"Where Did You Go?,” Lenni Green’s debut solo work, retells the story of a close friend’s battle with schizophrenia, in the cross-genre format she describes as a song-symphony. It is a quasi-cinematic, evolving concept piece seasoned with nature samples, woozy electric guitar, multi-metered beats, militant snare drum, twisted circus waltzing, bellowing brass, swirling synthesizers, pounding djembe, anthemic arrivals, layered ethereal vocals, celestial choir, and ambient meditation. The 24-minute work alludes to Lenni’s classical background in its structure, comprised of seamless, self-referential movements and thoughtfully arranged instrumental sections, yet it maintains modern popular elements such as electronic drums, synthesizer, and catchy choruses.


I. The last time I saw Eliza, everything was normal. We were in good spirits, sharing music and wine as we often did. I won’t forget the phone call that disrupted my rehearsal when I found out my friend was being hospitalized, the way my stomach turned when I saw the video my friend posted describing the voices she was hearing late in the night, the way her state of mind contorted her reality into a terror that could not be conceived from an outside perspective. “Trepidation” revisits a solitary guitar session by the window of my bedroom, onlooking the rainy ambience while trying to make sense of what happened. This moment comes to life with solo electric guitar saturated with heavy delay, gently accompanied by legato string bass and rain samples. The claps of thunder and the colorful chords begging for resolution emphasize the deluge of worry and unanswered questions about the well-being of my friend.

II. The longest and most layered movement of the piece, “Eliza” bares the experience of grappling with this shift in reality, of meeting with my barely-recognizable friend after hospitalization, wondering who or what evil spirits could have turned off the bright light of her soul, and why? On a long and difficult walk, I struggle to be patient with Eliza’s slow, defeated movement, and with herself—unable to prevent her from crying, unable to even ask why she’s crying. Feeling hopeless in my ability to help, I found inspiration in an abandoned lot behind a building, sketching out the chordal skeleton of Eliza on an acoustic guitar, asking for guidance from the natural beauty around me—the sky, the trees, the birds. The movement starts out with a long, tense, sustained chord, followed by an odd-metered instrumental introduction textured by spooky vocal effects, electric guitar, and drum beats, led by a militant snare drum solo that is a key feature throughout. The introductory verse is disrupted by an unsettling new theme, a twisted circus-y bridge that presents the illusion that our lives are a performance orchestrated by evil spirits manipulating us with puppet strings. An applause and the return of the tense chord brings us back to the odd-metered first theme, this time with a more developed drum beat and subtle accompaniment of brass and string orchestra. The twisted circus theme disrupts for a second time with increased urgency, leading into a long build, with an arpeggiated synthesizer and brassy chordal sustains carrying the torch of the ever-building tension until the piece finally suspends and then relaxes into a cathartic D-major release, symbolizing a victory over the dark and mysterious grip of mental illness. The closure of this section gives the hope of a resolution until the tense chord creeps back in, returning to an instrumental outro mirroring the introduction, carried out by the solo snare, vocal effects, and the sound of birds.

III. “Fortitude,” the middle movement, provides an interlude between the two song portions of the piece, preparing the listener for the penultimate movement with a short instrumental driven by deep, acoustic djembe amidst lush, sorrowful synth chords and layers of vocal effects. The movement represents a shift, a change in mentality from depressed and defeated to strong and determined, a willingness to embrace and challenge the dark forces, a necessary process for transformation, self-betterment, and ultimately, victory.

IV. One afternoon, after a visit with Eliza, I was seated in a courtyard outside a music classroom when I heard three chords ring out on a piano. It was those three chords that struck inspiration for the song, “Where Did You Go?,” after which the full work was named. It starts with those three piano chords cushioned by a soft choir, followed by the entrance of an electronic drum beat that kicks off the first verse. The song begins gently, but the intensifying of the drums in first chorus, and the addition of arpeggiated synth and vocal harmonies suggest that an epic development is in the works. The second verse initially eases back into the gentleness of the first verse, but the latter half of the verse returns to the anthemic feel which was previously alluded to, unfolding into two much-anticipated grand choruses with synth, toms, choir, and full-fledged lead vocals with floating harmonies begging Eliza not to give into the fear that her demons have caused. The end of the song gives the anticipated satisfaction of a calm C-major resolution, resonating with the sounds of choir and piano.

V. The last movement of the work, “Awakening,” begins the ascent into self-transformation with the familiar chord progression from the previous song, this time with all layers stripped away but a celestial choir in 5-part harmony, drenched in long-tail cathedral reverb. The fading of the choir’s final C-major flows into lush synth-organ sustains combined with peaceful waterfall samples collected from the forest of Pennsylvania. The ethereal vocals from the third movement return, though they take on a new light as the final movement paints a less ominous, more hopeful outlook. This instrumental piece encourages a fully immersive listening experience, as there are no catchy melodies or beats to latch onto—just the soundscape of lush chords and waterfalls, the catharsis of heavy emotions and the revolutionary acquisition of wisdom and understanding at the end of a long and painful journey.