The chapter “Sea Slavery” really affected me. The methods employed by the fishing industry to trap young, eager workers were unbelievably unsettling and that discomfort served as the emotional blueprint for my part of this project. I’ve been trying to explore the relationship between the ideal and the actual. Many young workers on fishing boats are tricked by the fishing industry to work for virtually no pay and find themselves subjected to inhumane living conditions. Before arriving at the job, these workers had a bright outlook. Many fishing companies mangle and twist an idyllic dream of life at sea into a vermin-infested, salt-worn prison. The young workers wanted to live adventurously at sea and create a better life for themselves and their family, but instead, they were faced with extremely long hours, abusive practices, subpar living conditions, minimal food, and lack of pay. In my music, I want to convey this disillusionment while still retaining a glimmer of former hope and innocence.

mt. marcy