Jack Lantern
Andrew L.
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As people grow up, they are at risk of becoming mentally trapped, losing the endless imaginations of their childhood selves. Succeeding in school, finding a job, and accumulating other responsibilities in life can sometimes lead to inhibition of creativity and curiosity. This track was meant to bring awareness to this theme and prompt reflection on what we feel we might be losing, with the hope that we can preserve ways of holding onto our youthful free spirits a little longer. I began by laying down foundational chords for each section on guitar, attempting to create a bittersweet yet hopeful feeling. I tried a few diatonic chord progressions, then settled on one that I liked that gave me the feeling I was going for. Instead of focusing on the theory and notation, I tried to write this song by feeling alone. Instead of thinking about major and minor being happy or sad, I experimented to pinpoint the mood that I was attempting to create. I have learned that theory is a helpful tool to communicate musical ideas, but it can sometimes be misleading. I then layered bass and drums, emulating the punk/pop style music I listened to and played when I was younger. Music has the unique ability to transport someone to another place and time. I wrote this piece to try to send the listener back to when their creative potential was uninhibited.
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To me, creativity is being free to express and be one’s genuine self. People are often pressured to conform and follow others. Creativity is the means to break free of that conformity and express oneself without restriction.
