Melodic Expressions - Empowering First-Year Writers through Songwriting

Oct 15, 2026

Melodic Expressions explores how songwriting can empower first-year writers by turning music into a pathway for meaning-making, self-discovery, and stronger academic composing. Drawing on Scott Strovas’ music-centered first-year writing approach, it highlights music motifs in genres such as the personal essay, research argument, and journalistic music review, alongside the use of primary sources to reshape writing habits. The essay then presents semester-ready classroom practices, including original lyric creation, timed freewriting prompts, discussion-based icebreakers, and structured lyric-writing guidance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time34 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Music as a tool for first-year writing

Setting the Scene

Day-one prompt and student engagement

Background music and classroom tone

Lyric-writing activities

Using lyric-writing frameworks

Melodic Expressions: Empowering First-Year Writers through Songwriting John Ryan Hrebik (Re)Vision Writing Academy Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul. Plato Long before I studied creative writing and composition studies, I spent countless hours writing songs. I never considered myself to be a songwriter; however, I discovered that this genre of writing helped express many of the complex feelings that plagued me during my late teens and early twenties. And, like Plato suggests,“rhythm and harmony” did eventually found their way into my soul, helping me navigate the emotionally charged waters of early adulthood. Years later, I began incorporating music-based activities and songwriting into my first-year writing course in an effort to present my students with a similar opportunity for meaning-making and self-discovery, while equipping them with the tools necessary for college-level writing. And, while the use of songwriting seemed unique to my classroom at the time, I have since found other first-year writing instructors who see the value of using music in the teaching of writing. In the article,“Music in the First-Year Writing Course,” Scott Strovas, a musicologist, methodically outlines his music-centered approach for teaching first-year writing (25) . In particular, he injects the music motif into the personal essay, the research argument and, my personal favorite, the journalistic music review. With each prompt, Strovas places students within the familiar genre of music, affording them the opportunity to “develop and gain trust in their own writing abilities while exploring what their favorite music means to them”(33). And, in addition to bolstering their overall confidence, he encourages students to utilize primary sources when performing academic writing in an effort to “subvert students’ expectations about the writing process, lessen their dependence on writing formulas and bad research habits, and foster their confidence in their own ideas”(25). By situating his course within the realm of music and placing value on primary source material, Strovas creates a familiar atmosphere for his students to begin exploring the value of their own inimitable experiences and knowledge. Moreover, his approach offers students a practical experience to reflect upon when critically engaging secondary source materials while performing academic research. With Strovas’ music-based course in mind, this article extends the conversation further into composition studies by examining how incorporating songwriting into the first-year writing course enables students to begin expressing their own ideas/perspectives, while also developing the ability to create the concise, detailed texts associated with academic writing. The forthcoming discussion offers a detailed account of some of the individual assignments and inclass activities that I implement over the course of the semester in order to accomplish the previous objectives. Although the following discussion is situated within the context of the firstyear writing course, it can easily be modified to fulfill the objectives ofthe primary or secondary English classroom. Setting the Scene On the first day of class, I announce to my students that they will be writing original song lyrics throughout the semester. This, of course, sends a wave of panic over my students, followed by a cacophony of disbelief. "Original song lyrics? We are not songwriters!” I quickly reassure students that while they may never hear their song on the radio, they will be inspired to integrate their personal experiences into writing assignments, while developing the ability to write succinct, detailed pieces. After taking the time to introduce the course, I ask them to open their notebooks and begin the following writing prompt: Name one of your favorite songs and explain your distinct connection to it. Thi

FAQs

How does the article argue that music supports first-year writing?

It argues that rhythm and harmony reach “inward places,” helping students express complex feelings and navigate emotionally charged stages of early adulthood. The approach also helps students build confidence and engage more deeply with writing tasks.

What prior approach does the article build on?

It extends Scott Strovas’ music-centered first-year writing course, which integrates music motifs into multiple writing genres and uses primary sources to disrupt formulaic writing habits and foster confidence in students’ own ideas.

What classroom activity is used to start the semester?

On the first day, the instructor tells students they will write original song lyrics and begins with a ten-minute freewriting prompt: naming a favorite song and explaining their personal connection. This is followed by a large group discussion to set the semester tone.

Oct 15, 2026

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