Songs & Lyrics
SHOW THE WORLD YOU CARE
One of my challenges with this project was thinking about how to engage the very young. With this song, I decided to try simple lyrics with catchy rhythms and rhymes - counting to twenty, so everyone could join in (a throwback to nursery rhymes like One Two Buckle my Shoe). When trying out the songs, I was thrilled that the older children seemed to love guessing and remembering the rhymes while the younger toddlers had fun keeping up with the counting.
We tried to give this track a carnival atmosphere - with jazz like improvised clarinet lines, trumpet fanfares and the odd mariachi solo.
SPACEMAN
Following the loss of David Bowie, I found myself obsessively revisiting his music, filling my head with so much imagery of space travel and the universe. I had often imagined what an alien would make of how we live and treat our planet. I have been inspired by many children's stories such as The Lorax, by Dr Seuss, a genius with words and rhyme while still living plenty to the imagination. Clever and thought provoking, whilst so readable, I am such a fan.
We wanted this song to sound like it was set in space so we started off by layering very simple synth sounds to create some cosmic textures. Added to this there is the winding cello line (which you could perhaps feel represent the alien and the sadness he feels) and also the more unusual sound of the African Udu (an instrument that is made from a traditional water jug and contributes a distinctive heartbeat-style rhythm to the opening).
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE
These words are often used as a slogan in schools and communities so I wanted to reinforce the message. This song was a big challenge - I developed it with the children, getting them to play on everyday objects ("bottles and containers, spoons and tins") to get the beat going and we have added a lot of this recycled percussion to the track. Deliberately a bit noisy and clattering, the bass, clarinets and piano all add to the playful character.
EVERY LITTLE DROP
I grew up singing 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' in assembly at school and felt I wanted to create a similar, modern day, non-religious hymn style song. Gentle (like the rain, wind and natural elements it refers to) I wanted it to sound somewhat sad and reflective - giving children a chance to reflect and think about a brighter future.
PLASTIC
We have probably all now seen desperately sad pictures of plastic in our oceans - I remember seeing a YouTube video years ago about a plastic island in the Pacific Ocean, thought to be as large as the state of New Mexico, and I was so deeply shocked that the image has never left me.
Some of my friends remark that I write songs about the strangest subjects, but this just had to be written. I found the whole history of plastic both fascinating and disturbing but I must admit it felt fun to explore this topic and put it to an upbeat tango style feel. I wanted to give the song a twist, showing that the initially wonderful invention of plastic now has a much darker side.
