Student Work

Individual Song Writing

As part of her final project after a term of remote learning in 8th grade general music, this student worked in band lab, stitching together a collage of samples into a completely unique, haunting, atmospheric composition. She drew on concepts we had discussed throughout the year, with an emphasis on creative uses of form, dramatic shifts in dynamics and timbre, and an adventurous bitonal approach to harmony. She then crafted introspective and expressive lyrics, incorporating devices such as rhetorical questions and repetition of a central theme. Finally she recorded herself delivering them in a lilting, dramatic style that skirts the line between spoken word and singing. Her Lyrics are below:

I want in my life just to be happy. 

Am I right?

Oh it's gonna be alright, don't cry, don't cry cry.

Life is hard to live alone, I know.

Things are going to change

that is fine with me,

I've just got to believe.

I want love in my life, just to be happy,

Am I wrong?

I know life is hard,

but what you need to do is go out and get it, find it. Find it.

Collaborative Song Writing (Full Class)

This song was written in a hybrid setting where all students voted on the parameters in our online music software (Chrome music maker) such as tempo, subdivision, and what scale to use. Each student then picked one note’s rhythm and pitch, resulting in a class melody where everyone played an equal part. Student’s were then asked to propose lyrics, with the final ones being voted on phase by phase.  The final result is a short, sunny piece sung by a class happy for the first days of spring. (lyrics below)

Oh! How are you?

Oh! I’m doin’ ok!

Oh, what a wonderful day!

The spring air is here!

Small Group Song Writing

Written as a final group project after an in person term of exploring the elements of music through the songs of Rubber Soul by the Beatles, this song was written with separate days given to writing and recording the melodic/harmonic parts on the piano, the rhythmic parts on classroom hand percussion, and the vocal line. Each of these separate recordings was then edited together to create an impressive finished product. They also sang their words unaccompanied to the class on presentation day, which was a welcome and well received performance. (Lyrics below)

I travelled ‘round the world,

And go down to the sea,

I collected every peal,

But I never really feel free,

All these emotions, bottled up inside,

Don’t know how to express them but I know they cannot hide,

Sometimes I’m sad,

Other times I’m mad,

Sometimes I feel great,

And sometimes I feel bad,

All these emotions, bottled up inside,

Don’t know how to express them but I know they cannot hide

I know it may be hard, but I’ll give it a try,

All these emotions, bottled up inside.

Collaborative Song Writing (Full Class)

This song was written during the final weeks of a two term in person 8th grade class in the spring of 2020. To start, the class voted on what the primary instruments would be and what the length and form of the piece would be. Voting measure by measure from a wide selection of harmonic choices, they then developed their own unique chord progression which I played and recorded for them on guitar. Next, we explored possible rhythms to play under the chords, voting ultimately on a Merengue groove on drum set, a recording of which was then layered into their final product. Time was spent at the piano voting of the melodic contour and final note choices to be sung. Finally, as a class they each contributed proposed lyrics which were voted on and refined into a light hearted story about a person running off to another country to begin a new life after a breakup. The following is a recording of their performance singing and drumming along as a class with our premade recording of the guitar and drum set (Lyrics below)

I was so in love when it started,

What happened to that love?

We slowly parted,

You left me alone,

I needed to move on,

I moved to Sierra Leone,

Soon be in the sun.