How Anya Lagman Writes Music For The Age of TikTok

Classically trained but drawn to pop’s freedom, the young composer is finding new ways to make music, and make it matter.

Songs have undeniably become shorter, but composer Anya Lagman sees nothing wrong with that. 

“I honestly love projects that have this limitation: It has to be catchy, it has to be LSS [Last Song Syndrome],” Lagman says. Having been trained in classical composition under the USC Thornton School of Music program, the 23-year-old multi-instrumentalist comes from a world where musical storytelling takes its time. 

Growing up, Lagman was used to six-minute-long pieces. Inspired by great cinematic composers like Hans Zimmer, she finds the shortening of pop songs an impressive example of redefining the traditional tune. Despite being exposed to a different form of music in her younger years, Lagman has always been drawn toward innovation. 

“I was really amazed that, wow, even in pop music you can still break the rules and find ways to tell your story,” explains Lagman. Marveling at the Grammy Award-winning song “Golden” from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, she points out that the song excels in taking listeners on an emotional journey while forgoing the usual formulas for a hit. 

Her respect for inventiveness and musical experimentation is central to her identity as an artist. As a musician interested in both composing popular, mainstream music and traditional orchestral work, Lagman approached both with an open-mindedness that allows her to find her voice in both long- and short-form songs. Her EP “Tadhana” is a collection of beloved OPM and K-Pop songs rearranged with her own instrumentation.

“I just really wanted to marry the two worlds I come from, the pop world and the classical world, and really manifest one day to work on something like Bridgerton, where it’s pop music told in a classical way,” she says. 

Unafraid to take on new challenges, Lagman has had her fair share of writing music for other media projects. Now, tasked with telling a story that is not hers, she discusses the importance of setting her ego aside to deepen the emotional world created by other storytellers.

Refusing to be a one-note composer, Lagman’s writing process is different for every project. This constant pursuit for uniqueness and creativity enables her to refine her musical technique and storytelling. “We have to always challenge ourselves to evolve and really make something that is one of one. Just like when you get a dress made by a fashion designer, the measurements are specific to you.” 

One of her notable contributions was to HBO’s animated series Common Side Effects, where she was credited on the score “Sick World” under the tutelage of fellow musician Nicholas Snyder. “I love how he encourages me to draw from my background and my experiences and to really bring it out,” she says. The advice proved valuable to Lagman, as she continues to write songs about her identity.

Being away from home encouraged her to tell stories her colleagues could not tell. “I guess that distance made me think more about my childhood, my upbringing, the culture I grew up in,” Lagman says, pointing out that she was the only Filipino in her entire undergraduate program at USC. 

Despite being part of a small but supportive community of Filipino musicians abroad, Lagman cherishes her connections with all of them, including Forgotten Island’s musical composer Nathan Matthew David. “I’m just honored to know him personally and be inspired by him,” she says, recalling conversations she had with her fellow musician at Vogue Philippines’ Forgotten Island dinner.

Part of Lagman’s enthusiasm in talking with David was the thorough research he undertook in creating Forgotten Island’s score.  Lagman also dreams about studying indigenous music. “I like the idea and the challenge of incorporating Filipino instruments, but to really come from a place of respect for the culture, for the history.” 

Reflecting on the journey she is excited to take, Lagman hopes to travel to southern Philippines to understand how the kulintang is used, or hopefully to the Cordillera region to learn more about the gangsa. By traveling and meeting with people all over the country, she tells stories for herself and her own community. “I mean, how else will we preserve our culture and keep it alive?” 

When producing songs that are culturally rich and full of experiences, Lagman believes being authentic to herself and her heritage will always resonate with a global audience. “I think, as human beings, it’s really about embracing what makes us beautiful,” she emphasizes. 

Nowadays, Lagman has been looking for inspiration in different places. Included here is Vogue Philippines’ Apo Whang-Od cover story, which Lagman says has drawn out ideas for her next composition. “I guess Vogue in general has struck a chord in the way we define beauty on our own terms.” 

As Lagman works on her next project, she continues to move fluidly between both the pop and classical worlds. Whatever form her next composition takes, she is ready to listen to the sounds that matter most.