The Craft of Songwriting Created by Kim Alessi, M. Mus., The Perkins School, Seattle, WA
Curriculum areas: Communications, Writing/Language Arts, Music, Technology Grade levels: 2 - 6 Duration: 45 minutes Lesson Extension (Optional): Recording original song
Introduction In this project, students learn the same tools and techniques commonly used by professional songwriters. Students experience the process of songwriting and create an original song, either individually or as a group. Students of various learning styles can participate - no musical training required. (Optional lesson extension: Students may use a digital audio recording program, such as Apple’s GarageBand, to organize and record their song using GarageBand’s prerecorded loops make it easy for beginning, intermediate, and skilled musicians alike to create original music.)
Project Description During this project, students are guided as a group through the creative songwriting process, from generating lyrics to creating music and music tracks (the latter is optional). The result is an original song which may be used to score a slideshow, movie, or as a standalone song. Students’ first craft lyrics with the help of a "kick off" phrase, generate phrases, ideas and images, then organize ideas through music.
Preparation Teachers are advised to have a model song with lyrics mapped out in verse-chorus form for student listening and analysis. An audio example song will be a very helpful model of students.
Project Steps •
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Start with a “kick off” phrase, such as “I woke up this morning...” or “Today's the day I.…” Consider drawing on themes from other classrooms studies, such as the American Revolution or Civil Rights (“Freedom to me is...”) or from physics, “This Amazing Machine….” With this phrase in mind, students engage in an independent 5 minute free-write time. After 5 minutes, ask students to circle their best, most promising, phrases. Now collate these phrases on the blackboard for all to see. With the teacher's help, students combine these collective phrases into song lyrics, adding rhythm and rhyme to form structured verses and choruses. Follow a standard strophic, or ballad form (common in poetry as well): AABAAB, where A is a verse and B is a chorus. Organize verses and chorus into an interconnected story. These young composers now must make the same decisions seasoned songwriters make: Ask students the following questions: “Do your lyrics call for happy or sad music, peaceful or angry?” (determining major or minor scale); “Is this song fast, medium, or slow?” (determining tempo & rhythm); “What's the style of this song?” (determining melody and instrumentation). Students can now compose original music to their lyrics, either by simply making up a melody by singing, on guitar or piano, or, more complexly, by doing a multitrack recording their song in a digital audio program. (In the case of recording the song, students can layer and mix instruments, effects and vocals, track by track.) Encourage students to create musical themes for versus, and for choruses. Ask, “How will verses transition into the chorus? How can you keep listeners interested in your music?”
Outcomes The outcomes of this project for students are: (1) Understanding of the creative process and how it is used to craft lyrics, (2) Understand the organization of lyrics into ballad (AAB) form, (3) Understand how music is organized, and (4) Creating (and recording, optional) and original song.
Standards Based on Washington State’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), November 2001 Communications: Students communicate ideas effectively, using communication strategies to work effectively with others. Technology: Students understand how technology connects other subject areas and to reallife situations. Music: Student apply musical concepts through an artistic process Writing: Students write a variety of forms, for different audiences and purposes, and evaluate the effectiveness of written work.
Technology Skills & Lesson Extensions (optional) • • •
Organizing music via a visual and aural interface Use a digital audio recording program, such as Apple’s GarageBand, to record and mix tracks Use this original song to score a short film or music video
Assessment Suggestions • • •
Teacher and peer review of lyrics Examine the construction of verses (A) and choruses (B) and the organization of these sections into ballad (ABA) form. Examine how students organized tracks in GarageBand
Tools & Resources Songwriting Tips http://www.musesmuse.com/ http://www.lyricalline.com/articles/19moresongwritingtips.html http://dmoz.org/Arts/Music/Songwriting/Writing_Tips/ Rhyming Dictionaries: http://www.rhymezone.com/ http://www.writeexpress.com/online2.html http://www.online-dictionary.net/rhyme/ The Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary by Sue Wood Songwriting Essential Guide to Rhyming: Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming & Lyrics” by Pat Pattison Washington State Education Standards:
http://www.k12wa.us/curriculuminstruct/
Prerequisite Skills • •
Experience with creative writing (poetry, stories, lyrics) Conceptualizing musical patterns (rhythm, melody, harmony)
Facilitation Tips •
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Present lyrics as poetry and encourage discussion. Ask the following questions: How are words put together to create lyrical phrases? How do these phrases convey meaning, and how can I organize these meaningful phrases to tell a story? Mix students of various abilities when possible. Use a rhyming dictionary to help generate greater rhyming possibilities.
© Apple Computer, Inc., 2004