Song for Josh
Prompt:
What’s life if not a constant state of fear and evolution?
For life on earth to be worth living, we as humans need to evolve. We need to make up for the mistakes made in the past, grow beyond the downfalls of those who came before us and adapt to the world we live in. But to evolve means to take risks, and taking risks evokes the most human reaction of all,
fear.
I believe that without fear, there would be no evolution.
Music today would be nothing without the risks taken by the pioneers of our past - there would be no evolution in the music we listen to, the songs we create. I was so incredibly inspired after watching Sisters With Transistors, hearing all the beautifully poignant emotions stirred by the simplest of sounds being twisted and bent in the most endearing of ways. From Delia Derbyshire talking about the psychological depth of emotion caused by the air raid sirens she heard during the bombing of Coventry in 1940, to the intense sonic awareness of Pauline Oliveros and how she explored the selective nature of listening, it was the most beautiful insight into the evolution of life and music in synchrony.
There was a line spoken by Laurie Anderson (who i frequently bring up in interviews as a direct inspiration to me, a true icon), which resonated with me :
“The spirit of modern life was a banshee, screeching into the future.”
These women were not afraid of fear. They were not afraid of evolution. They believed in what they heard in their heads, they trusted the process of taking that raw emotion brought out from a simple frequency in the airwaves and making it immortal, all without a female role model in sight.
I am so grateful to grow up in a time where I am surrounded by the most talented and inspiring female individuals who constantly push me to become the best version of myself I can be. There have of course been many many many times where fear has been my worst enemy (not talking about the fact i am still terrified of the dark and I cannot look at shadows for longer than a couple seconds lol), but seeing like-minded people look beyond this state and truly live their lives for themselves gives me comfort in knowing I can do the exact same.
There are two things I will recommend for you to do.
Watch Sisters With Transistors - get comfy, get your best speakers plugged in, just let yourself be absorbed by the incredible stories of such talented individuals. You can watch it here by buying a virtual screening ticket through one of their partners - an amazing way to support the music industry in these strange times!
Whilst you’re comfortable and got your good speakers plugged in, listen to Song For Josh.
Song For Josh explores the state of fear through the evolution of a few simple noises, inspired by those I watched master their craft in the documentary. This song is comprised of only 3 samples which morph and melt into new beings over the course of 11 minutes, intertwining with the emotions provoked by the listener.
We’re working together on this one.
Amelia x