A Look Into SPACE :

Songwriting: From Personal to Professional

While music is now my job, as a teenager it was my obsession. I learned and played as much as I could, but my favorite aspect was listening and creating. My adolescence spanned the early to late 2000s, in which music became easier to access through online streaming, file sharing, and social media. Unlike previous generations, my music consumption was not bound by the determined hit songs on the radio or the available inventory at CD stores. The evolution of the internet and the privilege of owning a computer at home afforded access to any artist or genre, whenever I wanted, with a few mouse clicks at home.

While I consumed a wide variety of genres, I was most drawn to indie and alternative rock. My favorites were Dashboard Confessional, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Jack’s Mannequin, and Ben Folds. These artists did not appear to fit into the “pop” image or sound, which is presumably why most of their music was not topping the charts every week. Their songs were unabashedly honest and did not always follow the standard form and style, hence being classified as either alternative (to said standard) or indie (for being independent of a major label). This was something I resonated with. I felt an authenticity and vulnerability from these artists, which was especially evident in their lyrics.

These lyrics had emotions, imagery, and wordplay. I listened to songs over and over again and analyzed lyrics to figure out what the writer was feeling or trying to express. By doing this, I felt very connected to the writers and artists. I could identify and empathize with what they were going through, even if I did not know them personally. It was validating to realize that I was not the only one who felt the way I did. It was almost as if these writers and artists understood me, and that I equally understood them. Like most adolescents, “music played a central role” in helping me “work through and explore challenges” (Viega, 2013, p. 27).

The validation from these artists through their music inspired me to start songwriting for myself. I thought that if I expressed myself, maybe others could identify with the same sentiments. There were already stacks of journals and diaries scattered around my room. In these pages were my thoughts, emotions, and dreams, just waiting to be put into song. I began by substituting lyrics to my favorite songs. Then I started to learn the song forms and chord progressions they were using. From that I began to create new melodies and lyrics to fit within those structures. Eventually I felt confident enough to create and record my own music from scratch to share with others. In comparison to the audio quality of software today, these recordings were mediocre. Despite this, my newfound hobby of songwriting gave my teenage self a sense of purpose and identity.

What I did not realize at this point in my life was that I would be going into music therapy, a profession in which songwriting is an important skill. I was certain that I was going to major in music business, find a day job in the industry, and write and perform songs at night until I became a star. While looking at various college programs, I came across music therapy in a music department catalogue. I quickly dismissed it, but a few months later, I came across a segment about the profession on TV that sparked my interest to learn more and eventually find a program to apply for. I did not know that the connection that I had felt through songs could actually be used for more than just leisure or fame. During my undergraduate courses, I learned that the process and product of creating could be used to support people in their healing, growth, and change. We were given songwriting assignments and I greatly enjoyed the challenge of them. Crafting music and words was a fun experience for me. My peers’ experiences, on the other hand, varied from mine. Many of them found the assignment to be daunting and felt discouraged. I often noticed that they would turn in songs that they were not happy with, and, due to these experiences, were not motivated to continue to write unless it was required for a class.

Later in graduate school, and my first few years as a professional, I saw the same struggles. Although songwriting is a part of music therapy curriculum across the country, the task remains daunting for students during and after a songwriting assignment in their coursework. There seems to be a desire to be “good” at it, but, from my own personal experience and literature reviews, many students and professionals do not think they have enough skill or are scared to share their songs with people (Krout et al., 2010). The only way I got better at songwriting was by songwriting. I was not innately a songwriter, I just took a step and kept writing. Recounting my personal songwriting journey, and my peers’ frustrations with their own, I was inspired to support others to turn their steps into strides. As my final professional project in graduate school, I created SPACE, a resource for students and professionals to work on their songwriting skills, with a similar space for journaling and the inclusion of prompts and guides for structure.

SPACE: A Journal for (Future) Music Therapists to Explore and Express through Songwriting

SPACE was created with the hope that it would provide students and practitioners with a personal and non-intrusive means to supplement their education on songwriting, inspire them to continue writing, and provide “a deeper knowing of music, therapy, and self” (Murphy, 2007, p. 53). Bruscia (2013) states:

Unfortunately, not all programs can afford to offer experiential learning within the curriculum, or not all educators agree “such learning is useful or appropriate at undergraduate level training” (Gardstrom & Jackson, 2011, p. 72; Murphy & Wheeler, 2005). Therefore, this journal may provide a way for students to develop their skills without altering curriculum.

While writing in a journal is beneficial to any student’s growth, a journal specifically for songwriting is particularly valuable for music therapy students. Not only is songwriting listed in the American Music Therapy Association’s professional competencies (2.1 and 4.2; AMTA, 2013) and in the board domains of the Certification Board for Music Therapists (III.A.5.m; CBMT, 2020), but it is also a means to developing as a human being. Ruud (2005) states that “songwriting provides an aesthetic context” that invites people to explore “their own life, their possibilities, their losses and aspirations” (p.10). This allows for unhindered exploration and expression that affords opportunities for change and development, making it an effective approach in music therapy. In addition to addressing psychosocial and emotional needs, songwriting also addresses cognitive and communication needs (Baker & Wigram, 2005) Due to the approach’s ability to address a range of needs, music therapists use it with a variety of populations, such as oncology, palliative care, neurorehabilitation, psychiatry, and autism spectrum disorder (Baker et al., 2009). However, in order to use this approach with future clients, students and professionals would benefit from using the same approach themselves.

Journal Format

SPACE begins with a basic introduction to the elements of songwriting. Chord progressions are categorized by level of difficulty and song forms are historically explained (see figure 1 for example). Following this introduction are five different experiential sections: self-exploration, life stages, emotional expression, music, and clinical populations. Each of these themed sections contain four writing prompts, termed in the journal as “logs.” Inspired by Bruscia’s (2013) improvisational self-inquiry project, these logs encourage the user to explore these themes with various writing prompts, song forms, and chord progressions.

The self-exploration section consists of logs about current feelings, being, and relationships. The life stages section consists of logs about past and current periods in life. The emotional expression section consists of logs about joy, anger, sorrow, and love. The music section consists of logs based on musical elements of melodic theme, rhythmic theme, lyric substitution, and electronic loops. The clinical population section consists of logs about mental health, hospice, pediatric hospital, and school settings. As the sections progress, the directions decrease, giving students more freedom to explore songwriting.

Journal Use

Though I learned much about myself through journaling and songwriting during my adolescent and young adult years, there is still new emotional and mental territory to explore. As I grow and change, so does my understanding and expression of self. In this section, I will share personal entries and songs from SPACE. The purpose in doing so is to provide an example of how people could use this journal.

The first log I completed was Log 2: Being. The prompt was “Journal a paragraph on where you are in life.” The designated song form alongside the prompt was AABA with a chord progression of I-IV-V-IV. Figures 2a, b, and c, show pictures of my entries and process. For my log, I wrote:

For the song, I used an acoustic guitar and wrote in the key of A. An audio recording of the final song, entitled “Incubator.” is available at https://soundcloud.com/gabbybanzon/incubator-voices

Another log I completed was Log 12: Love. The prompt was “journal a paragraph on your experience of love.” The designated chord progression alongside the prompt was I-I7-IV-iv-I-II7-ii7-V7 and your song form of choice. Figures 3a, b, and c show pictures of my entries and process. For my log, I wrote:

For the song, I used a piano and wrote in the key of C. An audio recording of the final song, “I Shouldn’t Ask.” is available at https://soundcloud.com/gabbybanzon/i-shouldnt-ask-voices