'Butterfly' by Karen

This piece was inspired by Idina Menzel’s song “Butterfly.” I heard this song for the first time she preformed it at the Tilles Center at C.W. Post. Even though I am touched by most of Idina’s music, this just really hit me differently. I can’t really explain it but I immediately felt a connection with this song. Maybe it was the lyrics or the feeling of the drum in my chest, but as soon as I heard about this project I knew what my piece would be about.

Idina said that the song was originally inspired by Julia “Butterfly” Hill, who lived in a tree to stop it from being torn down. So naturally the piece’s main focus is a tree. The tree in the picture is actually made out of butterflies, which is sort of based on the meaning that I pulled out of the song. That there is this special person or something out there makes up your whole world, which is represented by the butterfly tree. But you can’t keep this person or thing in the tree forever because you’ll end up destroying it, so you have to let it go, which is depicted by the butterflies in the sky and the clouds. In the different verses of the song “it’s in our nature to-” is repeated over and over but different words are put at the end to finish the line, deceive, destroy, move on, survive, etc. It’s saying that we are all going to do these things sometime in our lives, even if we don’t mean to, we will. So sometimes, in order to protect what we love most, we have to let it go.

There are over 300, probably close to 400 butterflies in the picture. The lyrics from the song that I choose to put in the piece show how special and important this person who is symbolized by the butterflies is. They are the rain which gives you life, the tears that are your emotions. They bless the ground, earth, and make it special place, a better place than if they were never there. And you see them as so amazing that you elevate them up to the sky. That’s what that part of the song means to me.

My name is Karen, I’m 17 years old and live on good old Long Island. I’ve got a younger brother who is a jock, and we get along most of the time. My parents are a bit older than my other friend’s parents and are the stereotypical Long Island couple with really twisted senses of sarcastic humor. Unfortunately I am not at all musically gifted like many other fans, so there are no Broadway aspirations in my future. But I’m still a huge theater buff and know good music when I hear it. I’m in the stage crew at my school which has allowed me to appreciate the actors and performers even more than I did before, and has led to many new friendships. Of which I am always thankful for. I guess I could be considered a dreamer since I’m always picturing my self in grand situations that are not at all realistic. But I enjoy my dreams, and every once in a while they lead to bursts of creativity like the one that gave me the idea for my picture.

My junior year is quickly coming to an end, and as my high school graduation grows closer and closer I seem to connect more and more with the messages of the songs from I Stand. The entire album has this feeling of inner strength that really speaks to me and encourages me when I am feeling down. It doesn’t take too much to make me feel overwhelmed and when that happens I just put a song on with Idina’s voice in it and it makes me feel so much better. The songs just continually remind me of that endless potential that we all have inside of us and how we need to embrace it, and not be afraid of every challenge that faces us. They calm me down so that I can remember that I’m a smart kid and the only true obstacle in my way is myself, and once I can overcome that the world is mine for the taking. I think that just about summarizes me, as much as a single person can be summarized that is.