Songwriting Simplified
Presented by Kat Reinhert
Songwriting is becoming an increasingly important tool in the music educators’ toolbox. Learning the craft of songwriting can help students engage with important and relevant contemporary topics, as well as assist them in learning transferrable skills such as collaboration, cooperation, problem solving, analysis, and listening. Additionally, songwriting is a skill that can be part of a life-long engagement with music. However, many music educators may have little to no experience writing their own songs, let alone helping others craft theirs. Becoming more familiar with the tools that go into crafting songs can help engage students in expressing themselves through music while simultaneously helping them learn valuable transferrable skills. This presentation aims to inspire and aid teachers in developing their own songwriting abilities. Subsequently, these tools can be used to develop a toolbox to help their students write meaningful songs. This presentation will start with a discussion on the different categories of songs and ideas about how to help students analyze what they are hearing. Continuing, it will cover form and harmony, as well as how to build sectional identity, how to craft meaningful lyrics, and how to develop ‘jump-starts’ and assignments for songs that will enable both teacher and student to grow their craft of songwriting. This presentation will also discuss the use of technology and how it can be used to write songs – an especially useful tool when students have little to no musical experience, are unable to play, or have no access to instruments. The ability to write songs and teach others the craft of songwriting can be a significant addition to the music educator’s toolbox. Songwriting is a beautiful way to explore so many aspects of music – composition, listening, form, instruments, meter, theory, technology – and gaining more confidence in this craft is another way for music educators to infuse creativity in their classrooms. This presentation will be beneficial to those educators working with any age or experience level, as the exercises and ideas are not age or experience specific, but rather useful tools with which to build the craft of songwriting.