Learning Memories

by Linda Worsley
January, 1999

When the recording crew and I are together, we inevitably talk about the past decade of intense recording—more than a hundred CDs and thousands of songs—in terms of the mishaps, disasters (the console caught fire at one memorable session), and hilarity. But mostly we talk about how great it has been to work with young people. In the process of these years of recording, we have worked with singers of all ages. The truly fine adult singers are, of course, a joy. The product and the process are both immensely satisfying. Most of all, however, we are rewarded by the children.

The young people we work with are all talented. We wouldn't invite them to record if they were not. But more than that, our kids are the kind who give us hope for the future, not just of music but of the world. They are not afraid to work hard. They never complain. They must stand for long periods, often repeating a phrase ten or twenty times to get it right. They must learn new music, often on the spot, and perform it perfectly and with artistry, whether or not they like the music, or whether or not it's past snack time, and even if they have a blister on their heel. And they are inevitably the kids who won't let their schoolwork slide, so often they open their math books or history reports during breaks.

All of us learn a lot in the process of this music making. We learn from the kids, as they learn from us and we all learn from the music. I constantly discover new things about how to write successful music for young performers. I watch and listen to more than just the music during the sessions. The singers show me, with their body language, whether they find a song rewarding to sing. Not just easy. They never complain if a song is difficult, only if it is boring or awkward to sing. I call it the "twist test: Their boredom shows in twisting of microphone cords, a strand of their hair, or a button on their shirt. They even show me, by the way they sing and stand and stare, whether a secondary part is interesting or dull. (As a lifelong alto, I learned to appreciate interesting vocal lines in internal parts.) The kids teach me which subjects, styles, and attitudes are important to keep in mind when writing for young singers. And they catch all the errors—both errors in the music and errors in judgement. (Why, they asked, would a well-known songwriter use the line "Who's got the cheers? Who's got the boos?" in a baseball song. The kids howled at the last word in that lyric. "Can't drink at my school!" said one 12-year-old singer.)

I think the most important thing these young people have taught me is not to underestimate them. They can learn, perform, and understand very difficult words and music, if it is good stuff, worth their time. On one recent four-year project we recorded songs from many nations, using native speakers to train the children in correct pronunciation and style. It was incredibly hard, particularly when the language included sounds that were unfamiliar to young American ears. I was afraid it might be too much for them, that they might lose interest and begin to do less than their best work. Not so. At the end of the four years, one of the very young singers told me proudly, "I've been keeping track. I've sung in twenty-three different languages! Is that cool or what?"

Very cool.

Director Sean Williams leads a group of young singers in the booth, as Martinsound Engineer Dan Blessinger and Producer Linda Worsley run the board. Alhambra, California, January, 1999.