OBG in the CLE Theme Song Collab
At our last virtual songwriting session, layering vocals and digital instruments.
So fun working with Jesse on his new brand, site and logo!
I had been exploring the idea of digital, musical storytelling ever since I took ukulele lessons, learning to play basic chords while recovering from my cancer comeback in 2019-2020. I’ve been so lucky to work with kindred spirits and imaginative clients who deeply inspire me, pushing me to expand my own curiosity and creativity right along with them. I have been delighted and excited to be working with the amazing children’s singer-songwriter, Jesse Friedberg, (a.k.a. Jesse Jukebox) on re-thinking and refreshing his one-of-a-kind brand. I especially love his Jesse Jukebox Jam Bags for kiddos six and under. Listen to this Jam Bag Music Medley he created, with Jesse masterfully layering and playing all the kid instruments himself!
Loved working with Jesse on concepting his Jam Bags and Music Medley, too.
I was really moved by Jesse’s generous and heartfelt community outreach performing benefit concerts for The Gathering Place and The Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Growing up with ADHD, Jesse often points to how he struggled being a “different kind of kid” and how creativity and music helped him find his way and voice – singing, kid rockstar voice that is! He even wrote a few songs celebrating his neurodiversity, including “Complicated Kid” and “AWESOME” with his friend Jaison Anderson who “sings” in American Sign Language.
I approached Jesse to create a multicultural diversity song based on Other Brown Girl, and am so excited to share a sneak peek (or, in this case, a listen!) of what we’ve been working on – a special co-writing collab of several children’s songs and genres. (Lucky me, Jesse was game to my idea of creating a multicultural, kid pop song – theme song for OBG. And hey, that’s Jesse strumming my own ukulele, too!)
Me, kinda excited at our first brainstorm co-writing collab meeting…
Jesse, kinda wondering if I am always “this” excited, and yes, yes I am…
After graduating from Berklee College of Music and a stint in LA, and later receiving his Master’s in Early Childhood Education, Jesse landed back in the CLE and is on a mission to inspire children and their “grownups” to be creative, compassionate free-thinkers. (But mostly, to rock out!) I asked Jesse to share his songwriting creative process and his special “Jesse Jukebox magic” for Other Brown Girl.
Exploring initial big ideas, verse, lyrics, and chorus cadence with Jesse.
Everyone has a different songwriting process, but this is what works for me.
When writing with/for someone, I like to start by getting the basic idea of what they are trying to say in their song. Is it a moral message? Is it about someone? Is it a call to action? A story? I jot down notes and a few lyrical ideas and themes if they come to mind.
When it comes to actual songwriting, everyone has a different creative process. Some write music, then lyrics, some write lyrics, then music, some write both at the same time. I tend to write both at the same time, especially if I already have a theme or lyrical idea in mind. Sometimes I have a musical idea and I treat words just as sound and music, playing a guitar progression while singing nonsensical words that fit the syllables I hear. Honestly, when people have asked me what comes first, the lyrics or music, I usually say, “both and neither”, and I promise it isn’t meant to be evasive or condescending! It’s just the way I approach songs, it’s my personal creative process.
Once I have an idea of how the music in the song is going to go, I can then start writing lyrics intensively. I’ll do the first draft of lyrics and when I finish I’ll go back and fine-tune, finding better words, rhymes, more interesting ways to say things.
After that, I make a quick demo, just vocals, and guitar. If I’m writing for you, I would then send you the demo along with the lyric sheet. I would then get your notes and feedback if there is any. From there, we start the actual production process.
When producing, I usually put down a scratch guitar and scratch vocal first (guitars and vocals I’m going to re-record later) to a metronome. From there, I add in whatever instruments I think would service the song (drums, bass, piano, electric guitar, etc.). After I have recorded the base instruments, I might go back and overdub some other parts (ukulele, accordion, organ, etc.) that I feel will help make the song stand out and be unique. I’ll then put on final vocals and background vocals if the song calls for it.
After tracking everything, and we have it in a place we like, it’s time to mix. The time for mixing really depends on how much is in the song (how many instruments, tracks, etc.). After I mix, I’ll send the song over to you for notes and approval. And then we’re done!
Very special thanks to Accelerate 2021, Cleveland Leadership Center, Citizens Make Change, and the Cleveland Foundation’s generous TECHNOVATION funding, Jesse and I are working on our first stages of production, mixing our first track while finalizing lyrics and ukulele hooks. (Hint, there may be a few kid chorus vocals and dance moves in here when all is said and done...) Stay tuned! More soon!
Me, exploring ideas and inspiration for OTHER BROWN GIRL song lyrics and themes…
Jesse pondering, in yet another brilliant moment of kid music creative genius…