songwriting class

Since moving back to the Bay Area two years ago I've been helping elementary school kids write and record their own songs in an after school program at a San Francisco public school. It's the greatest job I've ever had. At the beginning of class we listen to popular songs that I think are important for them to know and we talk about song structure, different genres, melody, rhythm, and lyrics. The kids then write their song ideas in their journals and we make rough recordings using a microphone attached to my ipod. Usually I accompany them on the guitar, sometimes they perform a cappella. Once their songs are complete I bring in my computer, a microphone, some headphones, and my portable Pro Tools hardware and we record their albums.

So far they've written about four hundred songs. Not all of them have gotten the full studio production because of time and space constraints. Here's a small collection of some of their work:

Saoirse's as talented a ten year old songwriter as I've met. On this recording she plays guitar and sings live in the studio. I added some electric guitar overdubs.
Click here to listen to "Look For You."

Fourth graders Tyler, Chinwendu, Vanessa, and Rashidah wrote this song about freedom together. It moves me every time I listen.
Click here to listen to "Freedom."

Jessica and Jennifer, fifth graders, collaborated on this song called "Bandieros." It's about gangsters fighting in the streets in their neighborhood.
Click here to listen to "Bandieros."

Cora was in the first class I ever taught last year. This song is about her fourth grade teacher who had moved away. With this song she proved what a young songwriter is capable of creating.
Click here to listen to "Last Year."

Edgar wrote this when he was in third grade. I sing it on this rough recording and some day hope to get him in the studio to lay down a vocal track. These lyrics are amazing.
Click here to listen to "While I'm Away."

Carlos is a die hard Michael Jackson fan. The king of pop had just died when Carlos wrote this letter to him and sang it into my ipod.
Click here to listen to "Dear Michael Jackson."

Tristan found this beat on my ipod and wrote these rhymes to rap over it calling himself MC Echo. He had his friend Tyler sing back up vocals.
Click here to listen to "MC Echo."

June was in second grade when she wrote and recorded "I'm Songs."She spent about two months refining the verses until she got it just right, and she drew detailed illustrations of all the emotions she mentions in the song.
Click here to listen to "I'm Songs."