Songwriters Lexi Warnock and Aminta Skye share their stories on May 2

Songwriting majors Aminta Skye and Lexi Warnock are the next speakers at Idyllwild Arts Academy’s Idy Talk. Photo courtesy Idyllwild Arts Foundation

The Thursday, May 2, IdyTalk, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Town Gallery offers a study in friendship and artistic collaboration by Idyllwild Arts Academy Songwriting majors Lexi Warnock and Aminta Skye.
The partnership between Lexi, graduating May 18, and Aminta, finishing her sophomore year, is representative of the academy’s global reach. Lexi comes from Wailua, Kaua’i, while Aminta was born in Selma, Oregon — yet there’s more to Aminta’s story.
“My mother is from the U.S. but my father is from Senegal, in West Africa. They’d originally met in Senegal when my mother was studying abroad, and they were living there. But it’s hard to travel internationally with an African passport, so my mother spent the last week of her pregnancy in Eugene so I could be born a U.S. citizen.”
Her U.S. passport is likely to get a lot of use, given the songwriting and performing talent that could lead to frequent travel.
“I’ve always wanted to be a singer,” Aminta said, “and I have a passion to be a professional musician of the indie/alternative-rock persuasion.”
Lexi has similar ambitions, “though I also lean in the singer/songwriter direction.” She’ll take the next step toward fulfilling her ambitions at the University of Southern California this fall.
“I’m going to major in music business,” she said, but that doesn’t mean she plans to give up songwriting and performing.
She explains that, “It’s important to know how to market yourself,” repeating a point that the academy Music faculty takes pains to communicate to all of its students.
The academy’s classical, jazz and songwriting programs also stress collaboration, another lesson Lexi and Aminta have taken to heart.
“As far as songs that we’d both put our names to as composers,” Lexi said, “there are only five or 10. But we give each other notes on all the songs we write individually.”
They will perform the first of those five or 10 collaborations, “Afternoon Tea,” a song about friendship, at the end of Thursday evening’s IdyTalk.
Attendees can expect a powerful, emotional performance.
“Lexi’s my best friend,” Aminta said, “so I’m going to be very sad without her next year.”
The event is free and open to the public but has limited seating.