ebbony&lune

The night I decided to re-brand my blog and start again from scratch, I spent solid hours scouring my brain for a name. Many of the words I came up with had something to do with music (but of course, right?), yet nothing felt right; it wasn't meaningful nor was it personal enough.

Somehow, my tired brain at 2:30am created the combination that is ebbony&lune. It seemed completely random and spontaneous at the time, but following some reflection, I realized that it was, in fact, quite meaningful, and symbolic - what can I say, I love my symbolism!

ebony:

a hard, heavy, durable wood, most highly prized when black, from various tropical trees of the genus Diospyros 🌳

Ebb:

the flowing back of the tide as the water returns to the sea 🌊

lune:

anything shaped like a crescent or a half moon 🌙

Upon seeing my blog name for the first time, you might have thought, "Hey, she made a spelling error with the word 'ebony'." Nope, it was intentional - there is logic behind this madness! Did you know: the black keys of the piano were traditionally made of ebony. Seeing as how piano is my primary instrument, and music one of the more prominent topics on this blog, I thought it fitting to use the word in the name. As for the spelling, I decided to fuse it with 'ebb', a tidal action, and therefore associated with waves.

Quick story: During the school term, I attended a mental health/wellness workshop titled Ride the Wave, which focused on various ways to cope with depression, stress, and anxiety. I experienced my first (recognized) panic attack a few months back (around the same time I went to the workshop), and my counsellor at school told me that the only way to get through it was to ride it out. Like a wave. As a (soon-to-be) music therapist, one of the clienteles I wish to work with is surrounding mental health - this, and overall wellness, is very important to me and to my career, and will be a central focus in this blog.

I have always been fascinated with the moon for as long as I can remember, and this connection is not coincidental: my name - Cynthia - is actually associated with the Greek goddess of the moon, Artemis. To add on to the whole wave thing (going to go a little science-y on you here), tidal waves are formed by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the earth. Also, the moon is white/ivory in colour, which is the other half of the ebony to my piano keyboard. Bam, connections!

ebbony&lune - the name encompasses so much of me. A name is not just a name; it holds a story.