BEFORE THEY START
Give a strong brief. Get students to think about the target audience for their song, and the important features that it is going to need to have.
Discuss the mark scheme. This might seem uncreative, but part of being fully aware of the intended outcome is knowing what they will need to include to get into the top mark bands.
Identify key musical targets. Pick out the key words and features from both the brief and the mark scheme and keep them handy so that you and students can refer to them frequently.
Get them listening. Encourage students to listen critically to a small number of targeted songs, suggested by you or them, to give them ideas.
IN THE EARLY DAYS
Allow students to write how they want to. Creativity is best unleashed, so let them find their own way to have ideas. Some will want to sing, others to play (e.g. guitar or piano), and others will want to get straight onto the computer. Whatever works best for them.
Be wary of collaboration. Students instinctively bounce ideas off each other, and particularly away from the classroom may be tempted to work together. While this is great in the ‘ideas’ stage, ensure your students understand that assessed compositions must be all their own work.
Let the song develop. Songs tend to be created organically, rather than methodically, so allow your students to have relatively free rein, certainly as they are working out ideas.
Listen and appraise. Not necessarily to their own early work, but to songs that might inspire them. Help them find music they might not yet know, that complements the ideas they've had so far. Help them identify what features these songs have that make them strong.
DURING THE WRITING PROCESS
Strike a balance. Help students be creative, individual, even personal, but make sure they keep the brief and the mark scheme in mind. Getting the balance right between powerful expression and solid foundation is crucial; try to operate as a kind of gentle rudder.
Encourage the narrative. While lyrics aren't necessarily assessed per se, they obviously make up a significant portion of the song and tend to influence the style and direction. Help your students stay on track with the ‘story’ of their song: is each verse progressing from the last? What is the chorus saying? How might they describe the journey from beginning to end?
Balance simplicity with colour. Many song styles thrive on simplicity, since it allows them to be catchy and for listeners to relate to them. Work on getting a balance between repetition and contrast, and help your students find ways to colour their song and make it individual.
Identify the ‘hooks’. In the context of repetition and contrast, get your students to find ways to attract their listeners’ attention. This could be through a lyric, a riff, a melodic or rhythmic motif or a particular sonority. Encourage them to listen to other songs and identify ways in which these stand out.
NEARING COMPLETION
Record early! Don't leave the actual recording of live tracks too late, since they always take much longer than expected, and could influence the composition process (e.g. if things don't work or new ideas jump out).
Keep music live. DAWs are brilliant and make the process so accessible, but encourage your students to do as much live singing or playing as possible. It's fine to involve others here (including teachers!) if the composer retains authority.
Further reading
- BBC Bitesize: Writing your own music (AQA), tinyurl.com/3huuk69b
- Tiffin School Music Department: GCSE Songwriting, tinyurl.com/46ahhkkp
- Forbes, A. (2013) Songlab: a songwriting playbook for teens. Audiogo.
