Friday, October 30, 2026
At 15-years-old, Oceanside High School sophomore Chloe Simmons is already turning late-night melodies, passing thoughts and personal reflections into songs of her own. Now, one of those original compositions is earning her statewide recognition.
Simmons was selected for the New York State School Music Association’s All-State Songwriting Competition for her original song, “The Snowman Song,” an accomplishment that will bring her to Rochester in December to perform her work at the New York State Music Educators Conference.
For the young songwriter, the achievement is a milestone in a musical journey that began long before high school. Music has always been part of her life, she said, with relatives on both sides of her family involved in the art.
“There really wasn’t a specific trigger for me when it came to being interested in music,” Simmons said. “It’s literally just in my DNA.”
Her father, Jason, a self-taught pianist, guitarist, bassist and songwriter, introduced her to music at an early age. Just a few days after she came home from the hospital as a newborn, he placed her on his lap and played jazz piano.
Growing up around music helped Chloe shape her eclectic taste, which ranges from classic rock to contemporary pop.
“My dad has been my biggest inspiration my entire life,” she said.
Although Simmons has written songs since she was little, she began taking songwriting more seriously in sixth-grade. Her creative process often starts with lyrics, though inspiration can strike at almost any time.
“Sometimes it’s a melody or sometimes I just come up with a sentence, and then the melody comes to me right there and then,” she said.
Simmons records ideas on her phone’s voice memos, sometimes after waking up in the middle of the night, then returns to them with her guitar or piano.
“I just start writing, and it’s either done in 10 minutes or it’s done in three months,” she said. “I never know where it’s going to take me, and honestly, that’s one of the most amazing parts about the process.”
Her All-State recognized “The Snowman Song,” for example, began with a different idea altogether. Simmons initially set out to write a Christmas song, but the composition evolved into something more reflective.
“It ended up turning into an almost melancholy song about growing up,” she said.
After hearing it, her voice coach and mentor, Nico Padden, encouraged her to submit the song into the NYSSMA competition. Padden, a professional songwriter and performer who operates Femmepire Records in Oceanside, helped Simmons record the piece for submission.
Simmons sent her recording during the spring and learned of her selection mid-August. This was her second time entering the competition.
Padden began teaching Simmons voice and guitar when she was 12. Their relationship developed beyond private lessons as Simmons and her father began attending Padden’s monthly open mics and participating in her songwriting circle, where musicians share original work and exchange feedback.
Padden said Simmons quickly stood out among songwriters, often arriving with multiple songs ready to share.
“She just has that spark and that love for it and is such a sponge when it comes to feedback,” Padden said, describing Simmons as a “prolific writer who is eager to improve her work.”
Simmons said Padden has helped her develop something just as important as technical skill: confidence in her own voice.
“Yes, I encourage her to learn from more experienced musicians without losing sight of what she wants her songs to communicate,” Padden said. “But the best part is that Chloe already knows that. She has such a strong voice when it comes to her art.”
That independence is already evident in Simmon’s ambitions. She hopes to study music business in college and potentially double major in songwriting, with the goal of writing music professionally.
“The dream is to be a singer-songwriter touring across the world,” she said. “But if I had to pick one, I would love to song write for people.”
Jason has watched his daughter’s ambition develop while becoming a musical partner. The two began performing together when Simmons was 12, after she asked him to accompany her on piano at her first recital. The performance went so well that they decided to form a father-daughter act.
Jason said his daughter’s accomplishment is especially meaningful because it gives her an opportunity to pursue a career he once set aside for himself.
“It’s a dream come true, to be her father,” he said. “Every parent wants their child to succeed, and even though Chloe’s only 15, I see her do just that. She is the kind of person that is destined to do great things.”
For Chloe, music remains woven into everyday life. She participates in Oceanside High School’s symphonic choir, swing choir, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Thespian Honor Society and theater productions. She said that schoolwork and music often overlap, with songwriting filling spare moments between classes and friends providing opportunities to create together.
Outside school, Simmons is recording a 10-song album with Padden, titled “Older and Wiser.” The project is currently in production, with additional recording and instrumentation underway.
As Simmons prepares to perform “The Snowman Song” in December, the recognition acts as part of a much larger journey.
“No one is going to tell her who she’s supposed to be or what kind of things she’s supposed to do with her music,” Padden said. “Her art is her art.”
With college plans, an album in progress and new performances ahead, the teenager is continuing to develop the craft she hopes will become her career.
For now, her goal remains simple: to keep writing songs and sharing them with the world.
