For the final year of my honors degree in Electronic Music Production at dBs Sound and Music Institute, I was asked to design and deliver a music product
Naomi
Living with Colitis
I knew that I wanted to create a concept album, but it was especially important that the concept was something really important to me. I ran through a few causes and ideas, but decided that it would be great to base the album around Colitis as this is something I experience every day. I’m not personally shy about discussing poop (and all the other things that come with this condition), but I find it sad to see so many others facing the consequences of the stigmas surrounding Colitis, and also Crohn’s. I want the album to not only raise money for Crohn’s & Colitis UK but also raise awareness of what it can feel like to live with this illness. I was uncertain at first, but my course leader has really supported the idea the whole way and pushed me to overcome my fears and anxieties. I often feel like I can’t talk about my Colitis as I’ve been pretty lucky thus far, with no surgeries and minimal hospital stays, but I guess that really drives the point of why I’m doing tis to begin with.
With the help of the Crohn's and Colitis community, I was able to generate song names for a track list
To solidify the concept of the album, I decided to base it around found sound, which is making music from everyday sounds. I posted questions on the Crohn's & Colitis UK forum on Facebook, asking about people’s experiences with Crohn’s or Colitis. I then created sound lists and storylines from the most common answers, with each song having an accompanying poem/story. I really want this album to feel like Crohn’s and Colitis, not just raise money for the cause. I hope that the abstract sound enables others to understand a little better the impact these conditions can really have on someone’s everyday life.
I researched a bunch of works, musical and non-musical, which gave me a lot of ideas to work from. The music for the album contains a variety of music styles, all very different to the stuff I usually make. I do however love to implement found sound and quirky effects, which is something that hasn't changed!
I have a little handheld recorder, and that really is the most powerful ‘instrument’ I have
I’m shielding so this pandemic has had quite an impact on some of my plans, but it's definitely driven me more to get to work. I’ve also been put on new medications since the start of the project, and just recently entered another flare. Though not ideal, what better inspiration can I get? It’s definitely a big step for me to put myself and my work out there like this, but every time I doubt myself I remind myself of all the lovely messages I’ve received. People have emailed me telling me how much this project means to them, and this has really touched me.
Even if this album just gets a few people to ask about what Crohn’s and Colitis, it’s served a good purpose
I want this project to continue even after the album is released, so I also made an Instagram page and a section on my website for it. I’m hoping that these can aid in creating a little community, as well as providing educational resources for those interested. The project so far has been a big collaborative effort, and I can’t thank the artists that have helped me enough for their positivity and time. We've created cute little badge sets from designs that people submitted which are available with pre-orders. Check out my Instagram and website for more details!
Music has always helped me through my ups and downs
Whether it be Colitis, mental health or anything else, I want this music to help others too. I want to be a voice for those who don’t feel like they have one or can speak out.
