During this unprecedented time in our global community, the current human experience is filled with exceptional challenge, hardship, and isolation. For many, prioritizing the physical health of our community and ourselves has come at the cost of a fundamental core value: connection.
These now commonplace notions of “social distancing” and “sheltering in place” can inspire an introspective journey — for some, it is a journey of uncertainty and chaos; for others, it is a journey that cultivates creativity and hope.
Spectrum student, Emily, has drawn creative inspiration from her time at home, offering a perspective of self-care and opportunity for self-growth through an original song composition, “Being Alone Doesn’t Have to Mean Lonely.”
Through an interview with Zoe, one of Spectrum’s music therapy interns, Emily shares some insight about her experience writing this song, and her personal message of strength and optimism she hopes can uplift her community.
Emily, tell me a little bit about what this song means to you.
“Being alone does not mean you have to feel lonely. It is okay to be by yourself! I’m good at being alone and I’m used to keeping myself busy… and happy! For me, being alone is okay because I am an introvert, and I don’t really like being around people too much.”
Emily also recognized that, for some people, being alone is not as easy. Depending on the personality, you might be outgoing and like to be around people all the time — so when they’re alone, they (an extrovert) might feel sad.” Emily is a strong believer in the idea that the way you view each day is”[…]all about how you feel and the choices you make!”
Tell us about the inspiration for this song: Why did you write it?
“I was thinking about the pandemic and how people are really upset that they can’t see each other.” She shared that her reasoning behind writing the song was to help out people who are feeling upset, down, and alone. “I hope this song can help others think of different ways they can see each other, feel that it is okay to be by yourself, and give hope that we can get through this.” Emily continued to say that sometimes, she too feels frustrated by the current situation, and that this songwriting experience helped her to focus on letting out those negative feelings.
What steps did you take to create this original song composition?
Emily reminisced with her instructor, Noa, about how the song composition came to be. They recalled together that it all started with some “organic” conversation at the start of a session, something they both laughed and said they do “a lot of” together. “I was saying to Noa that being alone doesn’t have to mean that you are lonely, and she said, ‘I love that phrase!’ and we decided to write a song about it!” The lyrics came naturally, as Emily answered questions and completed open-ended phrases to take all of the thoughts in her head and translate them to pen and paper. “We talked about how we wanted to structure the song, and then picked how it would sound.”
Next, Emily knew she need to pick a style, or genre: She laughed and said, “Country!” After deciding she wanted Noa to accompany her on guitar, they worked together to identify the tempo (speed) and emotional feel of the musical accompaniment. Given the positive tone of the song’s lyrics, Emily wanted to find a “positive sound” for the piece. Noa asked, “How do you think positive music usually sounds?” According to Emily, positive music is “upbeat!”
After picking some chord progressions for the accompaniment, Emily said she was now ready to “practice, practice, practice!”
How do you think the message of this song could help other people?
Emily expressed that she wrote this song to help those who are feeling stuck and frustrated by having to stay at home. She is hoping her song can inspire people to reach out to others, and find creative ways to talk to each other. To someone who is feeling alone and isolated, Emily says, “I hope this song can help them feel that it is okay to be by yourself, and that you don’t need other people to be happy.” She also hopes that after you listen to her song, its message can help shift a negative outlook to one that is more positive.
If someone was not able to listen to your song, what would you want to tell them about it?
“Being alone doesn’t have to mean feeling lonely — they’re not the same thing! We can get through this, even though it’s hard.”
