When Arizona State University fans hear the name Cade Alami, they tend to think of the stellar ice hockey defender who has already tallied 10 blocks, two assists and two points for the Sun Devils this season. 

The junior out of Bedford, New York and a former Boston College attendee has found a consistent spot with the Sun Devils in his first season in Tempe, appearing in 10 of ASU’s 18 games thus far.

While the stellar defender is currently locked in on Sun Devil Hockey’s 2023 season, he also harbors a deep commitment to a secondary passion.

Boasting a dual fanbase, Alami has earned recognition from ASU hockey enthusiasts for his on-ice skills, while a distinct group of fans also acknowledges him for his musical contributions.

Music contributions that were highlighted earlier this week when Alami released his first full-length song on both Apple Music and Spotify for listeners to experience and enjoy. 

Alami characterizes his debut single under the genre of house music, making it an ideal addition to any playlist that aims to instantly uplift listeners and put them in a joyful, feel-good mood from the very first note.

Harboring a dual passion for both hockey and music creation, Alami draws inspiration from his formative years in both realms, enthusiastically putting forth his best efforts in showcasing his prowess in each.

Cade Alami: raised on… house music?

Upon hearing the news that Alami had dropped a new song, anticipation was built around the presentation of a slow ballad accompanied by an acoustic guitar.

Basic and uncomplicated: just an audio track with a single instrument.

Alami’s release diverged from the expected—instead of a simple mix, he presented something much more complex.

“I’d say it’s definitely house music, like dance music and stuff,” Alami said. “My family’s really into that, my dad loves it so I kind of grew up listening to it.” 

The revelation that Alami was raised on house music is indeed a surprising and novel piece of information.

For those unfamiliar with the general characteristics of house music, consider artists like David Guetta, Avicii, Galantis and Daft Punk as prime examples.

Alami eloquently captures the essence of what house music embodies.

“I don’t know, it’s just kind of like feel-good music where you just want to have fun to it,” Alami said. “So that’s kind of what I try to do. That’s what I like to make.”

Nurtured on house music, Alami transformed his passion for the genre into a novel experience by delving into the realm of production, crafting it from the ground up.

About five years ago while Alami was attending a USHS preparatory school called Berkshire School in New England, he succumbed to an injury that sidelined him for a significant amount of time. 

“After like, maybe a couple of weeks of that, I was like, ‘I’m so bored, I need to find something to do with my time because I’m not playing hockey,’” Alami said. “So, I ended up taking a class there. It was called digital music over there at Berkshire and I kind of just fell in love with it.” 

With the introductory class providing him with the basics of music production, he learned what it took to create the kind of music that he grew up listening to. 

However, that marked just the inception of Alami’s musical journey, as he took his affection a step further by immersing himself in music through his education. This enabled him to be able to put his own spin on the task of music production. 

At ASU, Alami has truly integrated music into his academic pursuits, enrolling in classes to mold his various hobbies into a cohesive whole.

“I’m at ASU, I go to school and I play hockey, like a student athlete does,” Alami said. “So now I’m more of a student of music than anything else, which I really love because I go do something I love by playing hockey, and then I get to go to school and do music.”

How the magic is made

A handful of young adults find themselves wanting to be a part of the music industry. Whether it is singing along in the car and realizing, ‘Hey, I am pretty good.’ Or, growing up classically trained on the piano, what to do with the knowledge that there is skill to be used is what stumps most. 

Motivated by this, Alami made the decision to genuinely master the art of music creation, delving into all the intricacies that accompany the craft.

After years of dedicated practice and academic pursuits in mastering his craft, Alami has accumulated the skills necessary to successfully release music, starting from the ground zero.

Commencing with a program called Splice, which enables producers to utilize vocals from strangers shared on the platform, Alami discovered the voice that culminated in the release of his debut song titled ‘Don’t Want to Come Down.’

The enticing voice serenades in front of the flashy beat while singing “I haven’t closed my eyes in days. Your love is keeping me awake.”

In crafting the music to complement the melodic soprano voice, Alami employed a software called Ableton to integrate his own beats and synths seamlessly with the vocals.

“I kind of came up with the idea and then I built the beat around it because I have a piano and a beat pad in my room here at school,” Alami said. “So then I just kind of built around it and messed with it until I thought it sounded good and then put it out.” 

While Alami makes the process sound straightforward, achieving the perfect version now available on streaming platforms required much more effort and dedication than he modestly acknowledges.

In addition to producing the song from scratch, Alami also crafted the album artwork, showcasing his artistic skills in yet another facet of his creative abilities.

Having made songs in the past that have yet to see the light of day, this one felt different to Alami. With the support of his friends and fellow classmates, Alami gained the confidence to release the song to the world. 

“I was surrounded by a lot of people that already have put (songs) out,” Alami said. “When I showed it to them, they were super encouraging… and then I showed my buddies back home and they really liked it. So I thought, ‘Why not just put the first one out?’”

While that decision is hard enough to make on its own, it is even harder to make amid a collegiate hockey season.

A balancing act for the ages

Juggling both the creation of music and playing collegiate hockey is a lot more manageable when it is an integral part of academic requirements. However, the true challenge lies in finding a delicate balance when aspiring to pursue two distinct futures simultaneously.

With the utmost support of his teammates, Alami has mastered the balance better than most would be able to. 

Following the release of his debut single, Alami’s ASU teammates orchestrated the ultimate surprise for him during a practice session.

“I walked into the room when I put it out and one of the boys was playing it on our team sound system before we went out to practice,” Alami said. “It was kind of embarrassing because I was the first one on so I was like, ‘Ahh, this is kind of weird.’ But it was cool. It’s awesome to have their support.”

Is Alami’s story beginning to sound a bit like a familiar teen movie by the name of ‘High School Musical’ to anyone else? 

The notable distinction lies in the fact that Alami’s teammates are wholeheartedly supportive of his musical aspirations and Alami is equally as proud of his accomplishments.

The ASU squad is unwaveringly supportive because no matter what, when Alami is in hockey mode, he leaves it all out on the ice.

After all, Alami has dedicated much more time to playing ice hockey than to his commitment to making music. Having participated in tennis, football, lacrosse, and ice hockey during his upbringing, Alami ultimately decided to pursue ice hockey further above all other sports.

“Honestly, I think it was because it was the most physical,” Alami said. “It almost kind of put together the physicality of football with the dynamics of tennis where you have to be light on your feet and stuff.

Spoken like a true lyricist. 

Alami’s future is an intriguing blend of possibilities. Will he become the next world-famous DJ, electrifying Vegas with his music, or will he carve a path to NHL greatness, following in the footsteps of legends like Bobby Orr? 

“I haven’t really thought about it. I know that I really like (making music). Honestly, I kind of just want to see where it goes,” Alami said. “I’m very focused on the hockey season and that’s my primary focus for sure. It’s more of a fun hobby turned into, ‘I don’t know, let’s see where this takes me.’”

Indeed, the prospect of Alami achieving success in both realms is entirely conceivable. Perhaps the fusion of his dual passions could lead to a remarkable and unprecedented journey. 

For Alami, ultimate success in the music industry would come in the form of collaborations with fellow house artists like FISHER and Cloonee. A very conceivable goal that can be achieved while balancing a possible NHL career. 

“If I can make a song with them that’d be insane,” Alami said. “I feel like I’d have to pinch myself.”

For now, the young, dual-talented star will continue to work at being his best on the ice and in the lab as he balances musical education and the life of a student athlete.