Oil painting of Saint Victoire in Aix-en-Provence, March 2019
Sud de la France (February / September 2020)
Lyrics:
Ramène-moi dans le Sud de la France,
Pour le ciel, lumineux et bleu.
Le changement des couleurs, les arbres, les fleurs.
Les rues rocheuses et tordues, la beauté m’a rendu fou.
Ramène-moi á la Sainte Victoire,
Pour la rivière et la forêt, les mystères.
Les voix d’artistes du passé, leur monde meilleur imaginé.
“Avancez…” disaient le vent, ils m’ont tous parlé souvent.
S’il vous plaît, dites-moi pourquoi nous pensons
Que nous sommes séparés et déconnectés
de tout ce qui existe.
La Terre est en train de souffrir, de mourir, on doit la guérir.
Si nous rejetons les problèmes créés,
Ils ne feront qu'augmenter.
Ramène-moi dans le Sud de la France,
Avant qu'il n'existe plus.
Les mers qui montent et les feux qui brûlent menacent la chance d'explorer.
Les voix de la Nature ne peuvent être entendues sur la destruction de l'humanité.
English Translation: South of France
Take me back to the South of France,
For the sky, bright and blue.
The changing of the colors, the trees, the flowers.
The roads rocky and twisted, the beauty drove me mad.
Take me back to Sainte Victoire
For the river, the forest, the mysteries.
The voices of past artists, the better world they imagined.
“Go forward…” said the wind, they all spoke with me often.
Please, tell me why we think
That we are separate and disconnected
from all that exists.
The Earth is currently suffering, dying, we need to heal her.
If we reject the problems created,
they will only increase.
Take me back to the South of France,
Before it no longer exists.
The rising seas and burning fires threaten the chance to explore.
The voices of Nature cannot be heard over the destruction of humanity.
Walkway to Musée Granet, September 2018
Centre Ville Fountain, October 2018
Twisting Alleys in Aix, November 2018
Van Gogh Copy Paintings in Oil,
October 2018
Saint Victoire, October 2018
Oil Paintings of Saint Victoire,
October 2018
Program Notes:
Sud de la France is a song that expresses my adoration for the South of France, and shares some of the mystical experiences that I had while studying painting abroad in Aix-en-Provence, as well as communicates a fear of climate change causing irreparable damages to this Earth and all of the incredible places on it that I have yet to wander. The entire song only consists of four chords: G major, G minor, D minor, and F major. This harmonic progression doesn’t translate into a typical structure, as it begins with a major tonic, falls to a minor tonic, then uses the minor dominant and the major seven chord in roman numeral analysis, which are both chords in a minor key that aren’t usually utilized by composers. To me, this progression communicates joyfulness that descends into sorrow with the G major shifting to G minor, then sorrow becoming hopeful again with the D minor moving into F major. After three out of the four verses, the tempo accelerates while the vocals sing “oo.” This acceleration demonstrates the cultural shock between France and America, as it seemed to me that time moved by so much slower and everything was less stressful in Europe. It also signifies how quickly the eight months spent abroad flew by, and the vocal melodic line communicates a sense of sadness and loss with having to move back to the states after discovering the magic of France and feeling like I had found a home.
Symphony (December 2019 / July 2020)
Lyrics:
Can you feel it ? Change is coming.
Can you hear it ? The screams of many are building
Can you see it ? The waters are rising, but so are we.
I dance for the trees, and I cry for the seas,
I scream for the ones who cannot raise their voices.
Sing for all beings, large and small, I sing for them all.
The symphony we create will be impossible to ignore.
This isn’t how we are meant to live,
Disconnected and separate from all that is.
We aren’t meant to destroy, but rather to give.
Watercolor paintings of two portraits and Rivière de la Torse in Aix, February 2019
Let’s dance for the trees, and let’s cry for the seas.
Let’s scream for the ones who cannot raise their voices.
Let’s scream for all beings, large and small.
Let’s sing for them all.
Program Notes:
The inspiration for Symphony comes directly from the experience and psychotic episode that I had in Venice in April 2019 when I ran, danced, cried, sang and screamed in the streets of Italy because of overwhelming emotions about climate change and society. My episode derived from the fact that Venice is supposed to be under water in the next 50 years if global warming continues at the rate it is now. This song communicates an ever-present awareness of growing tension and tries to encourage the listener to join in the expression of suppressed emotions for Earth, for if we can all tune in and show our grievances, then perhaps we can create changes that will determine a less scary future. The chord progression begins sounding a bit ambiguous, with a D minor suspended-four over G, A minor suspended-four and D minor in root position. On the words “the waters are rising,” the D minor ascends to a B flat major over D, painting an ascension and adding a tinge of hopeful major amidst the darker sounding minor chords. During the lines “the symphony we create will be impossible to ignore,” the progression takes a turn to an F major chord (the major mediant in D minor), then shifts to an A major chord. The verse progression then takes a turn from the D minor suspended-four chord and surprisingly resolves to D major, where a new section takes place for the lyrics “this isn’t how we were meant to live.” During this segment, the D major is followed by a G minor over D (a minor subdominant) and then A minor suspended-four, which is reminiscent of the first section and acts as a minor five chord. This modal mixture creates a sense of unknowing, reflecting the state that the world is in now, with none of us knowing what is going to happen next.
Journaling & Sketching in Venice
April 2019, Photo taken by Jenny Cawood
Venice Canals, April 2019
Photo taken by Jenny Cawood
Painting with Watercolor in Venice
April 2019, Photo taken by Jenny Cawood
Oil painting of still-life roses at the Marchutz School, November 2018
Ripples (February 2020)
Lyrics:
Let’s make this world the place we all dream of,
In rhythm and harmony.
Let’s slow down, take a deep breath.
Tune in, listen, just be still.
Ripples of truth will find you and lead you to proof.
Meditation, concentration, leaning into tradition.
I am action, I am passion, I am working on connection.
There is love all around me, just look up to the trees.
Echoes of hope, you’ll find them, they’ll lead you to know.
Start a flame inside your soul, fall in love with every aspect.
Live your dreams, plant your seeds.
Touch the sky, ground your feet.
Program Notes:
Ripples is another song communicating to the listeners the power they have to plant seeds and grow a new world. I have found it so important to escape the busy noise and distractions of everyday life in order to heal. Especially in America, there is always something to do, somewhere to be, money to be made, deadlines to meet- there is rarely any time to stop and think. “Ripples of truth” refers to my own experience, in that no matter what I learn about- art, music, religion, science, math, language, history- everything leads me to the conclusion that we are inextricably connected to everything that has ever existed. This chord progression, like most of my other songs, uses unconventional, mixed modal chords that create a peaceful and relaxed feeling atmosphere. The introduction of Ripples begins with a D minor add 9 chord, then slides up to a G major seven over D and falls back to a D minor. For the verses, it uses the major mediant chord, an F major, and also includes a G major suspended-four chord, which in D minor would typically be a G minor chord. This utilization of G major within D minor sounds like the progression is floating in a sense, which is part of the light and peaceful feeling I was hoping to communicate with both the lyrics and the chords.