By Elizabeth Ackerley —
At the young age of about eight or nine, most children are only concerned with the plots of cartoon television programs. At the same age, Jessica Baggett, 25, Media Arts Major, from Jersey City, was learning how to play the keyboard through lessons given to her by her grandfather. She became dedicated to the instrument and she began composing her own work, adding lyrics to her compositions. This further induced her to begin writing plays, which she later attached music to. Jessica even wrote two screenplays. Inspired by a movie script she wrote, and understanding the difficulty of getting a movie script read, Jessica took the initiative to turn one of her screenplays into a book entitled, “The Changing Melodies of Life,” published in August 2011 by Publish America.
Her book, which is her very first publication, tells the story of Jasmine, a 15 year old girl with a mental illness in the foster care system. Her mother had abandoned her years earlier. Due to her illness, Jasmine is bullied, teased, and treated with injustice. After feeling alone for most of her life, she finds Nicole Brooks, a music teacher who is friends with Jasmine’s foster parent, Mr. and Mrs. Davis. It is Nicole Brooks that discovered Jasmine’s special and unique talent in music, especially the piano. The book also includes themes such as love and addiction. It is sure to compel you to read further, because the book has the drama and comedy that readers crave.
“Originally the book was called ‘The Keys of Life’, but that was taken, so I had to come up with a new title. My mother and I went through the book and came up with the title,” said Jessica. “It’s called ‘The Changing Melodies of Life’ because the main character Jasmine went from not having a purpose in life, to finally finding the melody of her life, which is music.”
There are many things that inspired Jessica to write this particular story. Some are her very own personal experiences. She also became inspired when she witnessed the main concept of the story in her head a few years ago, almost like she was watching a movie. She ultimately decided to put it down on paper. It only took Jessica a mere month and a half to write her book, which runs 123 pages. Jessica noted, “I have to thank God because He inspired me the most. While writing, I just kept saying, ‘Lord, give me the words to say.’” Personally, Jessica looks up to Queen Latifah and the roles she plays in today’s modern music, television, and movies. She also notes the late Michael Jackson as one of her influences. Like her idols, she hopes to contribute to the world as much as she can and help to make positive changes. She also says that this publication definitely will not be her last.
Jessica’s book can be found at Barnes and Noble, bn.com and Amazon.com for $13.