Cranford Review 2020

Song Writing
in the
USA
During February Half Term 2020 I visited Redding California
for six days followed by Los Angeles for three days, to work
with professional song writers and DJ’s to further develop
my song writing skills. Song writing is a key element of our music
curriculum at Cranford and both visits were extremely productive and
have been valuable for my song writing work as well as the syllabus
we offer at school.
In Redding I managed to reconnect with two DJ’s I had met in
November 2019, one of which has recently launched a new record
label ‘Bring The Kingdom’. I was able to get some insight into
the process of starting your own record label and the various
opportunities this can open up as a song writer or artist. I managed
to work on and finish two new songs that will be released through
this new record label. This information will certainly come in handy
when teaching RSL lessons. Part of what we coach pupils in is how to
build a career in music and this first-hand experience has given me a
lot of insight that I can pass on.
The L.A. leg of the trip was very different but just as insightful. I met a
lady called Lorita who has been involved in sound design for films and
TV programmes for 15 years. I was able to learn more about the process
of creating sound effects, a technique known as ‘Foly’, where sound
effects are recorded directly using special microphones. I have already been invited back to visit her studio
next year where she is working on a new Netflix series. This experience will again be invaluable in teaching
particularly for the RSL students wanting to pursue a career in the music industry or as another avenue into
the music industry working as a sound designer. I also connected with a DJ called ‘Jacob Plant’ who lives in
L.A but is originally from Kent and this new contact should also open up more opportunities in the future.
As a teacher, the more I can remain actively involved in my professional development the more energy and
relevance my lessons will have. This experience has certainly given me plenty to bring back to my lessons and
the music syllabus development to help students realise the joy of song writing.
Rory O’Hare (Music Department)
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