by admin on April 11, 2012
I wrote this song to use with a young adult who was battling severe depression and an eating disorder. I had asked the student the week before to pick several words out a list I had created for the session. The list included two separate columns of words. The words on one side had negative connotations, and the words on the other side included words with more positive connotations. For every word selected on one side of the list, the student was asked to pick a word on the other side. Here are the 12 words they selected:
Negative Words: broken, pain, wound, darkness, scar, tears
Positive Words: hold me, song, tomorrow, hope, heal, time
Using their list of words, I created “The Sorrow Stings” to use in their session the next week. I taught them the accompaniment part on the piano and I sang the song while they played. Their comment was “it was like you looked into my brain and wrote a song about how I am feeling”. Since they really connected with the song, we used it throughout several sessions; completing different take-home worksheets, analyzing different lyrics in the session, and eventually recording a version of the song with them singing it.
Composer’s Compass Note:
This strategy of dividing categories of words into two or three columns is a great tool when approaching songwriting with a student. It allows them to make immediate word choices and often can spark the creative writing process. Word lists could also be divided up into other categories like: emotions, places, inspirational words, words that deplete us, etc.
by admin on February 22, 2012
Paraphrasing, or the rewording of something written or spoken by someone else, is a great skill to learn. Often a deeper meaning of the work is achieved through the basic steps of paraphrasing. I have found this to be an exciting songwriting technique when working with individuals with special needs. Often my students have a specific artist or group of songs that they want to listen to or perform over and over again. For some of my student’s, teaching them about lyrical paraphrasing is a great way to validate their song “favorites” while incorporating new skills into their session. Here are some basic skills to address when paraphrasing lyrics:
- Select one or two phrases or lyrical sentences from the song. Read it until you understand it’s meaning or overall message.
- Take away the visual or written line. Jot down the key words or points on a piece of paper or white board.
- Create synonyms for the main key words by using a thesaurus or other resource, or look for new words within a catergory.
- Look for ways to shorten or lengthen the phrases or sentences. Write out or type your new ideas and lyrics.
- Repeat these steps as you move throughout the song.
Example: “Superman” by Taylor Swift
Tall, dark and super manly
Puts papers in his briefcase and drives away
To save the world or go to work
It’s the same thing to me
He’s got his mother’s eyes, his father’s ambition
I wonder if he knows how much that I miss him
I hang on every word you say.
Here is the lyrical paraphrasing created by one of my students:
Athletic and smart and always a mystery.
He zips up his jacket and walks away from me.
He’s probably off to some sporting event, flying away on this private jet.
He’s got his mother’s smile, his father’s personality.
Does he realize how much I love, will he look my way?
Here’s the completed song with lyrics by K. Hansen.
