Songz4kidz Part 1

I’ve got an idea for a Kids Song – Now What?

So you’ve had an idea for a kids song for while now and its going nowhere in a hurry. Whether its sitting in the back of your mind, on a scrap of paper in a drawer, in a notebook in the bottom of a cupboard or even if you’ve made an appointment with a studio to record your song – its time to bring it out of the closet. I meant that literally. Go get it. Now…

Your kid’s song has the potential to change lives and make the world a better place. You owe it to humanity to get it out there making a difference. You owe it to yourself too. I’m serious. Kids’music has changed more lives than any other genre. So if you want to make a difference in the world, get your song and get excited, because I am going to show you how.

Over the course of six issues, I will share my songz4kidz method of songwriting. The songz4kidz method has enabled me to write, record, release and perform 40 great kids songs since 2011. Those songs have featured in more than 800 paid live performances, on four albums and seen more of my songs shortlisted in more categories (not just kids) than any other songwriter in Australia’s leading songwriting competition in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and won the Children’s category in 2013 and 2014 and the Open category 2014 – all as an independent artist without a label or publisher.

There are a multitude of articles about songwriting and online resources providing tips and methods for songwriters and you should periodically check out those written by people with the accomplishments you want to achieve: success in the children’s entertainment business, in competitions, awards, commercial releases, radio airplay or film, television and advertising placements – I do.

However there are very few quality resources about writing songs specifically for children and even fewer about how to make a difference to children’s lives through the content of the songs.

This songz4kidz series aims to bridge that gap.

A couple of quick caveats before we start:

If you want to knock out a mindless little kiddy-ditty you are reading the wrong article. I believe kids are smart and smart kids need smart music. If you want to write a song with PURPOSE – you have come to the right place.

If you don’t like moving out of your comfort zone – to think and do differently this isn’t for you. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

So grab your song, straighten out the crinkles and brush off the dust.

What you are holding is important enough for you to have kept all this time, so there must be something in it. Let’s find out what it is, what works and what doesn’t, workshop it, make it even better, then turn it into something TANGIBLE: a CD, an iTunes track, a live performance number, or a song to pitch – something you can USE and potentially EARN MONEY from.

The secret to turning your song into something people to WANT to hear – again, and again, and again, is to ENGAGE them – to get them INVESTED in the song in some way. If the song MEANS something, it will be MEMORABLE. If you are really smart, your song will resonate with children and adults alike. Kids don’t book shows or pay for CDs – adults do – get them both onboard.

There are 3 pathways to getting your listeners invested – mentally, physically and emotionally.

Of those, emotion is said to be the most powerful, however, brain research also suggests the more of the senses you engage, the better the memory retention ie the more memorable. If you can get the kids thinking AND moving AND emotionally connected in a meaningful way and all at the same time – they will be so busy (engaged) they will have no other option but to be 100% invested in the songs journey! How do we do that exactly? Unless you want to end up completely lost in the process, you are going to need to MAP your course.

You will need something to write with. My tools of choice are an A4 hardcover book, 2B lead pencil, pencil sharpener and quality eraser. It is easy to write, read & erase the pencil and hard to misplace the book or lose your genius in the ‘cloud’. If you chose to use an electronic device – please make sure you continually ‘save’ throughout the session and ‘back up’ at the end of it! You will also need a thesaurus of some description. I use my Apple dictionary app.

A cluttered work area will clutter your mind. A cluttered mind will either block your creative or inevitably bring something untoward into existence. You will quite literally CREATE IT! Clear your workspace, clear your mind and let’s get workshopping.

Get 2 fresh pieces of paper. At the very top of the first page, write down the SUBJECT of your song. NOT the title of your song, rather the TOPIC ie what it is about. You only need a few words. For example: Bullying, Cane Toads, Toilet Training, Times Tables and so on. Circle (or bold) it.

Directly underneath your subject, write the heading:
WHO IS MY AUDIENCE?

Skip halfway down the page and write:
WHAT I WANT KIDS TO KNOW

On the top of the 2nd page write:
WHAT I WANT KIDS TO DO

Half way down the 2nd page write:
WHAT I WANT KIDS TO FEEL

Those points are what you are going to brainstorm. By the end of the session you will know your song’s destination and have plotted a host of points to visit on the way (even if you don’t know it). This will be your MAP.

WHO IS MY AUDIENCE?

Define your target audience. It is impossible to know what and how to write song for kids unless you know exactly which ones you are writing for. Writing for 2 yr olds is quite different from writing for 8 yr olds, which is worlds apart from writing for 16 yr olds. FYI – kids are kids until they turn 18. You might write something like this: 2-5yrs, lower primary, upper primary, special needs children, entire families, high school students. You may also note important specifics such as race, religion, neighbourhood etc. It helps with choosing language kids can relate to and ensures cultural and religious boundaries are not overlooked.

Next determine your PLATFORM – how will kids hear it? Live concert, musical production, CD, online, advertising etc. Different platforms will require different considerations further down the track.

Lastly, consider who else is going to be exposed to your song and who you will need to get it heard (stakeholders): Teachers, principals, booking agents, venue owners, shopping centre management, parents, grandparents, festival organisers and so on.

Knowing this information will help you to pitch your song appropriately from the get-go.

WHAT I WANT KIDS TO KNOW

Here is your chance to tell the world something. What will it be? Whatever it is, know that it is going to create a connection in the kids’ brain that has the potential to last a lifetime! I have one rule about this – make it worthwhile.

You may inherently already know what information to impart – you could be an expert on the topic. If you are a trained fireman you will know all about fire safety for example. But, if you are not an expert on your subject, gather as much information as you can about it. If it’s about an animal – spend the day at the zoo observing it. If it’s about making popcorn – go make popcorn. If it’s about dental health, talk to a dentist. If it’s about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – YouTube and Google it. You will learn crazy and interesting things you never knew. My tip – look for the weird and wonderful stuff that will stun and amaze kids. I also like to throw in a random statistic when possible – you never know when they will need a seemingly useless bit of information. Seriously.

Be specific and keep it in context to the SUBJECT – the thing you circled at the top of the page. Keep it AGE APPROPRIATE but always pitch a portion of material (approx. 10%) above the smartest kid in your target range. Equally, make sure you pitch the same amount to the least developed. This ensures you will engage the ENTIRE audience. If adults are present, see what you weave in for them. Plays on words are always a winner – they go straight over the kids’ heads and keeps adults on their toes (engaged). Just remember to keep it PG!

You might write something like this:

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My song is about how the Muttaburrasaurus was first discovered and I want kids to know:
discovered by Doug Langdon
in Queensland
in 1963
native to Australia
a weird horn-like cavity on it’s nose but no-one knows what it was used for
scientific name is Mattaburrasarus Langdoni
skeleton is now in the Queensland Museum; or

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My song is about how to stay safe at the ocean and I want kids to know:
swim between the flags
never swim alone
make sure an adult is watching
wear sunscreen and hat
drink water; or

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My song is about the terrible conditions convicts faced between England and Australia and I want kids to know:
wet and cold
sickness and disease
rotten food and contaminated water
in chains
rocking back and forth in the dark
result of breaking the law – stealing

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Knowing this helps engage kids mentally. Moving right along…

WHAT I WANT KIDS TO DO

The same part of the brain that is responsible for movement is also responsible for learning – so get the kids moving! Alternatively you might like to get them thinking… In any case this may be something they do either during the song or as a result of it. For example:

I want kids to pretend they are a dog and explore their physical and vocal range by:
making dog sounds (bark, howl, pant)
mimicking dog actions (sit, beg, chase tail, scratch)
to think about all the things they have to do to look after a dog; or

I want kids to look around the room for something beginning with ‘K’.
look up, down
side to side
in front, behind; or

I want kids to think about bullying:
what kind of things constitute bullying behaviour
ways it effects the person being bullied
alternative strategies to bullying

It could also be as simple as ‘clap along’ or ‘repeat after me’.

And last but far from least…

WHAT I WANT KIDS TO FEEL

Pull up a ‘list of emotions’ on your web browser for this one and open up your thesaurus. For the point of the exercise you are not allowed to use the words ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ or ‘excited’. They are strictly off limits because there are much stronger choices. You must choose the BEST words for everything from now on – not just words that ‘do the job’, and this process is providing you another tool you may not have discovered yet. For example:

I want kids to feel energetic and uninhibited
I want kids to feel wonderment and awe
I want kids to feel cautious and considered
I want kids to feel clever and capable
I want kids to feel belonging and acceptance
I want kids to feel grossed out and disgusted – kids love that stuff!

Remember you are creating INTENT: what you want kids to feel, not what you want them to say. Take Pharrell Williams’ song ‘Happy’ as an example (great song BTW). He uses the word happy all through the lyric but when I listen to that song, I don’t just feel happy, I feel elevated, exalted, unencumbered and free!

The more you emotionally move your audience, the more memorable your song will be. Use powerful emotions. If you emotions are super strong and are in any way on the negative end of the scale, such as disgust, anger or frustration, you should consider applying a contrasting emotion in another part of the song to ‘relieve’ the feeling. For example, I want them to feel disgust in the verses and quirky humour in the chorus. Build and release – build and release. Think of the thriller movie. You don’t want to give kids a conniption. Build and release.

Congratulations. You have completed the first workshop! Looking over your work you should clearly see your songs destination (subject) and a series of ‘stop-offs’ of the way: what you want kids to know, do and feel. If not, keep working it until you do. If you are inspired to rework your lyric after this exercise DO IT. Don’t be precious or too finicky about it as I can almost guarantee it will change again before the entire process is complete. The point is to try something new. Remember, you can always revert.

In the next issue we will look at various song STRUCTURES to determine the best FOUNDATION for your song and place your destination and waypoints from this session into it.

Until then…enjoy writing your songz4kidz with PURPOSE.

Coo-ee!
Kathy Prosser