Eshika Tangri ‘23
Photo courtesy of Logan Schlitt
Doug Parsons, Upper School English Teacher, recently added the Songwriting Club to an existing variety of music clubs at EA. The club started as an enrichment summer course offered by EA for a small group of Upper School students who wanted to strengthen their base for songwriting and music. Over the span of the three-week course, students explored what songwriting really is and how to start thinking about writing one’s own music. Current club leaders, Lex Ventresca ‘23 and Logan Schlitt ‘23, reflect on their time in the summer course, mentioning how it spoke to their “passion for music and the arts.” When asked why she likes songwriting, Schlitt ‘23 says, “It is a way to express what you are thinking without having to tell someone directly and it is a good way to express your emotions and connect with others.” As the club continues to grow, it will maintain the structure of the summer course. The club focuses on the three main aspects of songwriting: listening, writing, and performing.
Parsons explains, “The goals are pretty simple. Goal one is to share music we like and talk about it and learn how to become more sophisticated listeners. Goal two is to give students a venue to try out lyric ideas or musical ideas and help them develop these ideas into finished songs. Goal three is to practice performing our songs and giving each other feedback. I hope we get to do this in person by the end of this school year!” Schlitt ‘23 adds more, saying, “From the beginning, our main goal was to get students to get out and perform, whether that be in the musical or even in events such as the Dora Khayatt music competition. However, due to COVID-19, those events are not possible. So, the modified goal is to build yourself as an artist and to perform music and collaborate with each other so that everyone can be their best self.”
Along with helping students, the club is also a way to help teachers grow as educators. Parsons comments, “I think the main way it has helped me grow as a teacher is it’s the first subject I’ve taught that I’m not an expert in. I know a lot about music, but I don’t have much expertise with songwriting.” He further describes why he enjoys the club so much, mentioning, “instead of me, the teacher, leading the students through a journey of discovery, we were all peers traveling together and learning from each other, which was a new experience for me, but exciting and wonderful.”
There have been numerous opportunities within the club itself for rising musicians and singers. Parsons discusses the different professionals who have come to help the students throughout the course of this club. “I taught last summer with help from EA alum and professional songwriter Chris Paterno, ’11. We spent the first week learning some concepts to help us become better listeners. Week 2 we spent learning how to generate song hooks and develop song ideas. Week 3 we spent workshopping our own original songs. On the last day, the students and I performed our own original songs and received comprehensive feedback from a panel of judges, which included Chris Paterno and Alex Oliva, ’19.” He expresses how pleased he was with everyone’s performance as well as the pride he takes in the club as a whole, commenting, “I must tell you that each student performed a song that would bring the house down at Open Mic night – they were that good. I think the students had a great experience and wanted to keep the songwriting journey going. They’re the ones who started the club. I cannot be more proud of my students and I know they will continue to make me proud.”