School Songs

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and America SCORES have teamed up to present its national songwriting mentorship program, ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES. The program was established in 2006 to create a collaboration between songwriters and students utilizing the craft of songwriting and music as another engaging and inspiring way for kids to express themselves, while teaching them to value and respect their own creative work and that of other copyright owners. The ASCAP Foundation, a public charity dedicated to supporting music education and talent development programs, funds the program.
As part of the program, ASCAP selects its talented songwriters from a variety of musical genres to teach three-day songwriting workshops during the America SCORES after-school poetry classes. Each songwriter is given an assignment of co-writing and recording a song with the SCORES kids over the course of three days. The kids also learn about the importance of labeling their own creative work with the copyright symbol, year and their name just as they would see on any published, professional creative work.
This year's program features a diverse group of songwriters visiting schools in five cities across the country:
Boston, MA
Songwriter Dwayne Simmons
Chicago, IL
Hip-hop group Da Internz
Dallas, TX
Americana roots rock artist Johnny Lloyd Rollins Singer-songwriter David Rice
Los Angeles, CA
Rapper, actor and spoken word artist Saul Williams
San Francisco, CA
Indie rock band Birdmonster
Hip-hop artist Psalm One
During the first two years of the program, songwriting workshops took place at schools in Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and Washington, DC.
All 12 tracks from the CD can be heard in their entirety on ASCAP's website at www.ascap.com/playback/2008/summer/action/america_scores.aspx.
About America SCORES
America SCORES is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to use soccer and poetry to inspire among urban youth a lasting dedication to health, literacy, and community service. America SCORES operates soccer teams in urban public schools in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods across the country. Teamwork developed on the field is translated to the classroom and the community. The program operates five days per week after-school and has recently been recognized by Charity Navigator as one of the most administratively efficient nonprofits in the country. For more information, visit www.AmericaSCORES.org.