Bachelor’s Thesis on Music Delights Audiences

How did the song “When I Was Young” come about?

Felizitas Kessler: Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started singing, playing the piano, and writing my own lyrics at an early age. For a long time, though, music was something very private for me. Many people around me didn’t even know that I wrote my own songs because I never really dared to share them with others. “When I Was Young” was created as part of my bachelor’s thesis, “Emotion in Motion,” in the InterMedia degree programme.

What is your bachelor’s thesis about?

Felizitas: The central question of my thesis was how visual imagery can be designed to expand the emotional perception of music. To explore this, I developed a musical and visual trilogy consisting of three songs and three music videos. The trilogy chronologically tells a cohesive story about dealing with one’s own emotions and a person’s inner life—in other words, all those things that often go unseen from the outside.

How did your studies at the FHV support you in this project? 

Felizitas: It provided me with the framework to carry out a project like “Emotion in Motion” on this scale. Through my bachelor’s thesis, I had the opportunity to combine music, film, and research and to delve deeply into a topic that is very important to me personally. At the same time, my studies continually motivated me to think bigger and to consistently develop my ideas further. 

How did your supervisors support you during your bachelor’s thesis? 

Felizitas: As someone who tends toward perfectionism, I wanted to execute the project as well as possible from the very beginning, and the support of my supervisors, David Altweger and Margarita Köhl, was invaluable in this regard. Thanks to their feedback and guidance, I was able to develop the visual concepts more precisely and further refine my ideas. I’m especially grateful that I was given the freedom to pursue my passion for music and audiovisual design as part of my bachelor’s thesis and to turn it into a project that helped me grow both professionally and personally.

Can you give us a closer look at your songs?

Felizitas: The first song, “Nothing About It,” describes an emotional low point. It’s about feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and misunderstood. “When I Was Young” is the second part of the trilogy and reflects on my own childhood. The song explores questions that many people ask themselves at some point: Was everything really better back then? Did I feel differently back then? And how much of what we remember actually corresponds to reality?

What message do you want to convey with the trilogy? 

Felizitas: Straddling the line between nostalgia and doubt, the nominated song explores the gap between memory and reality. At the same time, it addresses the defense mechanisms we develop over the course of our lives—the emotional walls we build to protect ourselves from hurt. The third song, “Blue,” concludes the trilogy and describes the acceptance of one’s own emotions. In this song, the color blue stands for truth, self-acceptance, and self-empowerment.

In addition to the songs, did you also create music videos?

Felizitas: Yes, to continue the story visually and illustrate the core of my bachelor’s thesis. 

How did you end up applying for the ORF Music Award Sound@V?

Felizitas: Originally, it was a step out of my comfort zone. At the time of my application, I hadn’t released a single song yet. Many people in my circle didn’t even know I made music at all. I simply submitted “When I Was Young” without really expecting to be selected. 

And then? 

Felizitas: The nomination in the Newcomer category came as a surprise. Shortly after that, my very first song was released, and suddenly things started happening that I never would have expected: press inquiries, social media appearances, and my first public performance at the awards ceremony. Right now, a lot of it still feels pretty new, and everything is moving a bit faster than I would have expected. 

What does the nomination mean to you?

Felizitas: A great deal. For me, it also represents the moment when something I’d been doing just for myself for many years suddenly became visible.

Thank you very much for the interview. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for you in the finals!

Are you interested in studying InterMedia at FHV? Then find out now about the curriculum, career opportunities, and study options—and take the next step in your career. Learn more here!      

 *Sound@V is ORF Vorarlberg’s major music award, which supports local bands and solo acts. A total of 25,000 euros will be awarded across four categories (Pop/Rock, Open Pool, Alternative/Singer-Songwriter, Newcomer). The competition culminates in a major open-air awards show held as part of the Poolbar Festival in Feldkirch.