He's There For Me

As a father of six grown children (and grandfather of five and counting) I've learned a thing or two about being a father. One of the nicest of which is that you can make mistakes without scarring your kids for life. Fathering "styles" are as unique as fathers themselves, no one in particular better than the others as long as there is unconditional love in the relationship. I won't take a position in the whole "quantity time vs. quality time" debate in these pages, but I do know the importance of consistency and constancy. Simply being there is one of the largest contributing factors to a sense of security and well-being for a child. And experience teaches that "being there" has several different definitions and dimensions. "He's There For Me" is written about the ideal father I wish I was. Though none of us are perfect, I think, as I look back, I wrote this about my own father. And hopefully, fellow fathers, our children see some of these qualities in our own feeble examples.

I envision this song as a Fathers' Day gift in one of your concert performances. It uses a soft acoustic treatment with strings to communicate intimacy. The melody line looks more difficult than it sings. If you analyze the demo kids, you'll hear a softer approach but without a loss of energy. Dynamically, the higher notes are louder and the lower notes softer, using the direction of the melody to determine crescendos and decrescendos. The syntax in the second verse is a little clumsy in my estimation. It needed to match the first verse rhythmically for print purposes. Feel free to find a more comfortable rhythm if you feel it needs it.

I hope you find this song useful, perhaps even to stimulate some discussion. With so many broken homes these days, your classroom might serve as a safe haven for dialog. – Mike