Pictured above are left back row: Visiting Songwriter, Author, and Poet Eric Ode with the participants at the Youth Music Workshop at IP Cafe on March 20, 2010.Eric Ode and a group of young children who participated in the Youth Music Workshop at the IP Coffee Co. in Mangilao wrote a song together on March 20, 2010.
First they brainstormed to get an idea they wanted to work on. The list included, “No, don’t”, which turned out to be the “hook” they were looking for.
Ode enjoyed his music workshop with the children. “It’s hard to keep yourself out of the process when you’re writing with kids,” Ode said. “I wanted it to be all their ideas. After we had a few lines, I asked, "How would you sing that? And as the kids tried out different melodies we heard just the right one,” he said.
As the group went through the writing process, they chose words and changed words several times before they agreed. The paper was full of rhyming lists, scratched out and rewritten words. But the finished song was one they were all proud of. Ode picked out the chords they were singing, and they put it to the test. The following are the lyrics they developed that just happens to be a great poem too!
Don’t Eat the Pieby the Youth Music Workshop with Eric Ode
Grandma took the pie out of the oven.
She put it on the counter to cool.
Chanelle smelled the pie from next door
And asked for three slices or more.
No, don’t eat the pie!
The pie is for the party.
Oh, no, don’t eat the pie!
The people will be angry.
There won’t be enough.
The little kids will cry,
So don’t eat the pie.
Grandma brought the pie to the party.
The people said, Grandma, what a pie.
She set it near the potato chips,
the fruit punch, and the chicken strips
And Grandma said,
(repeat the chorus)
Pictured above: Eric Ode explains about his poetry. 
Pictured above: Eric Ode autographs one of his books.
Pictured above: Eric Ode performs songs for a couple of his poems.
Pictured above: Eric Ode with IRA Rep Jennifer Artero
Pictured above: Eric Ode with LBJ Librarian Nancy Kelley
