Benji Harris Goes Into Significance Of Music

Benji Harris, a singer and songwriter, gave a Litfest presentation on the importance of music and how to write it.

“A good song can change the world,” Harris said.

“There’s a memory around every corner,” Harris said. 

Harris is a Highland Park graduate and got his start in music at 13 years old when he performed in HPMS’s  ‘Battle of the Bands.’

 “I wanted to get girls if I’m being real,” Harris said. 

Little did he know how far music would take him. Since then, Harris signed a publishing deal, bringing his music to radio and television and into the public eye. From there, he started singing background and playing guitar for several huge artists. He has multiple songs of his own including “That’s How You Get a Girl” and “Love at First Dance.” 

As an artist, Harris knows his way around a crowd. Rather than opening his presentation with the expected icebreaker, he picked up his guitar and did what he does best: music. 

After the performance, Harris began his presentation. As a strong believer in the power of a good song, Harris wanted to teach his students about the impact music can have on its listeners. 

He chose to show a video that he found personally inspiring. The video featured an elderly man named Henry who was diagnosed with dementia. In his youth, Henry was a bubbly, bright-spirited man who loved listening to music. He had been in the nursing home for about 10 years and had trouble remembering his family members and answering simple questions. It seemed that Henry was very unresponsive. 

In the video, a caretaker hands Henry an iPod with his favorite music on it. Immediately, he lights up and starts singing and rocking to the music. The usually-mute senior was now able to answer several questions about his favorite music in great detail. 

Harris went on to talk about what one needs to become a songwriter. According to him, the number one rule of songwriting is to write what makes you feel something. This, he says, is because there’s a good chance someone will feel it too. 

He and the students learned how to write a song step by step. After being walked through his do’s and don’ts, the students were told to grab a piece of paper from their bags. They then were able to engage in a live creative process as the entire room worked together to make a song using Harris’s methods. 

The entire group was brainstorming and giving input for their song. Harris’s teachings came to life as the song unfolded.