Poet-Athletes Record Original Song with ASCAP Artist Dondria aka Phatfffat

Every year, The America Society of Composers, Authors, and Publisher’s (ASCAP) songwriter residency program partners with America SCORES to place an artist with participating SCORES affiliate sites.  These artists help a select group of students from one of the schools transform their words into an original song to perform and record in a professional studio.  This year, America SCORES Dallas had the honor of working with So So Def artist, Dondria aka Phatfffat.  A Dallas local, Dondria was first discovered as a YouTube channel sensation and now has 3.6 million profile views and over 100,000 subscribers.  Her recent album, Dondria V Phatfffat, was released just this last August. Last week, Dondria spent 3 days with all 32 Poet-Athletes from Steven’s Park Elementary School and helped them write, memorize, and sing an original song, “Let’s Party.”   

Day 1 “The Classroom: Part 1”
Dondria introduced the main lyrics of “Let’s Party” to the Poet-Athletes at Steven’s Park Elementary School. After learning the lyrics, it was then the students’ task to finish the song with two additional verses. Dondria encouraged the students to brainstorm ideas for the lyrics by thinking of words and concepts that connected to the theme of the song: getting together with friends and having a good time.

Day 2 “The Classroom: Part 2”

After school, the Poet-Athletes were jumping out of their seats and peering out of classroom 201 waiting in anticipation for Dondria’s arrival so they could continue working on their song collaboration.  At exactly 4:15, a boy yelled to his class, “She’s here!”  Immediately, all the kids rushed to their seats with their eyes fixed on the doorway awaiting Dondria’s entrance.  Dondria arrived in a whirl of positive energy carrying a stack of their printed lyrics with the credits at the bottom pronouncing, “Written and Performed by Dondria aka Phatfffat and Steven’s Park Poet-Athletes.”  Then it was down to business.  The students rehearsed the song and practiced singing with rhythm.  Once she felt the students were ready, Dondria had them practice singing the song with the instrumental track.  Dondria was kind and patient with the students during the entire process and encouraged them to express their experiences through words and song.

Day 3 “The Studio”
On Wednesday, the students filed onto a school bus that whisked them away to nearby Crystal Clear Studios.  As the bus approached the studio, the excitement intensified and the kids tumbled out of the bus ready to start their recording session.  In the studio, Dondria greeted the students and immediately ushered them into place around the four microphones.  Together, Dondria and the students huddled in a circle around the microphones and listened to the instrumental track and the control room operator’s instructions on their over-sized studio headphones.  In alternating intervals they sang, clapped and laughed, filling the recording studio with their voices.  Dondria encouraged every student to sing and have fun, while also inspiring them by lending her own skilled vocals to the track.  By the end of the night, the students were exhausted, but grateful for the chance to meet and sing with Dondria in a professional recording studio.  They left the studio that night with an aura of pride, joy and accomplishment.

America SCORES Dallas and the students at Steven’s Park sincerely appreciate this opportunity made possible by ASCAP and the incredibly talented, Dondria aka Phatfffat.  The album of songs produced through the partnership between ASCAP and America SCORES, including “Let’s Party,” will be released in Spring 2011.