Rowe Rowe is a 20-year-old recording artist studying history at Kenyon College. At the end of his freshman year, his best friend tragically took her own life. Stella made a deep impact on her community, and especially on the artist. And she convinced him to perform his first concert on campus and to become more involved in the community.
Instead of turning inwards to constant grief, Rowe Rowe created a song to embody the characteristics and memories of a special person who has impacted the lives of others. In addition, all profits from the project are being sent to mental health research as well as a future scholarship at Kenyon College, which is currently in the works.
This song was born from a period of confusion and reflection, in the aftermath of Stella’s passing. “When moving out of my dorm in May, a box full of letters in Stella’s writing in my hands, I felt like I was moving backward. The memories of her presence and our time on campus were tainted with sadness. Stella was a Japanese studies major and I recalled her studies of Japanese culture and her admiration for the old samurai virtues of loyalty and scholarliness,” reflected Rowe Rowe.
“In this song, I wanted to create a triumphant tone and take the listener through a retrospective. The line ‘Flying through the turbulence, trying to make it through,’ is in reference to when I flew out to New York for her memorial service. After that, it has an enticing hook and a rap verse that tells the narrative of our friendship, and recounts the earliest moments of our relationship.”
Rowe Rowe reflects on how his studies throughout school have correlated to his music, and how the narrative of learning and inquiry is important to shaping the storyline. At the end of his newly released song, “Guiding Light,” which finishes with an instrumental melody, he allows for the listener to look back and see the process of going through a tough time.
“Grief does not merely vanish, but periodically shows up, and the struggle is finding strength to deal with it and make changes,” said the artist.
“I hope this song will continue a conversation and even start one, since many are afraid or dismissive of talking about mental health.”
To explore Rowe Rowe’s latest song, listen to the track here and follow his Instagram to find out more about his music.
