Songwriting for Kids Club

Some Patience

2012-01-09T13:51:00.000-05:00

The SFK Club Newsletter and I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest will be on hold while we rethink/revamp the design of the Songwriting for Kids website. Thank you for your patience!

If you are looking for a Songwriting Challenge, please feel free to look through the past posts below for dozens of songwriting hints and ideas.

Here's to a happy and musical new year!
Always leave 'em singing,

Spring/Summer 2011: Sounds Like a Rainbow

2011-05-27T17:37:00.002-04:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Please send them a link to this newsletter!

June 1 Deadline: Summer Songwriting and Fiction Writing Programs
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
SFK Bookclub
Songwriting Challenge
Poll: Over the Rainbow

June 1 Registration Deadline: 2011 Summer Programs

Hooray! Summer is almost here! That means there are only a few days left to sign up for the July 18-22 session of Songwriting for Kids Vol. 1 (K-3) and Fiction Writing for Kids (3rd-5th grade). Please visit the Songwriting for Kids website to download the registration form and brochure. I can't wait!

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Eleanor, age 12...Eleanor wrote a hit song!

Eleanor, from St. Paul, Minnesota, wrote a song called "Perfect Shade of Blue" and it is fabulous! You can read the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. Please stop by and leave a comment for Eleanor to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

SFK Bookclub

Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix
by Gary Golio

Jimi Hendrix is one of America's music legends. In the 1960's he brought new sounds and energy to rock 'n roll and revolutionized the way people heard and thought about music. Gary Golio's new picture book tells the story of Jimi's childhood and describes how he listened to the world around him and found a way to play the rainbow of sounds he heard in his head.

"With every sound, a color glowed in Jimi's mind.
Blue was the whoosh of cool water, splashing over rocks.
Orange and red, the crackling of a campfire.
Green, the rustle of a thousand leaves."
Read more about this book...

Songwriting Challenge: Sounds Like a Rainbow

I think colors and music have a lot in common. Colors, just like sounds, can make us feel things. What do you feel when you see a bright, vibrant red? How about a pale, light blue? Or a deep brown? What sorts of things do you think of?

In Gary Golio's book about Jimi Hendrix, he writes that Jimi tried to "paint with sound." Each different sound was like a new color in a box of paints. A high pitched screech might make you feel one thing. A low rumbling note repeated over and over feels completely different,

Eleanor, this month's I Wrote a Hit Song! winner, uses color to bring out the emotion in her song. She writes "In the days I didn't notice you/ Were your eyes this perfect shade of blue?" Instead of simply saying, "Were you always so great?" she makes the song more interesting by giving us an important, colorful detail about the person she is singing to. "This perfect shade of blue" makes us feel something more deeply than if she only mentioned the person's eyes.

Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a Colorful Song?

Here are some things to think about:

What emotions do you want the listener to feel? Will it be a happy song? Sad? Lonely? Excited? Hopeful?
What colors make you feel those same emotions? Does green give you energy? Does yellow make you happy? Does pink make you tingly? Does blue make you feel calm?
Can you find ways to bring those colors into the song?
Have fun!

Poll: Over the Rainbow

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Winter 2011: Together Make it More

2011-02-21T19:46:00.000-05:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Please send them a link to this newsletter!

Save the Date: Summer Songwriting and Fiction Writing Programs
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
SFK Bookclub
Winter Songwriting Challenge
Poll: Togetherness!

Save the Date: 2011 Summer Programs

I'm excited to announce the dates for the 2011 summer SFK workshops. Please mark your calendars for July 18-22. We'll offer the original Songwriting for Kids Vol. 1 (K-3) session in the morning and Fiction Writing for Kids (3rd-5th grade) in the afternoon. 3rd graders who sign up for both programs are welcome to bring a lunch and stay all day. I can't wait!

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Charlotte, age 12...Charlotte wrote a hit song!

Charlotte, from Lombard, Illinois, wrote a song called "Together Make it More" and I thought the title was so great, I named the whole Winter newsletter after it! You can hear Charlotte play and sing her song at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. Please stop by and leave a comment for Charlotte to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

SFK Bookclub

Marching for Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don't You Grow Weary
by Elizabeth Patridge

Our hit songwriter Charlotte is right: truly amazing and historic things can happen when individuals work together. In this book, Elizabeth Partridge writes about one of the great moments in American history: the Civil Rights movement. She tells the true story of the children who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. These individuals were brave enough to band together and stand up for what they believed in, and because of their courage, laws were passed that allowed African Americans the right to vote. Read more about this book to find out how music helped them on their journey...

Songwriting Challenge: Many Parts Make a Whole

You'll notice that the latest I Wrote a Hit Song! contest winner wrote a song that lists examples of things that work together to make something bigger: notes make a chord, you and I make "we." Lots of songwriters use this technique. Listing specific examples helps the listener know exactly what you are talking about.

Some songs take this even farther. The whole song can become a list of examples, and we call it a List Song. A list song usually gives a list of examples in each verse, followed by a line that sums it all up.

Famous Example: My Favorite Things by Rogers & Hammerstein. Each verse is a list of the songwriter's favorite things, ending in a sum-up line:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Listen to the PS22 Chorus sing the whole song here:

Winter '11 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a List Song?

Here are some things to think about:

Think of one sentence or phrase that sums up what you want to say. Famous examples: These are a few of my favorite things, Let's fall in love, These foolish things remind me of you, It's the end of the world as we know it
How many things can you think of that fit with your sum-up sentence? See if you can fill a whole page with examples.
Pick the best ones and arrange them in verses.
Do you want it to rhyme?
Do you want to have a chorus? A bridge?
Have fun!

Poll: Togetherness!

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Fall 2010: Won't You Play a Simple Melody?

2010-11-13T09:15:00.000-05:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Please send them a link to this newsletter!

The Moon Shines Bright onto the River
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
SFK Bookclub
Fall Songwriting Challenge
Poll: Hearing Isn't Everything

The Moon Shines Bright onto the River

This year's summer programs were so much fun. If you haven't already had a chance, please stop by the Listening Room to hear the 2010 Class Song, "The Moon Shines Bright onto the River." While you're at it, you can listen to songs from previous years as well!

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Hannah, age 10...Hannah wrote a hit song!

Hannah, from Nibley, Utah, wrote a song called "Believe" and you can hear her play it on piano at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. It's a beautiful instrumental song that Hannah wrote because as she wrote in her email, "it helps me believe." Please stop by and leave a comment for Hannah to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

SFK Bookclub

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

Okay, this isn't a book about music at all. So what is it doing in the SFK Bookclub? Well, since this issue of the newsletter is devoted to songs without words, I thought I'd feature my favorite book without words. Shaun Tan's book is entirely told in pictures, and it took him five years to write! Read more about this book...

Songwriting Challenge: Won't You Play a Simple Melody?

Since the latest I Wrote a Hit Song! contest winner wrote a terrific song without any words at all, your challenge is to try to tell a musical story without words. There are lots of ways to do it. In my song, Lullaby, I tried to capture a calm, soothing mood using only keyboard and humming.

Fall '10 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write an instrumental song?

Here are some things to think about:

What kind of mood do you want the listener to feel? Happy? Excited? Sad? Scared?
How will the music you play need to sound in order to create that mood? Will it be fast? Slow? Loud? Soft?
What instrument will you play it on? Don't play an instrument? Try humming, or singing fake words (da-da, dee-bah). The great jazz singers did that all the time...they called it "scat" singing!
Let the music change and grow. A story or song that is exactly the same all the way through will get boring. Perhaps there could be a soft moment in your loud song. Or a part where your quiet song gets more intense, or the melody shifts higher or lower or changes completely.
Have fun!

Poll: Hearing Isn't Everything

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Spring 2010: Losing It

2010-04-30T19:18:00.000-04:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Please send them a link to this newsletter!

Summer Workshop Deadline: June 1st
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
SFK Bookclub
Spring Songwriting Challenge
Poll: You'd Lose Your Head If It Wasn't Screwed On!

Summer Workshop Deadline: June 1st

Registration is now open for my summer workshops at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. I can't wait to see all the creative work that my students will come up with this year...hope you can join us!

July 12-16, 2010
Songwriting for Kids Vol. 1 (K-3), 8:30am-12:00pm
Fiction Writing for Kids (grades 3-5), 1:30pm-5:00pm

July 19-23, 2010
Songwriting for Kids Vol. 2 (K-3), 8:30am-12:00pm
Poetry Writing for Kids (grades 3-5), 1:30pm-5:00pm

For more information and to register, please visit www.songwritingforkids.com.

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Lucy, age 9...Lucy wrote a hit song!

Lucy, from Woolwich, Maine, wrote a song called "When a Bluejay Dies" and you can view the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. It's a heartfelt song about the circle of life. Please stop by and leave a comment for Lucy to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

SFK Bookclub

Learn to Speak Music by John Crossingham

For any kid who's ever wanted to write a song, start a band, record music, or play a gig...Learn to Speak Music is a book well worth checking out! Read more about this book...

Songwriting Challenge: Losing It

Everybody loses something sometime or another. We lose books, toys, keys, socks. We lose dogs, cats, people we love. We lose our tempers, we lose our train of thought. Sometimes it even feels like we lose our minds!

Losing things can be hard. But think about all the great songs that are written because of something lost. Lucy (this quarter's I Wrote a Hit Song! contest winner) wrote a terrific song about losing a blue jay. There are all kinds of songs about losing pets "Old Blue," "Oh Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?," "The Cat Came Back." My own song Evangeline is based on a Longfellow poem about a girl who loses her true love.

Spring '10 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a song about something lost?

Here are some things to think about:

What's something you've lost recently? Write about that.
Will your song be funny or serious, happy or sad? A song about losing a grandparent could be beautiful and sad, but you could also write a fun song about losing a tooth, or a mysterious song about a missing key or a long lost treasure map.
Give some details. How did you lose it? Did you find it again? What did you like or dislike about the thing you lost?
Write about how you feel. Are you glad the thing you've lost is gone? Sad? Worried? Relieved? How will you feel when and if you find it?
Have fun!

Here's a goofy song from Sesame Street about a lost cookie:

Poll: You'd Lose Your Head If It Wasn't Screwed On!

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Winter 2010: Freedom!

2010-02-16T18:59:00.013-05:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Upcoming Workshops: March 5th and Summer 2010
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
SFK Bookclub
Winter Songwriting Challenge
Poll: Shh...We Won't Tell!

Upcoming Workshops: March 5th and Summer 2010

MARCH 5TH: American Songs Workshop (for children and their families)
A local homeschool group and the Shelter Institute in Woolwich are hosting this event, and I hope you will be able to attend. Please spread the word to any families you think might be interested. Space is limited, so an RSVP is required.

Friday, March 5th at 6:30pm.

Shelter Institute, 873 Route 1, Woolwich, ME

Please RSVP to michelle.larocquetipton_at_gmail_dot_com as space is limited.
The cost is $18 per family. Scholarships are available upon request.

Here is a sweet note from Michele about the workshop:

Josie has offered her workshop on American Songs to school groups, and in this unique event she will be opening the workshop up for families to enjoy. She has won the hearts of OUR family and friends with her beautiful voice, love of children, and interest in American folk songs. Please check her out at Josephinecameron.com and join us for this amazing opportunity.

SAVE THE DATE: 2010 Summer Workshops

The 2010 summer workshop dates have been set! These workshops will be held at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME.

July 12-16, 2010
Songwriting for Kids Vol. 1 (K-3), 8:30am-12:00pm
Fiction Writing for Kids (grades 3-5), 1:30pm-5:00pm

July 19-23, 2010
Songwriting for Kids Vol. 2 (K-3), 8:30am-12:00pm
Poetry Writing for Kids (grades 3-5), 1:30pm-5:00pm

More information will be coming soon!

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Jourdyn, age 10...Jourdyn wrote a hit song!

Jourdyn, from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, wrote a song called "Heroes" and you can view the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. What a cool song! Please stop by and leave a comment for Jourdyn to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

SFK Bookclub

I love to read just as much as I love to play music, so I thought I'd make a space in this newsletter to share my favorite books about music. I'll post about all kinds of books: picture books, chapter books, non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. If you have a favorite book to share, please leave a comment below. I'd love to hear about it!

Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka

This is one of my favorite picture books of all time. The words and the illustrations do a great job of capturing saxophone player Charlie Parker's energetic rhythm and style. Read more about this book...

Songwriting Challenge: Freedom!

I'm always writing about the rules of how a song should be put together: verse, chorus, verse, bridge, and all that jazz. But Charlie Parker and other be-bop musicians wrote music that broke all the rules. Most music emphasized the downbeat, so Charlie played the off-beat. He messed around with strange harmonies and improvisation (making up songs as he went along). His music came out sounding fresh and free...and amazing. It wasn't like anything anyone had ever heard before. Listen to this:

Winter '10 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a song that breaks all the rules?

Here are some things to think about:

Do you usually rhyme in your songs? DON'T! Or make up a different kind of rhyme scheme. What if you made every word rhyme? Or every fifth word? Could you do it?
Do you usually use a Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus structure? Mix it up! Repeat the verse 3 times before the chorus comes in. Or have your song be all chorus.
Do you usually tell a story with your songs? Try to do the opposite. Tell nonsense. You could even write a bunch of words down on little pieces of paper, throw them in the air and sing them in the order that they land.
IMPORTANT NOTE: It's okay if it doesn't sound good! When you experiment, you're bound to hit some notes that sound downright awful. But that's okay. Do you think Thomas Edison got the light bulb right on his first try? Great inventors (and musicians) take the parts that work and try them again. Try a few experiments, find the bits that you like, and put them all together in one great song.
Have fun!

Poll: Shh...We Won't Tell!

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Summer-Fall 2009: The Bridge

2009-08-19T18:47:00.002-04:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Songs from 2009 Summer Workshops
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
Summer-Fall Songwriting Challenge
Poll: Name That Bridge

Songs from 2009 Summer Workshops
My workshop students wrote some fabulous songs this summer! It was a rainy July here in Maine, and that seemed to put them in the mood to write slow, beautiful songs with amazing melodies. Please take a moment to listen to Volcano and Shooting Stars. My classes worked so hard on these songs, and I'm so proud of them!

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Romany, age 10...Romany wrote a hit song!

Romany, from Queensland, Australia, wrote a song called "Time Will Fly" and you can view the lyrics *and* listen to her sing at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. What a beautiful tune! Please stop by and leave a comment for Romany to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

Songwriting Challenge: The Bridge

Our Songwriting for Kids Vol. 2 class spent some time this summer learning about and working on an important part of modern songwriting: THE BRIDGE.

In the Vol. 1 class, we learned about VERSE and CHORUS which are the building blocks of popular music. But lots of modern songs also have a BRIDGE. Just like a real-life bridge that takes you from one side to another, a musical bridge brings to to a completely different place in the song.

Here's an example. Listen to Bill Withers singing one of my favorite songs, Lean On Me. Pay close attention and see if you can hear how the melody (the part you can hum) and the rhythm change the minute he starts singing "Call on me, brother, when you need a hand..."

Did you hear how the music went to a completely different place? That's the bridge!

Summer-Fall '09 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a song with a BRIDGE?

Here are some things to think about:

Take the melody someplace new. Is the chorus low? Sing high. Just make sure it's different.
Take the rhythm someplace new. Go faster, or slower, add some claps like in Lean On Me, some pauses, or even some foot stomping if necessary!
Don't forget to come back to the chorus, or another verse in the end.

Poll: Name That Bridge

I once got to spend 6 months living two blocks from this beautiful bridge. Can you guess where it is?

(Click for answer)
If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Spring 2009: Look Around You!

2009-04-04T21:05:00.016-04:00

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NEW SUMMER PROGRAMS!
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
Spring Songwriting Challenge
Poll: What Did William Carlos Williams Eat?

SUMMER PROGRAMS: Register Now!
I'm excited to announce that we have two brand new additions to our summer programs this year. Songwriting for Kids Vol. 2 (K-3) and Poetry Writing for Kids (3-5). If you like to write, I hope you'll join us for one of our fun workshops. We'll learn how songs, stories, and poems are put together and have lots of fun creating our own! Sessions will be held the weeks of July 13th and July 20th, 2009. For more information, please visit the Songwriting for Kids website or download the 2009 brochure (.pdf).

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Chloe, age 10...Chloe wrote a hit song!

Chloe, from Renoldburg, Ohio, wrote a song called "Once Upon a Time" and you can view the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. I think it's great! Please stop by and leave a comment for Chloe to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

Songwriting Challenge: Look Around You!

It's springtime, and after a long winter in Maine, I'm so glad to finally open the windows wide, take long walks, and take a good look at the changing world around me. Birds are starting to come back from the south and sing outside my window, trees are beginning to bud (and that means *leaves* and *green* will be here soon!), and little green sprouts are beginning to poke up from the ground.

All of these things can make great subjects for songs. The other day, I was watching a blue bird hop around from branch to branch, and this little rhyme popped into my head:

Hey little bluebird
What you gonna' do?
I might have a little secret
That I could share with you

I jotted it down, and then I started to wonder what kind of secret it could be. Maybe the secret is the beginning of Spring. Or the beginning of a song!

Spring '09 Songwriting Challenge:
Stand outside for 10 or 15 minutes and Look Around You!
Can you write a song about what you see?

Here are some things to think about:

Pay attention to your senses. What do you SEE, HEAR, SMELL, or FEEL?
Let your imagination run wild. Do you live in the country? Try to imagine where that squirrel might be rushing off to. Do you live in the city? Try to imagine where the taxis are all rushing off to. What is that place like? Is it real, or is it a fantasy world?
Try it again. I bet if you try it again tomorrow, you'll notice something completely new.

Here's a video from Secret Agent 23 Skidoo that I like and thought you might like too (thanks to Zooglobble for the link):

Poll: What Did William Carlos Williams Eat?

April is Poetry Month, so here is one of my favorite poems by William Carlos Williams. Can you fill in the blank and guess what it was that the poet ate?

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten
the ______
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

(Click for answer)
If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Winter 2009: All You Need Is Love

2009-01-28T18:38:00.009-05:00

Winter '08 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a Love Song?

There are lots of different ways to do it.
Here are some ideas:

Write about lost love
Write about found love
Write about a silly love (anybody here love Skittles as much as I do?)
Write about a serious love
Make sure there are a few details that will make the listener understand why you are/were/or could be in love (what color are those Skittles? what color are her eyes? what color was the sky the day you lost your dog?)

Sometimes, you can just keep it simple. Check out this song by The Beatles. They don't get too complicated:

All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

Poll: Secret Love

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Fall 2008: Got the Blues?

2008-10-16T22:08:00.004-04:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Reminder: the SFK Club Newsletter has switched to a quarterly schedule. We'll publish an issue in the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Here’s what’s in this quarter's newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):

NEW BOOK! Hip Hop Speaks to Children
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
Fall Songwriting Challenge
Poll: Names of the Blues

NEW BOOK! HIP HOP SPEAKS TO CHILDREN

I'm excited to announce that my song, "Long Track Blues," with words by poet Sterling A. Brown has been included in a new children's book/CD set edited by Nikki Giovanni. Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat has received rave reviews and is #9 on the New York Times Bestselling Picture Books list this week!

Read the story behind Long Track Blues at my blog, Please Come Flying.

Listen to the All Things Considered interview with Nikki Giovanni...including a clip from "Long Track Blues"!

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Lauren, age 7... Lauren wrote a hit song!

Lauren, from Louisville, Kentucky, wrote a great song about trying to get to know someone better. You can view the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. Please stop by and leave a comment for Lauren to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

If you'd like to enter the I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest, read the contest rules here. The next winner will be announced in the Winter newsletter. Good luck!

Songwriting Challenge: Got the Blues?

We've all felt down in the dumps. Lost a dog. Lost a friend. The sun won't come out. Bike broke again. That's the blues. The deep down underground blues.

This month's Songwriting Challenge is to gather up all that gloom and doom and put it into a song. A BLUES SONG. I love to sing the blues. Because the funny thing about singing the blues...no matter how bad I feel to begin with, singing the blues almost always makes me feel better.

Fall '08 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a Blues Song?

There are lots of different ways to do it.
Here are some tips:

It's all about feeling it.

What's got you down?
Tell it like you're telling it to your best friend.
Put some soul into it.
Let it all hang out.

Try to write an AAB Blues.

An AAB blues has 3 lines per verse. The first line is repeated twice. LIKE THIS:

When you were lonesome, I treated you kind
When you were lonesome, I treated you kind
But since you've got money, it has changed your mind

Days are lonesome, nights are so long
Days are lonesome, nights are so long
I'm a good gal, but I just been treated wrong

(from Bessie Smith's "Lost Your Head Blues")

Poll: Names of the Blues

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Which of these is NOT the name of a famous blues musician? ( polls)

Summer 2008: Road Trip

2008-06-19T12:12:00.019-04:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Reminder: the SFK Club Newsletter has switched to a quarterly schedule. We'll publish an issue in the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Here’s what’s in this quarter's newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):

SUMMER PROGRAMS DEADLINE: JUNE 20
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
Summer Songwriting Challenge
Poll: Where Do You Think *You're* Going?

SUMMER PROGRAMS DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2008

This summer’s Songwriting for Kids and Fiction Writing for Kids programs at Bowdoin College are going to be so much fun. It’s hard to believe the deadline is right around the corner. Tomorrow, in fact! I hope you can join us! For more information, please visit the Songwriting for Kids website or download the 2008 brochure (.pdf).

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Ketty, age 9... Ketty wrote a hit song!

Ketty, from Brunswick, Maine, wrote a song called "Aligator" and you can view the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. It even has sheet music for the melody! Please stop by and leave a comment for Ketty to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

If you'd like to enter the I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest, read the contest rules here. We are now on a quarterly instead of a monthly system, so the next winner will be announced in the Fall newsletter around September 15. That means you have all summer to submit your masterpiece!

Songwriting Challenge: Road Trip

School’s out! For lots of my students, that means a trip of some sort. Some are going for a weekend visit with grandparents or friends. Some are going camping. Some are going to the city. One of my students is going to another country to meet family members she’s never met before! Even Kevin and I are getting into the act and taking a road trip this summer.

There are MANY great songs about traveling. Oh Susanna is a song about a singer traveling to find his true love. This Land Is Your Land is about all the things the songwriter, Woody Guthrie, saw when he traveled across America. Gum Tree Canoe is a great song about traveling to escape slavery. In fact, my entire American Songs vol. 2 is devoted to songs about traveling in one way or another.

Summer '08 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a Traveling Song?

Here are some different ways to do it:

Write about a trip you are taking this summer.

Be like Woody Guthrie. Pay attention to what is around you.
What is the landscape like?
What kinds of people, animals, insects, birds do you see?
What makes this place interesting?

Write about a trip you *wish* you were taking.

Listen to the traditional spiritual Unclouded Day and hear how the songwriter wrote about a land he had heard about but never seen. You could do the same.
What would the place be like?
How would you feel when you got there?

Take a trip in your home town.

Take a walk or ride your bike to the library, or the ice cream store, or take a trip into town with your mom or your brother.
Pretend you've never been there before in your life.
What would a stranger think of where you live?
Try it at home: Pretend you are walking into your room for the very first time.
What would you notice first?
What do you see that makes you want to write about it?

Poll: Where Do You Think *You're* Going?

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

Are you taking a trip this summer? If so, which part of the world will you visit? ( polls)

Spring 2008: Something New

2008-03-13T18:44:00.004-04:00

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Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

The SFK Club Newsletter is switching to a quarterly schedule. We'll publish an issue in the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Here’s what’s in this quarter's newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):

SUMMER PROGRAMS ARE HERE!
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
Spring Songwriting Challenge
Poll: Quote of the Day

SUMMER PROGRAMS ARE HERE!

I hope you'll join us for a Songwriting for Kids or Fiction Writing for Kids workshop this year. We'll learn how songs and stories are put together and have lots of fun creating our own! Sessions will be held the week of July 14th, 2008. For more information, please visit the Songwriting for Kids website or download the 2008 brochure (.pdf).

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Oksana, age 6...Oksana wrote a hit song!

Oksana, from Great Falls, Virginia, wrote a song called "Since My Friend Moved Away" and you can view the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. I think it's great! Please stop by and leave a comment for Oksana to let her know how much you enjoyed her song.

Songwriting Challenge: Something New

Spring, at least for those of us in cold climates, means all kinds of new things: flowers, green grass, sunshine, birds coming back from the South, t-shirts (maybe even shorts for those of us who are *really* brave!)

Spring '08 Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a song about something NEW in your life?

Here are some things to think about:

It could be absolutely true. It could be a song about a new friend, new sister or brother, new house, new shoes, new school.
It could be totally fake. How about a new planet, new country, new monster, new invention, new flying saucer?
How does the *new* thing make you feel? Happy, excited, sad, scared? Make sure those emotions are reflected in the song.
What's the *best* part about the new thing?

Here's a great example of a song about something new. It's called "New Blue Star" by Gustafer Yellowgold. (Sadly, I can't post the whole song here. The whole thing...& lots of other cool songs & videos...can be found on Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World.)

Poll: Quote of the Day

(Click for answer)
If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to see other people's answers, too.)

January/February 2008: You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth!

2008-01-26T15:03:00.004-05:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
January/February Songwriting Challenge
January/February Poll: Name That Tune!

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Joshua, age 10...Joshua wrote a hit song!

Joshua, from Plymouth, Minnesota, wrote a song called "Love of the Land" and you can view the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. I think you'll like it! Please stop by and leave a comment for Joshua to let him know how much you enjoyed his song!

January/February Songwriting Challenge: You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth!

It's always fun to write your own words for your songs, but sometimes it's fun to take the word's from someone else's mouth!

For instance, my friends Carter, Anthony, and I all love the poems of Sterling A. Brown, a poet from the early 1900s who wrote about jazz, blues, work songs, and old spirituals. We decided to put some music to his poem "Long Track Blues" and turn it into a song. We liked it so much that we recorded the song Long Track Blues and put it on my new CD!

January/February Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write music to someone else's poem?

Here are some things to think about:

Is there a poem that you particularly like? If not, try one of the poems below.
What is the mood of the poem? Is it sad? Happy? Silly? Scary? Try to match the mood of the music to the poem. Make it slow if the words are dreamy, fast if they are excited.
Are there any parts of the poem that you'd like to repeat? For instance, in the Edgar Allan Poe poem below, you could repeat the "tinkle, tinkle, tinkle" or "bells, bells, bells" in other parts of the song.
Always give credit where credit is due. I would never say "Long Track Blues" is MY song. I always say that Sterling A. Brown wrote the words and I helped write the music. That way Mr. Brown gets credit for the words he wrote, not me.

Here are some poems you can use if you don't have a favorite of your own. These are all from a book called Winter Poems.

I Heard a Bird Sing by Oliver Herford
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember:
"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,"
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.

from The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe
Hear the sledges with the bells--
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle
In the icy air of night!
While the stars that oversprinkle
All the heavens seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells--
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

Skiing by Marchette Chute
I'm very good at skiing.
I have a kind of knack
For I can do it frontways
And also on my back.
And when I reach the bottom
I give a sudden flop
And dig myself in sideways
And that's the way I stop.

Here's a great place to visit if you're looking for poems. You can even look for poems by subject (for instance: poems about animals, or poems about feathers, or poems about family).

January/February Poll: Name That Tune!

(Click for the answer)

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to view the results.)

December 2007: In the Tradition of...

2007-12-03T16:40:00.000-05:00

December Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a song about a favorite tradition?

Here are some things to think about:

What do you do that is special to this time of year?
What makes it so special? WHY do you like doing it?
Try to sing about the tradition in the CHORUS
Then tell the story in the VERSES

Here's an example:

CHORUS (the tradition is hearing the bells while riding on a sleigh):
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

VERSE (the story of how and why they ride in the sleigh):
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bobtails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight

VERSE 2 (more story...with a funny ending, the sleigh tipping over into a snowbank!):
A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
We got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot!

Who knows, maybe writing a song about your traditions will become a tradition! As always, if you'd like to enter your song in the I Wrote a Hit Song! contest, you can read the rules here.

December Poll: How Much Snow?

If you can't see the poll, just click here. (Once you vote, you'll be able to view the results.)

November 2007: Tell Me a Story

2007-11-03T14:20:00.001-04:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner
November Songwriting Challenge
November Poll: Storytime

I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner

Congratulations to Sophie, age 6...Sophie wrote a hit song!

It's called "The Storm" and you can view the lyrics at the I Wrote a Hit Song! webpage. I think you'll like it! Please stop by and leave a comment for Sophie to let her know how much you enjoyed her song!

November Songwriting Challenge: Tell Me a Story

In a way, all songs tell a story. They describe a feeling, or a scene, or something that happened. Some songs, however, tell you a story straight from the beginning all the way through to the end.

Like the song "Gum Tree Canoe." This song was written by S. S. Steele in 1847 (160 years ago!) It tells the story of two slaves, Joseph and Julia, who were forced to pick cotton all day long but found a way to escape from slavery.

The song tells us the whole story.

First, it introduces the CHARACTERS and the PLACE.

Then, it tells us the STORY of how they met, how they worked in the cotton fields all day, and how their favorite thing to do was row in the Gum Tree Canoe. Then, the song tells us how they finally escaped by hooking their canoe onto a tall ship that was sailing by!

Here are some of the lyrics (You can listen to the first two verses of this song on my new album by clicking here. Just scroll down to the list of songs, and hit the Play button next to Gum Tree Canoe):

On the Tombigbee River so bright I was born
In a hut made of husks of the tall yellow corn
It was there I first met with my Joseph so true
And he'd row me around in his gum tree canoe

CHORUS: Sing row away row o'er the water so blue
Like a feather we'll float in our gum tree canoe

All day in the field the soft cotton I'd hoe
I'd think of my Joseph and sing as I go
I'll catch him a bird with a wing of true blue
And at night we will row in our gum tree canoe

CHORUS: Sing row away row o'er the water so blue
Like a feather we'll float in our gum tree canoe

One day the old river took us so far away
That we couldn't get back, so we thought we'd just stay
We spied a tall ship with a flag of true blue
And she took us in tow in our gum tree canoe

CHORUS: Sing row away row o'er the water so blue
Like a feather we'll float in our gum tree canoe

November Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a story song?

Here are some things to think about:

PLACE: Where does your story take place?
CHARACTERS: Who is the story about?
STORY: What happens to the characters in the beginning? How about the middle? And in the end?
CHORUS: This is where your story really shines...what is the MAIN IDEA? What is the main idea in Gum Tree Canoe? Row away, row o'er the water so blue/Like a feather we'll float in our gum tree canoe.

I hope you'll have fun writing a story song. If you'd like to enter your song in the I Wrote a Hit Song! contest, you can read the rules here.

November Poll: Storytime
If you can't see the poll, just click here.

October 2007: Now the Leaves are Falling

2007-10-01T22:08:00.000-04:00

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Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):
All About American Songs Volume 2
October Songwriting Challenge
October Poll: Happy Halloween!

All About American Songs Volume 2

As you know, my new CD, American Songs volume 2 is finally out and it is available at Amazon.com and at Bull Moose Music stores in Maine! Woohoo!

Well, each week, I have been writing about the stories behind each of the songs. If you're interested in who wrote "Oh Susanna" or what happened to Evangeline and Gabriel in the original poem "Evangeline" or if you'd like to see the original sheet music for "Gum Tree Canoe", you can read all about the songs at Please Come Flying. I'll be writing about the last few songs during October, so stay tuned for the stories behind "This Land Is Your Land," "Goin' Home," and more! (While you're there, you can also watch a very funny video about a lady with a monkey on her head...)

Don't forget you can listen to these three songs for free:

Oh Sus anna

Unclouded Day

Oh Sister

If you like the free songs, please pass them on to your friends. And of course, feel free to send me a note to let me know what you think!

October Songwriting Challenge: Now the Leaves are Falling

If you live in the North like me, it is time for hot cider, apple picking, and falling leaves. I love to watch the leaves fall (and I love to kick them around once they're on the ground!)

In the spirit of Autumn, this month's songwriting challenge is:

Write a "falling" song

"What in the world is a falling song?"

Sometimes a song's melody can help to tell the story of the song. If a song is about climbing a mountain, the melody might go from LOW to HIGH to help paint the picture of what is happening in the song. Click here for a good example in Climb Every Mountain from the Sound of Music.

See if you can write a song where both the melody and the words are falling at the same time.

"Ring Around the Rosy" is a perfect example:

Ring around the rosy
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down

What happens in the last line? The words are about falling, but also the melody falls from HIGH to LOW.

Your falling song could be about anything: a cat falling from a tree, a sleeping boy falling out of bed, roses falling from someone's arms, or even falling in love. Just make sure that the melody also falls from HIGH to LOW.

Bonus: Add some actions. In "Ring Around the Rosy," the singers fall straight down. But if your song is about falling leaves, how would you fall? In a straight line, or slowly, drifting side to side? How about if you fell down a hill...would it be more of a tumbling action? Have fun!

If you are 12 or under, you can enter your song in the I Wrote a Hit Song! contest. Click here to learn how.

October Poll: Happy Halloween!

What is your favorite Halloween costume you ever wore? If you post a comment here to describe it, I'll pick one entry to win a free copy of American Songs volume 2!

This is me and some of my siblings on one of my favorite Halloweens (I'm the one with the crown):

September 2007: Picture This!

2007-09-05T08:34:00.000-04:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):
Josephine's New CD! American Songs Volume 2
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick Story Writing Contest
September Songwriting Challenge
September Poll: Say Cheese!

Josephine's New CD! American Songs Volume 2

I've been working hard all summer on a new CD, American Songs Volume 2. It's a collection of some of my favorite old traditional songs, including "Oh Susanna," "Gum Tree Canoe," and "This Land Is Your Land." I'm so excited that it's finished, and I hope you will like it! There are even three preview tracks that you can listen to for free:

Oh Susanna

Unclouded Day

Oh Sister

There's also a chance to win a free CD on the Oh Susanna page at my blog, Please Come Flying. You can order American Songs Volume 2 right now on Amazon.com and soon, it will be available on iTunes and maybe even in some stores near you! I hope you'll enjoy the songs!

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick Story Writing Contest

I know some of you are quite familiar with the very cool book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (you can click here to hear a couple songs that students have written using pictures from the book).

Well, I was excited to find that there is now a brand new Mysteries of Harris Burdick Story Writing Contest for grades 2-8. I know many of you are just bursting with Harris Burdick stories...I hope you'll write one down and enter the contest!

(You can also visit my blog, Please Come Flying, to read more about the book.)

September Songwriting Challenge: Picture This!

Inspiration = something that gives you an idea, feeling, or thought

Songwriters find inspiration all around them. We get ideas from past memories, from nature, from the people around us, even from daydreaming. And just like the Harris Burdick pictures have inspired stories, pictures are also a great place to look for inspiration for a song.

This month's songwriting challenge: Use one of the pictures below as inspiration for your song

Tips:

Choose one picture to start with

What does the picture make you think of?

How does it make you feel?

Is there a story you can tell about the picture?

How many details can you notice? Do you think the water in the first picture is cold? Do you think the squirrel's fur is soft? How many colors can you see in the flower? If you want, make a list of every detail that you see and imagine.

Don't forget to include some of those details in the song.

About the photographer: Michelle Zlimen (Micky) is a terrific photographer from Minnesota. She took the photo that is on the cover of my new CD, American Songs vol. 2 (you can see it here), and she took all three photos shown below. If you want to be inspired by more of Micky's photography, please visit her website. If you write a song about one of her photos, you can also send her a message. I bet she'd love to hear from you!

And of course, once it's finished, you can always enter your song in the I Wrote a Hit Song! contest. :)

Photo #1: Dreams of Summer

Photo #2: The Cute Thief

Photo #3: A Peek at What Is to Come

September Poll: Say Cheese!

What is your favorite family picture? Post a comment here to tell us about it.

(I have a lot of favorites, but one of mine is a picture of my 2-year old niece, Cella, after she spread an entire jar of Vaseline all over her face & head! If I can find it in my box of photos, I'll post it here for you...it's great!)

August 2007: What Nonsense!

2007-07-31T08:44:00.000-04:00

Hoodoo voodoo,
Seven twenty, one two;
Haystacks, hostacks,
A B C.
High poker, low joker,
Ninety nine a Zero;
Sidewalk, streetcar,
Dance a goofy dance.

Blackbirdy, bluejay;
One two three four;
Trash back, jump back,
E F G.
Biggy hat, little hat,
Fattyman, skinnyman;
Grasshopper, greensnake,
Hold my hand.

Hoodoo voodoo
Chooka chooky choochoo;
True blue, how true;
Kissle me now.
Click here for the rest of the Hoodoo Voodoo lyrics.

August Songwriting Challenge:
Can you write a nonsense song?

There are 3 keys to writing a good nonsense song:

RHYME: Give your song some rhyming words (and remember, they don't have to be sensible). Rhymes will make it fun to sing and easy to remember even if the words don't make any "sense."
RHYTHM: Give the song a strong beat & make sure you can clap (or dance) along.
HAVE FUN!: Be your goofiest, silliest, most creative self.

August Poll: Nonsense Schmonsense!

July 2007: I Love a Parade!

2007-07-05T13:56:00.000-04:00

So here's your songwriting challenge for July:
Can you write a song about a parade?

Here are some HINTS:

Follow the parade with your song
Each line can be the next thing in the parade

If a dog comes first, the first line is about the dog.

If a frog follows the dog, the second line is about the frog.

If a hog follows the frog, the third line is about the hog.

Here are some EXAMPLES:

76 trombones: This is a great song about a parade. It was written in 1957 by M. Willson for the musical "The Music Man". (Click here to watch a video of the song and dance from the musical.) Here are the first 2 verses:

Seventy six trombones led the big parade
With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand
They were followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuosos;
the cream of every famous band.

Seventy six trombones caught the morning sun
With a hundred and ten cornets right behind
There were more than a thousand reeds springing up like weeds,
There were horns of every shape and kind.

The Court of King Caractacus: I used to sing this song all the time in grade school. Click here to watch a video and hear all the lyrics of this song. See if you can keep up with the lyrics and follow everything in the parade!

July Poll: Parade Perfection

June 2007: The More We Get Together

2007-06-01T08:43:00.000-04:00

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Click here to send them a link to this newsletter!

Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):
Collaborators' Corner
June Songwriting Challenge
June Poll: Let's Get Together!

COLLABORATORS' CORNER

One of my favorite movies of all time is the original version of The Parent Trap. If you have ever seen it, you know the song Let's Get Together. Before Sharon and Susan sing "Let's Get Together," they talk about working together musically...

"You give a little, and I'll give a little. We'll compromise!"

When you write a song by yourself, you can do anything you want. You can write about anything you want, in any way you want.

When you work with someone else to write a song, it's called collaboration. The songwriters are called collaborators. Collaboration is sometimes hard because you don't always get to do things exactly your own way. But your friend will have some great ideas too, and together you can come up with something you never would have imagined on your own.

And besides, writing with a friend is really fun!

In fact, the songwriters who wrote the song Let's Get Together were two brothers, Richard and Robert Sherman. Together, they have written so many great songs, including all the songs from Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book (two of my other all-time favorites). The Sherman Brothers are still writing songs today. They have been writing hit songs together for 56 YEARS!

Here is a clip of "Let's Get Together" from the movie The Parent Trap:

JUNE SONGWRITING CHALLENGE

Try this:

Get together with a friend (or two or three) and see if you can write a song together.

Don't know what to write about?
Here are some ideas to get you started:

Write about your favorite thing you like to do with your friend(s)
Write about an adventure you and your friend(s) wish you could have together
Write about the things you have in common and why you are friends

Don't forget!:

Always listen to your friend's ideas
Always share your own ideas
Always be kind when you are working together
Always celebrate your work!

And of course, you can always enter your song in the I Wrote a Hit Song! contest when it's finished!

JUNE POLL: LET'S GET TOGETHER!

May 2007: We Love Our Pets

2007-05-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

This month's Songwriting Challenge:
Write a song about a pet (real or imaginary)

Some of my favorite songs as a kid had to do with pets:

Goodbye Old Paint (click here to listen to a sound clip & see lyrics): A great song about a cowboy who has to say goodbye to his horse.
Old Blue (click here to watch a video where the dog sleeps through the whole song!): I love this song about a hunting dog who, sadly, dies in the end.
Of course we all know B-I-N-G-O which is just pure fun!

So how about it? Can you write a song about a pet?
Remember, it doesn't have to be a real pet, it can be imaginary, too!

May Poll: Who Do You Love?

That's all for May. Have a great month, and remember...
Always leave 'em singing!

April 2007: Poetry Month

2007-04-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

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Send them a link!

If you would like to have newsletter alerts and other news, contests, and updates delivered to your email address each month, please visit the Songwriting for Kids Website and join the email list at the top of the page. There are lots of fun things to do while you're at the website, too!

Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):

Congratulations! Two Contest Winners!
Animal Poetry
April Contest: Armadillo vs. Eagle!
Play Pumps: 100 Pumps in 100 Days Challenge
Summer Camp Registration is Open!
NEW! Songwriting for Kids Shop
NEW! Songwriting for Animals: Monkeys Can Register in April!
Get Quoted on SFK.COM!
Quote of the Month

CONGRATULATIONS! TWO CONTEST WINNERS!

1. I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest Winner: Congratulations to McKenzie from Prestonsburg, Kentucky! McKenzie wrote a hit song! It’s called “Flaming Hills” and you can view the lyrics here. You can also read what others have to say about this song, and leave your own comment. For submitting “Flaming Hills,” McKenzie won a Songwriting for Kids baseball jersey.
Did you write a hit song? Be sure to enter the I Wrote a Hit Song! contest. A new winner is picked every other month. Click here to find out how to enter.
2. The Luck o’The Irish: Congratulations to Anji from Orrs Island, Maine who won last month’s random-draw contest. Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page to view Anji’s story about her good-luck. Anji won a free CD!
Want to win a free CD? Be sure to enter this month’s random-draw contest: Armadillo vs. Eagle!

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ANIMAL POETRY

Songs are a lot like poetry with music, don’t you think? Well, April is National Poetry Month, so I thought I’d share two of my favorite poems with you. It’s really fun to hear poems read out loud, so you might want to ask an adult to read these to you while you close your eyes and imagine you are right there in the poem. The link to “The Armadillo” by Elizabeth Bishop actually has a recording of the poem...so you can listen to the whole poem read by Elizabeth herself!

Before you listen, here are some things you’ll find in poetry that can you can use to make your songs even better:

1. Rhythm. (See if you can find the beat in these poems)
2. Rhyme. (Not all poetry or all songs rhyme, but these ones do...how many rhymes do you hear?)
3. Imagery. (If you close your eyes, can you see what is going on? Images are like a painting with words. What are some of your favorite images or pictures that are painted in these poems?)

SPECIAL CHALLENGE:
Both of the poems I chose this month are poems about animals.
Could you write a song about an animal using Rhythm, Rhyme, and Imagery?
Try it!
Then enter your song in the I Wrote a Hit Song! contest and your song could be published on the web! Don't forget to click here to view last month’s winning song, “Flaming Hills.”

Poem #1: “The Armadillo” by Elizabeth Bishop
The poet Elizabeth Bishop lived part of her life in Brazil. Every year, the people there would celebrate St. John’s Day, a holiday to honor one of their favorite saints. Elizabeth watched people participate in one of their favorite customs. They would make paper “fire balloons” and float hundreds of them into the night sky. Here is a picture of some fire balloons floating.

Aren’t they beautiful? Unfortunately, the fire balloons would sometimes land and start dangerous fires, so the custom was outlawed (this is why Elizabeth calls them “illegal”). But as you can see from the poem, some people continued to make them anyway. Click here to read the poem (or listen to Elizabeth read it out loud) and find out what happens.

Poem #2: “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

This one is short, so I’ll print the whole thing here.
A crag is a rough, broken piece of rock that sticks out from a mountain or a canyon.
Azure is a particular kind of blue—the color the sky is when there are no clouds at all.

The Eagle
He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

Eagle photo by Bob Jones.
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APRIL CONTEST: ARMADILLO VS. EAGLE!

Thanks to Sara and Anji for entering last month’s random-draw Luck o’the Irish contest. Here's how a random-draw contest works: I put both of their names in a hat, and Kevin pulled one out...Anji won a free CD!

YOU could win a free CD in this month's contest, and here’s all you have to do:

1. Click here to post a comment
2. Write in the comment which poem you liked better: “The Armadillo” or “The Eagle”
3. Write in the comment WHY you picked that poem
4. That’s it!

Amendment (4/11): If you leave an anonymous comment, please be sure to also send me an email so I'll know how to find you if you win!

Good luck! I hope you'll win, and if not, there will always be a new random-draw contest next month!
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PLAY PUMPS: 100 PUMPS IN 100 DAYS CHALLENGE

Ok, here's something that a friend of mine told me about that I think is really cool!

Have you ever thought about how lucky you are to have good, clean water to drink? Water might not seem like much to you and me because we drink it all the time. But imagine if you didn't have anything at all to drink except dirty, brown water that has germs and bacteria in it. You'd get really really sick, and maybe even die, and that's what happens to kids in Africa every day.

Well, one man, Trevor Field, decided to do something about it.
He invented this:
Looks like fun, right?

But how can a merry-go-round help people drink clean water?

It's a merry-go-round, that's true. But underneath the ground it is attached to a pump, so every time the merry-go-round turns, clean water is getting pumped from deep down underground. Instead of walking miles to get heavy buckets of dirty water, kids can simply play and the whole town can have healthy water to drink.

So here's the challenge: in the next 100 days between now and June, Mr. Fields wants to try to get people to donate enough money to build 100 pumps all over Africa. I'm asking as many people as I can to help out. If you have been saving your allowance money and would like to give some back to help others, you can donate to Play Pumps! You'll need an adult to help you, and maybe you can ask them for a match: if you give $5, they could give $5 too. That doubles the difference you can make!

If you'd like to help, ask an adult to sit down with you and visit my blog at Please Come Flying and scroll down to the donation banner on the right hand side. You'll be able check back as often as you like and see how much money we've raised for clean, healthy water!
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SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION IS OPEN

I can't wait for Summer...I hope you'll be able to join me at one of my Songwriting for Kids or Fiction Writing for Kids Summer Camps!

Click here to view the 2007 Summer Camp Brochure or visit the Songwriting for Kids website for more information.
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NEW! SONGWRITING FOR KIDS SHOP

If you've been wanting your own Songwriting for Kids t-shirt or bookbag, today's your lucky day! There is a brand new Songwriting for Kids shop online! You can visit it here.

Is there anything that's not in the shop that you would like to see? Just send me an email and I'll see if I can create it for you!
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NEW! SONGWRITING FOR ANIMALS: MONKEYS CAN REGISTER IN APRIL

Just a little April Fools!

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GET QUOTED ON SONGWRITINGFORKIDS.COM

If you are a kid and have ever attended a Songwriting for Kids workshop at your school or summer camp, or if you’re a parent or teacher who enjoyed sending your kid(s) to a SFK workshop, I’d love to quote you on SongwritingForKids.com. Simply send me an email and tell me what you (or your child) liked about the workshop. Please include your name, age, and where & when you attended Songwriting for Kids. If your quote gets picked, I’ll publish it on the website, AND send you a special prize in the mail! Visit Songwriting for Kids to see what some parents & kids already had to say!
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH

All The Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin' In The Sun,
Talkin' 'Bout The Things
They Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda Done...
But All Those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All Ran Away And Hid
From One Little Did.

by Shel Silverstein

Visit the Shel Silverstein website for more fun with poetry this month!
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Well, I hope you had fun with the SFK Club this month.
See you in May!

Always leave ‘em singing,
Josephine

March 2007: The Luck 'o the Irish

2007-03-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

Do you know a friend who would like Songwriting for Kids?
Send them a link to this newsletter!

If you would like to have newsletter alerts and other news and updates delivered to your email address each month, please visit the Songwriting for Kids Website and join the email list at the top of the page. There are lots of fun things to do while you're at the website, too!

Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter:

Can Your Legs Move this Fast?
Contest: The Luck 'o the Irish
NEW! Fiction Writing for Kids: Summer Camp
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest
Get Quoted on SFK.COM!
Quote of the Month

CAN YOUR LEGS MOVE THIS FAST?

My husband, Kevin, is Irish (and I am a little, too). One of his favorite holidays is St. Patrick's Day. He loves all things Irish. Shamrocks, certainly. Green, definitely. But most of all, he loves leprechauns! He truly plans to find one at the end of a rainbow someday and collect his very own pot of gold.

Kevin also likes Irish music. Check out this cool video. This is an Irish band called The Chieftans, and they are playing a traditional Irish dance set with a Spanish piper named Carlos Nuñez.

Carlos began playing the pipes when he was 8 years old, and played his first concert when he was 13. By the time he was 18, he recorded the music for the movie "Treasure Island" with The Chieftans.

Can you count how many instruments are played in this video?
How many have you seen before?
You can learn more about these Irish instruments here.
Now watch the dancers.
Turn up the volume and try to dance along.
Can you move your feet that fast?

CONTEST: THE LUCK O' THE IRISH

Yes, songwriting requires things like skill and talent. But in order to write a good song, you also need a little LUCK!

You could have the LUCK to play a "mistake" on the piano, but it actually sounds better than what you came up with first.

Or your mom might say something at dinner that sparks an idea for a song...what LUCK!

You can't think of the right word to rhyme with "pan", and you look up to see your baby sister coloring with...you guessed it...crayons!

LUCK is all around us, and if we pay attention, it's easy to see how lucky we really are.

So, this month, I decided to have a LUCK O' THE IRISH CONTEST. All you have to do is click on the "Comments" button at the end of this blog post, or click here. Then type the story of one of the LUCKIEST things that has happened to you. It could be anything, big or small.

At the end of the month, I will pick one entry (randomly), and that LUCKY person will win a free CD! Oh my lucky stars!

NEW! FICTION WRITING FOR KIDS: SUMMER CAMP

Ever had dreams of becoming an author? Come spend a week learning how to write your own book. This workshop for kids entering grades 4-6 will teach core concepts of fiction writing including Character, Plot, and Imaginative Writing. Each student will write and illustrate their very own book. Come join us! Who knows...you could write the next Eragon!

This summer's Fiction Writing for Kids workshop will be held at Bowdoin College, July 23-27. For more details, please visit www.SongwritingForKids.com.

Registration for all summer fiction and songwriting workshops held at Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine) will open on March 30th. If you would like to put your name on the waiting list before then, simply send me an email. Registration for the Waynflete (Portland, Maine) summer session is already open! Visit Waynflete's website for more information and to register.

Click here for more information on Songwriting for Kids Summer Camps.

I WROTE A HIT SONG! CONTEST

If you are age 12 and under, you can enter the I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest. The deadline for the first challenge has been extended to April 30, so you'll have another 2 whole months to work on your hit song and enter it in the contest.

All you have to do is write either a Color Song or Picture Song. For instructions visit the Activity Room.

One LUCKY winner will receive a Songwriting for Kids T-Shirt and also have his or her song published on the SFK website!

GET QUOTED ON SONGWRITINGFORKIDS.COM

If you are a kid and have ever attended a Songwriting for Kids workshop at your school or summer camp, or if you’re a parent or teacher who enjoyed sending your kid(s) to a SFK workshop, I’d love to quote you on SongwritingForKids.com. Simply send me an email and tell me what you (or your child) liked about the workshop. Please include your name, age, and where & when you attended Songwriting for Kids. If your quote gets picked, I’ll publish it on the website, AND send you a special prize in the mail! Visit Songwriting for Kids to see what some parents already had to say!

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"You should laugh all the while, and all other times smile."
from When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, a famous traditional Irish song

Well, that's it for March!
Thanks for being a part of the SFK CLUB. Keep chasing those rainbows!

Always leave ‘em singing,
Josephine

February: The Very First SFK Club Newsletter

2007-02-01T20:11:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the very first SFK CLUB newsletter! Each month, I’ll post a newsletter with news, contest information, a cool website or two, artist quote, and any other fun, random things that come up. I hope you’ll enjoy it and if you have fun, please be sure to tell your friends to join the club! If you would like to have the newsletter delivered to your email address each month, please visit the Songwriting for Kids Website and join the email list at the top of the page. There are lots of fun things to do while you're at the website, too!

Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter:
February is Black History Month
Too Cold Outside? Register for Summer Camp!
I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest
Get Quoted on SFK.COM!
Artist Quote of the Month
Out in the Cold to Help Others

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH!

As I’m sure many of you know, each year during the month of February, we celebrate the history and contributions of African Americans in our culture. Here are a couple fun things you can do to learn & explore online:

1. Click here to take a journey on the Underground Railroad with National Geographic

2. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE jazz music. Many of the great jazz musicians of our time have been African Americans. Click here to learn about some of my favorites like Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker on PBS Kids. Be sure to play the “Join the Jazz Band” game. It is *really* fun!

3. On my blog, Please Come Flying, I am writing about African American writers and musicians every Monday and Wednesday this month. In fact, I started early, so there are already 2 Black History Month posts there now. Please come visit…I’d love to see you there!

TOO COLD OUTSIDE? REGISTER FOR SUMMER CAMP!

Registration for the Waynflete (Portland, Maine) 2-week summer camp is now open. The camp will run from July 9-July 20. Visit Waynflete's website for more information and to register. Don’t wait too long…there is only ONE session available at Waynflete this summer and it may fill up fast!

Registration for Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine) 1-week summer camp is not yet open, but if you would like to secure your spot early, you can send me an email, and I will put you on the waiting list. When registration opens, preference will be given to those on the list on a first-come, first-serve basis (in order of when you signed up). The camp will be held July 23-27 from 8:30-12:30pm.

Click here for more information on Songwriting for Kids Summer Camps.

I WROTE A HIT SONG CONTEST!

If you are age 12 and under, you can enter the I Wrote a Hit Song! Contest. This month’s challenge? Write either a Color Song or Picture Song. For instructions visit the Activity Room. One lucky winner will have his or her song published on the SFK website in March!

GET QUOTED ON SFK.COM

If you are a kid and have ever attended a Songwriting for Kids workshop at your school or summer camp, or if you’re a parent or teacher who enjoyed sending your kid(s) to a SFK workshop, I’d love to quote you on SongwritingForKids.com. Simply send me an email and tell me what you (or your child) liked about the workshop. Please include your name, age, and where & when you attended Songwriting for Kids. If your quote gets picked, I’ll publish it on the website, AND send you a special prize in the mail! Visit Songwriting for Kids to see what some parents already had to say!

ARTIST QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song.” Louis Armstrong (jazz trumpeter and singer)

OUT IN THE COLD TO HELP OTHERS

It’s coooold outside (at least it is here in Maine)! Remember on these cold days that there are many people who don’t have enough money to heat their house, or to have good, healthy meals. In my community, Freeport Community Services is having a Food & Fuel Drive to raise money for people in need. February 2nd & 3rd, Sue Mack and Rev. John Ward-Diorio are going to STAND OUT IN THE COLD FOR 24 HOURS! to remind people driving by that there are a lot of people who need your help this time of year. Look for similar drives in your community & ask what you can do to help. Don’t worry…you won’t have to stand outside in the cold all night! But maybe you could bring canned goods, or drop $5.00 of your allowance in the Fuel for Heat donation bucket. For more information on this particular drive in Freeport, please visit the UCC website.

Well, that wraps up the February newsletter!
I’m so glad you’ve joined the SFK CLUB. We’re going to have a lot of fun together!

Always leave ‘em singing,
Josephine