Young Navan musician pens poignant pandemic song

A budding young singer songwriter from Navan who was inspired to write a song about the challenges of lockdown says getting the opportunity to have her song professionally produced in a recording was a “dream come true.”

Thirteen-year-old Erica Moran was missing her friends and music lessons so put pen to paper to express how she was feeling.

“New Normal” is a song that captures the mood of a generation who have missed out on so many milestones over the past year.

The first year student of St Joseph’s Mercy Secondary School in Navan is a member of IYMAS (The Irish Youth Music Awards) Youth Work Ireland’s exciting programme that builds mini ‘Record Companies’ throughout the island of Ireland. These mini record companies are staffed entirely by the teens, engaging the skills and talents of real life Music Industry Executives.

She was given the chance to make use of a professional recording studio on the Kells Road after the crew at IYMAS heard her song.

New Normal was produced by Stephen and Greg Halford.

“It was really fun recording the song, it was a really great experience. I was missing my friends in school and I decided to write my feelings down on a piece of paper," said Erica.

“I was so happy when I heard the finished song, I was listening to everything I worked so hard on, I felt really accomplished.

“Whatever emotion I have I can write a song for that emotion, it makes me feel calm whenever I’m sad.”

Erica’s proud mum Maria said that:

“She is very social into sport and Irish dancing and being active and for her not to be able to do any of them and not being able to see her friends has been very tough on her.

“She missed her graduation from school, her confirmation was postponed then she started in secondary school so like many she’s had a hard year.

“She joined IYMAS just before lockdown where a group of young people who sing or play an instrument get together and enhance their skills and practice together.

“When lockdown came in she was really down and I found a place down the country that sold guitars and they had a sale on and had this beautiful blue guitar and as a surprise I ordered it and I gave it to her and she was so happy, it was her first guitar that was hers.

“She disappeared to her room and I wouldn’t see her from one end of the day to the next, she would be up listening to music, singing, up playing her guitar. She just started to put a few words down and started playing a tune.”

Erica was given the opportunity to make use of a Recording studio on the Kells Road and record her original song.

“Peter Mulligan in IYMAS organised for Erica to use a recording studio and she spent the day with them and had great fun and they got her to harmonise. All of the singing on the track is hers.

“She just joined Music Generation Meath and they are going to form a choir and they are also doing a four-day song writing workshop which Erica has signed up to.”