The saying that music provides a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything could not be more accurate. In fact, music speaks what cannot be expressed with words by transforming experiences into melodies we find so beautiful and admirable — themes of chaos to beauty and heartache to reasoning.

Speaking with Mackenzie Keane, a sophomore at New York University, allowed for me to recognize a passion stitched together with diligence, patience, and harmony. His first music video, "Model Behavior," gloriously showcases a communal feeling of how everything is not really what it seems by revealing the differences of one's behavior in public and private. "Model Behavior" serves as a double entendre. In fact, the term "model" symbolizes materialism and a superficial lifestyle — the "good life." He also states that our generation has been living our lives through social media and vicariously through devices; this song boldly states that you don't need these things to love yourself.

Growing up, Mack's favorite album was Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" -- the first CD his dad bought for him to jam out to on his portable CD player. (Yes, '90s kids, I know you remember how great those things were). The funk, the soul, the rhythm, and the overall sound of the musical genius throughout the entirety of the record were what captured his attention. In fact, the first chord progression of "Isn't She Lovely" was the first progression he picked up, so it's safe to say that Stevie Wonder inspired him to play the piano and pursue a career in music.

Moreover, he grew up in a very musical family, so music always surrounded him. Everyone in his family either sang, played an instrument, performed in musicals, or danced, so to him music was the norm. Not only did his upbringing steer him toward his musical path, but artists such as Donny Hathaway, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and Justin Timberlake inspired him as well.

When asked what his favorite song/album of 2015, he chose Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp A Butterfly." The first time he listened to the album, he noted that he was skeptical on the entirety of the album because it was so different. However, he was able to pick out specific parts that represented the genius behind the lyricism and musicianship. To him, this album symbolized a new sound of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop all transformed into a modern feel.

Caroline: If you could open for any band or artist, who would it be?

Mack: If I could open for any current band or artist, it would have to be D'Angelo and the Vanguard. I had seen D'Angelo perform a while back and the performance was phenomenal; his incorporation of showmanship and live music really felt like an ode to the performance styles of James Brown and other artists similar to his style. To me, his performance symbolized how music should be performed in concert.

Caroline: What do you like to do before your shows?

Mack: I don't necessarily have a set go-to pre-show ritual. In fact, I like to keep it relaxed on the day of the show and mentally go through each song and section with my band. Occasionally, we'll have a little huddle before we go on. We recently got into drinking Red Bulls before our shows which, really helps with the energy of the performance; however, caffeine is bad for the voice, so I don't think this ritual will last very long.

Caroline: What do you like to do after your shows?

Mack: After a show, I like to go home and hang out with friends. Knowing that I can reward myself by watching TV and playing video games is the best feeling. In all honesty, it's the little things that mean the most.

When asked about his journey he noted that it is definitely far from being over. In fact, his journey has brought him a lot of surprises. For instance, he self-marketed his song "Model Behavior" himself with the help of some friends sharing it on Facebook, and was able to reach over 40K views on SoundCloud. This number surprised and thrilled him as he saw that people were enjoying what he was putting out. With $0 into promoting, he allowed for his music to have a life of its own. Similarly, when asked if there was something he would have done differently to make his journey easier, he notes that he is not one to look back on life and regret events of the past. He notes that there is no use in worrying over things he can't change, and he'll continue to take the opportunities as they come — an admirable mindset that pertains to us all.

Altogether, he's hoping to organically come out with music and slowly build a substantial following that will allow him to create some buzz in the future. For him, 2016 will be a year filled with developing his art and building up content.

For more information on Mack Keane, make sure to like his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mackkeanemusic/?fref=ts. Also, stay tuned for his next performance that'll be on March 23rd, 2016 at the Gateway in Brooklyn. He'll be playing with a few talented bands and all of the details will be on Facebook soon.

SoundCloud:https://soundcloud.com/mackkeane

Mack, from us to you, we can't wait to see what's to come for you and your musical journey.

(All photo credits to Amanda Choy.)