By Rowena Atkins
Music plays a central role in youth culture. One of the first questions young people ask when they meet is “what music do you listen to?” Because music helps shape identity, it matters deeply to them. Research shows that making music boosts creativity, confidence, cognitive flexibility and mental well-being. It gives students opportunities to perform solo, collaborate in ensembles, and shine in ways that other activities may not. Music also supports learning across the curriculum: it can raise motivation, help students articulate ideas, and improve memory retention.
I believe songwriting has an important role beyond music lessons. It can enrich Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, English classes, and broader school life by fostering collaboration and community. Songwriting helps young people explore their identity, understand others, and reflect on their world. When students are distracted by worries, anxieties or uncertainty, it’s hard for teachers to engage them fully. The act of writing down feelings, hopes and dreams gives students a way to process emotions and express themselves authentically. As Frank Zappa put it, “a mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.”
Within music education, songwriting offers a meaningful, creative context for practising musical skills and putting theoretical elements into practice. It also allows students to experiment with figurative language and narrative techniques they learn in English lessons, linking literacy and musicianship in a practical, motivating way.
Three Steps to Get Started with Student Songwriting
Songwriting is not consistently taught across school music programmes, yet it offers powerful creative and educational benefits. Teaching songwriting helps students find their voice and develop communication skills. The following three steps provide a clear and practical path for introducing songwriting in the classroom.
Step 1 ― Create a clear concept and an engaging title
Start by having students listen to a variety of songs across genres so they can decide the style and topics that inspire them. One of the most challenging—and rewarding—aspects of songwriting is expressing familiar emotions in fresh, interesting ways. Encourage students to be inventive when describing feelings or everyday experiences, such as the pressures and joys of growing up.
Two short classroom exercises work well to jump-start ideas:
- Ask students to pick five objects from their bedroom (for example: bed, chair, guitar, books, window) and turn each into a potential song title—e.g., Bed → “Safe Haven,” Guitar → “Broken Strings.”
- Invite students to choose a meaningful quote—such as “it is never too late to be what you might have been”—and use that idea as the central concept for a song.
Step 2 ― Begin writing
Using their chosen object or quote, have students do a freewriting exercise for ten minutes. Encourage them to engage all their senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, organic sensations (like heartbeat) and kinesthetic awareness—so descriptions feel specific and vivid. After freewriting, students should refine their lines into rhyming couplets. Lyrics have a natural rhythm, and simple rhyming schemes like A-A-B-B or A-B-A-B are helpful starting points.
Next, ask students to count syllables in each line while tapping a steady beat. This practice helps them sense the natural rhythm of their lyrics and makes it easier to match words to a melody. Encourage them to create metaphors and vivid imagery to give their song a distinctive voice. A useful technique is to make lists—five striking adjectives, five interesting nouns, five action verbs—then mix and match combinations to spark fresh lines and phrases. When students have gathered many lyrical ideas, they can organise material into sections (verse, chorus, bridge) to shape the song’s narrative and emotional build.
Step 3 ― Build chord progressions and add melody
Now bring music and words together. Students can use acoustic instruments or classroom technology to create accompaniment and beats. Digital audio workstations and online tools make it easy to layer instrumental parts, try different arrangements and experiment safely.
Chord progressions form the backbone of many popular songs. A chord is several notes played together; a progression is a sequence of chords that creates movement and emotional shape. Three common pop progressions to introduce are:
- I–IV–V (for example, C–F–G in C major)
- I–V–vi–IV (C–G–Am–F)
- I–vi–ii–V (C–Am–Dm–G)
Once students are familiar with these patterns, they’ll recognise them across many modern songs. Each student should pick a key and a progression, then play the chords and hum or sing different melodic ideas until they find something that suits the lyrics. Using different progressions for verses, choruses and bridges helps create contrast and keeps the song dynamic. Digital tools let students audition many combinations quickly and revise ideas without pressure.
Developing songs and sharing work
Once students begin songwriting, they often want to keep refining ideas. Encourage regular revision, collaboration and performance. Sharing work in class builds confidence and helps students learn from each other. Competitions and showcases—whether local, school-based or national—can provide additional motivation for those who want to develop their songs further. When students find their creative voice through songwriting, they become more engaged learners and more confident communicators.
About the author
Rowena Atkins is the founder and Chief Executive of Song Academy, which runs the annual Young Songwriter competition. Song Academy Young Songwriter is an international songwriting programme for young people aged 8–18 that aims to inspire and support the next generation of writers and performers.