AMEA is a musical artist and sociologist with a big heart and a focus on community. They describe their music as “introspective, but retrospective.” AMEA’s music is curated to drive thought and consideration. “I really want people when they’re listening to my music to think about choices and decisions from the past,” she says. Her album The Learning Tree I was released in November of 2017 and focused primarily on navigating grief after losing her grandmother and childhood friends. AMEA used this album as a way to express and grieve. “Part I is definitely more about grief in a very, I would say, retrospective way,” she says.

The Learning Tree II, released in June 2021, deals with the aftermath of these heavy emotions. “In Part II, we’ve processed the grief and we understand it’s going to be here. How can we still be grateful as we create this new world that we really want to see built? Almost like when a tree is growing, right?,” she says. AMEA explains that Part I resembles a newly-planted tree in solitude, whereas Part II resembles the expansion of the tree’s roots and general growth. “If you look at a tree and you see that the branches are short then most likely, the roots will be short. That’s why I really wanted to choose the tree as an understanding of reflection and projection and really being mindful of those things.”

As a sociologist of family and marriage, AMEA enjoys writing and speaking about bonds, community and gratitude. She believes that life is a canvas not to only be made pretty but to be treated as a group project and will continue to uplift people through their music and work. Keep up with AMEA at ameamusic.com or on their Instagram @ameamusic, and listen to their latest single, “Retrograde.”

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