them from the EP, Mama Said. We are currently working on creating a new version of it, with a new vibe. It’ll be called Mama Said (remastered), and it will release in April!
More about Bex
Bex has made such a name for herself, that she even has a manager, Mani Bechara. Her manager is a fellow BGSU student and takes pride in Bex’s music and her career. Bex and Bechara met in the Music Industry Club and Women’s Chorus. In a Music Industry capstone class last semester (Fall 2021), the assignment was to scout local talent and pitch artists to manage for the semester. She knew Bex from extracurricular activities and Music Industry Club had even hosted her and her band on Falcon Media/WBGU-FM’s collaborative, student-produced Live and Loud series (which is similar to NPR’s Tiny Desk). This is where artists can do a live performance and interview (which will be linked later in the article). Because of this, Bechara knew Bex would be a perfect pitch and she was signed with the Capstone Collective.
When I spoke with Bechara, she said, “It was exciting because we were essentially starting from the ground up with Bekah’s music career, so helping her with branding herself as an artist, getting a website, a logo, photoshoots, releasing an EP, and get a social media following was very cool to help with.”
Since the capstone class ended, Bechara is still taking over the role of Bex’s manager. She helps book gigs, promotes social media and content, and is helping with the process of Bex releasing an album. Mani Bechara is a 4th-year Communications major and Music Industry minor from Cleveland, Ohio.
You can listen to Bex’s EP Wilting Flowers on streaming websites. I would definitely give it a listen, even if indie/alternative music isn’t your favorite. Bex has a great voice and you can tell she has worked hard to get where she is. I personally am a huge indie/alternative music fan and loved the song and look forward to what she will release in the future!
Connect with bex
Bex’s Website: https://www.bexarcurimusic.com/
Link Tree, which has all of her social media accounts linked and where to listen to the EP: https://linktr.ee/bexarcurimusic
Live and Loud performance and interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xd_G_7RUuI
ArtsX Winter Showcase performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2pdfcXfTxg