Songwriting Workshop at English Access Camp

This week, Lisa, Ellen, and I packed our bags and hit the local buses to give a presentation on American culture and lead some workshops at the English Access Microscholarship Program Camp in Pokhara, Nepal. Sponsored by the US Embassy and NELTA, the "Access" program provides a foundation of English language skills to talented 13-20 year-olds  from economically disadvantaged sectors through after-school classes and intensive leadership learning activities, like English Access Camp!  (you can learn more about the Access Program  here)

It was really exciting being a part of the camp! The students were exceptionally friendly, thoughtful, creative, and represent a bright future for Nepal. 

Highlights from my experience include leading eight 40-minute songwriting workshops with Lisa. Each workshop consisted of ten students. In each session, students discussed why people make music and explored how different songs can make us feel different emotions. After singing "Country Roads" by John Denver, we learned that to write a song, we must first select a topic. Students then had a short 1-minute meditation in which they turned inwards to find meaningful song topics. Once all the topics were shared and listed on the whiteboard, the students democratically voted to determine their group's song topic. Subsequently, students brainstormed phrases and words related to their selected topic with a buddy. As a group, the lyrics from each song were pulled directly from the students' brainstormed ideas. 

You can check out a video of the student's songs below! Enjoy.