Seth.com: Music=Freedom

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Feb 4, 2005
Music=Freedom
I went into my 10-year-old son (4th grade) to teach them 'how to write a song. It was tremendous. I told them that the only rules are that there are no rules. wow, they thought, no rules!

We wrote a cool song about their teacher and the baby she's due to have in june--everyone contributed lyrics and ideas. i gave them a homework assignment: they had to write a verse and a chorus about....anything...and bring it in to the class in two weeks. they could write it with a friend if they chose (a "co-write"). they were very excited by this "assignment." music=freedom.

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I have always been a huge Raspberries/Eric Carmen fan as well. I began in 1972 and still am! Your name came up on the EricCarmen.com website, and I came on your website and found After You. It is breathtakingly beautiful. I am curious about the second song you wrote with Eric.
I am a public school string specialist and have been for 37 years. I am most impressed with the songwriting lesson you taught your son's class. He must be so very proud of his Dad!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful talents on this website. I send my best wishes for your continued success.
:)--Darlene Brandt

Posted by: Darlene Brandt at February 5, 2005 2:56 AM

Julians class sure is bug, beautiful and colorful.
The children look wonderful and rerally happy too.
Ok Seth, you must have gave a real good time.
WAY TO GO!
Seth, any way of posting a few of the childrens songs so we can read them?
that would be great.

Posted by: gordon harris at February 7, 2005 1:28 AM

Thanks Seth, for putting on "The High Cost Of Loving" you know, when I was interested in music, I wanted to play guitar, right, But, I did try it, I started out with a couple of chords.
I gave up, was into cartooning, animation, stories.
I was a great poem writer too.
Having your sons class participate in song writing which more or less is a poem itself with a strong or weak subject, will be fun for all.

Posted by: gord harris at February 7, 2005 6:27 AM

Thanks, Darlene.

I put "The High Cost of Loving" on the sethplayer (in the 'hits and misses' section).

I very much enjoyed teaching my son's class how to write a song". I thought before I went into his class 'these kids have so much regimentation -- so many things they do have "right" and "wrong" answers (like math problems). Songwriting is about freedom. no matter what your circumstances in life, rich or poor, songwriting gives you the freedom to just be a human being. I wanted to show those 10-year olds that there are more *possibilities* than "right" or "wrong." The way their hands shot up every two seconds wanting to add to the lyrics of the song the class was writing, showed me that they were getting what i was putting out to them.

As a way of taking the mystery out of writing songs, I asked each one of them to sing about one thing that happened to them that day followed by how they felt about it. A typical response from some of the children went something like this: "My mom woke me up this morning and I was really mad that she did because I wanted to sleep more...". I played songs beneath their words. Once they got over their initail shyness about singing in front of their class, they really got into it. It was a very satisfying experinece for me -- it helped remind me about the simplicity of writing.

Posted by: Seth at February 7, 2005 12:55 PM

Sorry Seth and Julian for the spelling errors, I clicked on the wrong button.
It was too late to correct it.
My apologies.
So, tell me, how's the song writing going?
I can't wait to read a few, ok

Posted by: gordon harris at February 8, 2005 1:18 AM

Wow, what a cute picture. Sounds like a fun day. I wish I was in the class---and I'm 35!

Per the comments regarding "After You," I too think it's a beautiful song. In fact, I had a massage last night and found myself laying there, silently singing "the days turn into weeks, the weeks turn into years," etc.
The "High Cost of Loving" is also real good.

Where'd "Faraway" go? I love that one.

Seth, I'm a real big Jackson Browne and John Hiatt fan. I'm wondering if you've ever worked with either of them and if you enjoy their work.

Posted by: Andrew Katcher at February 9, 2005 8:47 AM

The song, "Faraway" who sings that one?

I like Jackson Browne music myself, I found, that
the Lawyers In Love" album, the one with him sailing in front of that large moon album, is fantastic.
The next one album is great too after that.

Posted by: gord harris at February 9, 2005 9:02 AM

Andrew,

I'll put "Faraway" back on the Player. Glad you like it. I wrote it on my birthday in '93. I remember thinking ' there's nothing that i would have rather done on my birthday than have written a song that means something to me.'

I've met jackson Browne a few times -- a very, very nice guy.

Posted by: seth at February 9, 2005 9:04 AM

Gord,

"Faraway" is a great song that Seth wrote and had in the Seth Player but recently removed---causing me great anguish. Feeling my my pain, he agreed to put it back up. Check it out. It's a really great melody.

If you like Jackson and don't own "Late For The Sky," you should really do something about that. You will not regret it. I promise.

Posted by: Andrew at February 9, 2005 9:36 AM

i tink it was very nice of Seth to come into our class and techa us "how to write a song". it was so much fun!

Posted by: Jenna Wilen at February 14, 2005 4:25 AM

it was a fun project and as you should know i am seths son.

Posted by: julian swirsky at February 14, 2005 10:00 AM

it was fun writing a song with you even though you are my dad

Posted by: julian swirsky at February 14, 2005 10:02 AM

it was really fun having seth coming to our class
it very genourous of him 2 take time and teach
us how to write a song

Posted by: maddie baldi at June 27, 2006 7:00 AM