The Newcomer Creative Voices Project

Making space for children to represent themselves, their own voices, and their own lives, on their own terms through collaborative ethnographic songwriting centers children as “competent social agents” (Mayall 2002) and focuses on children’s voice (both figurative and literal), children’s rights, as well as their musical agency and creative processes. The children Kael collaborated with to compose and record three individual songs are competent social agents who were involved in active decision-making in the creative processes of songwriting and recording, and these decisions directly shaped the music they created for this project. Kael’s youngest songwriting collaborators to date—7, 9, and 11 years old—met with Kael over Zoom to compose their songs, which were later recorded in a studio in Toronto.

Even though none of these youngsters had any previous professional songwriting or recording experience, they expressed musical agency in a range of interesting and exciting ways throughout this research project…and they created beautiful, energetic, and entertaining songs!

{Dr. Reid is an outstanding scholar who uses innovative and child-led research practices to support children and young people in sharing their stories and lived experiences through song. Their research has great impact on individuals and communities and promises to amplify the strong voices of children and young people around the world.{

Dr. Andrea Emberly

York University, Toronto, ON

Butterfly (2021)

This song is about this young girl’s very strong emotional and almost spiritual connection with butterflies. Describing a special interaction with a butterfly, she sings about how these beautiful, cherished insects connect her to her homeland of Nepal and her new life in Canada.

Composed by: “Amisha” (child collaborator) and Kael Reid
Produced by: Lisa Patterson and Kael Reid
Amisha: lead vocal
Kael Reid: acoustic guitar and background vocals
Raneem Barakat: piano
Ernie Tollar: flutes
Doug Friesen: bass
Lisa Patterson: percussion and synth

Butterfly

Butterfly Lyrics

I’m standing outside, early morning In the garden of our apartment Morning glories open to the sun If I just stand still and breathe If I’m patient, if I’m quiet You’ll come rest on my hand for a while Chorus Butterfly You’re so sweet Lift me up On your wings so high Butterfly I believe I can glide On your wings so free I flew across the world to get here From Nepal to Canada I left behind the flowers and Ama But you are always here for me You whisper that you trust in me You flutter to me When I need a friend Chorus Butterfly You’re so sweet Lift me up On your wings so high Butterfly I believe I can glide On your wings so free Bridge You show me how beautiful You show me how colourful Change can be You unlock my heart Chorus Butterfly You’re so sweet Lift me up On your wings so high Butterfly I believe I can glide On your wings so free Butterfly

Hermione & Me

Hermione & Me Lyrics

She is smart and she is organized And surprise, so am I She is kind and I am too Did I mention that we know a lot? She goes to Hogwart’s in England I go to muggle school in Canada She reads about magic every day And I all read about her Chorus Hermione and me Like friends across the sea A Mudblood and a Muggle A witch like her I would be She adventures with Ron and Harry I adventure with Aarushi She saves the world with magic spells I save the world with good luck She speaks English and she speaks wizard I speak English and Nepali We both like school, we both like to study I think we’re pretty lovely Chorus Hermione and me Like friends across the sea A Mudblood and a Muggle A witch like her I would be Hermione and me Like friends across the sea A Mudblood and a Muggle A witch like her I would be Bridge Together we would rid the world of Riddle Expelliarmus! We would say Riddle be gone today! When I grow up I’m going to be an architect And when she grows up, She’ll be a professor I’ll paint every room in her house gold She’ll teach me how to mix potions We’ll fly around the world helping kids with homework And hug them when they get hurt Chorus Hermione and me Like friends across the sea A Mudblood and a Muggle A witch like her I would be Hermione and me Like friends across the sea A Mudblood and a Muggle A witch like her I would be Like her I would be And like me, she would be

Hermione & Me (2021)

The young composer of this song draws many comparisons between herself and Hermione Granger, the super-smart and somewhat snobby Mudblood and a favourite character of hers from the famed Harry Potter novel series. This young girl revels in the fantasy of being Hermione’s close friend as together they explore the world and their lives and take care of little children around the world.

Composed by: “Suhana” (child collaborator) and Kael Reid
Produced by: Lisa Patterson and Kael Reid
Suhana: lead vocal
Raneem Barakat: piano
Kael Reid: acoustic guitar and background vocals
Doug Friesen: bass
Lisa Patterson: percussion and synth

My Crew (2021)

The young boy who composed this song performs an energetic spoken word narrative about the various adventures he experiences with his friends, and how important his friends are to him. He shares with the listener that his friends lift him up out of a life of boredom and through teamwork and cooperation, they travel to the past uncovering some of the world’s mysteries, and into the future with the aim to make the world a better place.

Composed by: “Kagami” (child collaborator) and Kael Reid
Produced by: Lisa Patterson and Kael Reid
Lead vocals: Kagami and Kael Reid
Kael Reid: acoustic guitar
Piano: Raneem Barakat
Electric guitar: Rohan Staton
Background vocals: Amisha, Suhana, Raneem Barakat, Kael Reid
Bass: Doug Friesen
Percussion: Lisa Patterson

My Crew

My Crew Lyrics

If I had no friends I’d be bored out of my mind I’d be stuck with my little brother Playing by his rules all the time If I had no friends I don’t know what I would I do I’d spend the rest of my life Sitting around just wishing for my crew Pre-chorus My crew, we co-operate My crew, we give and take My crew, we play all day My crew, we stay in sync Chorus My crew-oo-oo-oo-oo (2x) With my crew, I can do almost anything We could even build ourselves a time machine Then, we would travel back through history To the mystery of Atlantis and Stonehenge Pre-chorus My crew, we co-operate My crew, we give and take My crew, we play all day My crew, we stay in sync Chorus My crew-oo-oo-oo-oo My crew-oo-oo-oo-oo Then we’d travel into the future We’d meet ourselves when we’re older We’d be true and kind, and help people find each other And spend our time singing happy rhymes Bridge We’ll make the world a better place (4X) Chorus My crew-oo-oo-oo-oo My crew-oo-oo-oo-oo My crew-oo-oo-oo-oo My crew-oo-oo-oo-oo

References

Duggan, L. & Muñoz, J. E. (2009). Hope and hopelessness: A dialogue. Women & Performance: a Journal of Feminist Theory, 19(2), p. 275-283. DOI: 10.1080/07407700903064946

Goodson, I. (1998). Storying the self: Life politics and the study of the teacher’s life and work.
In W. Pinar (Ed.), Curriculum: Toward new identities (pp. 3-20). Garland.

hicks, b. l. (2017). Gracefully unexpected, deeply present and positively disruptive: Love and queerness in classroom community. Occasional Paper Series, (37). Retrieved from https://educate.bankstreet.edu/occasional-paper-series/vol2017/iss37/9

Madison, D. S. (2012). Critical ethnography: Methods, ethics, and performance. Sage.

Muñoz, J. E. (2009). Cruising utopia: The then and there of queer futurity. New York, NY: New York University Press.

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