Episode 10: When Grief becomes your Muse … with Gina Harris
What I find fascinating about human emotions such as grief, is that every one of us deals with them differently. Some people shut down and deal internally with their feelings, others need the support and shoulders of friends and family. But sometimes it is this deep emotional turmoil, that gives birth to some of the most amazing pieces of art because some people work through their grief by writing, painting or singing about it.
It is those songs born out of pure emotions that give me all the feels. Those are the songs that make me cry, give me goosebumps or just allow me to travel down memory lane. It really got me curious about the creative process that goes into writing and performing from a place of grief.
And I was lucky enough to meet just the right person to talk to.
Gina Harris is a singer/songwriter and actor who has performed in theaters and jazz clubs in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Gina has done just that – she wrote a solo musical called “The Magic of Ordinary Things,” where she addresses her thoughts and emotions of dealing with her own grief after the loss of her parents and her singing teacher Lilian. Her music, grown from her jazz and blues roots, is magical and dreamy. Her lyrics are haunting, nostalgic and deep.
I was curious to have a look behind the scenes and find out more about her creative process and how she was able to blend love, grief and hope into music.
The Magic of Ordinary Things
How do you go on when the people you love die?
If you could see them one more time, what would you say?
What would you want to hear?
Gina Harris got the chance. The Magic of Ordinary Things is a musical memoir — a theatre piece, a dream, a Sufi Tale with original music. It tells the story of how moments missed and things once taken for granted become the stepping stones to a new life. It's never too late.
Written and performed by Gina Harris
Directed by Michael French