out-patient songwriting

 

In 2006, Purple Songs Can Fly created an in-house recording studio at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers. The studio is located on the 14th Floor of the Clinical Care Center of Texas Children’s Hospital and provides the children being treated for cancer, blood disorders and their siblings the opportunity to write and record their own songs.

 

In this program, any child being treated in the out-patient clinic or a sibling is welcome to participate, and no musical training or experience is required.   Before getting started, parents are asked to complete consent and release forms for both Purple Songs Can Fly and Texas Children’s Hospital.

 

From puppies to best friends, favorite teachers to hating shots, God to Harley Davidsons, love songs to summer camp and everything in between, the children’s songs can be written on any topic imaginable.   Every song is unique, but very often the Purple Songs Can Fly staff will work on capturing the child’s words first, and then move into creating a lyric and its underlying music.  The children are involved each step of the way, choosing the rhythms and sounds they want to hear and even composing their own melodies.

 

Once the underlying music is created, the child is then able to practice singing the song before recording a vocal track.   The music and vocal track are then mixed and burned to a disc.   Each child is given the CD recording of their original song to take home and share with their family and friends.