During the first week of our summer music camp, SWAN teacher Lisa Fairman gave the older students the assignment of creating a camp theme song. The students discussed various ideas and what they thought should be highlighted in the song. They continued to engage with each other and progressed to working on the lyrics and a melody. Jaymier and Ceevon, brothers who have composed before, took the lead in the brainstorming session. Ceevon eventually walked to the piano to play the melody ideas and receive group feedback.
The class concluded, but Ceevon, motivated by the creative spark, was inspired to continue working at home. He came the next day with his version of the song and played it for the class. He listened to his classmates as they gave constructive feedback and shared new ideas. He took their suggestions, made minor changes to the lyrics, and then put together a recording with visuals using the SWAN logo.
We gathered all the camp students and shared his recording. The children were impressed, and it did not take long for them to begin singing the chorus: “S, W, A, N, S, W, we are SWAN.” The assignment was a huge success as the collaborative work inspired natural talent and created a sense of camaraderie for all the camp students.