By Brian Walker
Jenny Florinicia is a singer-songwriter from the Philadelphia area who sings of spirituality and peace. I was able to check out the new music video for her single, “Higher Self,” The acoustic hymn discusses her relationship with God and a higher power. Characterized by harmonies, horns, and tight rhythms Flornica provides a tune that is reminiscent of a combination of Norah Jones and Colbie Callat, Check out my interview with Jenny and what she has to say about “ The Higher Self” on The Philadelphia Globe.
What is the meaning of “Higher Self” in your song “Higher Self?”
The Higher Self, in my own spiritual belief, is the most dignified and enlightened version of oneself and the one most closely connected to God/Source/Universe. The Higher Self rises above pettiness, insecurity, powerlessness, victim mindset, codependency, blame, and needless anger and instead chooses equanimity, empathy, oneness, and compassion.
In the context of today’s social climate how do you think this song helps others?
Many organized religions take power away from people (and remain in power as institutions) by convincing believers that they are separate from God, and that they must do a laundry list of things to be worthy of divine, unconditional love. My song, which is influenced by Buddhist and yoga philosophy, is meant to uplift and empower listeners by encouraging them to trust themselves and their intuition. I have the desire to spread the message that we are not separate from God, and that we are worthy of divine love simply because we breath. The more we dig deep to get to truly know ourselves, the closer we get to Source.
What was the recording process like for your song?
So much fun! I’m grateful for my team of collaborators. I was lucky enough to record this track at 90.1 FM WRTI Studios on Temple’s campus. My awesome husband Steven Jon, who produced the track and directed and filmed the music video, is old time friends with Tyler McClure, our recording engineer and producer. The three of us had a blast following the creative process together. We recorded guitar and vocals on the first day, and drums and bass on the second day. My musicians were John McDermott (who co-wrote the song with me) on guitar and bass, Griffin Harrison on drums, and Mark Urmson on saxophone and keys. We were working towards a full album when the pandemic hit, and luckily had all recording done on Higher Self before March.
What were some challenges to recording and directing the video with your dancer Abigail Kelvas in the midst of a pandemic and to be able to shoot with no one in the background?
Meticulous planning was what made this project a success. Steven Jon scouted locations at Lincoln Park in Jersey City, and built a storyboard considering park traffic at different times of day. We filmed the piece in reverse, starting with the final scene in the afternoon sunshine and ending with the opening scene in the evening to give the illusion of night turning into day. I gave Abigail emotional themes to infuse into her choreography to tell the story of the song and embody the character of a woman discovering her divinity.
Do you have any upcoming events or albums to announce?
We plan to resume recording on the full album as soon as it is safe and sensible to do so. We are hosting a virtual release party over Zoom on Saturday, October 24th at 5pm where we will celebrate the release, premiere the music video, and interview all artists involved in the project. Fill out a contact form on my website HERE for party link and details!
Check out Jenny Florinicia’s Higher Self Music Video:
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More About the Author: Brian Walker is a musician, writer, and podcaster. He is the songwriter behind A Day Without Love, podcaster for Dreams Not Memes and enjoys writing about Diversity and Inclusion, Food, Music and ways to make the community a better place. Twitter | Instagram
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