The Album
Chickens in Love limited-edition vinyl LP (pre-order, release date TBD), $20
Chickens in Love CD (pre-order, release date TBD), $15
Behold a masterpiece. CHICKENS IN LOVE is a full-length album of original songs where the lyrics were written by 826LA students and then covered by Los Angeles-based recording artists. We at 826LA are really excited about this unique project. Our goal is always to create opportunities for our students to learn that writing touches every aspect of our lives in important ways. As music lovers, we wanted to do a project that was music based and what better way to merge writing and music than with a lyrics-focused song-writing workshop with professional musicians?
Songwriting workshops were held in each of our writing labs in Echo Park and Venice, California during December of 2008 and 2009. In each of these workshops local musicians along with 826LA volunteers worked with students to help them conceive of how lyrics and songs are created. In the workshops the students wrote songs in groups where they were paired with a musician and/or volunteer. These groups were then tasked to come up with a subject and write a song with multiple verses and a chorus. The groups had an hour to get creative, write the lyrics, develop a melody, and then perform it in front of the entire class. This is an example of what we call project-based learning. That is, students work collaboratively in groups to create something-be it a book, website, performance, or as was the case in this project, a musical recording and performance.
But we took this project a step further. Once the songs were written and videotaped, we then sent the final song to twelve L.A.-based bands and asked them to cover the songs however they liked, but with one rule: no matter what, the original lyrics could not be changed. The results are 12 new songs that appear on this limited edition recording. All proceeds from the sale of this record will go right back into the programs that provide these kinds of opportunities to children all across Los Angeles.
