Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Can You Write an Uplifting Song About the Climate Crisis?

21/05/2022

Can You Write an Uplifting Song About the Climate Crisis? Student Zitong (Selina) Zhang talks about the inspiration behind her new song Life, a meditation on climate change and its impact on our world.

By

Tori Donahue

May 20, 2022

Zitong (Selina) Zhang

Image courtesy of the artist

Sixth-semester student Zitong (Selina) Zhang took inspiration from the beauty and vulnerability of the world around her to write her new song Life, a meditative reflection on the cycles of life and the impact of climate change.

A songwriting major from Beijing, China, Zhang submitted the song as an entry for Berklees Songs for Social Change contest, impressing Mark Simos, the contests faculty facilitator. She also performed the song at the recent Earthapalooza showcase with a nine-piece backing band helping to drive home the powerful effect of lyrical refrains such as, Life is endless, day and night, and, Praise life and release nature.

Berklees Media Relations team spoke to Zhang about the inspiration and creative process that goes into writing a song about such a difficult topic, as well as the tools shes learned from Berklee to enhance her musical and creative abilities.

Listen to Life on Berklees Songs for Social Change SoundCloud playlist and watch Zhangs Earthapalooza performance on Vimeo (at the 2:22:00 mark).

You submitted the song Life, a reflection on climate change and its impact on our world, for this year's Songs for Social Change songwriting competition. Why did you choose this subject for your submission? The reason why I submitted Life is because I think social change can be expounded and acted upon from various perspectives and angles in a broader scale, among which climate change and its impact on our world would also be an inseparable part of social change. Imagine as if our whole society is an organic organism, and every department of the organism existed for the survival of each organic entity. Whether we are flowers or trees, animals or humans, we are an indispensable component of this life circle.

What inspired you to write Life ? I particularly loved your descriptions of nature's many wonders followed by lyrics like appear, disappear, survive, destroy -how did you come up with this contrast? How do you reflect this contrast in your performance? From a literal perspective, the special inspiration of this song stems from the precious and priceless natural landscape that we can see every day in our daily routines, but coincidentally becomes the most easily ignored part of the world for us. For example, as mentioned in my lyrics, earth, sky, mountains and rivers; jade tree, scorching sun, wind flower, snow moon, -their changing processes, a result of climate change, are reflected in the lyrics appear, disappear, survive, destroy.

All things in the world have balance, and balance is harmony. In the performance, the most obvious way I reacted to this contrast is the change from the last chorus to the outro. With the increasing speed of the chorus and the continuous rising tone, the appeal becomes increasingly stronger and stronger, and particularly conveys the message of life being like a wave with an ebb and flow-until the final part of the outro expresses that we will find the unity of life when we return to the purest and most tranquil spaces in our hearts.

You performed with nine backing musicians at this year's Earthapalooza concert. How did you conceptualize the instrumentation of the song? For the instrumentation of this song, each instrument plays their own unique language. In addition to several indispensable but traditional musical instruments, one highlight is the addition of several national percussion instruments, such as the Chinese kit, gong, and rain stick. The arrangement of [the songs] instrumentation is not convoluted; it interprets cultural charm while also highlighting musical expressiveness. I have always wanted to better integrate the traditional culture and music of China and show it to an audience. This is inter-complementary to the big topic of Life.

I want to thank Associate Professor Kevin Block-Schwenk for giving me this special opportunity to perform. And I also appreciate my excellent band-I couldnt have done this without them!

Has anyone at Berklee-faculty, staff, or student-influenced your performance style and themes in your music throughout your time here? My studies at Berklee have made a great impact on my performance and music style. They have given me the drive to constantly explore and practice relentlessly. In particular, I would like to thank several people who have had a far-reaching impact on me and my mindset. The first is Associate Professor Ben Camp. I think he is very special, resourceful, and talented. I feel so grateful that I took his course, Stealing from the Masters, last semester. The content of this class is divided into three parts: past, present, and future. In the future section, it unconsciously had me thinking, What will the future development of Chinese music be like? And it became one of the driving inspirations for me to complete Life.

I would also like to thank Rob Lewis ['94] and Ash Rodriguez [B.M. '10]. In their event for Career Jam, The Show, the whole process of the concert was like a hallmark, offering profound help and influence on my current and future musical path. They urged us to think and helped us translate our visions into live performances. Rob and Ash also encouraged us to constantly uncover and improve our uniqueness by discovering our most suitable place in the ever-changing music arena. I love them so much! Truly, every professor, student, and the whole environment of Berklee has had an influence on me.

What is coming up for you next, both in your studies at Berklee and in your own creative pursuits? I graduate from Berklee in a year. I feel
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/exploring-the-creative-proces...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

03/06/2024

Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...

19/03/2024

Barco announces collaboration with NVIDIA and SoftAcuity to add AI and data analytics applications to the operating room

Mar 18, 2024 Barco announces collaboration with NVIDIA and SoftAcuity to a...

19/03/2024

Hear from New Bulls Manager Morgan Ensberg on latest The Durham Bulls Podcast

Meet the Bulls' new manager, hear from 2 former managers, a former player and a person with a very special connection to Wool E. Bull. Tune in to The Durham...

19/03/2024

What Is Dembow? Tracing the Roots of a Global Phenomenon

What Is Dembow? Tracing the Roots of a Global Phenomenon The story of the dembow beat, which can be found in reggaeton, hip-hop, pop, and far beyond, speaks t...

19/03/2024

Berklee's Roger H. Brown Jr. Building Honored by Boston Society for Architecture

Berklee's Roger H. Brown Jr. Building Honored by Boston Society for Architec...

19/03/2024

Applications Open for 2024 Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics

Applications Open for 2024 Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics The 39th edition of the program will be held from July 9-21. By Callista Chan March 21, 2024 Ima...

19/03/2024

Smoke and Mirrors: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Smoke and Mirrors: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South Afric...

19/03/2024

Umkhokha: The Curse - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Umkhokha: The Curse - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South Af...

19/03/2024

Gqeberha: The Empire - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Gqeberha: The Empire - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South A...

19/03/2024

Muvhango: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Muvhango: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African websit...

19/03/2024

Uzalo: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [video]

Uzalo: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [video]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African website. ...

19/03/2024

Generations: The Legacy - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Generations: The Legacy - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The Sout...

19/03/2024

Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soa...

18/03/2024

USC Basketball Star Juju Watkins on Fashion, Film, Friendship Bracelets, and More

Listeners turn to Spotify to connect with their favorites-from artists and album...

18/03/2024

Young professionals successfully complete vocational training at SGL's Meitingen site

Seven young professionals completed their vocational training at SGL Carbon in M...

18/03/2024

Vintage Allure

Released this past January, the music video for Ariana Grande's yes, and? brings a modern approach to vintage allure. The video was directed by Christian ...

18/03/2024

ST Engineering iDirect Unveils Intuition at SATELLITE 2024 Conference and Exhibition

Global satellite communications leader gives market a first look at its next-gen...

18/03/2024

Box to Box Films shares with MediaSilo

Box to Box Films Shares with MediaSilo Amy and Drive to Survive producer updates collaborators simply and securely Boston, MA, March 18, 2024 - Box to Box Fi...

18/03/2024

Telestream Introduces AI-Powered Tools for Rapid Content Delivery at NAB Show 2024

Telestream Introduces AI-Powered Tools for Rapid Content Delivery at NAB Show 20...

18/03/2024

Docufiction Film Bringing Down a Mountain Edited with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Docufiction Film Bringing Down a Mountain Edited with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton March 18, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design today announced ...

18/03/2024

FingerWorks Telestrators Releases Enhancements to Computer Vision Live Tracking Software at NAB 2024

FingerWorks Telestrators Releases Enhancements to Computer Vision Live Tracking ...

18/03/2024

DirecTV to Allow Subscribers to Opt Out of Local Stations

DirecTV announced a new feature over the weekend that will allow its subscribers to opt out of their local stations in return for a discount. Customers who ch...

18/03/2024

Logging and reviewing: Moving towards a sustainable workflow

Jane Sung, COO at Cinedeck, explains how broadcasters and content production companies can achieve the goal of moving towards creating a more sustainable, effic...

18/03/2024

Altice Media sold to French shipping tycoon for 1.55 billion

The deal includes BFM TV, one of the country's largest 24-hour news channels, as well as documentary channel RMC D couverte, and RMC Story By Jenny Priestl...

18/03/2024

Meet the CEO and founder

By TVBEurope Staff Published: March 18, 2024 Nick Franco tells TVBEurope how he went from being a master plasterer and refurbishing the ornate plasterwork ...

18/03/2024

Master the Avatar State: Glowing Eyes in Adobe After Effects

Master the Avatar State: Glowing Eyes in Adobe After Effects Levi Borland March 18, 2024 0 Comments In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how to recrea...

18/03/2024

Next Season of Doctor Who' on Disney Plus May 10

The next season of Doctor Who, with Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor, premieres on Disney Plus and around the world May 10. It is the first season to launch on Di...

18/03/2024

Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative

18 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative LTR Denise Eriksen, Esther Coleman Hawkins, Caroline Pitcher, K...

18/03/2024

CBC/WRAL Night Helps Bring in Over $26k for PBS NC

Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV continued a decades-long tradition of supporting PBS North Carolina, our state's public television station, to good result ...

18/03/2024

Tonight on My Brother's Keeper: Nomusa leaves Moketsi's house in a rush

Tonight on My Brother's Keeper: Nomusa leaves Moketsi's house in a rushDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie My...

18/03/2024

Tonight on House of Zwide: Zola discovers she's pregnant

Tonight on House of Zwide: Zola discovers she's pregnantDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie House of Zwide on e.t...

18/03/2024

Big Brother Mzansi 4: Papa Ghost secures back-to-back Head of House wins

Big Brother Mzansi 4: Papa Ghost secures back-to-back Head of House winsPapa Ghost has clinched consecutive victories as Head of the House in the latest edition...

18/03/2024

NVIDIA Edify Unlocks 3D Generative AI, New Image Controls for Visual Content Providers

NVIDIA Edify, a multimodal architecture for visual generative AI, is entering a ...

18/03/2024

From Atoms to Supercomputers: NVIDIA, Partners Scale Quantum Computing

The latest advances in quantum computing include investigating molecules, deploying giant supercomputers and building the quantum workforce with a new academic ...

18/03/2024

New NVIDIA Storage Partner Validation Program Streamlines Enterprise AI Deployments

A sharp increase in generative AI deployments is driving business innovation for...

18/03/2024

NVIDIA Unveils Digital Blueprint for Building Next-Gen Data Centers

Designing, simulating and bringing up modern data centers is incredibly complex, involving multiple considerations like performance, energy efficiency and scala...

18/03/2024

Generative AI Developers Harness NVIDIA Technologies to Transform In-Vehicle Experiences

Cars of the future will be more than just modes of transportation; they'll b...

18/03/2024

All Eyes on AI: Automotive Tech on Full Display at GTC 2024

All eyes across the auto industry are on GTC - the global AI conference running in San Jose, Calif., and online through Thursday, March 21 - as the world's ...

18/03/2024

All Aboard: NVIDIA Scores 23 World Records for Route Optimization

With nearly two dozen world records to its name, NVIDIA cuOpt now holds the top spot for 100% of the largest routing benchmarks in the last three years. And thi...

18/03/2024

We Created a Processor for the Generative AI Era,' NVIDIA CEO Says

Generative AI promises to revolutionize every industry it touches - all that's been needed is the technology to meet the challenge. NVIDIA founder and CEO ...

18/03/2024

Banglalink Gets Unified Licence to Deliver Superior Digital Services in Bangladesh

18 Mar 2024 Banglalink Gets Unified Licence to Deliver Superior Digital Service...

18/03/2024

Thuraya partners with Niflink to deliver telemedicine and eLearning to users across its network

Abu Dhabi, 18 March, 2024 : Abu Dhabi, 18 March 2024: Thuraya Telecommunication...

18/03/2024

Thuraya partners with Niflink to deliver telemedicine and eLearning to users across its ne...

Abu Dhabi, 18 March, 2024 : Abu Dhabi, 18 March 2024: Thuraya Telecommunication...

18/03/2024

Major League Soccer: IMG on Capturing Fan Rituals and Delivering Consistent Coverage

Major League Soccer: IMG on capturing fan rituals and delivering consistent cove...

18/03/2024

Smashing Padel: Inside Aurora's Innovative Production of the Inaugural Hexagon Cup

Smashing padel: Inside Aurora's innovative production of the inaugural Hexag...

18/03/2024

Airspeeder Teams Up With EMG for World's First Live Broadcast of Flying Car Series

Airspeeder teams up with EMG for world's first live broadcast of flying car ...

18/03/2024

Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Including 12 Brand New Titles

Back to All News Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Inclu...

18/03/2024

Final sprint in the AS4 market communication

Final Sprint in the AS4 Market Communication: All Arvato Systems Customers Are Ready to Go Customers for market communication AS4-ready Arvato Systems is now...

18/03/2024

Tonight on Uzalo: Nkunzi takes a drastic decision

Tonight on Uzalo: Nkunzi takes a drastic decisionDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Uzalo on SABC 1 on DStv channel ...

18/03/2024

Thales to modernize Montreal Mtro blue Line,improving passengers' punctuality and train reliability

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Following a call for tenders, the Soci t de tra...