From the beginning we all decided that it would be a good idea to include original music within our piece. Having played the piano since early childhood and having written a few songs before, I started to write the lyrics to a song that I intended to be sung from the opinion of children. Their innocence is shown through their hopes and dreams for what they want their lives to be like in the future: the perfect job, husband or wife, car. However, the song ends on a darker note as the children start to wonder what would happen if they can’t live up to their parents. Can they fill their shoes? How do they even begin to do this?
The song went through a couple of edits, including the additions of less realistic, fantasy jobs like Santa. This idea links to a notion that we discussed quite often in workshops, regarding the lies children are told by their parents – things such as Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy. Why is it okay for parents to lie if we are constantly told when growing up to always tell the truth? Are these stories told as a way for children’s imaginations to grow and as an escape from the often harsh realities of life?
Attached is a photograph of the musical arrangement that I have put together.
Hannah