On Your Mind
I recorded the track End of the Line for inclusion on Greenlit, which I wrote, produced and released on my independent Portraiture Records label in 2009. End of the Line is a song I wrote about teenage suicide, which is a topic very near and dear to me. It is also a topic that concerns me as an educational leader.
I believe most parents would be shocked to learn a fair percentage of children (possibly their own child), prior to and as they become young adults, experience bouts of severe depression and thoughts concerning suicide (suicidal ideation). Many times, these feelings remain private, as a fair amount of people may feel too ashamed to discuss and/or share. These feelings can also last a lifetime and be the quiet demons one wrestles with silently and alone.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for children, adolescents, and young adults in the United States. More often than not, there are warning signs associated with thoughts concerning suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts. Suicidal comments should never be taken lightly nor should they ever be ignored.
Depression is a leading factor in young people and can be brought about through feelings of hopelessness, stress, anger, sadness, fear, and confusion. For our school aged children, peer pressure, pressure to succeed, bullying, self-doubt, and rejection are just some of the feelings children wrestle with on a daily basis leading to the belief suicide may be a solution.
People, especially parents, can feel uncomfortable talking about suicide. Asking a child how he or she feels and learning a young person’s thoughts provides valuable insight that can literally change a life. I have spoken with many parents over the course of my career that were unaware of the thoughts their child possessed or their child was sharing with others at school but not at home.
I have often heard parents state, “He doesn’t want to talk to me” or “She tells me to leave her alone.” While this is completely true, I have always shared that in my experience from working with clinicians in a variety of capacities and in a variety of schools, students often share that they wished parents would ask more questions and would check on how they are doing. They may not tell a parent this to his or her face but they are thinking it. My advice is, “It is never too late to ask how someone is doing unless you wait too long to ask.”
Educators bear a great amount of responsibility in creating the conditions required so the children and young people we serve are cognizant we care and they are loved. Students need to know there are resources available to support their emotional needs. Students need to feel valued, secure, and that they matter. They need to feel they will be listened to and they belong. Students also need to learn how to manage stress and develop coping skills so they are prepared for a lifetime of continual social emotional learning and success. Once this is achieved, algebra becomes important, science becomes important, and English and every other course offering becomes important. If learners can be taught how to recognize how their own emotions are affecting the way they see the world, they are empowered to self-actualize and -regulate to change their view of the world.
For Your Life
I wrote End of the Line when I was 17 years old and still in high school. I performed End of the Line with a post-high school band and it wasn’t until many years later I recorded the song with friend and cellist Eric Remschneider. Eric recorded several overdubs on cello and created a melodic ensemble to my nylon guitar tracks. Eric is someone I recorded with in the early and mid-1990s on several original songs. Eric is best known for his contributions to The Smashing Pumpkins’ 1993 release, Siamese Dream, and the Plain White Ts’ 2006 hit, Hey There Delilah. The lead vocal track was performed by fellow musician and friend, Dan Monahan, who performed engineering work on Greenlit as well as with the Plain White Ts.
For End of the Line, I recorded two rhythm guitar tracks, both on classical guitar, and both using varied finger-picking patterns. The rhythm tracks are panned left and right with a third, overdubbed nylon guitar track for the solo (the solo occurs at different points during the song).
Dating back to my earliest days as a session guitarist (beginning in the mid 1980s and early 1990s), I began recording my acoustic guitar tracks with a pair of microphones rather than one mic near the guitar’s sound hole. For End of the Line, I utilized a small-diaphragm cardioid microphone as well as a large-diaphragm condenser microphone and then blended the two together on separate tracks to optimize tone and presence. I really like how these panned guitar tracks complement the cello work and vocal performance. I am also very proud of the song’s lyrical content and being able to include End of the Line as the final track to round out the remaining instrumental songs I wrote for Greenlit.
The link below provides complimentary web-based access to the companion book, Recording Greenlit by Chris Dignam, for insight into the recording process for the Greenlit sessions.
If you or a loved one are in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
Chris
Referenced links and documents:
End of the Line by Chris Dignam
Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors Among High School Students: Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019, Ivey-Stephenson et al, US Department of Health and Human Services, August 2020
Suicide Rates Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States, 2000-2017, Research Letter, American Medical Association, June 18, 2019 Volume 321, Number 23
Treatment for Suicidal Ideation, Self-Harm, and Suicide Attempts Among Youth, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)