Teen uses music to inspire hope

Posted: 12/10/2019

Please be advised, this article and music video contain sensitive subject matter about mental health and suicide.

Music and songwriting are great ways to express yourself. Emma is a 16-year-old from New Hampshire who started writing songs to work through her emotions, which has always been difficult for her. Emma says, “Songwriting has been my outlet and one of the most important things in my life, especially through my experiences with bullying, anxiety, and depression.” Emma wrote “The Death of a Taylor Swift Wannabe” in the hopes that her music could inspire others who are struggling. She dedicated the song to Taylor Swift because it was her music that first inspired Emma to start writing, and she believes that saved her life.

The video for the song was filmed with Emma’s friends from school and the social media messages seen in the video were not scripted. The messages are meant to show how harmful cyberbullying can be. “We felt like this video needed to touch the hearts of anyone that has ever been hurt by words and what the impact can be if we are not mindful of what we say, no matter if this is on social media or in person,” said Emma. The purpose of the storyline is to show how dark social media and cyberbullying can be. On the intense subject matter of the music video, Emma wants everyone to know, “Suicide is a reality that we hear about, and I have been bullied and have suffered from anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. I also know that I am not alone. There are so many teens out there suffering and I want to stand up and make a difference through my music.”