Lyrical Notions - Expressions of Life
Lyrics and songs started popping into my head at a time when my life completely transitioned. My husband of 39 years had passed away from a long illness, and I found my life turned upside down. Just a few months later, ideas for songs began to form all at once, often in the early morning hours, recalling memories, places, or topics that I found intriguing. I ended up writing a variety of songs, from ballad-like narratives to expressions of life. Through the exercise of this blog, I hope to explore the inspiration behind my writing, illuminating my perspectives, emotions, and interests as reflected in verse.
How is it possible that entire concepts seem to form from an unconscious state? Maybe information funnels its way through the background noise of mental activity during times of stress and change. Nostalgia may also serve as a powerful instigator, and I notice how memories have suddenly prompted lyrics related to seasonal and life events.
I don't always capture an entire song at once. Sometimes, a general idea takes shape but requires effort to crystalize. Whatever I write, eventually, I intend to add music and video. I accompany my voice with guitar, ukulele, and a midi-enabled piano and record my music using a small pre-amp connected to my computer running Logic Pro X.
I suspect each song, regardless of the topic, consciously or unconsciously expresses my views on life's meaning. I could speculate endlessly on the source of my inspiration, but the elephant-in-the-room-sized clue to the mystery may turn out to be pretty straightforward. Whenever I engaged in a frenzy of writing, it followed the death of my closest loved one.
Lyric writing goes back to my teenage years in the 1970s, after my mother's sudden passing when I was 13. She was beautiful, previously healthy, and only 34 years old. I remember feeling numb, in a twilight-zone-like place, and beyond devastated. During high school, I filled an entire notebook with illustrated poetry and songs. The years passed, and then came college: Tyler School of Art (Temple University), and next, I was married (at age 19). I stopped writing lyrics and focused my energy and professional career as a visual artist, working primarily as a sculptor and fine-porcelain maker for Lenox, Franklin Mint, and Danbury Mint.
Working with my late husband and sculpting partner, Charles (Chuck) Oldham, I contributed to the design of hundreds of sculpture prototypes for porcelain and resin over the next 30 years—figurines like lady statues, angels, and carousel horses. Unfortunately, the companies we worked for shifted to offshore manufacturing, and we had no choice but to seek alternative work. Eventually, I transitioned to graphic and website design and started an online tourism website and visitor guide. Chuck began the foray into bronze sculpture, but our efforts were cut short due to his passing in 2014, marking the second time in my life when I started furiously writing lyrics for songs.
Now, almost eight years later, I notice that I haven't completed as many original songs as I did just a few years ago. It may be partly due to a decline in that elusive state of mind where a piece seemed to compose itself all at once. However, the incentives and reasons to write have changed, in part due to my latest endeavor—returning to college. Now a student at Northern Arizona University, I recently completed an English and world literature course that introduced me to classic and modern literary works. Lessons involve a great deal of reading and analytical writing, exercises that build vocabulary, writing, and communication skills. As a result, I am continually introduced to entirely new viewpoints, and everything feels like an adventure. I particularly enjoyed reading a contemporary novel set in New Orleans, Corina's Way, a story that emphasized how characters' different perspectives influenced their actions and impacted those around them (Davis, 2015). Other literary works illustrate how characters' choices define life's meaning amid the tension between their circumstances (fate) and perceptions of reality.
One of the works I studied, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1949), portrays the tragedy of a character who embraces an alternate view of reality when he finds it impossible to adapt to a changing world. As part of an assignment, I wrote an imaginary interview with Arthur Miller. Through the process, I felt as if I had traveled on a virtual time machine, and Miller sprung back to life to offer critical insights I had missed while reading his play. By learning more about the author and his unique perspective, I realized the unique opportunity to grasp concepts and ideas that are easy to overlook. Better acquaintance with Arthur Miller, the man, offered a new approach to analyzing his work.
I also recently read To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (1927). At first, her writing style seemed so alien to me that I could barely grasp it, but by the end of the reading, I grew to love her incredibly creative approach known as "stream of consciousness." Once I understood the purpose of her writing, it became a rewarding and revelatory experience.
Reading and writing with a renewed point of view has led to unprecedented insights and discoveries, opening the door to fresh sources of inspiration—a surprise I never anticipated at this time in my life. As a result, I will most certainly continue to write lyrics—and much more.
References:
Davis, R. (2015). Corina's Way. NewSouth Books. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nau-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5483825.
Miller, A. (1949/1981). Death of a salesman. New York: Viking Press. https://www.amazon.com /gp/product/B00W43GY8S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o04?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Woolf, V. (1927). To The Lighthouse [eBook edition]. Delhi Open Books. https://www.amazon.com/Lighthouse-Virginia-Woolf-ebook/dp/B07FN1S7DB/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1AER6CJ95ISDF&dchild=1&keywords=to+the+lighthouse&qid=1634255689&s=digital-text&sr=1-3
