While I consider myself to be a creative spirit, I ain’t no poet. I’ve always been one of those folks that struggled to find rhymes when playing those preschool games my kids excel at. My mandatory poetry in high school was the shortest length possible, only rhymed about 70% of the time and very high on the cheese factor.
A pretty good reason to NEVER become a song writer.
When I was in 4th grade, I entered a song composition contest. I’m not sure why I did it was exactly, as I wasn’t really that great of a musician. My muse? I decided to write a song about becoming President. It wasn’t even an aspiration really, but I thought it might give me some brownie points with the judges.
I ended up winning the contest at the school level, and I think maybe even the local level. Because no one else entered. Once that sad composition made it up to the regional level, my sheet music was better suited as a place mat.
I mean, c’mon , check out these lyrics!
I-i-i have a dream to…be President. I think I would be a first class choice. Thinking, talking, working, writing, I can handle these. I’d like to be your leader if you pleeeeaaase.
My submission was recorded in my bedroom, on tape, , sung in my nasaly 10 year-old voice and accompanied by none other than yours truly as I huffed out the horribly boring melody on the FLUTE. I’m pretty sure I was given that medal out of pity.
Luckily, there are capable song writers out there that take rhyming to an artform. Or not rhyming. My favorite.
Photo by Patrick Kolts
This week’s song comes from SteveSongs (a.k.a. Steve Roslonek) You may know him from PBS Kids where he sings his lovely tunes with youngsters.
I’ve liked Steve’s songs in the past (I mean, what’s not to like about “Fast Monkey“? Or “Marvelous Day“?), but not as much as I do from his new album Orangutan Van.
There’s just something about this album that I adore. A certain Je n’est c’est quoi. It could be that the material is accessible and relatable. “Flat Stanley” is sure to get your kids ears perked up if they’re familiar with this paper-thin literary gypsy. And it’s a song that, towards the end, sounds vaguely akin to Dave Matthews.
Maybe it’s their wit I’m attracted to.
Like the one song that sucks me in, hook, line and sinker. “Song Without a Rhyme. ” We’ve been hearing it a bit on Kids Place Live, and I’m so glad this song is finally released and available for purchase.
It’s a smart song from two guys who spur each other on to complete a line of a verse without rhyming. The result is pretty funny, but not at all cheesy. My cup of tea. The friendly competition between Steve and his fellow musician produces some fun anticipation, as they spout off a line with lyrics that lend themselves to, well, rhyming, so well that it’s nearly impossible to break the habit.
Which gets me thinking, maybe I need to rework my President song without getting so locked in to rhyming. Would it be a lot better? Probably not. I’ll leave the music to the musicians.
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