Songwriter Benji Harris shared his steps to crafting a compelling song with lyric templates and simple building blocks.

Harris is a talented Nashville musician and HP alum with years of experience in the music industry.

I chose this workshop because I have a friend who often asks me for advice on lyrics and song titles. I thought this workshop could help me come up with inspiration.

The first thing I saw when I walked into the auditorium was his guitar sitting in a big case up on the stage with the word “Nashville” inscribed on it in colorful lettering. As I was walking in, Harris greeted guests in a friendly manner and even started up a conversation with a group of guys.

Before his presentation, he played a love song for the audience. As Harris performed, he had a smile that glowed and you could tell that he truly enjoyed songwriting.

At the end of the song, he received a resounding applause, and he mentioned that this song would be on a record he was going to release soon.

Harris said that he wanted to make it as a singer and once he did, he wanted to come back to Highland Park.

Harris then talked about his so-called humble beginnings. He started playing the guitar at 11-years-old, started a band at 12-years-old and the band got their first “paid gig” when he was 13-years-old.

The band had also played at the eighth grade talent show and the band continued to stay together all the way through senior year. He then mentioned the different bands he had been in, during college and after he moved to Nashville.

Now, he does songwriting for companies like Google or Chick-Fil-A. He has so much fun doing what he loves that he doesn’t even consider it work.

He then shifted the focus back to the power of songs by showing us a video about how music can impact Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. It was so fascinating and emotional to watch.

Harris then began his discussion on how to approach songwriting.

The first tip he mentioned was to “take the pressure off yourself,” meaning that you shouldn’t force yourself into crafting a hit song after one draft.

The second tip he said was to listen to your ‘songwriting compass.’ The songwriting compass guides artists to determine if a song is good, and that ultimately helps an aspiring singer to develop their own voice.