To some, he is a ski teammate, Spanish classmate or friend. To his Spotify listeners, though, he’s a voice heard through their earbuds or phones.

Sophomore Ian Falck, known as Falquito on Spotify, is a singer, songwriter and producer who has released multiple songs, his most popular being “legos,” with 1,572 streams.

Falck has been producing music since the 5th grade and started posting beats first on SoundCloud in middle school, and on Spotify soon after. Eventually, Falck decided to release his songs publicly.

“I just figured I could try to sing and see how it goes,” Falck said. “I don’t think I was scared. I think it was exciting because I was like, ‘Oh, if this is good, people will like it, and if it’s bad, then I won’t do it again.’”

Falck said “Falquito” is a nickname his grandfather gave him. Falck originally used the name Falquito the Fish, but he later decided to shorten it.

In addition to producing music, Falck is a member of the high school’s student-run a capella group Bass Value. Sophomore Sid Samuels, a fellow member, said Falck is a valuable presence in the group’s rehearsals

“I would say he adds to the community by just cheering everyone up. He’s always having fun, and he just makes it a better environment, because it’s not just learning, it’s also about hanging out with friends,” Samuels said.

Sophomore Adriana Lorenz Gerena, a friend of Falck’s since their freshman year, said he would work on his music projects during Spanish class and ask her to give him feedback.

“I feel like to him, his music is kind of like a diary to express his emotions that he’s feeling in that moment,” Lorenz Gerena said.

Falck said his songs are inspired primarily by his life experiences.

“In the songs that I’ve written, I definitely put myself in the situations that are happening in my life,” Falck said. “I kind of have used it as a way to process certain things going on around me and my emotions.”

Falck said this style of songwriting has made a noticeable difference in his attitude and reinforced his love of making music. He hopes that passion is shared with his listeners.

“I’ve learned that by writing songs and getting those feelings out, it helps me feel happier day-to-day and not carry the weight of whatever is going on,” Falck said. “And if [something] is making me happy, then I get to share it with someone else.”