Saureen Naik Desai discovered her passion for poetry at a very young age. Now it has blossomed, developed, and transformed into songwriting, which has functioned as a platform for her to express her heart and soul. Her new work, “Silent Screams” exposes the raw emotion and chilling reality of abuse in all forms.

“Having respect for yourself and being confident are every woman’s rights, but sometimes you have to fight for those rights to make them a reality.”

Tell us about the narrative behind “Silent Screams.”

So many women hide behind closed doors because they’re in a situation where they can’t speak up – they can’t get out and they can’t set themselves free. Some women feel as though they are under pressure (to keep silent) by society, their significant partner, family or even friends, and it’s important for them to know that everything is not solely about the ‘façade’. There is so much that goes on with someone’s heart and their inner emotions and many times the victims just don’t know how to express what they endure on a day to day basis in their own homes.

Do you feel to some extent connected to the character you have created in this piece?

Yes, I do absolutely feel connected to the character in the song. I myself went through a difficult time and I used writing as my escape – documenting all of my emotions and letting my heart pour out onto paper was my therapy. I realized that so many women go through the same type of difficult and unimaginable obstacles in their lives however they may not know how to express themselves and overcome such intense hurdles. I felt that by turning my writing into lyrics and now a musical piece, called “Silent Screams” I would reach out to women out there who can relate to my words and feel stronger for themselves – strong enough to stand tall, build courage and speak up. A strong woman speaks her mind; yet a stronger woman gets out of the situation and fights for her freedom. It’s important that no matter what struggles you have to go through in life, always remember that you have to fight for yourself and fight for your happiness. You can’t hide behind other people’s expectations of you, because at the end of the day nobody’s putting their life on the line for you when you’re the one behind closed doors being violated in numerous ways. Remember to have respect for yourself. Having respect for yourself and being confident are every woman’s rights, but sometimes to you have to fight for those rights to make them a reality.

What is it about the concept of silent screams that is intriguing to you as a lyricist?

I wrote “Silent Screams” in 30 minutes. My mind was blank and I let my heart do the writing. What is intriguing to me is how this 4 and a half minute song can completely transform your state of mind. Abuse can be reflected in so many different ways – verbal, mental, physical, etc. What is exceptional about this song is that so many different people can relate to it who may be experiencing difficult challenges in their lives. The same song can have a different meaning for different people and it’s the versatility of this song that I love the most.

What advice would you have for songwriters who are attempting to capture a feeling or emotion and put it on display through song?

What makes us, as humans, such beautiful beings is that we are able to experience a wide array of emotions and feelings. Through ups, downs, good and bad, I am continuously writing and capturing my emotions as accurately as I can. It is important for songwriters to try to relate to their audience. You want to be able to write music that best describes an event or a feeling in your life yet keep the content and meaning general enough that your audience can relate to your song and think of your song in context to their own lives. Sometimes the most beautiful experience a songwriter can have is when they write their song with a certain visual in mind and their audience relates to that same song in a completely different context. In my opinion this means that you have captured a huge audience and now you know how to bring people in to appreciate your writing talent.