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Falori-i
(fuh-LORE-ee-eye)
My newest EP, "Treats, Trauma, and Trust" is a small collection of piano pieces which have been composed over several years.
The “treats” are the ear candy—beautiful, pleasing pieces that are fun and easy to listen to.
The “trauma” is the middle two tracks that were born from trauma responses—that is, my own musical response to reading books about trauma.
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The “trust” refers to the improvisational nature of most of the tracks—it takes a great deal of trust in oneself to hit record and play your instrument, making it up as you go.
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I just ran with this idea of juxtaposing treats and trauma. We have my two favorite stuffed animal birds, some blue roses for my late mother, little decorative flowers, nostalgic candies (Pocky and Skittles), chocolate-covered almonds, and a small pocket journal.
And then, inside the basket with my bird friends are scissors, three knives pointing upward, and birthday candles, two of which are lit. I also lit a page of the journal, burned a few of the decorative flowers, and crushed or broke some of the candies.
Over the course of my healing journey in the last six years, I have done so much writing and BURNING.
It has been an integral part
of my transformation.
We’re conditioned to be excited by butterflies in our stomachs, and rampant, obsessive thoughts about the object of our affections.
But what if those are actually
trauma responses?
Instead of chasing the “excitement” and addictive need to prove ourselves, what if we nourish connections that make us feel safe, with people who genuinely wish to see and hear us and maybe even seem “boring” at times because in their presence, our nervous systems are actually calm?
I am here. I am now. I am safe where I am, in my body, in this current time, in this moment.
And knowing that, I can allow myself to delve into feelings of how others before me may have felt.
The resilience I read about in these brave humans who worked to heal their trauma moved me just about as much as reading about the traumatic experiences themselves.
About
Falori-i is a California-born artist, currently living in New Orleans. She mostly does music—composing and singing—but dabbles in other types of visual media for fun as well.
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The exact origin of the name Falori-i (fuh-LORE-ee-eye) is buried forever in the depths of my memory. The logo is inspired from a cartoon flamingo of the same name which I drew when I was 12 years old.
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