Research and Resources
Publications and Recordings
PUBLICATIONS: Songwriting Works methodology, case studies, and research findings appear in more than a dozen academic texts and popular books including those pictured above. In 2022 SW collaborated extensively with its fiscally-sponsored Mythsinger Legacy Project, in support of the publication of Daniel Deardorff’s classic book The Other Within: The Genius of Deformity in Myth, Culture, and Psyche, 3rd ed. (Inner Traditions).
RECORDINGS: More than 325 songs have been composed by communities of elders and youth in collaboration with Songwriting Works’ team of professional songwriters. Recordings include the albums Life’s a Song (2015) and Island on a Hill (2002).
200 rural North Olympic Peninsula, WA elders, youth, and families composed 18 songs and stories about the songs on this 2017 recording. Produced by Orville Johnson. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
More than 200 elders average age 87 residing at the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living composed and performed 18 songs and stories with Songwriting Works’ founder Judith-Kate Friedman and guest artists. Watch the documentary.
National Endowment for the Arts Study
In her National Endowment for the Arts/Artworks research study of Songwriting Works, Lin-Chiat Chang, PhD studied SW’s community songwriting methodology, and found significant health and social benefits for participants older adults residing in low-income, HUD subsidized senior housing in 5 U.S. states (CT, MN, AL, TX, IN).
The study followed five professional songwriters —Sally Rogers, Don Strong, Jessie Ritter, Jon Hogan and Maria Moss (aka Hogan and Moss) and Krista Detor for four months. Trained by Songwriting Works’ founder Judith-Kate Friedman, these artists blended their songwriting know-how with SW's 8 Principles of Creative Engagement methodology and principles of Vital Involvement best practices, guided by Helen Q. Kivnick and Linda Duncan of AWVIA - The Arts, Wellness and Vital Involvement in Aging.
The songs created reflected the diversity of the artists and elders in each community as they composed Folk, Rap/Hip Hop, Country, America, Pop songs full of the love, humor, and personal and cultural history of the participants.
Jessie Ritter (AL/FL), Hogan and Moss (TX), Krista Detor (IN), Don Strong (MN) and Sally Rogers (CT) not pictured. Photo: Port Townsend Leader
Dementia Arts
University of Cincinnati faculty Dr. Rhonna Schatz of the School of Medicine and Stefan Fiol, PhD of the Conservatory of Music trained with Judith-Kate Friedman in Songwriting Works’ approach. Songwriting Works best practices then became part of their students' curriculum as they made music with elders living with dementia and their care partners (2020-2021).
Other Creative Aging Initiatives
ARTS WA (WA State Arts Commission) program directors Miguel Guillen and Tamar Krames brought Songwriting Works’ Judith-Kate Friedman and Jen Kulik of SilverKite together to create a directory of teaching artists serving elders statewide and train teaching artists from rural, tribal and urban communities (2021-22).
Songwriting Works has always welcomed research collaborations. From its initial years as a teaching artist project within San Francisco Institute on Aging’s Artworks/Center for Elders and Youth in the Arts (1990-92) until the present, Songwriting Works’ founder Judith-Kate Friedman and collaborating artists have conducted projects in 25 regions of the U.S.