Shadows - My Journey as a First-Time Composer

Waterson, Nathan

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/109944 Copy

Description

Title

Shadows - My Journey as a First-Time Composer

Author(s)

Waterson, Nathan

Issue Date

2021

Keyword(s)

• Second Place
• SATB Choral Composition
• American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)
• Student Chapter

Abstract

"""Shadows - My Journey as a First-Time Composer"" - Program Note by composer Over the last few years, I have had many personal struggles with my own mental health. The severity of these struggles varied over that time, but as many of us know it became a lot harder to manage mental health and achieving any form of normalcy during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Trying to balance two jobs, a full-time student schedule, and what little of a social life one can have during corona-time has been one of the greatest struggles of my life. I wrote the lyrics to ""Shadows"" one night when I was in an especially dark place. I had just gotten off work, had been in class all morning, and was facing an ever-growing pile of assignment deadlines, both missed and quickly approaching. My apartment was a mess, I hadn't seen my family in weeks and I didn't know where to go or what to do to escape what felt like I was truly drowning in my present reality. So, I started writing my thoughts down. Within an hour I had focused my energy on what had blossomed into a poem, which over the next week I put to music, and then worked with my amazing friends and colleagues to form a virtual performance the weeks after that. There wasn’t any real “process,” but as a first-time composer, I considered this adventure to be identifying potential processes for my future compositions. This project has been a light in a time of my life that doesn't have much light. While I am not magically cured of my struggles, I find hope in the passion for music that I rediscovered on this journey. My goal in sharing this piece is to spread the message that even at your darkest and scariest moments, you are not alone."

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109944

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