USC Student Channels Cancer Recovery into Music Production

A sophomore music major uses his experience with childhood liver cancer to shape his creative career.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Cancer

Flat opaque gouache-painted editorial illustration of an acoustic guitar and microphone stand in a sunlit room, representing creative music therapy. — Malakai Carey, a USC sophomore music major, uses songwriting and digital music production as a therapeutic tool to process his experiences with childhood liver cancer. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you find that engaging in creative hobbies helps you process personal stress or life challenges?

Malakai Carey, a sophomore music industry major at the University of Southern California, is pursuing a career in music production. He credits his creative journey to the emotional processing he began while undergoing extensive treatment for a rare liver cancer.

Why it matters

Carey uses songwriting and production as a therapeutic tool to process the physical and emotional trauma of his childhood health battles. His story highlights the role of creative outlets in long-term survivorship and recovery for young patients.

Carey received over 60 rounds of chemotherapy during his treatment for a rare form of liver cancer. This intensive regimen preceded his liver transplant in 2019.

The players

Malakai Carey

He is a sophomore music industry major at USC who is also a childhood cancer survivor.

Diego Arratia

He is a fellow USC student who collaborates with Carey on music production.

Thornton School of Music

This is the music conservatory at the University of Southern California where Carey takes production classes.

The details

Carey produces songs on a computer using digital audio workstations and collaborates with fellow student Diego Arratia to record music. He previously worked as an actor and recorded his first song at a studio at age 12, eventually bringing his musical focus to the Thornton School of Music.

Carey underwent a liver transplant in 2019.
During his freshman year, he hosted jam sessions in his dorm.
Carey plans to release new singles by the end of the fall 2026 semester.
A debut album or EP release is projected for summer 2027.

The Big Picture

Carey's personal experience aligns with the broader research effort regarding the Arts in Medicine program at the University of Florida that studies how creative expression improves health recovery.

This story illustrates how survivors can utilize creative outlets like digital music production to process medical trauma. It highlights the potential for non-clinical hobbies to aid in the long-term emotional recovery of patients.

The takeaway

Carey's journey shows that personal hardship can provide the deep emotional foundation necessary for professional creative success. Aspiring artists facing health challenges can look to his path for ways to integrate their unique life experiences into their work.