It’s 5:00 a.m., he’s the only one awake now and senior Skyler Hunter has spent all night focusing on finishing a new song. He remembers how he got to this point and contemplates where he will go from here.

Hunter first started his music career leading worship at his church when he was in middle school.

“I played piano and sang in church, but I started writing music my freshman year in high school,” Hunter said.

Hunter’s purpose for writing is to help him escape from his depression.

“I had depression for two years,” Hunter said. “When I was younger I went to therapy daily, then weekly, then monthly. Music became my outlet to help me out of it.”

He writes about his life and works to write songs that mean something to him.

“I write autobiographical music about what I’m feeling, what I wish I was feeling and my past,” Hunter said. “I come home and write every day.”

Hunter’s goal, when it comes to his music, is to leave an impact and wants as many people as possible to hear it by having his songs available on Spotify and iTunes.

“My target listeners are our generation and I like being able to share my story,” Hunter said. “Some people from other places, like Alaska, Australia and Europe, contact me. It’s cool to know that I impact people from around the world.”

Hunter also uses his musical talents to help his community.

“Once, for a student council project, I wrote a song and partnered with Red Cross,” Hunter said. “It was when the Paris attacks were happening, so all the money donated ended up helping the people affected.”

Hunter aspires to study songwriting and production in Boston when he graduates.

“I want to go to Berklee College of Music,” Skyler said. “I like doing things on my own, so I’m studying to do all of the writing and producing myself.”

Hunter finds support from his family of his dreams to be a singer and producer.

“My family is supportive of me and they do what they can while knowing nothing about music,” Hunter said. “Last Christmas, my parents rearranged our game room and added acoustic foam to the walls to make my own recording studio.”

Despite, Hunter’s family on his side, he sometimes feels as though the stigma around his dream makes it seem as though he is being discouraged.

“In school, they teach us to go to college, get a degree, and then a career, but music is a different business,” Hunter said.

Hunter uses famous icon’s music to inspire him when writing his own such as Adele, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell and Lana Del Rey.

“I really like Lana Del Rey due to her look and sound sync,” Hunter said. “She’s unique and her music sounds like a 21st century drum with 1900s string. It’s hard for me to just hear a song. I have to study, listen and analyze every song I hear.”

Hunter uses a specific technique in order to spark an idea and begin writing his next song.

“I do this thing called song seeds,” Hunter said. “I write down one word about the next song I could possibly write about. I also record all of my writing sessions.”

To Hunter, music is important and he will do whatever it takes to write the best song possible.

“Sometimes I stay up until 5:00 or 7:00 in the morning writing songs because once I have an idea and sound, I can’t stop,” Hunter said. “To me, music comes first.”