This project explores the creative intersections between Western classical music and popular music traditions through analysis, composition, and reflection. As a singer and instrumentalist rooted in both African American musical traditions and European art music, I aimed to broaden my compositional methods by studying classical works and translating their techniques into new, original music. Drawing on harmonic structures, thematic development, contrapuntal writing, and symbolism, I created a series of compositions that reflect an integration of classical influences into a popular music context. The process revealed key insights: the power of working from simple, clearly defined ideas, and the importance of keeping aesthetic expression central in theoretically driven projects. Ultimately, the project demonstrates how deep engagement with unfamiliar musical languages can expand a composer's expressive palette and challenge habitual tendencies, resulting in music that is both personally authentic and artistically renewed.