Harley Angelillo and Marcella DePina
Fall 2023 Capstone Project
Inspired by the musical themes of Steven Universe
GARNET
Garnet is a unique character. Throughout the show, she is seen as a mother figure for Steven and a common voice of reason between Pearl and Amethyst. The other Gems have a high respect for her, often confiding in her with their problems or worries. They look up to her and often ask her for advice. She represents the strong bond in love and friendship, not only between the Gems but as a physical symbol herself. Garnet is a Fusion, meaning she’s made of two other Gems, in this case, Ruby and Sapphire. Living as a permanent Fusion is unseen in the Gem universe. Gems normally only fuse for a task that’s too big for one alone, like moving a boulder or engaging in a battle with a strong enemy. Fusion is purely practical, lasting for a short amount of time. Normally, Fusion happens between 2 or more Gems of the same type, for example, multiple Rubies or multiple Pearls. This is what makes Garnet so special, she’s a product of 2 unique Gems who would rather live together than apart. Steven, as well as the audience, go the entire first season without knowing Garnet is a Fusion. Not only is she a permanent Fusion, but there’s also not a practical reason for her existence, she’s simply a product of a strong emotional bond. When the secret is revealed, the audience is given a whole new look on Garnet, understanding her personality and her symbolism.
Garnet's Music
The last episode of season 1, titled “Jail Break”, features Garnet’s first song, “Stronger Than You”. In this episode, Garnet has been split apart as Ruby and Sapphire. Steven meets Ruby, not knowing who she is, and helps her get back to Sapphire. The two Gems fuse into Garnet just in time to fight some bad guys while singing “Stronger Than You”. Not only is this song a revealing part of Garnet’s character, but also her style. The song is layered with synth sounds, making it sound futuristic. It follows a groovy beat that resembles some 90’s hip-hop. The lyrics are confident, collected, and powerful, all things Garnet represents. She’s depicted casually beating up bad guys while singing about being better together all while having fun. This is a truly iconic moment in the show for the audience and Steven.
Later in the series in season 4, Garnet sings a duet with Stevonnie titled “Here Comes a Thought” where she teaches Steven and Connie the beauty of becoming a Fusion. The phrase, “flexibility, love, and trust” is repeated in the chorus with a prominent, yet simple, synth line behind it. The lyrics and instruments move perfectly around each other, without one overpowering the other. In some parts, the synth mimics the melody as she sings. As the lyrics get more descriptive, the music breaks out to longer chords, giving it a dreamy appearance. The music enhances what she’s saying perfectly, feeling direct when the lyrics are direct and atmospheric when she’s describing her emotions.
Our Song for Garnet
Garnet’s song came naturally to us in the creation process. We knew we wanted a base layer of synth chords as that’s a key component to all her songs in the original soundtrack. We found that these chords the represent stability and foundation that Garnet is all about. We decided the best approach to showing who Garnet is would be a melody and counter melody that trade off throughout the piece. These would represent Ruby and Sapphire. We wanted them to sound similar but have unique timbres. The idea was to find 2 sounds that would sound good apart, but great together, just like these two characters forming Garnet. We then married it all together with a hip-hop like drum loop to get our final product, Garnet’s Song.
