If you’ve read We Go Together, you know Kat tries to write a song for the majority of the book. I realized as I was writing the book, I’d have to write the song to write Kat’s mindset as she’s trying to piece together the verses. Much like her, I began with the chorus, and had to figure out where the verses would go. When I finally finished the song, and incorporated the lyrics in the book, I mused about how fun it would be to release the song, so that readers could listen to the song and read the scene at the same time.
I’d always loved songwriting, and when I was younger I’d make rough demos for friends as birthday gifts. I had once had dreams of being a recording artist, but I put those away for more “realistic” pursuits. After going through a graduate degree in music, and feeling very burnt-out and discouraged, I put aside most dreams of music, instead deciding that my writing would be my sole pursuit. However, music still sang in the back of my mind, and writing Kat’s song re-ignited that love. So, when I signed my contract to publish the novel, I decided I owed it to myself to record the song. I don’t have dreams of being a big star, but I still want to make music, and this particular form of making music is what makes me happiest.
Originally, we had plans to record the song in July. I was nervous about doing it. I’d always felt a bit self-conscious about my singing voice and my piano playing, but I figured I’d have enough time to practice with the group to get comfortable. Of course, COVID had other plans. In the end, we never met to practice the song together. We all ended up recording our parts individually from our homes, and mixing them together. I recorded my vocals in my bedroom.
The end result is now out for the world to enjoy. I have ideas on how to continue writing music that I like, and how to weave that music into my novels, like I did with We Go Together. For the first time in a long time, I’m really excited about the future in my music.
Special thanks to all the performers who helped make this possible. It was really special working with friends. My sister also makes an appearance! Hopefully we can do it again all together sometime.
Song Credits
Vocals and piano: Abigail de Niverville
Violin: Sarah de Niverville
Cello: Benjamin Louwersheimer
Guitar: Riley MacKinnon
Bass: Matthew Fasullo
Mixing and mastering: Matthew Fasullo
Recorded from home
Beautiful song, Abigail! I always knew you would be a writer!
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Thank you, Mme. Jonah!! Doing all that daily journaling in your classes definitely helped 🙂
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