Fern Duffy Capstone

My name is Fern Duffy, and I decided to write and perform a song as my capstone project, titled “5Fold”. This piece was created as an accompaniment to my friend Olivia Fitts’ animated show, “SLA Fivefold”. I grew up learning to play the violin, but as I’ve grown older, I have learned to play the acoustic guitar with help from my mentor and music teacher, Mark Castellano. He took me through the process of writing a song from start to finish, beginning with just an idea for the art I wanted to create and ending with a beautiful finished product. Throughout this journey, I worked with Lucia Meade, Alexander Kruszewski, and the SLA Rock Band to sing and perform at our own school auditorium and a local performance venue. Throughout this process, I learned what it takes to create my own chord progressions, take core values and turn them into meaningful lyrics, and even make a little solo. This capstone taught me more about myself than simply how to write a song. I took inspiration from the song “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac and “Four Strong Winds” by Neil Young to create this song, with a focus on repeated phrases and impactful lyrics. Throughout my process, I’ve learned that I love finding melodies and harmonies that are unique and invoke emotion. It has been so rewarding to learn this art form, and I am forever grateful to everyone who supported me in this journey.

Here is a link to check out my song with an opening animated by Olivia Fitts!

https://youtu.be/Sp_sTOCdero