After months of writing, recording, and mixing, junior Jackson Hirsh released “Pandora,” his debut single, on Sept. 5. The song, now available on Apple Music and Spotify, is a slow acoustic ballad rooted in storytelling, reflecting years of Jackson’s musical growth and the payoff of his self-taught recording process.
Blending 1960s and ‘70s folk-rock and modern acoustic, “Pandora” pairs introspective lyrics about loss and uncertainty with warm, resonant instrumentals, resulting in a track that feels intimate and vulnerable.
Although Jackson only recently released his debut song, his musical journey began years ago. “I played violin starting in kindergarten, and played for eight or nine years,” he said. “[Then], when I was in first grade, my grandfather got me my first guitar, which was a three-quarter-sized guitar.” Jackson’s grandfather was responsible for some of Jackson’s earliest musical influences. “He gets all the credit for introducing me to guitar, and was also the one who introduced me to the Beatles,” Jackson said.
Like countless young musicians, Jackson found inspiration in the Beatles’ melodies, which served as the foundation for his musical exploration. That curiosity soon led him to the Grateful Dead. “At the end of sixth grade, I discovered the Grateful Dead, who … were and continue to be my greatest inspiration in terms of constantly challenging me to be a better player and musician,” he said.
Jackson’s appreciation of music shapes his presence in the Latin community. Upper School visual arts teacher and rock aficionado Ian Merritt noted Jackson and his shared enthusiasm. “The easiest thing [Jackson and I] have to talk about is the Grateful Dead,” he said. “We could both probably talk about music for hours without seeing daylight or touching grass.”
Years of engaging with musical influences—like the Grateful Dead—eventually crescendoed into Jackson’s first full production. “I started writing ‘Pandora’ in April and May, and the lyrics actually came to me pretty quickly,” he said.
Much of this lyric-writing took place on the bus, where Jackson feels he can think about how lyrics and sound can shape the message drawn by listeners.
“I’ve never been someone who likes to assign a meaning to a song for anybody other than myself,” he said. “I think that's the beautiful part about music: You can look at a song and say, ‘This reminds me of my grandfather,’ and I could look at the same song and say, ‘This reminds me of playing with my cousins by a lake.’ The song is giving its own message, but we’re receiving it at different wavelengths.”
With this mindset guiding him, Jackson prepared to bring his sound to audiences. “I finished writing the music while I was at the class of the Berklee School of Music in Boston this summer,” he said. “The first time I played it live was at an open mic night in Boston, and as soon as I got home, I got a demo done and hired a producer.”
To bring ‘Pandora’ off stage and onto streaming services, Jackson partnered with an online platform called The Online Recording Studio, which connects independent musicians with professional producers. After assembling a small home studio—complete with soundproofed walls and an audio interface—he began collaborating with a UK-based mixer and producer.
Meticulously, the production began to take shape. “First, there's the writings, and then you record a demo,” Jackson said. “From there, you give that to your mixer, and that gives them an idea of the song and allows you to start collaborating and thinking sonically about the song.” He continued, “Then, you record your final version and give that to your mixer. Your mixer makes a draft, sends it back to you, and you adjust, and then you master it.”
Because of the multi-step workflow, the project demanded significant patience; Jackson spent weeks revisiting mixes. “[My producer] would send me a draft of the mix, and I would listen to it 30, 40 times. I think my record [for listening to] one draft was 67 times, through just AirPods or headphones or with a car speaker, just lying down, listening and taking notes,” he said.
Jackson’s attention to detail left an impression on those who followed his process closely.
Junior Ashym Patel, a fellow musician and close friend of Jackson’s, bore witness to the dedication behind Jackson’s project. “I think something that was interesting were the producer-y aspects,” Ashym said. “Hearing the final version [of ‘Pandora’], with all of the harmonies and all of the different pedals and distortion in the background, was amazing to see.”
The response to Jackson’s debut was immediate and overwhelmingly enthusiastic, a testament to his musical talent.
“What I loved about hearing that song for the first time was that I heard all of Jackson's influences, which I'd already talked to him about many times, but they had been digested and then brought back out through Jackson,” Mr. Merritt said.
That blend of precision and talent also stuck with Jackson’s peers. “He cares so much about music and doing his best—it really [showed] through in his writing process,” Ashym said.
Looking ahead, Jackson has already begun work on his next single, “Maple”—a richer, more instrumentally layered track that he hopes to release around Thanksgiving. “Much like [working on] ‘Pandora,’ I was like, ‘I know exactly what I want [‘Maple’] to be’” he said. “It's going to have a lot of instruments. It has a piano, a full drum kit, a bass, multiple guitars, and I’m even considering adding some horns.”
He views each project as a learning opportunity and a step forward in his musical journey. “A lot of people say that since this song [did] well, then there's more coming,” he said. “To me, there's more coming whether the music does well or not.”
That authentic, passionate mindset is a principle Mr. Merritt encourages him and other students to hold onto. “Try to find what you like and [try] not [to] chase what everybody else is liking,” he said. “Make sure you love [what you’re creating].”
Pandora's warm reception has only fueled Jackson’s drive to keep experimenting, learning, and loving what he produces. “‘Pandora’ is the first song I’ve ever recorded,” Jackson said. “Do I think it's perfect in every way? Absolutely not. Do I love it for its imperfections? Yes.”
