Narrative, Memory and Emotional Communication Through Three Original Musical Works

Author : Happy Stancombe, Darunee Lertlae

Abstract :Music functions as a powerful communicative medium through which individuals articulate emotion, construct meaning, and translate lived experience into expressive form. This presentation examines three original musical works “Wish You Were Here,” “The Story Never Ends,” and “October Rain” to investigate how composition and songwriting operate as channels of narrative and emotional communication within contemporary media environments. Drawing on perspectives from media studies, narrative theory, and emotional semiotics, the study explores how harmony, melody, rhythm, lyrical structure, and sonic imagery convey psychological themes and shape audience interpretation. “Wish You Were Here” communicates digital-era grief and emotional distance through circular chord progressions and unresolved harmonic patterns. “The Story Never Ends” reflects interpersonal communication breakdown, using lyrical repetition and rhythmic insistence to represent conflict cycles and relational narrative framing. The instrumental work “October Rain” demonstrates non-verbal communication through sonic imagery, with triplet motion and modal harmonic colours symbolising reflection, memory, and atmospheric emotion. Together, these works illustrate how musical structures operate beyond entertainment—functioning as communicative systems that encode emotional experience into shared understanding. This practice-based research contributes to interdisciplinary dialogue across media communication, sound studies, and creative practice research, aligning closely with SNRI’s thematic focus on meaning making in contemporary mediated contexts.

Keywords :Music communication, emotional semiotics, narrative, composition, creative practice research.

Conference Name :International Conference on Media, Communication & Film (ICMCF - 25)

Conference Place Oslo, Norway

Conference Date 25th Dec 2025