“The message of the song is to have courage in the face of turmoil, to seek truth in the things that scare you to rise to your highest abilities.”
– OneBeat 2016 fellow Grace Love
Singer Grace Love shares a few thoughts about OneBeat and this powerful song, Listen, which was written collaboratively by her and her OneBeat ensemble, named Feels Hotel.
How did this song come about, and what was the process of writing it?
“Listen,” this piece by the OneBeat ensemble Feels Hotel, began as a freestyle between (bassist) Benjamin Jephta and I just goofing around. Then this particular hook just stuck and we all began to build! It was a harmonious and an organic process.
What is the message of this song, in your own words?
The message of the song is to have courage in the face of turmoil, to seek truth in the things that scare you to rise to your highest abilities.
Has the OneBeat experience presented you with new challenges when it comes to musical creation and collaboration? If so, how?
Yes. The challenges that I have faced since OneBeat is finding my own pod, my x-ensemble…in the real world no one hand picks genius musicians like the OneBeat staff.
What has been the most meaningful (or challenging, if that resonates more) thing about the OneBeat experience?
Community. I loved coming into the kitchen and the fellowships with my community, or walking and bumping into my favorite smile, or hearing humming and laughter. It gave me a family, a very real, alive and tangible family from any and every place I can think of. It encouraged me to take risks and enjoy moments because life is short, and OneBeat inspired me more than I’ve realized to not only be a better musician but a better human.
