Songwriting helped talented teen adjust to new school life

A TEENAGER from Trim who was having a difficult time settling in at her new school was inspired to write a song about her experience to let others know they are not alone.

Thirteen-year-old Ruby Moss wrote “Invisible” following a tough period adjusting to her first year as a boarding student in Dundalk Grammar School.

The youngster found it hard to fit in and to make friends when she started school. Luckily enough one of the positives of Covid was that she had more free time for her hobbies and that was when she started writing music.

Ruby wrote the melody and the lyrics one Wednesday afternoon when classes had finished early, and she found herself all alone. She recorded it on her phone and later put the guitar chords down and then wrote the piano music.

The musical youngster went on to record the track at producer Mark Cahill’s studios in Slane and it is now available to download with proceeds from the song going to two charities close to Ruby’s heart.

Ruby hopes that people will listen to her song and know they are not alone if they feel isolated or sad or lonely and the message is that things will get better.

“It was on a Wednesday when classes finish early and I looked up and everyone had gone and I felt a bit alone and sad and I cried a bit and I was telling myself that things would get better,” she said.

“I was a bit worried about making friends and I’m vegan and some people don’t understand it fully.

“I thought of a tune and I put it out on guitar and piano and it went from there. It was a way to cope with it and talking about it without talking about it.

“People who have listened to my song said they can relate to it, I know a lot of people feel alone sometimes and hopefully it helps them a little bit.

"Things have got a lot better since I wrote the song, I've made friends and I'm a lot happier in school now."

Ruby's musical career began when she was eight and started in St Patrick's Cathedral Choir School, she continued piano lessons there, took up the flute and began learning the button accordion and guitar. Now she’s at Dundalk Grammar School and has a prestigious organ scholarship there.

The teenager didn’t know that music would become her focus when as a shy five-year-old she took Musical Theatre classes in Trim. It was only when she successfully auditioned for St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir School in Dublin that the world of musical possibilities opened for her.

Proud mum Louisa says she is proud that her daughter has found an outlet to express herself. She added:

“Writing both songs and stories have been a way to cope with Covid and starting school – putting the feelings down helps to understand them and working on finishing them was a way of focusing on positives rather than sad feelings.

“Ruby has had a lot of comments from other people saying that the lyrics are very relatable. So many of us feel the same way sometimes but it isn’t always easy to talk about feeling sad.

“Invisible is available to download on digital platforms with all proceeds from sales being donated to Jigsaw and Go Vegan World.

For further information, see Ruby Moss Music on Facebook.