SONG WRITING & DIGITAL RECORDING (grades 5-12)

There is a minimum course length of 14 sessions

Students will compose, arrange, record and mix a song collectively for a CD production. This workshop enables all students to experience how the process is carried out, from the original composition to the final CD production, with digital equipment and software. We use Garage Band which is free to all Macintosh users and can share a single computer (composing as a class) or if at all possible sharing computers among small groups of 2-3 students.

Students will learn about lyrics analysis; discussing the poetic meaning of lyrics, differing musical styles and how music enhances poetry.  As students poetic writing becomes the lyrics to the class composed song(s), we explore metrics, rhythm and rhyme.  Arranging the accompaniment track of the class song(s) as a group using a laptop computer, a MIDI keyboard (supplied), and a projector or large TV (school supplied).  The teaching artist  demonstrates the different arrangement options, and the class decides which suits their song best; the class sees on screen the process of mixing/arranging.  Students that play instruments are invited to record on tracks to be mixed. Finally the vocal tracks are mixed with students taking both choral and lead roles. The final product is a CD of the student song(s).