Rising high school senior and New Jersey native Sydney Schirripa is putting her passion to paper. 

Exploring many aspects of the arts from a very young age, it didn’t take Schirripa long to realize her unique call to music and love of songwriting.

“When I was younger, thankfully my parents allowed me to experiment with many different things and I had a lot of opportunities to try different stuff,” shares Schirripa. “Like, I danced for a while, but what I really fell in love with was voice lessons, and I loved to sing. After that, I started learning instruments; I learned the piano, the violin, and the bass. I’ve always felt very connected to music, because I have synesthesia, so I feel like that’s what makes my mind more musically inclined.” 

Over the years, Schirripa has performed in school musicals, as well as many music-based opportunities in her area. However, it’s her passion for songwriting that drives her forward. 

“I’ve had a couple of mentors throughout the years that have really helped me expand my musical abilities and feel more comfortable writing my own stuff,” says Schirripa. “And, I do draw a lot of inspiration from existing stories, usually from mythology, and I use that to connect into my own music.”

Mythology has been a core inspiration for Schirripa, helping to define the songs she writes, as well as the music she listens to—admiring artists like Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA. 

Now, after spending the last six years working on original music, she’s taking the next steps in her career as a songwriter.

This past year, Schirripa was chosen as a 2025 recipient for the RiverJam Music Songwriting Program. The program supports the development of young, aspiring songwriters, providing participants with expert mentorship and professional resources. 

Following a successful audition process, Schirripa was selected to work with singer- songwriters Gordan Brown and Reagan Richards, known together as country duo Williams Honor. Through their mentorship, Schirripa further developed her abilities as a songwriter, as well as her industry knowledge. 

“I got a lot of great insight from my mentors,” expresses Schirripa. “Gordon and Reagan have both been very helpful for me, talking about the things that I maybe wasn’t so inclined to think about when I was writing music, like the marketing aspects. When it comes to social media, Reagan showed me a lot. And Gordon really taught me a lot about how to use Logic [software] to its full extent.”

Schirripa was also able to collaborate with Brown and Richards on her new song, “Why Are You Still Here?” The track pulls inspiration from Greek and Norse mythology, exploring the perception of fate and the hero’s journey. 

“When I was thinking about what the song reminded me of, when it was just chords, it looked very golden to me, from my synesthesia,” explains Schirripa. “So, it made me think of the golden apples of immortality, and that sort of inspired the story behind the song. It’s explaining that some things aren’t meant for you and that there’s a journey to get to someplace, but sometimes that place is not what you needed.” 

Schirripa had the opportunity to perform her new song live at the RiverJam Music Songs & Stories event this past June. She was accompanied by both Brown and Richards, as well as guitarist Johnny Kasun. 

“When they asked me to perform, it was then that it really dawned on me that we had made a song and it’s done, basically,” says Schirripa. “And it’s been such a short time, in the grand scheme of things. Typically, when I’m writing by myself, I’m not going to do it quite as fast. But this was a really great experience, and I was so excited to perform at that show, because I’ve seen their shows before and I love Triumph Brewery, as well. I go to their jam sessions on Mondays, so it’s just a really great environment, and I was excited to share my song. And the acoustic version of it really turned out incredible, I think.” 

Schirripa plans to continue writing and releasing original music, while also applying to colleges in the near future. And guided by the muses themselves, she hopes her music will bring as much joy to listeners as it does to her, as a songwriter. 

“The reason that I write music is that it helps me feel fulfilled in my life. It brings me joy, and I really want to contribute joy to other people around me,” expresses Schirripa. “That’s why I want to release my songs. For a while, I actually didn’t think I wanted to, because just having them for myself was enough. But seeing how well people reacted to them really made me realize that I can put something out there that’s going to make a difference in people’s lives, and that’s a really great thing. So, I plan to keep on writing throughout my whole life, and keep releasing those songs.”  

Photos courtesy of Sydney Schirripa | Interviewed July 2, 2026