By Julianna Nelson-Gaudette
Elm Staff Writer
On Saturday, April 25, the Washington College Alonzo G. and Virginia Gent Decker Theatre welcomed supporters of senior music major Stevie Lyles in the debut of her electronic music SCE short film “I Was Here Once.”
“I Was Here Once” is a collection of clips of Lyles accompanied by original music. For her SCE, Lyles created eight completely original electronic music compositions, combining her voice with modular synthesis.
Lyles plays herself as a ghost, representing her journey with self-discovery and permanence in a time of uncertainty and difficult personal development.
Interspersed with clips of Lyles facing conflicting internal messaging is footage of Lyles joined by her friends, serving as the beacon of light that pulls her from those times of darkness.
The film begins in the spring of 2025 and documents the ghost’s experiences through the spring of 2026, as she moves from feelings of dissociation and anxiety to self-assuredness and happiness, slowly shedding her white sheet.
During a trip to Linz, Austria, Lyles was impressed by the innovative electronic music technology she saw but was less impressed by the lack of visual media alongside such robust musical performances.
Associate Professor of Music Dr. Kenneth Schweitzer, Lyles’ SCE advisor, said that years of music collaboration and international exploration are what led to the skilled and experimental film. Lyles and Dr. Schweitzer’s collaborative work and Lyles’ talent generated a moving blend of sound, video, visual art, and text.
“I knew I wanted to do something immersive, especially with spatial sound, and Dr. Schweitzer and I quickly realized that short film [was] the best medium for that,” Lyles said.
The final moments of the film feature Lyles and senior Kyaran Brooks singing “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart as seniors Gracelyn Goforth, Erin Helgerman, and Lauren Paules join them, concluding the film and their time at the College with one another.
The core of the short film was built around portraying the community that Lyles found at the College, which was also found in the film’s creation.
The palpable love that was poured into the film is what made the experience so emotional, especially for audience members who did not have a hand in its creation, technically or emotionally.
“This isn’t just my SCE, it’s work that’s been put in by so many people who I care about and who care enough to have helped me make this,” Lyles said. “I think that’s what really means the most to me.”
Sophomore Ella Lenert went to the presentation because of an affinity for the arts and Lyles’ work.
“The first thing I said when I sat down was, ‘I hope it’s not sad,’ and I was, well, wrong. But I’m really glad I did come,” Lenert said.
Between bits of dialogue in the film, audience members were heard quietly crying together, layered with the intense encompassing electronic sounds that mirrored the internal tumult that Lyles’ character was facing on-screen.
“I’m a huge proponent of art for art’s sake,” Lyles said. “[But] I have a deeply important meaning with the story that I’m trying to tell … I hope that people can take what resonates with them and leave what doesn’t.”
Though SCE presentations are concluding and opportunities to be immersed in student-made music lessen as the semester ends, Lyles advises students returning next semester to take the risk; a project that seems bizarre and far-fetched could lead to discoveries that create strong bonds and beautiful work.
Photo Caption: Senior Stevie Lyles invited guests to add a ghost to her notebook at the screening of her SCE music short film “I Was Here Once.”
Photo by Ella Humphreys