Nikolaus Bartunek: A Senior Profile Portrait by David Courter (2014)

Nik Bartunek is a local musician who performs as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter for Picture Atlantic, a band formed out of Santa Clara in 2007. His indie rock sound has enthralled me ever since the band first formed and released their first album, Kleos. Having known him since I was a child, I already knew he was an extremely talented, interesting person with a deep sense of humour, but I wanted to be able to dive even deeper into who he was as a musician and what his songs meant to him.

The experience didn't disappoint; through the interviews and conversations I've had with him through the weeks and months of this project, my understanding of his music has expanded significantly. Though I expected his songs, which are deep and profound, to be written in a meaningful and pointed way, I learned that he doesn't write songs with an initial purpose. Rather, he sings about what is on his mind, and they happen to turn into deeper songs. This had a significant impact on me as a songwriter, and as a communicator. It taught me how to talk in a way that reflects what really matters to me, and it taught me how to ask questions to get at what matters to other people.