Welcome to A.M.O. #2! It's been a while since our first installment but that doesn't mean we've been lazy. While we were working with some kids at IPS 91, we actually think we may have experienced the writing of the best song to hit eardrums since Thriller. Some of you may have already heard this new jam, featured in Taylor Peters' playlist “A Short Walk #3”, but for those of you who haven't, or for those of you who would like to learn more about these amazing kids, allow me to introduce you to the The Hungries!

For this workshop we partnered with the wonderful people at AYS, who have been providing after-school programs and various camps for Indianapolis youth since 1980, to work with students during their October fall break camp. Over the course of two days, I worked with 23 kids ranging from grade 2 through 8 with the goal of writing a song of their own. After some exploration of different genres and instruments, the students were tasked with choosing a topic for their song. I can't remember all of their suggestions, but I do remember that vacations, Disney movies and summer were among them. Seeing that we could only chose one thing, however, we took a vote and decided on something that everybody loves... FOOD!

While working with such a large group of students with such a wide range of ages initially worried me a little, it actually ended up being a benefit to the writing process. Though all of the kids seemed engaged and excited to be playing and writing music, the younger ones were certainly the most obvious about it. Anytime I asked a question I would see 10 little hands shoot up but only 2 or 3 big hands. Though the younger kids had an astonishing amount of ideas for lyrics, their command of rhyme and rhythm was not as great as their older counterparts. So what started happening was something like this: I would take a lyric suggestion from a 2^nd grader, then a 5^th grader would use the 2^nd grader's idea but alter it to have the appropriate amount of syllables, then an 8^th grader would take the 5^th grader's line but would make the lyric rhyme with the one before it. We continued in this fashion for a short while and before long we had a masterpiece on our hands.

I recorded the participants singing in small groups arranged by ability and age and had them sing along to a rhythm track while I played guitar with them. While their friends were recording, I had the other kids working on illustrating the cover art for the song. Having written a song about food, entitled “Food Chain” they logically picked the band name “The Hungries”. Instead of roughly mixing the song and giving them a CD to take home, this time I gave the kids a link to the MFT page where they could download or stream the song later that night after I had finished the rest of the backing track. So now, without further ado, I present to you “Food Chain” by The Hungries (lyrics below).

Peanut butter jelly so yummy in my belly

Pizza so saucy I eat it with my posse

This girl named Hanna is crazy for bananas

We love food it puts us in a good mood

I'm on top of the food chain, I eat everything

I'm on top of the food chain, I eat everything

In the morning I have cereal, Cap'n Crunch and Cheerios

I don't eat my broccoli instead I play Monopoly

We start shakin' when we eat bacon

I'm getting hungry I need food in my tummy

I'm on top of the food chain, I eat everything

I'm on top of the food chain, I eat everything

Eat dessert instead of peas take a walk to burn calories

Eggs from the farm with my lucky charms

Soul food is a woah food it's never gonna be a goal food

this is our food plate that you cannot take

I'm on top of the food chain, I eat everything

I'm on top of the food chain, I eat everything