Reflection

When I started writing my song, I was just finishing up with my Environmental Science class, and had some initial knowledge from a year spent studying, among other environmental issues, threats to our oceans. I knew I wanted to find a way to address them head on in the song, while still making something someone might enjoy singing or listening to. Music is powerful, I think, for the way it can convey important messages in beautiful, small packages. So instead of saying, “ocean acidification is happening,” I tried to be a bit more subtle and approachable with “water’s tasting sour and sweet.” Instead of saying, “a lot of plastic is winding up in the sea” and “the ocean is a crucial blue carbon sink,” I tried “sinking plastic bottles, not CO2.” Keeping the theme of “hope” in mind, I took the opportunity to talk about little moments of unity and investment that to me are what make the future hopeful. People doing whatever they can to advocate for our oceans whether it be through petitioning, making art, taking meaningful tangible steps in their own communities, connecting to nature, recognizing past mistakes, or sharing information on social media.