This story refers to the violence the Michigan State University community experienced in February. FAQs, important updates, messages from campus leaders as well as mental health and supportive resources are available.
In the days following the Feb. 13 violence, fourth-year media and information student Joseph Roy was trying to find ways to cope. As an artist, he turned to his passion – creating music – to release the whirlwind of emotions he felt from that tragic night. While MSU canceled classes for the remainder of the week, Joseph, who goes by the moniker J Roy, began writing the lyrics for “I Believe (#Spartan Strong).”
So silent that you can hear the wind,
When you don’t feel like you can go to school again.
Four days after the violence, Roy published the song on YouTube.
A conscious artist
Roy's creative process comes from the heart. With “I Believe,” his powerful lyricism resulted from sitting with his emotions after the tragedy.
“I didn’t just get up and record something the moment it happened,” he said. “I really had to think about ‘how do I feel?’ And ‘how do I want to express it?’ That’s the kind of approach that I take with everything because I don’t want those things to get misconstrued, and I don’t want to deliver things the wrong way.”
Dealing with the raw emotions of loss, heartbreak, and uncertainty is nothing new to Roy. When he was 12, his father passed away. Following his father’s death, Roy began making music for the first time as an outlet to express the pain he felt. This newfound outlet for music became the foundation for the next 12 years of Joseph's life.
“Every time I am creating, the purpose is to create something meaningful, something that people can relate to,” Roy said. “Everything I make is with intention and has a message behind it.”
A path less traveled
Roy’s MSU journey began in August 2017. The following semester, he left campus to begin his duties on a six-year contract as a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve. He traveled to Italy, Florida, and San Diego as an IT worker before returning to MSU in August 2019. During this time, he was a contestant on Netflix’s Rhythm +and Flow, performing in front of Chance the Rapper, Twista and Royce Da 5’ 9”.
Then in March 2020, COVID-19 forced Joseph to leave campus again and return to his home in Detroit, MI, for remote instruction. It would take until Aug. 2021, at 22 years old, to finally have a more typical college semester.
“It took a long time to feel like I was actually in college,” he admitted.
In May, Roy went on the L.A. Field Experience. The trip was eye-opening for him as he made valuable connections, including meeting LA Sparks President and AD+PR alumna Vanessa Shay (’03).
For Roy, meeting successful alumni who walked the same halls inspired him and reminded him of the power of going to MSU.
Going forward
Roy is on pace to graduate in fall 2023. After that, he plans to move to Los Angeles to work in the music and film industry. He has his eyes set on Amazon Studios but is open to any opportunity to get more experience.
“In high school, I always thought I had to go the traditional route, ‘don’t follow your dreams, be book smart and go get a promising job,’ but I was like, you can do both because there is money and a promising future in your dreams. ComArtSci definitely sold me on that in that one week.”
This story originally appeared on the College of Communication Arts and Sciences website.
