Vermont singer-songwriter Marcie Hernandez surrounds herself with music even when she’s not writing or performing. She is a certified music therapist, as well as a passionate songwriter who alternates her lyrical flourishes between Spanish and English, with many nods to her Puerto Rican heritage. In late 2020, during the height of the COVID lockdowns she released her brilliant debut album Amanecer, and halfway through 2021 she released a powerful video for the first single “Light A Torch.”
Then one crisp fall day she saw a vision of tying together three of the songs from the album into a musical trilogy that could hopefully be greater than its parts and serve to address some very serious issues, including generational trauma and domestic violence. Hernandez had seen the effects of what generational trauma can do first hand through her extended family and wanted to use the medium of the music video to dive into the subject, and mental health in general, with great clarity and focus. At that point the foundation for Tres Pedazos was born. She then enlisted Vermont cinematographer Macaulay Lerman to help her realize her vision and the two mapped out a story, put together a core cast, and began filming around the Burlington, Vermont area.
“The majority of victims of domestic violence and abuse are women, and in my opinion, they are often made to feel (by their abuser & by society) like the abuse is somehow their fault. This seems to be one major reason why so many victims can feel ashamed of their situation. The same can also be true for victims of sexual violence. Sadly, our society is quick to judge these victims. There is also still a lot of stigma around talking about mental health in our culture. I’m glad to see more people are being forthcoming with their experiences and struggles with mental and emotional health, but, in my opinion, we still have a long way to go,” says Hernandez to Glide about victims and the ongoing struggle of domestic abuse.
Today Glide is extremely proud and honored to premiere the trilogy and had a Q&A session with the artist about some important issues regarding her music and inspirations.
Why do you think narcissists (like the former U.S. president) act as they do and what parts of it are caused from their own childhood?
This question makes me think of the notion of nature vs. nurture. Like many other mental health disorders, I think there can definitely be strong links to childhood experiences with narcissism. Narcissists are typically deeply insecure and have developed poor coping skills to manage their feelings of low self-worth. This insecurity often stems from childhood experiences, & a disconnected and/or abusive relationship with primary caregivers. I have a lot of empathy for men because, within our society, men are rarely given opportunities to learn how to express & manage their emotions and insecurities; they are discouraged from showing emotion and are taught to just “be a man & suck it up.” It’s more acceptable in our society for a man to express anger than sadness. And this perpetuates abusive and violent behavior.
This trilogy was a year-long process for you, which was quite the undertaking considering the songs themselves were released two years prior. Obviously, the video format has had significance to you as an artist and how did you go about choosing these three songs from Amanecer to curate?
When the idea of making a trilogy first came up, I quickly knew which three songs I wanted to make the videos for. I quickly linked “Winter,” “Quiet” & “Amanecer” in my mind because I saw how I could tell parts of my story and also parts of my family’s story through these three songs. I also liked how each song musically evoked very different emotional spaces.
Amanecer means: to wake up, to begin again with a renewed sense of self and resilience you didn’t even know you had before. Sometimes this is easier said than done- how do you encourage people to be resilient and face obstacles and achieve goals when we most feel downtrodden?
Yes, definitely easier said than done. I think it really starts with being committed to taking yourself seriously. Taking your life seriously. And being able to sit with your own discomfort when it arises instead of trying to avoid it or escape. I’ve found that the more I push myself out of my comfort zone, the more anxious and insecure I can feel at times. I’ve realized, though, that any real growth is usually paired with a certain level of discomfort- and that’s OK. We also really need to learn how to love ourselves. Like, really get curious about what that means and feels like. We live in a perfectionist society obsessed with the notion that nothing is ever good enough, including ourselves. Being gentle, loving and patient with ourselves is just as important as challenging ourselves.
How you feel this trilogy can be expanded even more to get more exposure to the important causes this represents?
A part of my vision for this project was to use the videos as a springboard for community workshops where I could use my skills as a music therapist to bring connection and healing to those impacted by domestic violence. I’d like to see if I can make something like this happen.
Your musical and artistic collaborators appear to be a “village” in the most age-old supportive way- what can you say about your musical community and do you feel your community if more out there to collaborate than most?
I love my musical community here in Vermont! I do feel that the interest in artistic collaboration here is deep & authentic. I feel blessed to be a part of this community; I’ve learned so much from my friends here and fellow artists.
Local filmmaker Macaulay Lerman played a large role in the trilogy- how was the process of the three videos scripted out and filmed and how different was it for you then the songwriting and recording process? What did Lerman’s talents bring to having your visual vision of the songs become a reality?
From the beginning, I had a pretty clear idea of the overarching story that I wanted to tell, but Macaulay was incredibly helpful in breaking it down from a visual standpoint. I wrote up the scripts for each video and we both spent a lot of time reviewing those before we filmed anything. I was really grateful to be able to rely on Macaulay’s expertise when it came to figuring out how to best portray the storyline and emotions in each character. He often made suggestions about how to film certain scenarios that I would’ve never thought of. He also paid close attention to colors and lighting in a way that make the videos really visually engaging.
Filming felt very different from songwriting in that I usually write songs alone. This was much more collaborative. It also was new territory for me to be directing actors, but I loved the process of explaining my vision and then seeing it come to life before my eyes.
Having grown up when MTV and videos played a vital role in our youth -ae there any videos from the past and present that have played a rather large influence on you as an artist and director?
I watched so many music videos while I was doing this project. I watched many of Sharon Van Etten’s and Angel Olsen’s music videos as I was brainstorming ideas for Tres Pedazos; those videos definitely were an influence. I also watched older videos by Bjork, Radiohead, Tori Amos. It was fun to have an excuse to dive into the world of music videos.
Musically “Winter” channels a very edgy rock vibe that has a Sharon Van Etten punch to it – how did you come up with the more rockin’ musical theme?
I wrote Winter several years ago and it’s definitely heavily influenced by Van Etten’s music. In general, her music and songwriting have been a big influence on me. The more aggressive strumming pattern and chords came to me first with this song and then the melody followed. I remember I wrote it pretty quickly.
The video for winter shows you out seeing live music but things going through your mind. I think a lot of us often go out to escape but can’t avoid the thoughts in our heads. As a music therapist, what suggestions can you give for us to better listen to music and be in the moment?
I like to incorporate mindfulness exercises and meditation into my work in music therapy. My suggestion for being more in the moment would be to try starting a simple meditation practice or practicing mindfulness exercises, like deep breathing, throughout the day.
How has your local Vermont music scene allowed you to find your voice as an artist? Are there any venues or promoters that have helped you write, record and gain an audience?
I’m really grateful to all of the venues that I’ve played in around Vermont. Particularly, I feel like being a part of the bigger festivals, like Waking Windows, the Highlight NYE Festival and Burlington Jazz Fest, have definitely helped me widen my audience. I have to also give a big thank you to the Vermont Arts Council for awarding me with an Artist Development Grant which helped to fund Tres Pedazos.
The post VIDEO PREMIERE/INTERVIEW: Marcie Hernandez Shares Angel Olsen/Sharon Van Etten Musically Inspired Poignant Video Trilogy appeared first on Glide Magazine.
