Songwriting Sunday: Chanting

Welcome back to routine, everyone! I am hoping and hoping that we will actually be able to get places in my part of the world tomorrow. We had a snow week last week (one school day, but I had to take personal time because there was too much snow on my driveway for my low-slung car), but I am now ready to get back into a work routine. That hasn't happened for a long time - I have not felt ready to get back to work for years and years. So, let's hope that the roads are cleared and ready for us to head back to school tomorrow morning!

ANYWAY...

It is Sunday, so it is time for me to think about songwriting. Today's topic is chant.

I am not a rapper. I can make up rhymes for a bit of time before my brain freezes and gets overstimulated, but I can chant with the best of them!

What's the difference? There really isn't much different on a structural view, but there is lots of difference in my brain!

Chants are wonderful for music therapists - they are ways to incorporate rhythm with speech in ways that benefit many clients, so why not use them? Not every music therapy experience has to have a melody line.

So, here's how I write chants.

Many times, I start with the goal/concept that I want my clients to engage in or with. If my clients have memory retention goals, then I start with a steady beat that is based on a tempo that they seem to respond to. For me, the tempo is the most important part of any chant - it has to be slow enough for clients to complete but fast enough that the client responds to it consistently...

Once I know the tempo, it is time to figure out the words. For memory retention purposes, I focus on the main point. If I want my client to remember specific tasks, then I have to organize those tasks in their logical sequence, make the statements short, sweet, and memorable, and then practice them by myself until I am able to replicate the chant without memory aids for myself. Once I get to that point, I can then teach it and practice it with my client, making changes as needed to help them get to their goals.

I think that chant composition is one of the simplest ways to compose therapeutic music experiences for clients. There are times when clients will protest that they cannot sing but they will chant without protestation. It is an interesting situation that I try to take advantage of as I can.


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