Teach Your Children
“You, who are on the road
Must have a code you try to live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye”
“Teach Your Children,” written by Graham Nash
Graham Nash wrote “Teach Your Children” in 1968 while still a member of the Hollies. It was first released on the self-titled Crosby, Stills & Nash album in 1969, then issued as a single in 1970. It only reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it became a standard for my generation. I chose this song for this month’s column because it fits so well into the “what’s happening in my life now” category.
Four years ago, I got the feeling that I should use my experience songwriting and performing to pass on my love of the art and craft involved, not for financial gain, but simply to pass it on. I wanted to create a method that would let anyone with the desire, regardless of musical knowledge or experience, write songs. My concept grew out of a simple truth: from birth, we’re marinated in music. We know intuitively what works, what moves us, and what we do and don’t like. That understanding doesn’t require any special training, it comes from the soundtrack of our lives, the constant background hum of radio, TV, and movies.
I had no experience teaching and no formal music training, aside from a classical guitar course I flunked out of in college. Still, I wanted to build the songwriting course I wish I’d had at thirteen, when I was writing my first songs. At that age, I wasn’t intimidated, I simply wrote, and kept writing, because it was fun. As an adult, though, I often hesitate to start something new out of fear of failure. So I wanted a method that got students writing immediately, without judgment or fear of failure. My solution was to treat writing a first song as something simple, low-stakes, and as painless as possible.
The nine-session course I created is simply called “Anyone Can Write a Song.” The Winnsboro Center for the Arts, in the wonderful small town of Winnsboro, Texas, gave me the opportunity to teach it for two years. After we moved to New Mexico last year, I couldn’t find a venue at first, so I booked time at our neighborhood community center and taught an abbreviated version this spring. But through a bit of luck and some gentle prodding, I’ll be teaching the fall session in Santa Fe at Queen Bee Music Association, my fourth time teaching the course, with tweaks and improvements I hope will make it even more fun and inspiring for my future students.
I’m excited about this new opportunity to share my love of words, music, and the power of creation, and to help others find the courage to share their own feelings and experiences. I’ve learned more from my students, and from building an environment where creativity is free of judgment, than I ever could have imagined. Even after 60 years of songwriting, I’m still amazed and humbled by its power as an art form and a craft to liberate the creative genius that’s sometimes hidden in each of us.
So far, my students have used their songs to work through trauma, tragedy, loss, guilt, addiction, untold joys, dark secrets, and unspoken regrets. The process seems to let them sneak up on themselves, writing words they never expected to share. The honesty and fearlessness in these often-first-time writers’ creations would inspire anyone. Watching them free themselves like that leaves me without adequate words to describe the scale of what they’ve achieved. I’ve been taught more as a teacher than I ever learned as a writer.
At this point in my life, I’ve finally realized that inspiring others to create is even more fulfilling than writing and performing myself. I intend to keep teaching for as long as I’m able, even as my own desire and ability to create and perform begin to fade. Why didn’t I figure this out sooner?
Check out https://queenbeemusicassociation.org for info on classes, cost, and times.
Randy Lewis Brown performing songwriter, Berkalin Records recording artist
WEBSITE: http://randylewisbrown.com mailto: randy@brownrandy.com
YOUTUBE CHANNEL: http://yt.vu/c/UCubiXRyUOt0o-4yEEV6qPIw
Randy, I appreciate the songwriting workshop you gave in New Mexico. Your simple approach and song craftmanship got my story out of my head and into lyrics that took me back to a time that I was trying to understand: “King Biscuit Time”.
Thank you, my friend. Brian Mabry
Randy’s songwriting class got me excited about music again. I used to sing, but I’ve never had formal music training, so I never really thought about writing a song. The approach of starting with a story or a simple idea and then applying proven techniques to turn it into something amazing really works! Randy’s gentle guidance and tips really work. Being able to write songs that have meaning to me is better than therapy. I’ve written three songs that I listen to every day – and I’m working on a couple more. Don’t underestimate yourself, you can do it!