learning about songwriting

Transformations: A morning with Malcolm

Mon, 01/27/2020 - 7:00pm

    This past Saturday I invited the celebrated composer Malcolm Brooks and one of his colleagues, Will Foote, to teach seven of us the process of writing a song. 

    Malcolm’s non-profit organization, Documentary Songwriters – Bearing Witness Through Music, helps people create songs from their own spoken words as they describe their own experiences ranging from trauma, isolation, addiction or conflict to personal history and recollections meaningful to them.

    Here are the lyrics for the song. 

    I woke up
    My immediate thought was
    About the cats
    It’s so cold
    Not loving another
    Would only hurt me

    Stray cats
    They might be frozen
    Frozen or dead
    It’s so cold
    Not loving another
    Would only hurt me

    I moved out
    He and I had
    A cat we shared
    It’s so cold
    Not loving another
    Would only hurt me

    Last night
    I played with another
    I could adopt
    It’s so cold
    Not loving another
    Would only hurt me

     

     Click on this link to hear our song as the group sings it.  Loving Another

    Feedback from the morning group included: 

    I’m process-oriented and especially interested in creative processes, so I enjoyed experiencing our process unfold as we worked/played/sang together. Lois Anne

    What an interesting, fun process to go through. Thank you Malcolm!! Sandy Weisman

    Thank you all for your brilliance in helping a simple cat story turn into so much more! I am grateful for your acceptance and encouragement. Gabrielle Attra

    Documentary Songwriters is an important cause. You can learn more about the organization at Docsong.org