Songwriting

When asked what songwriting meant, clients shared:

"The experience was incredibly enriching; it meant a shower of emotions for me." - Nicolas Segrera

"It meant the world" - Lucy Cohen

Songwriting can be a meaningful process for many of our clients, including those with apraxia, and as an intern, it has been a privilege to see our clients' beautiful words put to music. As mentioned in Nicolas Segrera's quote above, songwriting can create meaningful opportunities for emotion expression and amplify a client's voice, both musically and otherwise, through their expression of thoughts and ideas presented in the song lyrics and style. Although any willing musician can aide an individual with apraxia in writing a song, music therapists are uniquely trained to hone in on a client's preferred style and adapt the song to fit those parameters and to use counseling skills to help the client process any emotions that may arise. Here I will share some songwriting considerations and sample steps heavily inspired by the process my internship supervisor, Whitney Perry, has used when writing songs with MTSP's clients with apraxia in both group and individual settings.

To generate a potential direction for the song as a whole, start by determining a theme for the song by starting with very open-ended questions, then scaffolding as the session continues. Ask questions like:

"What do we want this song to be about?"
"What is the general message you would like to convey through your music's lyrics or musicality?"

Based on these responses, condense the discussion's main ideas into a theme to unify the song's lyrics and musical elements, confirming this theme with the songwriter(s).

From there, ask the songwriter about their intended purpose of the song with a question like, "What direction we want to take this song, and what we want to do through it? Options:

Call to action
Represent a certain feeling
Evoke a certain feeling
Send a specific message
Something else

If in a large group, a better option may be to decide a theme prior to a songwriting session and give individuals the chance to fill in a blank or answer based on a predetermined question. Recently, Whitney wrote a song with the Forging Friendships group through the Meraki Collective. Before the songwriting session began, one leading individual from the group provided her with the theme "Together we ____." Once she was at the event, songwriters filled in the blank with various phrases to complete the lyrics to the song, which can be found here.

A tool that can be helpful in brainstorming ideas for lyrics is a word cloud, drawing connections between ideas and finding common themes or repeated ideas. Continue asking open-ended questions to clarify the song's direction.

At this point, there is an opportunity to discuss song structure and split ideas into a chorus, verse(s) and bridge, checking in with the client(s).

Verses: Tell a story by advancing the plot or give background information. Artists might choose to use the second verse to adjust the message.
Chorus: This repeats and is typically the hook or catchiest part of the tune. It encompasses the overall message, summarizing what the entire song is about, and should be the musical climax.
Bridge: A change of pace that stands out lyrically and musically and jolts the listener out of repetition.

Now, explore what the song will sound like musically! Finding the client's "voice" through their lyrical content and words is important, but another equally important component is finding the client's musical "voice" and personal style. If a client is envisioning a gentle, light musical texture and the musician helping create the sound brings in power chords and electric guitar, this denies the client their musical voice and style. Ask questions such as:

What is the vibe? or What do you want it to feel like?
What genre or styles do you feel best represent your message? Are there any artists or styles or genres that come to mind that embody this message or feeling?
Would you prefer an electric or acoustic sound?
What instruments would you like represented? (provide examples using Soundtrap or other music composition software)
- Keyboard
- Guitar
- Drums

Other musical possibilities include tonality (major or minor), melodies (static or disjunct), matching the lyrical content to the musical components with text painting, or adding in spoken word or rap. If writing a song together over more than one session, then there is the possibility of bringing in various pieces, sounds, or songs as potential inspiration.

From this point, continue to work with the client to match their personal vision for the song as closely as possible, contributing musical skills and asking open-ended questions to adapt the song to their message and style!

At the end of the process, the client may request or desire a recorded version of the song to keep or want to share their song with others. Some music therapists may have access to recording equipment or technology and use a program like Garageband to create a lasting recording for the client. Another option could be performing the song at a showcase or other performance based on the client's desired audience. As some examples, Whitney Perry recorded the song that the Forging Friendships group at the Meraki Collective wrote and included it in an MTSP blog post linked down below, and Lucy Cohen plans to share a recording of her original song and work-in-progress "Soaring and Falling" when her collaboration with Whitney Perry is complete.

Additional Considerations:

Time: If working with an individual over several sessions, songwriting will look differently than in a group. Take into consideration that songwriters value the opportunity to share their thoughts and communicate their vision, and be prepared to enjoy watching the communication process. If working with a group, plan to only ask a few questions and take the time to collect responses, and if working with an individual, give the client time to communicate their response, and ask as many questions as needed to clarify the client's true wishes for their song.
Ask as many open-ended questions as possible. Freedom of communication is important, and songwriters should always be given the full opportunity to communicate their wishes during this process.

Original Songs by Spellers:

Nicolas Segrera offered to share the song he wrote with Whitney Perry and me about my time working with him as we finished my eight week rotation together. The song is linked here and pictured in the video above!
Together We: MT-BC's Whitney Perry's collaboration with Forging Friendships linked here.
Albums on Spotify (pictured and linked below):
Coming soon: Lucy Cohen's collaboration with Whitney Perry, "Soaring and Falling"