The collegiate choir was rehearsing “Holding the Light” by B.E. Boykin (original poem by Stuart Kestenbaum) for the Homecoming concert, which at this time, was a couple weeks away. We had just finished singing a segment of the song when collegiate chorale conductor Dr. Jason Horner pauses for a few moments to share his story on the tragic day of 9/11, which was part of his reason for choosing that song. After class that day, it got me thinking about how music is a form of expression. Music is a conduit for memories. And music is the fulfilled (or yet-to-be fulfilled) canvas of emotion and storytelling.
I am a frequent viewer of Aviators’ Twitch livestreams. Aviators, or Tyler Shaw, is a song artist who I discovered when I was in middle school. Just last week, he released a 24-album. During the livestream, and during previous album premieres, I have read many messages in the chat saying how this guy’s music and songs have aided them during the toughest of times because of their relatability. Aviators is known by his community to write sad songs, but keep in mind that he writes positive ones, too. It’s his writing style of lyrics of how he shapes it with music that attracts the listener. I will definitely write more about Aviators, our precious fox bard, in a later article because like the rest of his fans, he holds the crown of being the biggest inspiration in my life. He tends to bleed into my personal literature works like short stories and song lyrics.
Before I continue further, it is a must that I preface that I am a massive musical lover. That’s part of why music and singing will always be one of the centerpieces in my life. Or a core memory, if we’re going by Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out” terms. Because I love my trio of closest friends so much, I have a tendency to write songs about the three of us. Most of it comes from imagination and most of it is fictional anyways, but I still like to dream. I’m still working on a “theme song” of sorts.
To answer the question of how I’m able to write lyrics without having music first, it’s a matter of getting the melody stuck in my head while I note down some lines that fit the syllable count in said melody and then repeat it a few times. That way, when I go back and re-read it after a period of time, it’s the same melody that I remember. Sometimes a new melody flows in and it could sound much better, especially when you’re working on those verse melodies. Trust me, it’s a lot easier than it seems. I also recommend using the Rhymer’s Block app if you need assistance with rhymes. I use it all the time, if only to write every song ever.
Blessed tigers, if you take nothing else from this article, then bear in mind this: Songs are a versatile tool that have various uses. You can stem them from poems, as they have countlessly before in history, whether they have a rhyme scheme or not. “Holding the Light” doesn’t, and yet it holds so much power because of the message it sends. Rhymes may be cool, but they aren’t everything.
Should you ever find yourself wanting to write a poem or lyrics, do so without any limitations. The rules you might disable yourself with, vaporize them. They’re not important. Follow your heart to share a story, someone else’s story, an opinion, anything. The options are unlimited. Maybe that opinion keeps a story within it. It’s also important to provide some background information. It’s still strongly advised to let others interpret it how they want to interpret it. The details between the lines will still be the truth, the foundation. How others see it won’t ever change that.
