By Malik Giles/campus editor
Because music and writing are two ways of communication and are a big part of people’s everyday life, TR writing and learning center put together a workshop to show students how lyrics can connect to people Feb. 19.
“There’s a certain transcendence that music has that nothing else has,” TR instructor Tasha McGhie said.
When McGhie looked up the definition of music on Google, she found that people define music in a more technical and dry way.
However, she said that music can really set the mood, and while silence has a profound impact on people, one listens to music to fill in the silence in their life.
McGhie then played two contrasting songs: The Beatles’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and Lizzo’s “Good As Hell.”
If the crowd went wild for The Beatles because of how live performances were new, they tuned in with Lizzo because of her women-empowering message.
She then concluded that music is another way of communicating a story to the listeners, and writing is similar.
“Both kinda create pictures for you, or it’s giving for you in music videos,” she said.
Not all music has lyrics but it still has the power to move you, it has the power to transcend and break barriers that even those who are deaf can enjoy it.
McGhie explained that Helen Keller was deaf and blind, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying music by feeling the vibration with her hands.
She also said that Keller could exceed in her other senses to feel music more intensely compared to other people.
TR student and writer Jacob Lutrell said he likes coming to these workshops so he can put what he learns from them into creating his movies.
How Do Some Lyrics Move Us is the fourth workshop in the learning series created by TR writing and learning center to help students have a different perspective about writing.
Instructors from the writing center like McGhie invite students to come to these workshops every Tuesday or Wednesday so students can improve their writing skills and enjoy the creative subjects.
“I like coming to these because I learn something new every time,” TR student Haoua Kangambega said.
