Urim songwriting workshop: Critiquing the new songs

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Also during those songwriting sessions, anyone who has finished a song--or who has reached a point where there's nothing more they know how to do to improve it--comes to the classroom and writes the words up on the board. By the end of the first session on Monday morning, there were seven new songs on the board, ready to be presented to the whole class. 


When the class comes back together in the classroom, each songwriter goes to the front of the room and teaches the new song to everyone. Then we spend time critiquing the song. We ask questions like:
  • Do the words of the song line up with what the Bible says?
  • Does the song sound Urim?
  • Is it easy to learn this song?
  • Does the whole song strengthen one main point?
  • Are there too many words, or not enough words for this style of song?
  • Do the words fit the beat and melody well?
  • Is there a clear beginning and ending?
All of this discussion happens in the Urim language, and someone gives me occasional updates on what they're talking about. The discussion is led by Urim members of the Bible translation and literacy team. They are being careful to ensure that the meanings of the songs are clear and biblical, and that the spellings of the words are correct.


Most of the songs presented were workshopped by the group until everyone was satisfied that they were really good. A few songs needed more work than the group could do together, so the songwriter was encouraged to go back to work, maybe with a few people helping, to bring the songs to completion and present them again.

As the songs are finished, everyone else writes them down in their own notebooks, so that by the end of the workshop each person will have a personal, handwritten songbook (printed songbooks will be coming later).


Here are a few of the new songs with guitar accompaniment (in the next post I'll say more about the traditional-style songs, with examples):



Some of the lyrics:

1041
Kupm rpmai kai mpang kakir                            I lived in a bush-place
Ka-wor wanteng won,                                       I lived among the thorns
Sisas o-o kitn antokg kupm ti itna ep (2x)        Jesus, you lifted me up

Kitn antokg kupm ti tipratipra                            You make me dance
Kitn antokg kupm ti atopatop                            You make me happy
Sisas o-o kitn antokg ti itne ep                         Oh Jesus, you lifted me up

1052
Yai yai, yai yai                                                                  Father, Father
Kupm ti ake melnum wor                                                I'm not a good man
Kupm asenteitn la kitn ungkwan paipm a kupm (2x)      I ask you to take away my sin
Kupm ti ake melnum wor                                                I'm not a good man
Kai wulmpa a kitnen                                                        in your eyes
Kupm asenteitn la kitn ungkwan paipm a kupm             I ask you to take away my sin

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