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A few weeks ago I asked on my community channel, "What is a story you want me to write a song about?" One of my fans Julie Marie submitted the following story about how she found herself in an abusive relationship, felt trapped and guilty, and finally managed to break free (full description below).

I divided my piece into 4 acts:
Act 1: I wanted to write a dark and painful melody showing her daily nightmare in this relationship.
Act 2: I wrote softer, lighter harmonies to portray memories of her happy life before the abuse began.
Act 3: I wrote a climactic passage to imagine a violent struggle where she finally stood up for herself and said "No more".
Act 4: I imagined her starting a new life, while healing her emotional scars. Here I wrote sorrowful but cleansing melodies, and finished on a hopeful note.

Her full story:
"I met someone a bit older than me through a close friend, and we had similar interests. I thought I knew what love was, and that what I was experiencing was it. I was asked out, and this began the honeymoon phase. The thing about relationships such as this one is that this period always seems to shorten. My family and my friends didn’t like them, but of course, I didn’t listen. It was love, right? There would be times that they would threaten to leave if I were to have done something wrong (even if it was minor). Over time, they weaved doubt, insecurity and anxiety into my mind. I remember any time I would attempt to talk about something that was genuinely bothering me, it would be flipped around. Why didn’t I ask them how they were feeling? How could I be so selfish with someone I claimed to love? I would always end up apologizing, even if I hadn’t done anything wrong. Once they took it too far, I finally took a stand. It took several months, but I managed to get away from their grip; it wasn’t just the matter of simply leaving them, because we worked at the same place still. They would refuse to leave me alone, and I would end up with a panic attack. This was 3 years ago. Today, an old friend and I have made it a little ways into a new, healthier and more caring relationship. This person has helped me slowly but surely begin the process of healing from the emotional and mental wounds that abuse can bring."

"This may seem a little dark, but it comes from a personal experience and I’d love to hear your take on this. I was wondering if you could do a piece regarding how difficult it can be to break free from someone who isn’t any good for you (toxic, Abusive, etc) and how hopeless it can seem at times, both to escape and to get better. I feel like towards the end of the piece, there should be a positive shift, which would signify the healing process once you’ve left that person. I feel like with your talent, you’d be able to take this and create something beautiful"