The Camporee Song Girl

By David Robinson

Awhile back, I had the esteemed privilege of interviewing Emily Beth. As some of you may remember, Emily won the the theme song contest for the Courage to Stand international camporee. You can download it here. You can even get a ringtone! When I finally caught up with this busy girl, I asked her a few questions about her song-writing success.

What was your experience writing the song?
I'd never written a song on my own before, so it was a great learning experience. It came together very quickly. My mom and dad write songs, so I had a sense of how it happens.

What were you feeling as your song kept making it to the next round, and eventually winning? Did you feel any sort of suspense or tension as you saw that your song wasn't being eliminated?
Wow, I felt a lot of different emotions. Excitement, worry, you name it. There was definitely a lot of suspense involved. But I really enjoyed the process. Underneath it all, I felt calm. I would have been happy for whoever won the contest.

What is your experience with writing songs?
Ha! I don't have that much experience, but hopefully I'll get more in the future. Mostly I've just watched my mom and dad and their friends write songs and perform, and our family has always sung together.

When did you first start writing songs?
The first song I wrote was called "Precious Gems" and I did it for some friends' baby dedication. I think I was around 10. I wrote it with my dad and one of my younger sisters, Chelsea. A few years ago, Chelsea and I actually sang it for Kid's Time on 3ABN. 

What musical things are you involved in at school?
I'm in general choir and honors choir. I love singing with groups! We had a really great choir this year and an awesome director. We have awesome times together.

What school do you attend?
I go to Chisholm Trail Academy in Keene, TX. After being homeschooled for 10 years, it was a big change. But I'm loving it so far! CTA is a great school. I really like being close to a university as well (Southwestern Adventist University). There are lots of programs and activities to choose from.

And lastly; what advice do you have for other kids like you trying to write songs?
Pray! Pray for inspiration before you write, after you write, while you're writing. And don't get discouraged if it doesn't come to you right away! "Courage To Stand" was a blessing and I had it basically written in under an hour. But there were five or six years in between my first song and "Courage To Stand" where absolutely nothing had come together. But when God gives you the inspiration, He will also give you the song. It's a "two-person job," and He is the first person in that mix. Let Him write through you. We are just the tools. And have fun! 

Photo by Jeff Sickler for the Keene Star.



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