I shared some of the work I was doing with a colleague of mine and she thought a theme song for her school would be a wonderful idea. After she pitched the idea to her administrator, I was invited to the school to meet with a focus group of kids. During our meeting, the students told me the kinds of music they enjoyed and what kind of style they might like for their very own school song. They shared some of the most important values they follow and included some of the special programming they initiate throughout the school year. One girl in particular started a Books for Ghana project that she wanted to be highlighted in the song.
After working through the lyrical content that the students provided, I developed the melodies and arrangement and used their school motto - Be the best that you can be - as the chorus of the song. Once a scratch track was recorded, it was sent to the music teacher to teach the chorus melodies to the choir. The verse parts were also recorded by the student focus group which allowed them to record their own words in their own voices (STUDENT VOICE).
The students and staff members involved in the project were very focused and engaged and the pride that they have for their school and community is very evident in their song.
