Inspiration Through Music
The ocean is a place of tranquility and peace. When people visit the ocean to hear the waves crashing and the sounds of life around them, stillness is found. Inner peace through music and meditation is highly influenced by the ocean because of its calming properties and ability to "wash away" things. Letting go of the past and moving on is just like following the way of the tide, pushing in and out on a never-ending cycle. The ocean represents us, it struggles and fights every day against unforgivable storms but also comes out on the other side. Visiting the ocean is special.
Only the Ocean
"Only the Ocean" by Jack Johnson is a song that captures a sense of contemplation and reflection through one's connection to the ocean. While the song doesn't explicitly state how the ocean inspires the lyrics, it evokes feelings of the change, abyss, and mystery that is often associated with the ocean. Oceans are a powerful metaphor that symbolize the depths of human emotions and the vast expanse of the unknown. This song uses this connection to the ocean to portray one’s resilience as one faces the unpredictability of life's journey. Additionally, the ocean, with its vastness and eternal rhythm, offers a sense of continuity and connection to something larger than oneself.
The Sea
"The Sea" was composed and sung by HAEVN, a Dutch music duo centered in Amsterdam. The duo consists of singer/songwriter Marijn van der Meer and film music composer Jorrit Kleijnen. In an interview with Genius Music, Jorrit stated that the duo "often quote the subject of water. [...] [They] find water and the sea are a nice metaphor for what we can not fathom. 'When you are at sea, you feel that your head is empty, but at the same time, it is such a powerful and great thing that you can not comprehend [it]. It is both liberating and intimidating.' [They] tried to capture that in the lyrics and music of The Sea." We see here in HAEVN's piece that the ocean and the emotions connected to this vast body of water is the root of inspiration for the duo's album Eyes Closed. This album draws the feelings of the push and pull within the ocean currents and reflects them upon the turmoil of love. As Marjin states in a later interview, " 'You just feel with this music that you jump into the deep!' "
Amhrán Na Farraige
“Amhrán Na Farraige” was featured in the original motion picture soundtrack, Song of the Sea. It is sung by Lisa Hannigan and composed by Bruno Coulais in Irish Gaelic.
Song of the Sea is an animated film that explores the longing, searching, and complexities of love as Ben and his sister, Saoirse, are caught between different elements: the land and the sea. Ben is a young boy who lives on an island with his father, a lighthouse keeper, and his pregnant mother. However, once his mother gives birth to his little sister Saoirse, she disappears and leaves the family behind. As a result, Ben resents his sister since her appearance is directly linked to his mother's disappearance. Their grandmother deems the lighthouse an unfit place to raise children and decides to relocate the children to the mainland. In doing so, their grandmother, Granny, removes the white sealskin coat given by the children's mother to their father, which also strips Saorise of her selkie abilities. On the way to Granny's house, they are attacked by Macha's (Goddess of War) owls and Saorise gets kidnapped. In Ben's journey to find Saorise and return her to her seal coat, he stumbles upon a holy well. Here he learns that his mother's departure is due to her selkie nature and not a result of his sister's birth. Now fueled by a newfound love for Saorise, Ben battles the elements to defeat Macha and save his sister from her death.
Throughout this song, the repetition of the phrase "Amhrán na farraige," also known as the Song of the Sea, emphasizes the symbolic significance that the sea holds. The sea is home to both tranquility and restlessness which is reflected in Ben's desire for a sense of peace and connection as he grapples with his relationship with his sister and acceptance of grief and loss.
심청전 Dive 편
In late 2021, Harvard student Julia Riew was saddened by the lack of Korean representation in Disney's animated princess films. South Korea has a rich history of folktales, thus inspiring Riew to draw upon "The Tale of Shimcheongjeon," also known as "Sim Cheong: The Dutiful Daughter." The main moral of this folktale is to highlight the filial piety, sacrifice, and redemption that Sim Cheong undergoes throughout her struggles to restore her blind father's sight. In doing so, she sells herself to sea merchants and learns that she must sacrifice herself to the sea. Impressed by her filial piety, the Dragon King, also known as the Sea King, returns her to the human world. In this act of self-sacrifice, Sim Cheong is reborn with truth and reunited with her father.
The sea plays a large role in Shimcheongjeon as it is associated with the "Kingdom of Truth." Her act of drowning and appearing in the Kingdom of Truth marked the "death of the existence of one's self." Thus allowing her to become “the truth” in her resurrection. Once she returns to the human world with her true mind she is able to teach those around her that it is not them who are blind, but it is the eyes of their minds which are blind.
Riew composed this song to encapsulate the moments leading up to Sim Cheong's final dive into the sea, highlighting the power that the sea holds to drive Sim Cheong's decision. When Sim Cheong states "all of this fish in the sea can't stop me, all of the waves in the world can't rock me," we see the definitive strength, intensity, and energy that the ocean provides in comparison to Sim Cheong's ultimate decision. In Shimcheongjeon, the ocean is the inspiration for clarity as well as power within ancient Korea.
This song was animated by Cobb Studio in collaboration with LG for the LG gram 360 commercial.
Walk Through Meditation
Humans and water are connected. Meditation influenced by the ocean is a way to accomplish absolute peace and tranquility in oneself. Try it out for yourself....
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and taste the fresh salty ocean air. Hold that breath for 4 seconds: 1, 2, 3, 4. Exhale and picture yourself releasing all those negative emotions bottled within. Breathe in again, imagine the salty air entering your body, embrace its cleansing properties, and allow it to sink deep within you. Hold that breath for another four seconds: 1, 2, 3, 4. Slowly exhale and feel the tension breaking down and flowing out of your body. Keep breathing at this slow pace: 4-second inhale, 4-second hold, and exhale for another 4 seconds. Visualize a vast ocean in front of you, the waves crashing, leaving white bubbles on the ocean surface, and foam on the sandy shores. Picture a beautiful sunset over the ocean, embrace the warmth of the sun, and let the hues of dusk envelop you. Wiggle your toes in the sand, feel sun-soaked stones, the grains between your toes, and how the sand shifts with each movement. Focus on how the sand feels.... how it falls from your feet as you walk across the shore. Is the sand fine? Are there coarser grits? Are there seashells by your feet? What color are the shells? Orange? Maybe pink? Do they reflect the sunlight in iridescent beams? Take one more deep inhale, and enjoy the peace and tranquility the ocean has to offer. Exhale as slowly as you can, bring this warm, calm feeling with you into your day, and slowly open your eyes.