For my project, I developed an EP of three songs, inspired heavily by the isolation I experienced throughout quarantine. In the disconnection to those usually surrounding me, I found myself reflecting on the negativity of the world which often led to a great deal of anxiety and fear. Still, the potential of reconnecting with those I cherish allowed me to find a contrasting drive, providing a positive force in my art. The first track, Summer Tide is an ambient track intended to showcase how a post-pandemic summer could be a moment of reunification or further disparity depending on how the time passes. The idea of the past year as a tide is integrated in how things begin to appear to return to normal just as easily as they could possibly be worse. The song carries an optimistic tone in the lyrics, but the ominous track surrounding them demonstrates how isolation can easily return if things lock down again.

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The second track, “Awake” is largely about me reflecting on how I struggled with anxiety throughout quarantine, specifically regarding events of my childhood. It has an urgent pace formed from a distortion of the first track and lyrics that depict an internal turmoil I had to face by myself. It is in this struggle I became more aware of how I operate and deal with my lifelong anxiety throughout quarantine.

 

The final track, “Acoustic Dreams” sets out to build mixed acceptance of the current state of things in a peaceful, melancholic manner. While the first half is a gentle acoustic track calmly combining warm tones, the second half pushes forth a darker rendition in which harsher elements are introduced over the same progression. This is intended to create a haunting effect that symbolizes the hostile energy put forth by isolation onto myself. The guitar tones work in opposition through the warm tones that demonste hope of a less isolated future. The lyrics fall somewhere in between the guitars and harsher elements, being a mix of hopeful and apathetic. Overall, the project is a harmony of the many emotions triggered by isolation and the hope of reconnecting throughout quarantine. The EP is titled “Divided” after how we were divided physically from the world and people we knew, as well as internally in my sentiments from the past year.