“Space On The Couch For Two” was written spontaneously in between set-up time and a photo shoot the students were doing with McLachlan on November 22.
The multi-platinum singer-songwriter and Lilith Fair founder heard a bar of music that caught her attention and encouraged the students to turn it into a song. According to the press release, 17-year-old Freya Cirulis, who is studying songwriting, voice and guitar at the school, wrote the first verse on her arm with a black Sharpie marker and finished the verses later at home. The students from SoM wrote the music for it.
“Space on the Couch for Two” features McLachlan on lead vocals, with background vocals and instruments performed by students.
While they have all decided to offer the song for free — there is a music video too of them performing it — they are hoping people will donate to the school.
“Christmas isn’t going to be easy for many this year, so I have decided to give the world a Gift of Music!” McLachlan said in a statement on the web site. “The students at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music and I have created a new Christmas song that you can download entirely for free. If you can afford a $1 or $5 contribution to our school it would warm my heart as we continue to provide free music lessons to at-risk youth. Happy Holidays!"
The Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM) offers free after-school music instruction for students without access to music education. Its focus is on piano, guitar, percussion, voice, choir, songwriting, music lab and student bands.
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