It's Your Right: Ellen and Carla - Songwriting, 'Shield', and Expression through song
Ellen and Carla, writers of the #It'sYourRight theme song, 'Shield' talked to us about how their songwriting venture began, what 'Shield' means to them, and the importance of the right to expression for children and teenagers. Ellen and Carla have their own E.P. 'Floods' which is currently available on iTunes, and they continue to write songs together whenever they get the chance.
To hear Ellen and Carla perform 'Shield' LIVE at Farmleigh House for the Ombudsman for Children's Office's 10 year anniversary event, click this link: https://audioboo.fm/boos/2118419-it-s-your-right-shield-live-at-farmleigh-house
For more information on the It's Your Right Campaign, or children's rights, visit the It's Your Right website: http://www.itsyourright.ie/
Transcript Below
00:00 Music plays** Girls chattering
00:07 Ellen O’Mahony: My name is Ellen O’ Mahony, I’m 17 years old, I go to St. Peters college in Dunboyne.
00:14 Singing in background**
00:15 Carla Ryan: I am Carla Ryan, I am 17 years old and I go to St. Peters College in Dunboyne.
00:19 EOM: I’ve always been really interested in music I have played piano from when I was 6 or 7 and then recently I have started playing a few other instruments. I play guitar...not very well, admittedly, but I play guitar laughsand clarinet and then around 2 years ago I started singing and song writing with Carla.
00:38 SINGING** ** CHATTER
00:42 EOM: But I do other things as well like I play soccer and I do some drama and stuff like that.
00:46 SINGING***
00:48 CR: Well like Ellen, I love music, I love musical theatre and I have a huge interest in drama and acting and kind of performing like musical style but then I also really love sitting, playing guitar and kind of writing songs with Ellen.
01:02 Music and singing
01:05 EOM: Me and Carla, I think we both bring different things and so that is why we work so well together because when we are writing a song we normally do start them separately because the songs might come to us when we are not together when we are just playing piano or whatever by ourselves. And then we’d come together with our ideas.
01:22 SINGING**
01:25 CR: singing under So say if I have written a verse and a chorus and I can’t finish it then Ellen will probably help me try think of a couple more verses or bridges to add to the song. Or likewise if Ellen has stuff and she can’t finish it then I will help her with that.
01:37 SINGING***
01:38 EOM:We began writing songs about two years ago and then we had our youtube channel but we only did covers starting out. Now we have wrote an EP which we recorded and we have it on iTunes and we got such a great response. And I think when people tell you that they like something that you’ve made it is such a big boost and you just want to do more and you want to put out more and more songs.
02:00 SINGING
02:08 EOM:I would say that dreamer has a special place in my heart maybe because it is the first song I wrote and it is quite important to me.
02:19 SINGING
02:23 EOM: But Shield singing I just think there is something about it that I really am very proud of it. Singing
02:33 CR:I really love the meaning of the song. I think if you are ever going through a rough time or even if...especially a teenager when something tiny might happen and you think the whole world is over. *singing Just kind of knowing that you’ve got someone there who is going to help you and will help you get over this little bump in the road. It’s like heart warming to know. And I love the song, it has to be one of my favourite songs we have ever done
02:54 SINGING
03:06 EOM: This is such a great opportunity not only for the song to become such a great theme for the campaign but also to use this song and to build it up especially with the children’s choir. I just think that’s amazing because obviously it ties in perfectly with the children’s rights and it’s sensing, it’s their message, it’s them being heard.
03:26 Children’s choir singing
03:27 CR: Everyone should have rights and especially children because they can be so easily taken advantage of because they are young and they don’t really know what is out in the world And to think that our song is being used to kind of help spread awareness for it. It’s really good to know and it’s great to think that this song can be used on so many different levels, whether it be helping your friend when they are going through a bad time or helping children with their rights and kind of their rights being a shield.
03:50 SINGING
03:57 EOM: I think that it is very important that children and teenagers have the right to express themselves in any way and not have their talents not developed because of where they are from or where they live or how much money they have or anything because I believe that everyone has a talent in them and something they can bring to the world. So I think that would be very important to me anyway.
04:24 Children’s choir singing
04:26 CR: I think exactly what Ellen said like if someone told me, Carla you can’t sing anymore because you are a girl or because of where you are from I would be heartbroken because it’s what I want to do and it’s what I can try and bring to the world. I think it’s so important especially for teenagers when they have all these emotions and they are starting to grow up and see the world a lot of people need to express themselves whether it be song writing or painting or dancing or whatever. I think it is so important to be able to express yourself.
04:58 Singing
05:30 Music ends
05:53 Ends**