Hello.

On this occasion, I want to address a sensitive topic that is different from my usual themes: suicide prevention. September is the month dedicated to raising awareness about this issue that affects a large number of people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are over 700,000 suicides recorded worldwide each year, which is an alarming figure, equivalent to nearly 2,000 people per day taking their own lives.

The purpose of this work I present is to show respect and support the cause of creating awareness about this issue.

From a personal perspective, I have witnessed loved ones contemplating suicide as the only solution to their problems. To this day, I am grateful that none of them chose that path. There were unsuccessful attempts, tears, and wounds both physical and emotional. Additionally, from my own experience, I have been dealing with depression for over 10 years and have contemplated suicide on numerous occasions. This journey led me to seek professional help at the National Mental Health Hospital in Costa Rica.

Creating this work carries an overwhelming emotional weight for me. During the research and production of this piece, I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions: tears, a profound emptiness in the soul, and at times, even nostalgic laughter.

It is essential that we speak openly and honestly about this topic. Mental health is as important as physical health. If we notice someone has a negative outlook on life or is going through a difficult time, we should approach and talk to them. Remember that we see faces, but we do not know hearts. We will never be able to see the emptiness someone carries inside. We will never know what burdens each person carries on their shoulders. We will never know how much someone is suffering or how troubled their mind is.

Embrace those you love; do not waste any opportunity to let them know you love them, that they are cherished in this world. Hug them as tightly and as long as you can. You never know when it might be the last time you can do so. A hug can breathe life back into someone.

I can assure you that hugs have saved more lives than you can imagine. Embrace, embrace, and embrace again. Fill your loved ones with love; it is never too much. Ask them how they feel, how their day was, remind them of how proud you are that they continue to live despite how difficult it may be, and be thankful that they are still in your lives.

Continuing with the sonification, the idea for this work emerged one rainy night in a coffee field during a conversation about mental health at my university. From that moment, I set out to create a tranquil piece that represents each unfortunate loss over time.

My first step was to search for data related to the subject. I found articles in national newspapers and academic studies from universities. Then, I used statistics provided by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), which cover annual suicides in Costa Rica from 1950 to last year (2022), broken down by gender. According to these data, Costa Rica has recorded 11,958 suicides in 72 years, a sad figure that increases year after year. It is important to note that official figures often fall short of reality, especially in situations like this.

With this data in hand, I planned how to carry out the sonification. My approach involved mapping death figures to musical notes. To represent annual changes in the figures, I devised the use of arpeggios: a descending arpeggio when the figures increase and an ascending arpeggio when they decrease. I associated high-pitched piano notes with low figures and low-pitched notes with high figures. In this way, as the number of annual suicides increases, the piece becomes more somber, reflecting the gravity of the situation. Additionally, the decreasing notes also symbolize the descent that leads people to make this desperate decision.

With this plan in place, the next step was to create a Python script to generate the auditory graph and assemble the piece in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). This work is designed to convey a sense of tranquility and optimism to the listeners, despite the seriousness of the subject.

This is one of my most personal works. For me, it is a way to remember those who felt they had no other way out, to restore humanity to those who are only counted as numbers in statistics and are no longer with us. While I created the composition, it is directed by almost 12,000 lives that are no longer here.

It is also a way to support those who have, even once, contemplated suicide, to remind them that life is worth living and that everything, no matter how difficult it may seem, has a solution.

It is a love letter to the people I love who have gone through difficult situations. A way to remind them that I am there for them, and ultimately, a love letter to myself.

Although this piece is dedicated to specific individuals, I want to extend it to anyone who has contemplated suicide.

This is for you. You are not alone.