My cousin Grant teaches 2nd grade and across the years he has creatively used my music within his classrooms to lighten the mood, maintain order, inspire minds and ultimately teach lasting lessons in an interactive format — this lesson tops them all.

If you recall, I visited his class back in 2008, where we co-wrote a new version of my song The Bus. It was a really fun experience to show them a previously written line and then ask them to recreate it, in their own words, using the same structures and syllables, but totally unique to them.

This time, years later, his 2010-2011 class has been studying my song We Grow from my album Long Before the Wheel and learning about metaphors in the process … to my everlasting joy, they’ve written and recorded their own version of We Grow.

Check out Mr. Bushman’s 2010-2011 2nd Grade Class from Heritage Elementary School in Nibley, Utah singing their own version of my song We Grow.

WE GROW — BY TYLER STENSON & 2nd GRADERS

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WE GROW
Lyrics by Tyler Stenson and Mr. Bushman’s 2nd grade class
NOTE: The italicized words are theirs.

I heard you say that you wish I stayed
An older version of me — long before my change.
If we’re not growing we are staying the same,
So I will welcome the change and stretch myself day to day…

We’re entitled to change, we grow
Like baby to man
Like ideas of Mr. Bushman
Like the airbag inside of a van
Like things from a recycled can
The change is going to happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

If a seed can grow into a tree
And if that tree can grow leaves,
How is that different than me?
We both breathe and we come from the dirt
And that’s where we will return
When both of our seasons fade…

We’re entitled to change, we grow
Like dust on a mat
Like the wings of a small baby bat
Like a kitten growing into a cat
Like the whiskers from a beautiful rat
The change is going to happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

If we’re not growing,
We are staying the same,
So, I will welcome the change
And stretch myself day to day
We’re entitled to change…

We’re entitled to change, we grow
Like egg into bird
Like the little baby cows in a herd
Like adding suffixes to a word
Like a 2nd Grader moving to third
The change is going to happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

THE ORIGINAL WE GROW:

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You can buy “We Grow” on CD Baby and iTunes!!

One of my favorite songs from the Long Before the Wheel album is the last track, We Grow. It’s my favorite because it’s like nothing I’ve ever written — totally unique and a pure labor of gritty love.

While the theme of this song is universal — how we’re human and therefore entitled to change and grow — the inspiration was very specific. After releasing my album Orange Chrome Sky in 2006, an avid fan of my old Rhetoric Tuesday material from 2002 wrote me an email that expressed his disappointment in the new direction of my music. He was adamant that I should return to my old ways because the new stuff wasn’t any good.

While my older music was a bit more pop-oriented and instantly appealing, my Lander: Orange Chrome Sky record had its own heartbeat and spirit — a darker piece but, in my eyes, equal in quality. Less instant gratification but more sophistication. Of course, he did not see the forest for the trees.

In the end I wrote him a calm and collected email explaining that I was sorry to have fallen short of his expectations but as a human, I was entitled to change and as an artist, growth was inevitable. I left it at that — who knows what he took from that retort.

In all, this song is 16 metaphors of growth and an artsy piece that argues that growth is not only healthy, but inevitable. Enjoy We Grow.

Learn more about the process of writing the metaphors behind We Grow!!

DOWNLOAD “WE GROW” on CD Baby or iTunes!!

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WE GROW
by tyler stenson © 2010

I heard you say that you wish I stayed
An older version of me — long before my change.
But, if we’re not growing we are staying the same,
So I will welcome the change and stretch myself day to day.
We’re entitled to change because we grow

Like blown up balloons.
Like the flare at the end of a spoon.
Like one note becoming a tune.
Like the city lights in the darkening blue–
The change is gonna happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

If a seed can grow into a tree
And if that tree can grow leaves,
I ask, how is that different than me?
Because we both breathe and we come from the dirt
And that’s where we will return
When both of our seasons fade.
We’re entitled to change because we grow

Like one into two.
Like the eleventh hour turning to noon,
Then May slow fades into June,
Then you’re a grownup in your childhood room–
The change is gonna happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

If we’re not growing, we are staying the same
So, I will welcome the change and stretch myself day to day.
We’re entitled to change because we grow

Like a high tide caused by that moon.
Like a flower knowing Spring is coming soon.
Like wings inside a cocoon,
(Or anything else that is destine to bloom)–
Like our faith in the things we know to be true
Or like the courage found in the wine and the booze–
The change is gonna happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

DOWNLOAD “WE GROW” on CD Baby or iTunes!!

As an aside, a group of second graders recently studied my song as a lesson in metaphors. To my everlasting joy, they’ve written their own set of metaphors and recorded their own version of We Grow. Give it a listen!!

WE GROW
By Mr Bushman’s 2nd Grade Class

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Track #4 off of my Long Before the Wheel EP is a short and sweet tune called Clover. While most of my songs are rather ambiguous and their meanings obscure, this one is fairly obvious.

There was a time in my life when I was — not lonely — but definitely ready to finally find that certain someone. With that in mind, I had always heard that if you want something badly enough, you should put it in the atmosphere and allow the universe to conspire to make it so. Cue this song.

I wrote Clover for the love I had not yet met — that rare clover hiding amongst the billion blades in the grass. I hoped this song would bring her my way…

DOWNLOAD CLOVER on CD Baby or iTunes!!

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CLOVER
by tyler stenson © 2010

As a man of chance, not much for fate,
My superstitions are hard to break.
But, if Lucky see, then Lucky do,
Then Clover I’ll be lucky to find you.

I’ve had a pocket-pair with an Ace up my sleeve
At an all-in table that boasted one King.
But, my luck has been known to wear walking shoes
So, Clover I’ll be lucky to find you.

Clover I’ll be lucky
To ever find something like you.
Please, Clover make me lucky.

In all the world there’s a billion blades
In the grass on the ground that all look the same.
I’ve combed them over- I’ve sifted through-
And Clover I’ll be lucky to find you.

Clover I’ll be lucky
To ever find something
So small and so lovely.
Yes, Clover I’ll be lucky if I ever find you.
Please, Clover make me lucky.

DOWNLOAD CLOVER on CD Baby or iTunes!!

Inspiration is a funny thing — months ago, I felt inclined to write about the mystery woman of my dreams and even though Clover came to be, Old Man Muse must not have been finished with me. No, not quite.

After digging a little deeper, I’ve officially written a new song in the same vein as Clover called That I’ll Know You… and today’s live recording can be heard below. Simply put, it’s a love song for the woman that I thought might never show. Thought. Enjoy the new song.

That I’ll Know You…
by tyler stenson © 2010

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I’ve gotten good at being alone,
Through the Valentines and the Mistletoe,
Though I’ve tried to find my heart’s Muse-
Oh, that I’ll know you when I see you.

It’s not that I have never loved,
It’s that my timing has been a victim of
The Winds of Change-
My, how they blew.
Oh, that I’ll know you when I see you.

So, shine sun, shine
And burn brighter than the others
So that I might see your brand of beam
And want another and another.
I cannot call your name
Cause I don’t know who I’m calling to-
Oh, that I’ll know you when I see you.

I’ve pictured it one thousand times;
My hands have run the length of your spine,
Down to your thighs,
To your glass shoe.
Oh, that I’ll know you when I see you.

So, to my Love I haven’t met,
Where for art thou Juliet?
You see, I switched the lines
But the play reads true:
Oh, that I’ll know you when I see you.

So, shine sun, shine
And burn brighter than the others
So that I might see your brand of beam
And want another and another.
I cannot call your name
Cause I don’t know who I’m calling to-
Oh, that I’ll know you when I see you.

LIKE THIS SONG? THEN PLEASE VOTE FOR ME AS PORTLAND’S BEST MALE ARTIST: http://bit.ly/akdIA

I spent a couple hours in the recording studio today with Rob Stroup recording a new song called Often & Much. What makes this song slightly different than my others is that I co-wrote it with my good friend Melissa Bollea. Although this is simply a demo, unfinished with some definite tweaks on the horizon, I want you to enjoy it to the fullest. Introducing Often & Much…

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OFTEN & MUCH
by tyler stenson & melissa bollea

I’ve been drifting for days on the blue
And that horizon is telling the truth.
It says the land is a lonely distance from this view
But there is a light house cutting through.

You’re my hope.
You’re my sail.
You’re my crutch.
So, my head, returns to you often and much.

I’ve been trying to buy me some time
With all these buffalo nickels and dimes
And I’ve been reading books
(Just to learn from the lines)
But those words don’t rhyme.

You’re my hope.
You’re my sail.
You’re my crutch.
So, my head, returns to you often and much.

So, pull up the anchor;
Release the white dove
And set a course for the sun
And pray this gail
Will guide my sail
To the one I love.

You’re my hope.
You’re my sail.
You’re my crutch.
So, my head, returns to you often and much.

Track #2 off of Long Before the Wheel is a bittersweet ballad that was written for a special few — Scotland Barr and Kipp Crawford.

As the video and song suggests, Scotland passed away in September of 2009. When I heard the news, I began to write a song in his honor based on his song called Spanish Dust. Midway through writing the piece, in November, Kipp passed away tragically and, because this was a song for Music Men, I thought it highly appropriate to include him in the tribute.

I will never claim that I knew either of them extremely well but our brief passing in time had great effect. I will always remember them for their talents and their contribution to the Portland music community and beyond.

Read more about Scotland Barr
Read more about Kipp Crawford
DOWNLOAD DAFFODILS NOW

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DAFFODILS
by tyler stenson © 2010

Who was September
To decide it was time
To pull your pen from the page
That drew out your line
Since 1965?
-Long before your time.

May your fields be pure gold
And yellow like the loveliest sun.
May we hear your bones
Singing at the top of their lungs.
May all your fields be songs and daffodils.

Oh, then November
Would not be outdone
And dimmed that bright old smile
From an Ashland Son
That burned since ‘78
-Then all at once faded away.

May your fields be pure gold
And yellow like the loveliest sun.
May we hear your bones
Sounding out the beat of a drum.
May all your fields be songs and daffodils.

I for one, hope you found your Sun Years
And finally laid your eyes on some Spanish Dust.
Your words fill up our Paper Dixie Cups,
In a cheers to you,
One of the few who knew love.

So, may all your fields be pure gold
And yellow like the loveliest sun.
May we hear your bones
Singing at the top of their lungs.
May all your fields be songs and daffodils.

May all your fields be songs and daffodils.

DOWNLOAD DAFFODILS NOW

Track #1 off of Long Before the Wheel is a simple song called Leave Oregon. It was the first song I wrote after moving to Nashville and it’s therefore a vulnerable discussion of the West vs. East and the distance I felt from Home as a result.

What I like most about this song is that it’s deceptively motivational and even though it questions my move into the Lion’s Den of music (aka the Music City), I consider it to be a fearless march to war — much to gain, little to lose.

Enjoy Leave Oregon, no matter where you’re from — no matter where you’re going.

Leave Oregon will be released on Oct 2nd
At the Secret Society Ballroom in Portland, OR

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LEAVE OREGON
by tyler stenson © 2010

It’s the loudest sound;
When the heart knows what it wants and makes it known.
So, I’m leaving this town
Because it’s the season that changes all things into Gold.

But who am I to leave Oregon
When the rearview facing West holds all I love
And before me is October,
Where I might become my own fall,
But might never know my cards until I call?

Deep in the Lion’s Den
I’ve noticed Autumn holds a difference in the East;
Made up of different reds.
That color is bold, but just a lonely shade of dream.

So, who was I to leave Oregon
When the rearview facing West held all I loved
And before me was October,
Where I might become my own fall,
But might never know my cards until I call?

This is my loudest sound
And it’s meant for no one
But my loved ones in the West.
I’ll aim to make you proud
On a southern stage,
Lit by the lights, doing what I do best.

So, who was I to leave Oregon
When the rearview facing West held all I loved
And before me was October,
Where I might become my own fall,
But might never know my cards until I call?

I was asked to teach a songwriter’s workshop during a festival I recently played and although I was initially apprehensive, I was relieved to find how long-winded I became when I spoke on the subject. By no means do I claim to be the authority on songwriting; however, over the years I have accumulated a number of tips, tricks and unorthodox ticks that makes my process a bit more calculated.

Below is an outline of my discussion with the workshop audience — I think it will give you some things to think about as you approach your future songs. Good luck.

1.) KEEP A JOURNAL and/or WRITING BOOK

EXAMPLE: Many times I’ve stumbled upon a line or a word that made no sense when it was written; however, a year later, within the new context of my life, it made all the sense in the world. Whistle Stop, for example, was simply a cool word that I wrote down in my journal and it was a full year before it ever made sense.

When I first heard the word, I tried and tried to write a song but nothing in my vault of life experiences would support the theme. HOWEVER, a year later when I read that phrase in my journal, my brain immediately snapped into focus because of a current circumstance: my great friend had recently lost his mother. Even though Whistle Stop meant nothing to me a year prior, in that moment it screamed “life is a train … and since you never know when the next whistle stop will be, don’t whisper softly the things that you want loudly to be.” This delayed inspiration was a result of keeping a journal and re-visiting it often with a fresh perspective.

2A.) IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING FOR IDEAS, USE “A TECHNIQUE FOR PRODUCING IDEAS”

I studied advertising in college but because I knew songwriting was my call, every time I heard the word advertising, I would subliminally substitute it with songwriting. That said, I read a book called “A Technique for Producing Ideas” and even though it was about scheming ads, here is how it applies to the craft of songwriting.

Amazingly enough, upon reading this book, I realized the steps it described was how my brain was already working. It’s a 4 step process that is more natural than you might think:

STEP ONE – Gather Information
The goal here is to find a word or an idea (aka Whistle Stop) and collect every scrap of information that could support it. Collect nouns, read research papers, use wikipedia, interview people, etc.

STEP TWO – Grind and Explore
This step involves taking all of the raw information that you’ve gathered in step one and simply grinding it into the ground. Yes, stretch it, molest it and attempt to connect all of the dots while exploring all of the possible combinations. In this incubation period, you may not have the major break through; however, the goal is to leave no stone unturned and become overly acquainted with your information — to the point of exhaustion.

STEP 3 – Move On
It may be hard to do at times but step three suggests to simply walk away from the train wreck of thoughts in your head. Move on to the next project or song and clear your head. The argument here is that once you’ve collected all of your information and ground it into the ground, even though you’ve walked away from it consciencely, your sub-conscience has not forgotten about the task. While your conscience is away, your sub-conscience will play.

STEP 4 – Revisit with a New Perspective
Once you’ve completed the word jumble of steps one and two and then walked away for a time, come back with a fresh head and revisit the material. Again, even though you aren’t aware of it, your sub-conscience has been connecting dots without you even knowing it. You will find that upon your return, the idea has matured and your words will fall with much more precision.

NOTE: Even though I claim that I rarely write a song in one sitting, this process is the caveat. I have certainly schemed and schemed, walked away for a few months then returned to write the song in one sitting.

2B.) IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A SONG IDEA

If you’re lucky enough to already have a song title, theme or idea, here are a few very basic ideas that will help them reach their full potential.

3.) LISTEN TO THE SONG BEFORE IT’S WRITTEN

Most of my songs start with a chord progression on the guitar or piano and then I retrofit words afterward to fill the spaces. To me, fitting words into music is much easier than the alternative.

It may sound odd but when I have my chord progression established, I sit in my room, guitar in hand and play through the song about 10 times — filling the space with ad lib, mumbles, oooohs, aaaaahs, random lyric and whatever else decides to come out. I find that keeping an open mind and simply letting the sounds flow can be VERY telling.

What you’ll find is certain vowels poking up in the same place each time. You’ll find certain lines beginning with the same alliteration each time. You’ll find that amongst the chaos, there are constants. Embrace those constants and listen to them as if it’s the song revealing itself to you piece by piece.

After I’ve made a fool out of myself a dozen or so times and noted the revelations, I plot out the constants in a sort of road map and then back-fill the other information. It’s somewhat difficult to explain but when you know your anchor points, the rest of the content is immediately less random. If I know my second line wants to end with an “eeee” sound and the third line wants to start with a “B” alliteration, rather than pulling random thoughts from the air, the thought process is now: “What line can I think of that ends with an “eeee” rhyme while introducing a “B” alliteration?”

This step takes some confidence; however, I guarantee if you open your mind and let the unwritten song flow through you, you’ll find that it speaks to you — ultimately revealing little pieces of itself. By listening to the promptings, your song will assume a more natural feel because nothing was forced or contrived — on the contrary, it’s meant to be.

4.) LITTLE THINGS THAT WORK IN BIG WAYS

5.) GENERAL RULES, DOS, DON’TS, TOOLS, ETC

Somewhere this Spring I lost most of my musical confidence and began to ask myself the question: What the hell am I doing? After much deliberation, sleepless nights and internal battles, I decided that the reason I’m grinding out this phantom dream is the fact that music is quite simply My Love that I couldn’t quit if I tried.

For all of those struggling musicians out there, I just wrote this song (and humbly recorded it at home) to remind us why we do what we do. Enjoy.

MY LOVE, MY LOVE
by tyler stenson © 2010

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Like a Rodeo Clown, the blood and bruise are part of the call.
But still, damn you music, you’ve got me up against a wall.
Some days I’m a Lion and some days my spirits crawl
Across the floor, to you who started it all:

My love.

It’s a head-game honey. It’s easy to believe
That I’m a foolish fish inside this starving sea
That might swallow me whole (or give me just what I need).
It’s all or nothing because nothing is in between.

My love, my love,
Don’t count me out just yet
Cause my day will come.

Oh, damn you music!
You crawled inside my bed
And if I walked away, you’d just do the same to my head,
And your pedal steel would haunt me like the ghost
Of a melody that a deaf man misses most.

My love, my love
Don’t count me out just yet
Cause my day will come.
This I know,
Because there’s a flower buried in my chest
That continues to grow.
My love, my love
Don’t count me out just yet
Cause my day will come.

Call me nostalgic but I’ve decided to post a recording of my first song EVER — written and recorded in 2000, this is Her Song.

It’s funny, this is a song I no longer claim (because of the obvious departure from my current music); however, I’ve recently received a number of requests for it via email and I’m even receiving royalties here and there as a result of the old school recording. Who would have thought, a song I wrote 10 years ago, before I even knew the craft, would still be in demand?

That said, for sake of nostalgia, I dug up a copy of the original version and then re-recorded it today to show the difference between my vocals then and now. Below is a pair of recordings of Her Song — one is the original from 2000 and the other was humbly recorded live in my bedroom today in 2010.

I don’t take either one very seriously but I thought you’d like to hear the first song I ever wrote. My how time changes things. Enjoy Her Song.

HER SONG (original version circa 2000)

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HER SONG (new version, 2010 bedroom recording)

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You live your life day by day
People come and go
But no one stays by your side
Next to you
It’s so hard

Until that day;
You see that one
Standing there beautiful in the sun
Kissed by angels
Perfect She seems
The girl of my dreams

When we touch, I tremble
When She talks, I’m all ears
When She laughs, I smile
She calms my fears
With Her love and with Her words
I’m all Hers.

When she talks, the world is silent
No one exists.
And when we kiss,
Oh, I’m all Hers!
I’m Captivated by Her love,
By Her touch,
By Her glory,
By Her eyes,
By Her smile,
By Her laughter
And by Her.

When we touch, I tremble
When She talks, I’m all ears
When She laughs, I smile
She calms my fears
And wipes away my tears
With Her love and with Her words
All the sweet, sweet words that she says…

When She moves the earth sings
And I sing along…