Tammy911.com Songwriting Challenge

Attention: Songwriters!!

If you are a songwritter and would like to contribute to our cause, we welcome you to compose an original song and submit it to us.

First off, this isn't a song contest. If we get a bunch of good original songs then we'll use them all.

When we started the song contest in the spring of 2008, at the time we were looking for an up-beat country song. Now we don't have any expectations at all. Use the notes below as a guide if you wish. You certainly have all the freedom you could want in writing any style of music you desire. When you're finished your song, please email an mp3, mp4 or wma file to info@tammy911.com. If you don't have the means to record your song, then let us know. If we like your song, we will have it recorded for you.

NOTE: Inside the grey box below are the rough "lyrics" written by Don Michalsky which he has titled "Don't let this happen to you". These are not naturally laid out in a manner which would lend itself to a song, but this is similar in format to the notes that Marilyn Christensen and I had to work with when we took on the task of writing our songs for the project. Marilyn chose to completely rewrite them. I tried to keep as close to Don's original notes as possible, although I rewrote and rephrased most of what I was given and added my own verses but still warranted giving him co-writer credit.

It was always our hope that some of the additional songs would be "happier" than the one Don has written below. However, it doesn't have to be. Our first song was dark and very sad and we hoped to do something completely different with the next song. We all liked the idea of using the title "Don't let this happen to you", but we all couldn't agree on the lyrical content. That's where your job will start; write lyrics that reflect everything you think they should.

I envisioned the lyrics starting with a few short examples of 9-1-1 problems, and the choruses would talk about how you would feel if it (Don's story) happened to you. I've included some of my incomplete (and very rough) original song notes at the bottom to give you an idea of where I was headed with it. Feel free to use them and do whatever you want with them.

Remember; this song can be anything you like - as long as it has lyrical content that is familiar to what we do on this website.

Basically, you can do whatever you want with Don's lyrics and my example; re-write them, re-phrase them, re-organize them or add / remove parts as you see fit. Of course, you have the choice of writing your own.

Carry on!
Gord Clark.

Gord's Example...

Verse One :
A little girl playing in the playground and sun,
Running around, nothing holding back fun.
One unforseen fall and her mom's on the phone,
Calling for help but an answer's not found.

Reaching out can be hard enough
And of all the things you're not thinking of,
is calling out and not getting through.
What would you do?

Verse Two:
Just before Christmas, a friend in her home,
hiding from someone whose anger was not known.
Kicked in the door, a shot gun in hand.
One shot rang out forever changing this land.

A loss of life can be hard enough
but the one thing no one is thinking of,
Is reaching out and not getting through.
What would you do?

Chorus:
How would you feel if your call is unheard?
Calling 9-1-1 and they don't hear a word?
If you were with Tammy and you couldn't get through
You'd do anything to make sure 911 is there for you.
What would you do?
Don't let this happen to you!

Verse Three:
Sleeping at night with her baby boy near,
A young mother dreaming when she woke up in fear.
Three men kicking at her, ran for her life.
She called 9-1-1 and they got lost in the night.

(I would finish the verse, add a chorus, then write a bridge or release, maybe a short solo and then back to the 2nd half of the second verse, repeat the chorus and fade or end...all lasting no longer than 4 minutes.)