By Reines Maliksi
Praeter is a Latin word for “beyond.”
But it is also a music project that looks toward the future and encompasses a mix of genres, including folk and electronic. Rob Wolle, a junior physics major, is the vision and creator behind this musical effort. He hopes for Praeter to become a project where more people can contribute to and extend beyond himself.
Wolle is also a student in the Jimenéz-Porter Writers’ House, a campus center for those who share a passion for writing. He admits that creative writing has been a major asset in enhancing his music and says that some of his songs would not exist if he did not have the experience of writing short stories and poetry in his classes.
“The Writers’ House gives a lot of opportunities to talk to people… you end up with lots of inspiration and lots of places to improve upon,” Wolle said.
Wolle’s interest in music began when he started singing at the young age of four. While growing up, he participated in talent shows and theater, and by the time he reached high school, he started to explore music production and music synthesis.
During his senior year of high school, Wolle began producing music and it was not long until he mastered a variety of instruments, from the piano to drums to banjo. While a lot of Wolle’s early music was EDM, he later transitioned into more ambient music. He says that he does not restrict himself to a single genre; sometimes it’s folk, sometimes it’s electronic, other times indie and occasionally classical.
Wolle performed at the Terpoets Open Mic Night hosted at the NextNOW Fest on Sept. 10, an event that allowed students to share their creative art via @nextnowfestumd’s Instagram Live. He sang an original song called “Venus,” which is featured on his debut album that is yet to be released. Even though the event was a virtual show, Wolle had no problem with performing online.
“With music, it’s just as good for me to see comments or the little hearts on Instagram Live pop up,” Wolle said.
Wolle’s latest single “Fun, but No Sun” dropped on Sept. 25 and is “probably the best showcase” of what he hopes to do with his music moving forward.
Jake Ritmiller, senior songwriting and producing major at Berklee Online, is one of Wolle’s closest friends who has had a profound influence on his music. The two became friends through their high school’s choral arts program and ever since they have had a collaborative friendship over their bond of music.
Ritmiller provided electric guitar on “Fun, but No Sun” and said that the song represents a dense, musical journey about pining for a season that could have never been. He revealed that the track took inspiration from several other musical artists but overall praised Wolle for his ability to uphold a unique voice.
“That sound isn’t carbon copied from those bands as he does a great job of blending those influences together to make a sound that is wholly his own,” said Ritmiller.
Matthew Bethel, a senior computer science major at the Catholic University of America, has also known Wolle since high school through the choir. He has seen Wolle grow in numerous ways and admires his confidence in his music.
“He’ll show me something with self-assuredness, and it’ll be good. He’s probably the best at production,” said Bethel.
Although Wolle wholeheartedly loves music, he does not envision having a career as a musician once he graduates. Ideally, he hopes to become a physics researcher someday. Nonetheless, he views music as a constant outlet that will always be there for him.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to stop making art,” he said.
You can follow Praeter on Spotify here and Instagram here.
Featured Photo Credit: Courtesy of Rob Wolle.
Reines Maliksi is a junior information science and journalism double major and can be reached at reinesmaliksi26@gmail.com.
