Karen Atkins spoke with Essentially Pop about the inspiration behind her single, ‘She Rises‘, as well as her life, musical journey, and what is yet to come.
How has your relationship with music evolved alongside your journey as a health and vitality expert?
Interestingly, I originally got involved with health and vitality because I was having pains and issues in my body that were affecting my ability to play the guitar and my ability to sing. I started receiving therapies for these issues and over time became more and more involved with these therapies. I completely quit playing music several years later, partially to avoid the corrupt and unsavory nature of the music business and partially due concerns about how the musician lifestyle was affecting my health. I then spent the next 15 years deep diving into health and vitality, which eventually led me to uncover many deep realizations about myself and my true nature. I also started regaining much of my lost vitality through practicing tai chi, qigong and other internal martial arts. That renewed energy became the inspiration behind much of my songwriting.
Walk us through the experience of bringing ‘She Rises’ to life. In what ways does the song honor your good friend Theresa?
Theresa was my best friend and soulmate, my anchor, my guardian angel, my soul whisperer, my inspiration. She opened my heart to the depths of unconditional love- she was my absolute everything. And she transitioned from this physical plane in 2019.
The morning after she passed, I was lying in bed and just connecting with her and “heard” her communicating to me that I needed to write a song called “She Rises” that expresses a positive perspective about her passing. Shortly afterwards, I was wakking by a picture of her in my living room when I felt a strong force nudging me towards my guitar that was hanging on my wall. I grabbed the guitar and started playing and singing the entire chorus to “She Rises.”
Several weeks later the verses came to me all at once and the song was complete. I kept seeing and sensing her feeling free and untethered and happily moving through the universe with no identity and no limits. That is what the song seeks to convey – that the light of this incredible being is FREE and we all have that possibility both is live and in death, which are not as different as we think.
What kind of mood were you hoping to create with the instrumentation and sound of ‘She Rises’?
Something a little dreamy and deep, but also light and optimistic. As if you were going on a journey and you were really excited, a little nervous and hopeful about what you were about to experience. Also the lightness of finally feeling free to express who you are without judgment, shame or limits.
Tell us about filming in the Sacred Valley of Peru for the music video. Did you always have this setting in mind?
The Sacred Valley of Perú is super high frequency, home to the ancient Incan civilization, and the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life (and I have travelled to many places around the world). I planned to shoot a music video while I was there, but I wasn’t sure which video I would shoot. A friend from Peru shot the video for me and I played her a few songs I hadn’t released yet to ask her which one she wanted to film. She picked ‘She Rises’ without hesitation. We then were inspired to spontaneously start recording by Lake Huaypo. We also went to Pisac, Q’enqo and Pikillaqta, all well known for their incredible beauty and Incan influence. So, although I didn’t necessarily have this area in mind for ‘She Rises’, I had been to the area before, knew I loved it, and had talked to Theresa about it, hoping to one day go there with her. She would have been enchanted with the area for sure!
In what ways do the visuals mirror the journey you’re expressing in ‘She Rises’?
Well some of the obvious things are the clouds, the mountains and the birds, which I always connect with Theresa partially because she was so connected with these things herself and because I often feel her presence through them. But the song also speaks about the thin veil between “supposed life” and “supposed death” and that we as humans tend to forget the link between the two. And, that if we are able to “see inside the dark through the space in between where nothing ever ends,” we can come to remember that we are never alone, we never die, and we are free to fly through the universe as we wish. I think a lot of the imagery points to these kinds of mysteries.
There were also many special things that spontaneously occurred while we were shooting that mirrored what the song is expressing. One in particular was when we were shooting near Pisac. The most amazing rainbow came out of nowhere (there wasn’t a sign of rain) and graced us with its presence for more than 25 minutes. It was amazing and magical!
Do you hope that ‘She Rises’ evokes healing in others who resonate with your experiences with grief and loss?
Of course, that would be wonderful! One of the things that happened to me through the process of grieving and accepting that my friend was no longer going to appear physically in my life in the way I was used to was that I had to learn how to connect with her and the bond of affection that we have had and will always have in another way. I’d like to share a little story of how I passed through my own experience of grief to arrive at a feeling of peace with regard to her “passing.”
One early morning, between shuddering sobs and powerful pangs of missing her, I started to feel Theresa’s presence.Her heart. Her light. Her playful, loving Spirit.It pulsed through my heart and my whole being, lighting me from the inside out. I heard it ask me, “Karen, what do you value the most about me?”
My answer came quick and clear, “Your love, your presence, your light. The way I feel just being with you.”
“And do you feel all of those things right now?” it asked.
I had to admit that I did. My heart was filled with her love.
“So, what is it that you miss about me?”
I kept thinking of things. Things we had done together, conversations we had, places we traveled together, and the special moments we shared. And then, I realized that most of them were about feeling her love and presence and sharing experiences with her. Even things like her special homemade veggie soup, her delicious tomato squash sauce with zucchini noodles creation, or her raw key lime pie— things which made me feel silly to miss since they were just trivial material things— were also manifestations of her love.
I tuned into her presence again.
“Those things are intangible, yet you feel them even more strongly than when I was alive, don’t you?”
I nodded internally in agreement.
“And aren’t those the things you value the most in your life?”
I nodded again.
“So maybe your desire to connect with me can help you to focus more on the intangible, the subtle, the soft voice inside, the essence behind all things? Don’t you always say that you want that more than anything else?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “But it’s harder now. When you were alive, I could just pick up the phone and hear your voice, and I would instantly feel received and understood.”
“And now you just have to tune into where I am inside of you. It’s just a different communication device. Feel me. I’m right here. Feel my love!”
I felt an intense wave of joy flow through my heart with an undeniable Theresa flair. I started to cry again, but this time it was tears of recognition, connection, love, and the beginnings of acceptance.
“It’s just change, Karen. There’s no use in clinging to the past. There’s so much more we can share now from where I am. Let my love become a part of you and you will have me with youalways. And when you take this journey, you’ll understand everything and you will feel the fullness of this peace.”
And just like that, a deeper feeling of peace and acceptance flowed through me. It was this feeling that fueled and inspired the song “She Rises,” and hopefully this sentiment can be felt by others who listen to the song or watch the video and it will help them feel more peace and acceptance themselves.
What inspires you to bring music to your community and beyond with programs and events like The Collab Lab, house concerts, and the Cool Music Club?
Each of the 3 programs are addressing different aspects of community and music, but they all come out of the desire to express creativity, share things we love with others and nurture strong bonds of friendship and affection through creativity and collaboration.
The Collab Labis an interactive, experiential approach to music and the recorded arts. It was initially focussed on teens and young adults, although we’ve received so many requests to open it up to people of all ages, that we ended up including adults of all ages who are interested in exploring their creativity through the recording process. We are also including other creative recording projects, like skits, stories, radio plays and school and legacy projects.
I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t music as an outlet, especially in my youth. Music connected me to what I was feeling, helped me express things that I couldn’t express in any other way and also helped me connect in a rewarding and satisfying way with others through collaboration and creation. I was inspired to offer this opportunity especially to teens and young adults, as most traditional educational programs don’t provide opportunities for this type of learning and self-expression, and a growing number of educational institutions don’t even have the budget or the resources to offer music programs at all.
As part of our project, we accept donations and offer various forms of scholarships to youth who have little or no access to music in schools, or who lack the resources to participate in these types of programs.
TheHouse Concert Networkprovides independent artists with venues to feel received and heard in an intimate setting as well as the opportunity to personally connect with the audience after the performance. We have also found that the audience is just as appreciative as the musicians and we are always inundated with heartfelt thank yous after each event. I really want to encourage anyone who enjoys music to consider hosting a house concert, as it is always an enriching and fun experience.
Lastly, the purpose of theCool Music Clubis simply for musicians and music fans to share links to songs and videos from independent artists we like with each other. We provide a short list with links to songs we like and a very short description of why we like them. We are especially interested in encouraging listeners to develop an appreciation for unique and compelling songwriting, production and arrangement. They can be in any style of music. And we share these links with whomever is interested. It’s super simple.
How do you envision your projects growing over the next few years?
I see all of these projects growing to include many more participants and dovetailing with one another to create a strong foundation for creative collaboration in our communities; specifically for the house concert network, that there are more and more people hosting house concerts and creating supportive a network worldwide offering artists a large number of location options for traveling and performing.
With the Collab Lab, I would love to see other musicians developing similar programs around the world (with or without our guidance) to encourage young adults (and anyone with an inclination to create) to express themselves and collaborate with others through the medium of recording. And for the students, I see the production of unique and heartfelt music that can be shared with and enjoyed by the public worldwide.
Lastly, with the Cool Music Club, I see a sharing network that bypasses the broken music industry such that good music and artistry are truly supported and celebrated worldwide. Artists from anywhere can be discovered by music fans everywhere and communities form to support these connections in places where they didn’t exist before. That growing numbers of people develop an appreciation for unique and creative songwriting, arrangement and production and that talented musicians receive the support and financial compensation that they merit.
I invite anyone reading this article to contact me through my website,karenatkinsmusic.comto share thoughts, ideas and especially music you enjoy, even your own!
Be empowered by the music video for ‘She Rises’ below.
