Swimming in a Dreamworld
Notes on composing “wake up…”
By V.C.R
Photograph by Brandon Hicks
Created as an ode to my sonic heroes Alice Coltrane and Minnie Riperton, “wake up…” is set at a slow tempo, generating a reflective dreamworld that allows the meaning to take center stage. The track opens with a subtle orchestral, vocal, and harp arrangement, which gradually builds in intensity, mirroring the narrators of the dream. I decided to use a narrative skit to convey the song’s message, a song structure that was directly inspired by my hometown heroes, Three 6 Mafia. This recipe of elements and influences led to one of my most powerful compositions to date, a soulful, emotionally charged soundscape that reflects themes of self-awareness and the collective conscience.
Serving as an interlude on my LP The Chronicles of a Caterpillar, this siren call is a palate cleanser for the listener traveling through my mind. In fact, the whole album is a cerebral portrait. For “wake up…,” I assembled two of my closest friends to narrate the journey: Ss. Sylver, a harpist and vocalist, served as siren one, and my best friend Victoria Janelle (also from Memphis) served as siren two. These two ladies knew the intimate context of the narration so they needed no coaching. Over a layer of harmonized angelic voices and harp trills, the sirens attempt to wake me up. Not only are they warning me, but they’re also encouraging the listener to transition into the second half of the project. The song has a similarly critical role on the compilation album that accompanies this magazine; it was selected to close out Side A, functioning as both a surreal outro and a lucid precursor.
As the song moves into the chorus, the plea to wake up becomes more prominent. The repetition of this phrase, accompanied by swelling harmonies, gives my song an anthemic quality. This passage feels like a rallying cry, calling for action and change. The chorus brings a sense of clarity, as though the fog of confusion is beginning to lift, and there’s a glimpse of hope through the darkness.
Right now, collectively, we are all waking up to the reality of the societal shifts that have to be made in order to create a harmonious world, not just for Memphians but for citizens worldwide. This short song, which was composed out of the melodic necessity of transition in this body of work, is also a call for radical awareness. Like my predecessor Alice Coltrane, I wanted to lift the listener from the trance of the commercialized “bops” that they may hear every day and present what was truly on my heart. As an artist, it is my duty to reflect the times, and the perfect canvas for that is vulnerability.
I am so grateful to have been raised, nurtured, and enlightened in Memphis, Tennessee. I have performed all over the world, and I have never met a community more friendly, honest, hardworking, and filled to the brim with creativity and character. That character made me who I am today and is the direct inspiration for all my musical endeavors. I look forward to continuing my artistic journey, while mirroring and celebrating my love for my hometown. My goal for “wake up…” is to show my truth, this truth, our truth, to the world.
